Sago Pudding with Coconut & Mango

Sago pudding is so light and refreshing, we love the tropical flavours and chewy texture of the sago pearls. It’s a gorgeous dessert that tastes amazing, the perfect end to a delicious meal!

Why We Love This

Do you ever love a food so much that before you know it, you’ve made up a theme song for it? Well, let us introduce you to our much beloved… 🎶 co-co-nut SAgooooooooo 🎶

This is such an easy dessert recipe we turn to when we start craving a sweet treat after dinner. You don’t need to be prepared super well in advance, so you can even make it on a weeknight! All you need is a few basic ingredients that we often have in our pantry, ready to be crafted into a sweetly delicious and innocent looking dessert.

You can also make sago pudding in advance when you have guests coming around and know you’ll be strapped for time in the kitchen. Just pull them out of the fridge and watch everyone’s eyes light up in delight!

What is Sago Pudding? 

This is a sweet Asian dessert recipe made from chewy sago pearls stewed into a pudding with coconut cream and sugar, topped with fruit. It’s super popular across Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore & Thailand) and mainland China.

The concept is similar to other sweet no-bake desserts like Vanilla Blanc Manger or Japanese Purin (which is itself similar to creme brulee) in that it’s a set dessert usually intended to be served cold.

Although – sometimes we just can’t help ourselves and will start eating even before the sago puddings are cold!

Sago vs Tapioca

Sago pearls are small white balls of starch extracted from sago palm stems. They have a similar look, taste and feel to tapioca pearls, and are often used in similar ways, but tapioca is actually made from cassava roots. You might have already come across them as the deliciously chewy balls in the bottom of bubble tea!

What You’ll Need

Just a handful of ingredients for this one. Most can be bought from regular supermarkets but you might need to head to an Asian grocer for sago pearls (or grab them online).

• Sago Pearls – We prefer to use the small white sago pearls (sometimes called sago seeds). You can sometimes find these in different colours or flavours, but we like the unflavoured white ones so we can add our own flavour. You can use large pearls or tapioca pearls if you prefer or if that’s all you can find.
• Coconut Cream – We use coconut cream, but you can also use coconut milk which is a bit thinner in texture. Both have a deliciously rich coconut flavour.
• Mango – You can use fresh or tinned mango slices depending on your preference. We actually love using tinned fruit that comes with its own syrup, it adds extra sweetness to your topping!

Sago Pudding Topping Ideas

Some of the more traditional toppings include mango, passionfruit syrup or banana. But you could also try smashed berries, homemade berry coulis or sweet ginger syrup. Yum!

How to make Recipe:

1. In a medium saucepan, pour in your sago, coconut cream and water and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
2. Place sago on medium heat and stir continuously to avoid sticking. The sago should cook through and become sticky in around 5-10 minutes.
3. Remove sago from the heat and add in your sugar, stirring through.

4. Spoon mixture into dessert glasses and allow to cool.
5. Top with mango, desiccated coconut and mint, then chill until ready to be served.

Wandercook’s Tips

• When making the sago, the trick is to soak it in the water and coconut first for half an hour to help soften it and quicken the hands-on time it takes to stir it continuously on the stove.

FAQs

Variations & Substitutes

• Coconut Cream – swap for coconut milk or water which are both thinner and lighter in fat content than full coconut cream.
• For a Spicier Version – try adding star anise and cinnamon while simmering the sago pearls.
• For a Tropical Blend – top with young coconut, mango and a squeeze of fresh lime. You could also add a spoonful of caramelised ginger or pandan essence for a sweet vanilla aroma.

Looking for more EASY sweet dessert ideas? Try these:

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