Dreamy Coconut Tapioca Pudding

This "dreamy" coconut tapioca pudding is my favorite dessert at my favorite restaurant: Dharma's Restaurant in Capitola, CA. Dharma's is a vegetarian restaurant with a lot of vegan dishes that are simply delicious. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't share their recipes even if I asked, so I decided to come up with my own version of their tapioca pudding based on the flavors I could detect. I think the result is pretty close!! My family agrees :)

For a very rich and creamy pudding you can use the "culinary" coconut milk (the canned variety), whereas the "pour-over-your-cereal" type will give you a lighter, lower-calorie version of this dessert. Either way the taste is fantastic.

I use Stevia as a sweetener because I'm pretty sure that is what Dharma's uses. If you use another type of natural sweetener, like maple syrup or agave, expect the color of the pudding to be somewhat darker. The taste will be good either way. However, make sure that if you do use Stevia, that you use the right amount, since it could leave an aftertaste when you add too much.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups coconut milk

1/3 cup tapioca pearls

1/3 to 1/2 cup natural sweetener of choice (dates, raw sugar, maple syrup, etc.) or the equivalent amount of Stevia

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup raspberries + 1 tablespoon agave syrup

1 teaspoon of lime zest

Blend coconut milk with sweetener and vanilla. Pour over pan and add tapioca and lime zest. When it boils, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover the bottom of a bowl or serving dish with the raspberries. Add the agave (or other natural sweetener of choice) and stir. Pour cooked tapioca over raspberries. Sprinkle more lime zest on top if you would like. Refrigerate and serve chilled.