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Strawberry sago is a creamy, fruity, and refreshing dessert made with coconut milk, juicy strawberries, tapioca pearls, and a hint of vanilla. Naturally dairy-free and easy to prepare, this lightly sweetened dessert is perfect for warm summer days!
It’s strawberry season, which means that it’s time for fresh and fruity desserts! My strawberry sago is creamy, made with just 5 simple ingredients, and is one of the best desserts to enjoy all summer long!
Vân and I make this, along with our mango sago version, on repeat throughout the summer. We love how light and refreshing it is, and I’m sure you will too!
😍 Why We’re Obsessed With It
- Intense strawberry flavor. This simple dessert highlights the fresh and fruity taste of ripe strawberries. There are 23 ounces of strawberries in this recipe!
- Perfectly sweet. Forget overly sweet desserts. This sago gets most of its sweetness from the strawberries. And the sweeter the strawberries, the less sugar you’ll need to add! You can even sweeten it with maple syrup for a refined sugar-free version.
- Ultra creamy. Just the right amount of coconut milk adds the necessary richness and creaminess without overpowering the strawberry flavor.
🍓 Ingredient Notes
- Strawberries – The quality of your strawberries will have a huge impact on the final flavor of your sago. Pick sweet strawberries that have an intense floral aroma. If they don’t smell anything, it generally means they don’t taste anything. Stay away from cheap strawberries, as your sago would just taste bland.
- Coconut milk – For optimal creaminess, I suggest using full-fat coconut milk.
- Sugar – To sweeten the sago. Granulated white sugar works best, but light brown sugar or maple syrup also works.
- Vanilla extract – Just a hint of vanilla pairs very well with the strawberries.
- Tapioca pearls – You can find small tapioca pearls in most Asian supermarkets or buy them online. Do not confuse pearls with boba, which are larger tapioca pearls specifically made to add to milk tea.
🥣 How to Make It
- Cook the tapioca pearls. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tapioca pearls and cook for 18-20 minutes.
- Drain them. Once the pearls are translucent, drain them and rinse them under cold water. Transfer to a bowl.
How do I check if the tapioca pearls are cooked?
Using a spoon, take a few pearls from the pot of boiling water. Transfer them to a small bowl of cold water. Let them sit for a few seconds and taste them. The pearls should be translucent, tender, and slightly chewy. If they are hard on the inside, they need to be cooked longer.
- Add the ingredients to a blender: Strawberries, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Blend. Blend on high speed for about 20 seconds or until smooth. Transfer to the bowl of tapioca pearls.
- Combine everything. Mix the cooked tapioca pearls with the blended strawberries.
- Refrigerate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours.
📔 Vân Tips
Adjust the amount of sugar. Depending on how sweet your strawberries are, you might need to add a bit more sugar than the recipe calls for. Taste the blended strawberries and adjust the sweetness to your liking.
Cook the tapioca pearls in a large amount of water. As tapioca pearls cook, they release a lot of starch that can make the cooking water very thick and gooey. To prevent that, cook them in a large amount of water (at least 6 cups).
Refrain from adding more tapioca. At first, your sago will look very liquid. This is normal. Do not add more tapioca pearls. The sago will thicken after 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.
🥥 Add-in Ideas
Not sure how to tweak and serve this sago? I’ve got you covered. Here are some add-in ideas:
- Diced strawberries: Add fresh strawberry chunks right before serving for extra color and juicy bites in every spoonful! Do not add them earlier, as they release water and lose their texture.
- Nata de coco: Sometimes called coconut jelly. Slice it into thick cubes and stir it in at the same time as the tapioca pearls.
- Boba: Add 1/2 cup of cooked white boba for chewiness. Cook them separately, rinse under cold water, and fold them in before serving.
- Chia seeds: Add 2 tablespoons directly with the tapioca pearls. The seeds need time to hydrate and thicken. Keep in mind that adding chia seeds will result in a denser, thicker texture.
🍪 Serving Suggestions
While this sago stands on its own, you can also serve it with buttery spritz cookies, vegan ladyfingers, or chocolate cookie thins!
❄️ Storing
You can store this sago in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just be aware that after 2 days, it will thicken. You can add a bit more coconut milk or water to thin it.
💬 FAQs & Troubleshooting
I do not recommend freezing sago as it would alter the texture of the tapioca pearls.
Yes. Frozen strawberries will work (thaw before blending), but can yield a flavor that’s a bit more sour. In that case, you will have to increase the amount of sugar.
Two possibilities: You didn’t measure the tapioca pearls correctly, or you didn’t allow the sago to chill enough. It will thicken after a few hours in the refrigerator.
Yes, you can substitute your favorite plant-based cream (such as soy cream) for the coconut milk.
No. Some recipes may include sweetened condensed milk, cream, or honey.
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Strawberry Sago (Creamy Tapioca Dessert)
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (120 g) tapioca pearls
- 23 ounces (650 g) fresh strawberries
- 7 ounces (200 ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cook the tapioca pearls. Bring about 7 cups (1.7 liters) of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add the tapioca pearls and simmer for 18-20 minutes or until the pearls are translucent and tender.
- Drain them. Once the pearls are translucent, drain them and rinse them under cold water 2-3 times (to stop the cooking process). Drain again and transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
- Blend the strawberries. Add the strawberries, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to a high-speed blender. Blend on high speed for 15-20 seconds or until completely smooth. At this point, you can taste it and adjust the sweetness to your liking. Transfer to the mixing bowl.
- Combine everything. Using a spoon, mix the strawberry juice with the tapioca pearls. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before enjoying!
- You can store this sago in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just be aware that after 2 days, it will thicken. You can add a bit more coconut milk or water to thin it.
Notes
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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