Tong Sui Coconut Pudding Recipe | Easy & Homemade

The first time I carried this Tong Sui coconut pudding to a family table, the dish was scraped clean before I even sat down. That cool, trembling spoonful of coconut, sweet but never cloying, is the kind of Cantonese dessert that quietly steals the show. I have made this coconut pudding recipe more times than I can count, and I tested this latest version three separate times to lock in the exact set: silky enough to wobble on the spoon, firm enough to slice into clean little squares.

If you have ever ordered the chilled coconut milk pudding at a dim sum house and wished you could make it at home, this is the recipe. It is gentle to make, naturally dairy free when you want it to be, and it forgives a beginner while still rewarding a careful cook.

How to Make Tong Sui Coconut Pudding (Step by Step)

The whole thing comes together in about fifteen minutes of active work, then the fridge takes over.

Step 1: Bloom the Agar Agar

Start by whisking the agar agar powder into the measured water in your cold saucepan. This step matters more than people realize, because agar clumps the moment it hits hot liquid if it has not been dispersed first. Let it sit for two minutes to hydrate.

Step 2: Boil and Sweeten

Bring that agar water to a gentle boil, then keep it at a low simmer for a full two minutes while stirring. Agar only activates once it has properly boiled, so this is the step that decides whether your pudding sets at all. Stir in the sugar until it dissolves completely.

Step 3: Add the Coconut Milk

Lower the heat and pour in the coconut milk, the milk of your choice, the pinch of salt, and the vanilla. Warm everything through while stirring, but do not let it reach a hard rolling boil. Coconut milk can taste flat and slightly oily if you boil it aggressively, and the silk you worked for starts to break.

Step 4: Strain and Skim

Pour the warm mixture through your fine mesh sieve straight into your molds or dish. The sieve catches any stray agar and the bit of foam that always shows up. Skim off the rest of the foam with a spoon for a flawless top.

Step 5: Cool and Chill

Let the puddings cool at room temperature for around thirty minutes, then move them to the fridge. They firm up fast because agar sets near room temperature, but a solid two hours of chilling gives you the cleanest texture and the cold, refreshing finish that makes this dessert sing.

Tong Sui Coconut Pudding Recipe

Calla Bren

This Tong Sui coconut pudding is silky, lightly sweet, and dairy free. A simple Cantonese dessert that sets perfectly with agar agar.

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 6

Calories 180 kcal

Equipment

• Medium saucepan
• Whisk
• Fine mesh sieve
• Ramekins, a square dish, or silicone molds

Ingredients

  

• 400 ml 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 250 ml whole milk or oat milk for dairy free
• 200 ml water
• 80 g granulated sugar adjusted to taste
• 2 teaspoons agar agar powder use 1.5 teaspoons for a softer wobble
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optiona

Instructions

 

• Whisk the agar agar powder into the water in a cold saucepan and let it sit for 2 minutes to disperse.
• Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for a full 2 minutes while stirring so the agar fully activates.
• Stir in the sugar until completely dissolved.
• Lower the heat and add the coconut milk, milk, salt, and vanilla. Warm through while stirring, but do not let it reach a hard boil.
• Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into your molds or dish, then skim off any foam from the surface.
• Cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours until set.
• Serve cold, plain or topped with fresh mango, toasted coconut, or sago.

Notes

1. Give the agar its full simmer. An undercooked agar mixture simply will not set.
2. Sweeten slightly higher while warm, since cold mutes sugar.
3. Never skip the sieve. It is the key to a glass smooth finish.
4. Use full fat, high content coconut milk for the richest body and aroma.
5. Move quickly once combined, because agar starts setting near room temperature.

Keyword agar agar coconut pudding, Cantonese coconut dessert, coconut milk pudding, coconut pudding recipe, dairy free coconut puddin, tong sui coconut pudding