Soft, chewy sago in a creamy strawberry pudding made in under 30 minutes! Strawberry sago is a sweet and refreshing dessert made with strawberries, coconut milk, and sago pearls and is perfect for a hot day.
Strawberry sago dessert is an easy 30-minute recipe that only needs 5 ingredients to make! This sweet, creamy, and refreshing sago dessert infuses fresh strawberries, coconut milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk with bouncy translucent sago pearls.
Strawberry sago is one of my favorite desserts because I am obsessed with strawberries, and it is so easy to customize if you are gluten-free or dairy-free. It is the perfect sweet treat for the hot summer days.
Strawberry sago is a refreshing pudding dessert that is a variation of the Chinesemango sago that incorporates fresh strawberries instead of mangoes. It is made by mixing fresh strawberries with coconut milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and sago pearls.
This strawberry sago dessert is best served chilled and then garnished with a mint for added color. It can easily be customized by adding more sweetness or other types of jellies for textural contrast.
Ingredients
You can find all of the ingredients for this strawberry sago dessert at your local Asian grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used is listed in the recipe card below.
Sago (small pearls): sago are tiny chewy clear pearls that are about 3-5 mm thick. They are usually white and will become translucent when cooked.
Strawberries: fresh ripe strawberries will yield the best flavor. However, frozen strawberries can also work as well.
Evaporated Milk: evaporated milk adds a layer of rich and creamy texture and flavor to the strawberry pudding.
Condensed milk: condensed milk acts as a thick creamy sweetener. Adjust the amount of condensed milk based on your preferences.
Coconut Milk: full-fat coconut milk is ideal for the best thick creamy texture and rich coconut flavor.
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Sweetener: instead of condensed milk, use honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, or granulated sugar instead.
Milk: instead of evaporated milk, you can use almond milk or regular milk instead. Or you can simply use more coconut milk.
Additions
Fruit: you can add other fruits such as canned lychees, longan, or jackfruit for added flavors and textures.
Fruit Jelly: for added texture, you can add your choice of flavored fruit jelly like coconut jelly.
Popping Boba: for extra flavors and textures.
How to Make Strawberry Sago
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this strawberry sago recipe.
In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Then, add the sago pearls. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for another 10-15 minutes.
Strain the cooked sago pearls and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking. Submerge the sieve with the sago into a bowl of water to prevent the pearls from drying. Set aside.
Add the strawberries, evaporated milk and condensed milk into a blender. Blend until it forms a smooth paste. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Drain the sago pearls. In a large mixing bowl, add the sago pearls, chilled coconut milk, and strawberry mixture and mix until combined.
Serve in individual-sized cups and garnish with fresh strawberry pieces.
Expert Tips
Use fresh ripe strawberries. Using fresh ripe strawberries is key for the best-tasting sago pudding.
Watch the sago when cooking. Boil the sago in a saucepan over medium-high heat and stir them occasionally to prevent them from sticking. It is okay if some of the sago has a small white dot in them when you take them off the heat. It will continue to cook while it sits in the pot.
Let the sago sit in cold water. Once you strain the sago and before you incorporate it with the coconut milk, let it sit in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Adjust the sweetness. When blending the strawberries taste and adjust the sweetness level to your liking. You can also use alternative sweeteners like honey or sugar instead.
Chill the strawberry pudding mixture. You can chill the individual ingredients before you blend them or after it is all incorporated. Alternatively, you can add ice cubes to flash-chill them but this will dilute the flavor.
Customize based on preferences. You can add additional jellies, popping boba, or fruit to your strawberry pudding for more added flavors or textural contrast.
Storage Instructions
This strawberry sago dessert recipe is best served immediately. For any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The longer the pearls are refrigerated, the more they could harden and be unpleasant to eat.
Freeze: Do not freeze this sago dessert. The sago may become mushy after thawing.
Pairing Suggestions
Strawberry sago pairs with the following suggestions:
More toppings such as coconut jellies, popping boba, and other fruit such as lychee or longan.
I used coconut and evaporated milk. However, you can substitute the evaporated milk for almond milk, soy milk, or any other plant-based milk instead for a dairy-free alternative.
Can I change the consistency of the strawberry pudding?
Yes, if the consistency is too thick, you can thin it with more coconut milk or evaporated milk.
What other toppings can I add to strawberry sago?
You can add other canned fruits, such as lychees, jackfruit, or longan, or fresh fruits like blueberries and raspberries. Or for added textural contrast, you can add fruit jellies or popping boba.
Is strawberry sago gluten-free?
Yes! Strawberry sago is gluten-free. The sago pearls are made with gluten-free starch from the pith of a sago palm tree.
Soft, chewy sago in a creamy strawberry pudding made in under 30 minutes! Strawberry sago is a sweet and refreshing dessert made with strawberries, coconut milk and sago pearls and is perfect for a hot day.
Cook the sago. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Then, add the sago. Reduce the heat to medium high heat and cook until it turns transparent, about 15 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover, and let it sit for another 10-15 minutes or until it becomes translucent.
Cool the sago. Strain the cooked sago and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking. Submerge the sieve with the sago into a bowl of water to prevent the pearls from drying. Set aside.
Blend the strawberries. Add the washed strawberries, evaporated milk, and condensed milk into a blender. Blend until it forms a smooth consistency. Taste and add more condensed milk if needed, and blend until combined. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Combine. Drain the sago pearls. In a large mixing bowl, add the sago, the chilled coconut milk, and the strawberry mixture and mix until combined.
Assemble. Serve in individual-sized cups and garnish with fresh strawberry pieces. Enjoy!
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