My strawberry taho is a delicious twist on the classic Filipino street food, taho! It’s made with four simple components: silken tofu, small tapioca pearls, strawberries, and homemade strawberry syrup! Enjoy it cold or warm for breakfast, dessert, or as an afternoon snack.
Love taho? Check out my matcha taho and ube taho!
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What Is Taho?
In the streets of the Philippines, it’s common to hear the morning “TAHOOOOO” call from local taho vendors. Think of it like the ice cream truck, but better (my opinion, lol). These vendors carry large aluminum buckets filled with all the taho ingredients, assembling each cup fresh to order.
Classic taho is made with silken tofu, a brown sugar syrup called arnibal, and small tapioca pearls. And this version features one of my favorite flavors: strawberry.
This taho recipe is sweet, chewy, and silky—a super simple combination with a really satisfying texture. You can eat it for breakfast, as a snack, or dessert.
Taho is typically served warm, but cold taho is also a refreshing alternative, especially in the summer. These days, many flavors of taho have become popular, such as ube, vanilla, buko pandan, and matcha!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You won’t need any special equipment. The strawberry syrup and tapioca pearls are both cooked right on the stove. Once those are ready, you’ll just layer them with soft tofu!
- It’s popular for a reason. Eating it is a textural experience, and the strawberry flavor really comes through!
- It’s high in protein. Since it’s made with silken tofu, taho is a great option for those looking for a low-fat, high-protein breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Looking for other Filipino recipes? Try out my ube halaya!
Ingredients
To make strawberry taho from scratch, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Make sure to use silken tofu for this recipe, NOT the regular block of soft or firm tofu. The delicate texture of silken tofu is the cornerstone ingredient of taho.
- You can use store-bought or homemade strawberry syrup. I also like to layer in fresh strawberries, too.
- It’s best to use sago or small tapioca pearls for taho, instead of the bigger varieties. The smaller pearls complement the silky texture of the tofu better than the bigger, more rubbery pearls.
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Strawberry Taho
Step 1: Use store-bought strawberry syrup or make homemade strawberry syrup by cooking down strawberries, sugar, and water until reduced, about 15 minutes. Strain mixture and add vanilla. I like to keep the strained strawberries for step 3.
Step 2: In a medium pot, simmer small tapioca pearls for 10-15 minutes, or until the tapioca turns mostly translucent. Turn off heat and cover pot with lid until pearls are fully translucent, about 10 minutes. Strain and rinse under cold water, then transfer to a bowl. Stir in a few spoonfuls of strawberry syrup to coat the pearls.
Step 3: In your serving container, add cold or warm silken tofu. Top with sago pearls, strawberries (fresh or cooked), and pour in syrup.
Step 4: Stir strawberry taho together and enjoy!
For full instructions, see the recipe card below.
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Strawberry Taho
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Equipment
- serving cups
- ladles for serving
Ingredients
For homemade strawberry arnibal (strawberry syrup):
- 1 pound (453.59 g) strawberries quartered; can use fresh or frozen
- ½-¾ cup (100 g) sugar adjust to taste; can use white, light or dark brown sugar, muscovado, etc.!
- ¼ cup (59.15 g) water
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla
For the tapioca pearls:
- 3 cups (711 g) water
- ⅓ cup (50 g) small tapioca pearls or sago
Assembly:
- 16 ounces (454 g) silken tofu drained
- 1 cup (118 g) strawberries diced; can also use cooked strawberries from homemade syrup
- 1 cup (244 g) milk any kind, I used oat!
Instructions
Cook the strawberry arnibal:
- In a medium saucepan, stir together 1 pound (453.59 g) strawberries, ½-¾ cup (100 g) sugar, ¼ cup (59.15 g) water. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until the mixture is reduced by about half, about 15 minutes.
- Strain the syrup into a heat-safe container. Save strained fruit and set aside. Stir in 1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla.
- Let cool to room temperature. If it's too thick, add a splash of water.
Cook the tapioca pearls:
- In a medium pot, bring 3 cups (711 g) water to a rolling boil. Stir in ⅓ cup (50 g) small tapioca pearls. Slightly lower heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until tapioca turns from white to mostly translucent.
- Turn off heat and cover pot with lid. Let tapioca sit for 10 minutes, or until pearls are fully translucent. If the pearls still have small white dots in the center, cover pot with lid again and let sit for another 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer tapioca pearls to a fine mesh strainer. Rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking and get rid of excess starch. Transfer to its own bowl.
- Add a few splashes of strawberry arnibal to the cooked tapioca pearls and gently mix. You just want to hydrate the pearls and add a bit of red color.
Assemble taho:
- If you want warm tofu, feel free to microwave your tofu on a microwave-safe plate for 1-2 minutes. Use a spoon to remove excess liquid.
- Scoop slices of tofu into your serving cups. Add tapioca, strawberries, and arnibal.
- Stir strawberry taho and enjoy! If you want it sweeter, add more arnibal to your liking.
