Strawberry Sago (Non-Dairy & Lactose Free)

Strawberry sago is a chilled Asian dessert, made with chewy tapioca pearls, fresh strawberries, and creamy coconut milk. Sometimes, coconut jelly is added for a fun texture.

Ladle it into small bowls to eat with a spoon, or pour into a cup to sip. It’s creamy, refreshing and not too sweet.

In Vietnam, this soupy dessert with small tapioca pearls is called Chè Bột Báng.

Strawberry sago comes together in less than 20 minutes and you can make a large batch for feed a crowd. For this recipe, I’m keeping it both diary and and lactose free.

What You Will Need

To make strawberry sago, gather the following ingredients:

• Sago: Small white tapioca pearls. They’re a lot like boba, just way smaller and aren’t colored with brown sugar. They are white in the bag and turn clear when cooked.
• Strawberries: Look for fully ripe, deep-red strawberries so you can reduce the added sugar.
• Coconut Milk or Cream: I love using the fresh coconut milk that’s now readily available in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. I got mine from Trader Joe’s. It’s actually labeled coconut cream but it’s not too thick and ready to use. It’s much better than using the canned option which is much thicker and typically reserved for cooking. However, you can use canned coconut milk but you will have to thin it with some filtered water.
• Sweetener: We are keeping this dairy-free, so I’m opting for syrup. I love getting the agave syrup from Costco. You can also use maple syrup, honey, or a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) made with granulated cane sugar. If you aren’t worried about keeping it dairy-free, you can just use sweetened condensed milk.
• Nata de Coco (optional): Nata de coco are chewy, cubed coconut jellies. You can easily pick them up at most Asian grocery stores, where they come in pouches, jars, or cans, typically stored in syrup. Just drain the syrup and add them to your sago if you’d like. There are even fruit flavored ones. For this recipe, if you can find it, use strawberry-flavored Nata De Coco to keep it consistent, but the original coconut flavor pairs nicely with strawberry too.

Pro Tips

• Start with boiling a pot of water, then add the sago. The rolling boiling water will push the sago apart and keep them from sticking together. If sago is added to the water before it starts boiling, it might break apart before it cooks.
• Don’t overcook the sago. I actually like to cook it until you can still see a pinpoint white dot in the center. If it’s cooked all the way through (no dot), it can get mushy quicky when combined with coconut milk.
• Add sweetener to taste: Depending on the sweetness of the strawberries, the syrup amount might vary. Mix it in a tablespoon at a time to taste.
• Food coloring: Sometimes the color of fresh strawberries doesn’t shine through. If needed, use just one drop of red food coloring if you want a prettier pink color.
• Adjust consistency: If the finished strawberry sago gets too thick due to the sago absorbing the liquids, add filtered water to loosen it back up.

Leftovers & Storage

This strawberry sago recipe makes about 4 servings. It’s best to finish on the same day because, just like boba, the sago will absorb the liquid, become mushy, and lose its chewy texture.

However, if you do have leftovers, transfer them to a sealed container and refrigerate. You may be able to get away with keeping them for up to 2 days, max.

Print