Strawberry Sago is a light, refreshing, and no-bake Cantonese-style dessert made with sweet strawberries, chewy tapioca pearls, and creamy coconut milk. It’s perfect for hot days and easy to customize with your favorite jelly add-ins. This dessert offers a delightful mix of textures—soft pearls, juicy fruit, and chewy coconut jellies—all wrapped up in a fruity, creamy base.

Full Recipe: 

Ingredients

• 600 g fresh strawberries, finely diced

• 400 g canned coconut milk

• 50 g granulated sugar (adjust based on strawberry sweetness)

• 150 g small tapioca pearls

• 225 g coconut jellies (nata de coco), drained

Directions

Blend: Add 300g (half) of the diced strawberries, coconut milk, and sugar to a blender. Blend until smooth, taste, and adjust sugar if needed. Pour into a large serving bowl and chill in the fridge.

Cook Tapioca Pearls: In a medium pot filled with water, bring to a boil. Add tapioca pearls and boil uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 more minutes until fully translucent.

Drain: Drain tapioca pearls through a fine mesh sieve. Rinse well with cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch.

Mix: Add the cooked tapioca pearls, remaining diced strawberries, and coconut jellies to the chilled strawberry mixture. Stir well. Thin the pudding to desired consistency with water or more coconut milk. Serve cold.

Nutrients (per serving, approx. 8 servings total)

• Calories: 321 kcal

• Carbohydrates: 55 g

• Protein: 4 g

• Fat: 11 g

• Saturated Fat: 9 g

• Sugar: 35 g

• Fiber: 2 g

• Sodium: 139 mg

• Potassium: 229 mg

• Vitamin C: 45 mg

• Calcium: 26 mg

• Iron: 2 mg

A Modern Take on Traditional Asian Dessert Staples

Sago desserts have a long history in Chinese and Southeast Asian kitchens, traditionally made with ingredients like taro, mango, or melon. At the heart of these desserts are small tapioca pearls—chewy, translucent beads made from cassava starch. They’re commonly simmered until soft, then chilled in sweetened liquids like coconut milk or fruit purées.

Strawberry Sago offers a modern, fruit-forward spin on this classic. The use of strawberries gives the dish a playful pink hue and introduces a flavor that’s both familiar and refreshing. While many traditional sago dishes use tropical fruits, strawberries add a slightly tart twist that pairs beautifully with the creamy, slightly nutty profile of coconut milk.

A Harmony of Textures in Every Bite

What truly makes Strawberry Sago a standout dessert is its variety of textures. Every spoonful offers a little bit of everything—silky coconut cream, tender tapioca pearls, juicy bites of strawberry, and a subtle chew from coconut jellies like nata de coco. These layers keep the dish interesting from the first bite to the last.

The contrast between the soft pearls and the firmness of nata de coco provides a satisfying chew that dessert lovers crave. Meanwhile, the blended strawberry and coconut mixture envelops the entire bowl in a luscious, velvety base that’s slightly sweet, deeply fruity, and cooling to the core. It’s the kind of mouthfeel that makes you slow down and savor each spoonful.

No-Bake and Low-Fuss: The Ultimate Summer Dessert

One of the best things about Strawberry Sago is that it doesn’t require an oven or complicated techniques. It’s a no-bake dessert that comes together with minimal effort and delivers maximum impact. After a quick boil of the tapioca pearls, most of the assembly happens in a single bowl.

Because the final dessert is served chilled, it’s the perfect antidote to hot days. Once mixed, it can be portioned into glasses or bowls and kept in the fridge, ready to impress at any moment. It’s great for prepping ahead for events, and the texture even improves slightly after a few hours of chilling, as the flavors meld together more cohesively.

Naturally Dairy-Free and Easy to Adapt

Thanks to the use of coconut milk, this dessert is naturally dairy-free and vegan-friendly—making it accessible to a wide range of dietary needs. Coconut milk brings a creamy, full-bodied base without the need for heavy cream or milk, and its tropical flavor complements strawberries effortlessly.

This base also allows for easy modifications. If you’re looking to reduce calories, light coconut milk can be used without sacrificing too much richness. For added indulgence, a splash of coconut cream or condensed coconut milk takes it to the next level. Similarly, sugar levels can be adjusted based on the sweetness of your strawberries, making this dessert flexible for different palates.

Customization Ideas to Make It Your Own

While the basic version of Strawberry Sago is delicious on its own, it also serves as a canvas for creative variations. You can enhance the visual and flavor appeal by adding other fruits like lychee, mango, or kiwi. A layer of basil seeds or chia seeds can add interesting texture and nutritional value. For an extra bit of zing, a squeeze of lime or a touch of mint can elevate the flavor profile with a citrusy contrast.

Dessert lovers who enjoy bubble tea-style textures can even add large tapioca pearls or jelly cubes in contrasting flavors. If you’re going for a more elegant presentation, layering the components in clear glasses with alternating fruit, coconut cream, and pearls can turn this humble dessert into a parfait-worthy showstopper.

Refreshing and Light, Yet Completely Satisfying

While many desserts tend to be heavy, especially those that involve cream, butter, or baked goods, Strawberry Sago is refreshingly light. It satisfies a sweet tooth without feeling cloying, and it leaves you feeling refreshed rather than weighed down.

It’s also portion-friendly—you can serve it in small bowls, shot glasses, or dessert jars for single servings, making it ideal for events or family-style meals. Its cool temperature, fruity base, and delicate sweetness make it especially appealing after a rich or spicy meal.

A Dessert That Appeals to All Ages

Another great advantage of Strawberry Sago is its universal appeal. The bright pink color, chewy pearls, and creamy consistency make it a hit among kids, while the nuanced flavors and tropical undertones appeal to adults. It’s simple enough for picky eaters yet refined enough to serve at an upscale dinner.

For families, this is a great dessert to make with children. Younger kids can help stir the mixture, add the pearls, or even layer the dessert into individual cups. It’s a fun, hands-on recipe that introduces children to new textures and flavors in an approachable way.

Health Highlights of a Fruity, Coconut-Based Treat

Strawberry Sago offers a good balance of indulgence and nutrition. Strawberries are naturally high in vitamin C and antioxidants, while tapioca pearls, although mainly carbohydrates, provide a unique texture that turns the dessert into something special. Coconut milk, though rich, contains healthy fats—especially medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)—that offer energy and satiety.

Because this dessert is customizable, it can easily be tailored to fit different health goals. Reducing sugar, increasing fruit content, or adding fiber-rich seeds are all easy tweaks that can shift this dessert from a treat to a more functional, nutrient-rich snack.

Conclusion: A Chilled, Creamy Celebration of Simplicity

Strawberry Sago is more than just a dessert—it’s a celebration of color, texture, and refreshing flavor. Rooted in Cantonese culinary tradition but modernized for today’s palates, it offers a new way to enjoy fruit, coconut, and tapioca in harmony. Whether you’re looking for a quick weekday treat or an elegant addition to a summer menu, this dessert delivers on every front.

Its lightness, beauty, and versatility make it a staple for anyone who loves fruity, tropical flavors and fun textures. Best of all, it invites creativity. With just a few simple ingredients and no oven required, Strawberry Sago proves that sometimes, the most delightful desserts are also the easiest to make.

Serve it chilled, serve it fresh, and watch it become an instant favorite at your table.