Red Wine Tapioca Pudding Recipe (Sagu de Vinho)

A naturally gluten-free tapioca pudding recipe made with red wine, sugar, and warm spices that can be served with either crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream. Known in Brazil as sagu de vinho, this ruby-like, aphrodisiac dessert recipe comes with instructions for both the Instant Pot and the stovetop.

How about a beautiful and delicious dessert to celebrate Valentine’s Day?

This red wine tapioca pudding recipe, known as sagu de vinho in Brazil, fits the bill. It is from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul!

It is has a beautiful ruby color and is also comforting, super tasty, and quite quick and easy to make. 

It is a real gem… that your sweetheart is sure to enjoy -- just like our Valentine's Brownies and Brioche French Toast Casserole!

As if it that weren't not enough, you can serve it topped with either crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream, making it even more scrumptious.

If you are serving adults only, use a good-quality red wine… one that you can use to drink later!

But if you are serving a family with kids, I recommend using a half amount of wine and half of real grape juice. Don’t worry! The wine will fully evaporate as the pudding cooks.

However, if making this for kids only, skip the wine and use only grape juice. The tapioca pudding made with grape juice has a less strong flavor than that made with red wine. 

So let's have some pudding, shall we?

What is Tapioca Pudding?

It is a sweet pudding often made with tapioca pearls and a liquid such as milk, coconut milk, or red wine. Its consistency can range from thin (runny) to thick.

You can make this pudding from scratch using tapioca in a variety of forms: flakes, coarse meal, sticks and, most often, pearls. Instant tapioca pudding, the quick version of the dessert made with minute tapioca, is also available.

The name for the pudding varies around the world. In Britain, it carries funny names such as frog spawn, fish eyes, and eyeball pudding. In southern India, it is known as jawhuarusee payasam, while in my home country, Brazil, it is called sagu or sagu de vinho although it is made from tapioca pearls and not sago.

Ours is one of those easy Brazilian recipes that you will want to make again and again. 

But What Are Tapioca Pearls?

Tapioca pearls (known as Boba as well) are mini white balls made from cassava starch.

Cassava (also called Yuca, Manioc, Mandioca, and Casabe) is a starchy tuber crop grown in tropical climates or countries such as Brazil. It is a key ingredient in local diets because it is a high calorie food that is easy to grow and store.

Because it is a tuber, it’s naturally gluten-free.

To make tapioca pearls, one has to mix cassava starch or flour with boiling water until it reaches a malleable or kneadable consistency. Then the mixture is shaped into dough-like cylinders, chopped into equal pieces, and molded into spheres.

The raw or uncooked tapioca pearls have an opaque white color due to their being made from starch, and have little to no flavor. They are available worldwide! But the pre- cooked pearls, often found in different artificial colors, can be found in most Southeast Asian countries.

Tapioca pearls vary in size, from 1 mm (small pearl tapioca) up to 8 mm (large). Because of that, there will be expected variations in cooking times! We use a medium-size for our homemade tapioca pudding recipe! 

Differences Between Sago and Tapioca Pearls

Tapioca Peals are made from tuber of the Cassava plant and are famous for their use in puddings in Western countries, as well as bubble tea.

On the other hand, sago is made from pith of true sago palm trees and is usually used to prepare sweet and savory dishes in Southeast Asia, including sago pudding. 

You cannot tell them apart only by size. Some may claim that sago balls are larger than tapioca pearls. But this is not always true! The best way to find out is to look at the ingredients on the package.

But if you come across a package of sago, don’t worry! Although it is less common to find it in Western countries such as the USA, you can cook it the same way you cook  tapioca pearls – just follow the same directions as for cooking tapioca pearls.

In most parts of Southeast Asia, tapioca pearls can come pre-cooked and ready for use. But for the rest of the world, they are often sold in dried form, requiring boiling before use.

The basic recipe for either sago or tapioca pearls uses a ratio of 4-6 cups of liquid to 1 cup of either starch, depending on how thin or thick the final consistency is to be. They are cooked until ‘al dente,” although you may notice that some pearls will still be opaque.

How to Make Red Wine Tapioca Pudding

Find out how to make our red tapioca pudding recipe in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker and also on the stovetop.

Instant Pot

1. If cooking in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, skip the soaking time. Start by lightly brushing the bottom of your pot with vegetable oil. Add the tapioca pearls and the water. PIC. 1
2. Lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and set to cook on High Pressure (press the pasta button) for just 3 minutes. PIC. 2
3. Then do a quick release of pressure after 10 minutes has passed. You will notice some pearls will still be opaque and others will be translucent. But most of them will be almost ‘al dente’.
4. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture very well, sometimes slightly pressing them against the sides of the pot to separate them. But do not mash them! If some stick to the bottom of the pot, you will be able to get most out once the final dessert has cooled almost completely in the pot.
5. Add the wine (or grape juice or half of each), sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pot. Stir and press the sauté button. PIC. 3
6. Let it cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring every once in a while, or until most of the pearls are translucent. PIC. 4 Remove the cinnamon stick (and if possible, the cloves). The pudding is thick enough when it coats the back of a spoon. PIC. 5
7. Serve this Instant Pot tapioca pudding warm, at room temperature, or chilled with vanilla ice cream or crème Anglaise. PIC. 6

To adapt this tapioca recipe and prepare a vegan tapioca pudding instead, simply use a vegan wine and coconut sugar.

Curious about how does a pressure cooker work? Read more about it and get our cooking time charts!

Stovetop

1. Soak the pearls in water for about 45 minutes either in a bowl or in the no stick saucepan that you will use to cook the pudding. Do not drain!
2. Add the red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved and comes to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Then, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the pearls are soft and several are translucent. Make sure to stir every once in a while!
4. Transfer to glasses, ramekins, or a bowl. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled with vanilla ice cream or crème Anglaise.

NOTE: As the tapioca pudding cools, it will become thicker. If you serve it chilled, you may have to stir in a little bit of water or grape juice to loosen it enough. Like pasta, the tapioca pearls tend to absorb liquids like a sponge.

If you skip the ice cream or crème anglaise, this will also be a dairy-free tapioca pudding recipe.

For a sugar-free tapioca pudding, replace the sugar with monk fruit, for example (double the amount). 

You may want to find out how to convert US cups to ounces to grams when making or adapting this recipe. 

Crème Anglaise Recipe

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the cream, milk, ⅓ cup of sugar, and both the vanilla pod and beans.
2. Simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan. Please do not let it boil! Remove the pan from heat and let it sit for 20 minutes.
3. While the dairy mixture is infusing, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar in a medium bowl until it turns pale. Remove the vanilla pod and discard!
4. Using a ladle, pour a ladle of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then swiftly whisk to combine. Add another ladle of the infused mixture to the egg mixture until it is warm to the touch. This method is called tempering and it is essential to prevent the yolks from curdling. 
5. Pour the tempered cream and egg mixture into the remaining dairy mixture in the saucepan, then return the pan to the heat. 
6. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5-7 minutes or until the custard coats the back of a spoon.
7. Once the custard has thickened, remove from the heat and strain through a sieve into a medium bowl. This will remove any lumps and the custard will be smooth. 
8. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to remove air and prevent the formation of a thick skin. Then chill in the fridge for about 2 hours before serving. Or keep refrigerated for up to 4 days!

How to Make Variations of This Tapicoa Pudding Recipe

You can easily adapt our recipe to customize the flavor according to your preferences. Here are a few ideas:

• Coconut Tapioca Pudding or coconut sago: Use either tapioca pearls or sago and replace the wine with coconut milk.
• Banana Tapioca Pudding: Mash a banana or two and add to the mixture when cooking with sugar and spices plus the liquid. In this case, use milk instead of wine!
• Passion  Fruit or Mango Tapioca Pudding: Use either passion fruit juice or mango juice instead of wine to make the dessert.

When is the Tapioca Pudding Fully Cooked?

The texture should be gummy or chewy with a tiny bite in the middle. In other words, the texture should be ‘al dente’. Some pearls will still be opaque instead of translucent, but you can bite into them.

How Long Does This Tapioca Pudding Recipe Last?

You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Make sure to place plastic wrap along the surface to keep a ‘skin’ from forming. The same applies to the crème anglaise, which can be chilled in a separate container for up to 4 days!

This recipe is one of those traditional brazilian foods that you must try!

Other Tapioca Recipes

• Yuca fries
• Tapioca Breadsticks
• Tapioca Cake
• Farofa recipe
• Brazilian tapioca
• Gluten-free waffles
• Brazilian cheese rolls

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5 from 6 votes

Red Wine Tapioca Pudding Recipe (Sagu de Vinho)

Red wine tapioca pudding is an easy, ruby-like dessert made with red wine, tapioca pearls, spices, and sugar, It can be served with a vanilla bean sauce. So delicious!

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:Brazilian

Prep Time 18 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories341 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 2.50 per person

Equipment

• Instant Pot or Saucepan
• wooden spoon
• whisk

Ingredients

For the Red Wine Tapioca Pudding Recipe

• ½ cup tapioca pearls medium-size and NOT cooked
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ cups red wine such as Malbec, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon (please use good-quality wine for a tasty pudding) or sub with real grape juice or half amount of juice and half of wine
• 1 cup sugar For a sugar-free version, use monk fruit (double amount)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves

For the Crème Anglaise (OPTIONAL)

• 1 cup full-fat milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅔ cups sugar
• ½ vanilla pod cut in half and scrape the beans (use both the pod and the beans)
• 4 large egg yolks

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Instant Pot: If cooking in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker, skip the soaking time.
• Start by lightly brushing the bottom of your pot with vegetable oil. Add the tapioca pearls and the water.
• Lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and set to cook on High Pressure (press the pasta button) for just 3 minutes.
• Then do a quick release of pressure after 10 minutes has passed. You will notice some pearls will still be opaque while others will be translucent. But most of them will be almost ‘al dente’.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture very well, sometimes slightly pressing them against the sides of the pot to separate them. But do not mash them! If some stick in the bottom of the pot, you will be able to get most out once the final dessert has cooled almost completely in the pot.
• Add the wine (or grape juice or half of each), sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves to the pot. Stir and press the sauté button.
• Let it cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring every once in a while, or until most of the pearls are translucent. Remove the cinnamon stick (and if possible, the cloves).
• Serve this Instant Pot tapioca pudding warm, at room temperature, or chilled with vanilla ice cream or crème Anglaise.
• Stovetop: Soak the pearls in water for about 45 minutes either in a bowl or in the no stick saucepan that you will use to cook the pudding. Do not drain!
• Add the red wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved and comes to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Then, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the pearls are soft and several are translucent. Make sure to stir every once in a while!
• Transfer to glasses, ramekins, or a bowl. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled with vanilla ice cream or crème Anglaise.
• Crème Anglaise Recipe: In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, add the cream, milk, ⅓ cup of sugar, and both the vanilla pod and beans. Simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan. Please do not let it boil!
• Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 20 minutes. While the dairy mixture is infusing, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar in a medium bowl until it turns pale. Remove the vanilla pod and discard!
• Using a ladle, pour a ladle of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then swiftly whisk to combine. Add another ladle of the infused mixture to the egg mixture until it is warm to the touch. This method is called tempering and it is essential to prevent the yolks from curdling. 
• Pour the tempered cream and egg mixture into the remaining dairy mixture in the saucepan, then return the pan to the heat. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5-7 minutes or until the custard coats the back of a spoon.
• Once the custard has thickened, remove from heat and strain through a sieve into a medium bowl. This will remove any lumps and the custard will be smooth. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to remove air and prevent the formation of a thick skin. Then chill in the fridge for about 2 hours before serving. Or keep refrigerated for up to 4 days!

Recipe Notes

• The Nutritional Values do NOT include the crème anglaise.
• To adapt this tapioca recipe and prepare a vegan tapioca pudding instead, simply use a vegan wine and coconut sugar.

STORAGE

You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Make sure to place a plastic wrap along the surface to keep a ‘skin’ from forming. The same applies to the crème anglaise, which can be chilled in a separate container for up to 4 days! Do not freeze! 

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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Post first published on February 10th, 2012.