Homemade Taho with tapioca pearls and a generous helping of sweet syrup will jumpstart your day! This Filipino sweet treat is a morning-favorite especially when warm.

Thinking of warm taho in the morning sends me straight to the streets of my hometown. It reminds me of “manong magtataho” and his baritone voice shouting “tahooooo” that made us run outside so we can buy a cup. The soft, silky tofu enveloped in golden brown sugary syrup dotted with sago is how I remember this delicious morning or sweet afternoon snack.

My mouth is watering just imagining taking a slurp of this delicate snack. But since I live abroad and there are no taho vendor, I made one from scratch. This recipe will guide you through the steps to make your own homemade taho so you can enjoy this sweet treat whenever you like!

What Is Taho?

It’s a breakfast-favorite like champorado in the Philippines. Made with layers of warm silken tofu, arnibal (sweet syrup), and sago. The white pudding-like stuff is soft silken tofu with emphasis on silken, since there’s different kinds of tofu. Next is the “arnibal” or brown sugar syrup with vanilla extract. This syrup is crucial since it’s the one that gives taho flavor. Lastly, sago pearls or tapioca pearls, which in my opinion is optional but it gives the snack texture and more enjoyable.

It’s usually sold in the early morning by vendors carrying large aluminum buckets. It’s serve in small plastic cups but you can also bring your own glass or mug. The price for taho is inexpensive but the vendor may charge more if you bring a big container. It’s not exclusive in the Philippines, other countries such as Thailand, Japan, China and Vietnam have their own version.

Notes On Some Ingredients

Tofu – Silken tofu have a smoother and silkier texture but extra soft tofu and silken tofu can be used interchangeably. You can also make and use soy bean pudding by using unsweetened Soy Milk combined with cornstarch and gelatin. Simmer all together, let it cool and refrigerate.
Tapioca Pearls – or sago can be bought at Asian supermarkets but you can also use boba which are more readily available.
Brown Sugar and Vanilla Extract – are used to make the sweet simple syrup. You can either use light or dark brown sugar.

Cooking Tips

Tapioca pearls needs 45 mins. to an hour to completely cook. You can plan ahead and cook them a day ahead if your planning to make homemade taho.
Store cooked tapioca pearls in a shallow container or bowl with a lid in the refrigerator. Make sure to let them cool down completely before storing them.
Reheat sago in a pot of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes or in the micro for 1 minute.
If you want to steam the silken tofu, place a parchment paper between the steamer and tofu then poke some holes so water can drip. This will avoid the tofu accumulating too much liquid.
Only steam or microwave tofu when you’re ready to serve.The syrup only takes 8-10 minutes to make and you can adjust the sweetness to your liking.

pudding with toppings in a glass on a table

How To Serve And Store

To serve: Place some sweet syrup in a serving glass and add a generous quantity, thin layers of warm silken tofu. Top it off with sago and drizzle some more syrup. Serve and enjoy!
To store, its a good idea to refrigerate the tofu, arnibal, and sago separately and assemble when ready to serve.
To reheat: You can either place the tofu in the micro to heat it and it will not fall apart or you can steam it before serving . You can also try serving it in room temperature or eat cold taho depending on preference.

pudding in a glass with spoon on the side on a table

Homemade Taho

Homemade Taho with tapioca pearls and a generous helping of sugar syrup will jumpstart your day! This Filipino sweet treat is a morning-favorite especially when warm.

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Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Filipino

Keyword: homemade taho recipe, silken tofu recipe, taho recipe

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 50

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 175kcal

Author: Mia

Ingredients

340 grams soft silken tofu
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup tapioca pearls
6 cups water (for cooking tapioca pearls)

Instructions

Cooking the tapioca pearls

Cook the tapioca pearls in 3 cups boiling water for 10-15 minutes then turn off heat and let tapioca pearls sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. Drain water.
1/2 cup tapioca pearls, 6 cups water
Pour 3 cups of water again and boil over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. (NOTE: Add more water if necessary.)
Lower heat and cook for additional 10 minutes or until tapioca pearls are completely transparent. Using a strainer, strain tapioca pearls and run them in cold water to avoid pearls from sticking. Set aside.

Making the syrup (arnibal)

In a saucapan or small pot. Tip in brown sugar, water and vanilla extract. Place in stove over low-medium heat and cook for 10 minutes or until dissolves and syrup thick.
1 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Transfer syrup in a container.

Steaming the silken tofu (When ready to serve)

Place a parchment paper on a steamer and poke holes for liquid to drip. Place tofu on top of the parchment paper and cover steamer with lid.
340 grams soft silken tofu
Steam for 15 minutes then remove from heat.

Assembly

In a small serving glass or mug, add 1-2 tbsp. of sweet syrup or depending on how sweet you want it. Scoop in 8-10 thin layers of silken tofu and top with tapioca pearls then drizzle with some more syrup. Serve and enjoy. Bon appetit!

Notes

You can also use a microwave to heat the silken tofu before serving. Place 5-8 tbsp. silken tofu in a mug then heat in microwave for 1 to 1 1/2. Remove from microwave and add syrup and tapioca pearls.

Nutrition

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Homemade Taho

What Is Taho?

Notes On Some Ingredients

Cooking Tips

How To Serve And Store

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