I’ve mentioned my friends Ada and Anna before, but I haven’t told you how every conversation with them inevitably turns to food—especially dessert. A few months ago we were chatting about pudding when Anna asked, “Mom, you’ve told Rebecca about our butterscotch tapioca, right?” I hadn’t, and the description that followed was unforgettable.
Ada: We start by cooking tapioca with brown sugar.
Anna: Then we add white sugar, eggs, and milk.
Ada: Stir constantly so it doesn’t scorch.
Anna: After that, stir in butter and vanilla and let it cool. Then fold in lots of whipped cream.
Ada: And chopped Milky Way bars.
Anna: And little pieces of cream cheese. That’s it!
Ada: Sometimes we serve it with caramel ice cream topping.
Hearing that, I was stunned. I left empty-handed after that visit, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the pudding. A week later I returned and left a pleading note on their door asking for the recipe. Eventually Ana copied it out for me by hand and called it “Butterscotch Tapioca.” I added “and Milky Way” to the title because the candy bars are an essential part of the dish.
This pudding is rich, indulgent, and meant to be served cold. The chilled texture keeps the whipped cream light and maintains small chunks of Milky Way and cream cheese intact. Fold those into a warm base and everything would melt and lose its character—so chilling is mandatory. Once it’s cold and whipped cream is folded in, the pudding becomes irresistibly scoopable. Even family members who usually avoid tapioca devoured it. The two children who like tapioca under normal circumstances were speechless with delight, and my husband—who claimed tapioca was a winter dessert—went back for seconds without hesitation.
Here’s the recipe Ada and Anna shared, adapted for clarity and ease of use. It’s an Amish-style butterscotch tapioca pudding elevated by folded-in whipped cream, chunks of Milky Way bars, and bits of cream cheese—sumptuous and crowd-pleasing.
Butterscotch and Milky Way Tapioca Pudding | Amish Recipe
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups small pearl tapioca
- 6 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs well beaten
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 stick butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream or heavy cream whipped to firm peaks (or 3 cups of Cool Whip)
- 15 “fun size” Milky Way bars or 2 King Size Milky Way bars roughly chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into small pieces
Instructions
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Bring the tapioca, water, and salt to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
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Add the brown sugar and stir well. Continue simmering until the tapioca is cooked through—pearls should be mostly clear with at most a tiny white center—stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Depending on the brand, small pearl tapioca may take up to about 40 minutes.
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In a 4-cup measuring cup, whisk together the milk, white sugar, and beaten eggs. Temper the eggs by adding about 1 cup of the hot tapioca mixture to the milk-and-egg mixture, whisking until smooth. Return that mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly, and bring to a hard simmer. Turn off the heat, then stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter melts. Cover tightly and refrigerate until completely cool.
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Stir the chilled tapioca to loosen it. Stir in 1 cup of whipped cream, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until the mixture is uniform and light. Fold in the chopped Milky Way pieces and the small cream cheese bits. Serve immediately or press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to a week.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the exact ingredients and amounts you use.
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