How To Make Tapioca Syrup For A Great Tasting Coffee

Last updated on October 26th, 2023 at 18:07

Coffee lover Jonathan wrote in and asked us how to make tapioca syrup.

Tapioca syrup is hard to find; it can be even harder to find the ingredients in your local town or city – unless you are lucky enough to have a specialist Asian supermarket in your area.

In this article we answer all your pertinent questions about tapioca and tapioca syrup and how to make it at home.

Keep reading as we dig down and really get into this topic.

What Is Tapioca Syrup?

Tapioca syrup is a healthy sweet syrup that originates from manioc, yucca root or the cassava tuber. The sweet syrup is extracted when natural enzymes are introduced to the plant in a process known as enzymatic hydrolysis.

There are many uses for this syrup, including using it as a healthy sweetener that is used as an alternative to maple syrup, corn syrup, honey or regular sugar.

It is usually non-GMO and gluten-free.

Read: Brown sugar cinnamon syrup recipe

 How To Make Tapioca Syrup

Making tapioca syrup is very easy – it is more difficult than it sounds. With that said, you may need a trial run or two before you get it right.

It is one of these syrups that, for the sake of convenience and the difficulties that you may encounter in finding the right ingredients, to buy a ready-made syrup.

Tapioca has no fermentable sugars but instead has starches that you need to convert into fermentable sugars to make a Tapioca syrup suitable for using for coffee drinks.

Ingredients Needed

• 2-3 heaped tablespoons of hydrated tapioca flour.
• 1/2 cup of white sugar.
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup of bottled water or filtered water.

Slowly at a low temperature boil your water and dissolve all the sugars completely. Reduce the heat and slowly add the tapioca flour while you are stirring.

Once completely dissolved, allow your syrup to cool down completely and store it in a glass bottle with an airtight lid and keep it in your fridge to maintain freshness.

Read: Simple syrup to sugar conversion

Why Make Tapioca Syrup?

In America the majority of the corn used for making corn syrup is, unfortunately, genetically modified which is best avoided if you want to lead a healthy natural lifestyle – this is a huge plus point for wanting to use a non-GMO tapioca syrup as an alternative sweetener for all your food and drinks.

Thankfully, you can use tapioca syrup as a direct replacement to corn syrup. Tapioca has a neutral flavor and is completely colorless, meaning you can use it with ease in a variety of products, including:

• Ice cream.
• Cookies.
• Coffee.
• Tea.
• Cereal.
• Non-dairy creamer.
• Fruit preps.
• And more.

It comes in a wide range of sugar profiles, ranging from DE 27 to DE 95. The lower the DE number is, the less sweet and more viscous it is.

The advantage to tapioca syrups is their low protein content when compared directly to grain-based syrups.

Tapioca Syrup Is A Healthy Alternative To Refined Sugar

When you compare tapioca syrup to sugar, you will find that it has a less carbohydrate content. 60ml of the syrup has 168 calories when compared to a similar amount of sugar, which has 194 calories.

It has a crisp sweet taste that is a healthier alternative to:

• Honey.
• Corn Syrup.
• Maple Syrup.
• Sucrose.

You can use tapioca syrup as a binding agent for making granola bars and binding processed meats.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Make Tapioca Syrup

Can I Make Tapioca Syrup?

Yes, when you make it using the cassava root, you need to pulverize it into a starch and then put the starch obtained through an enzymatic hydrolysis, a chemical decomposition process in which it reacts with the water and splits into other compounds, which further break down into a syrup.

What Is Tapioca Syrup Made Of?

Tapioca syrup is made from the Manioc, cassava tuber or the yucca root that natively grows in Africa, Asia and parts of South America. It needs to be processed and uses acidic hydrolysis to break down the starch of the plant into a syrup.

Will Tapioca Syrup Raise Blood Sugar?

It is said that tapioca syrup may help to reduce blood sugar levels when you are using it as a sugar alternative and especially as an alternative to corn syrup. It is low in protein and relatively high in carbohydrates.

Use in moderation.

Is Tapioca Syrup Unhealthy?

There are a lot of health risks associated with regular sugar and corn syrup. Tapioca is said to be a healthier alternative to refined sugars and corn sugar. It is sweeter, and you will need to use less to make your coffee sweet. Also, tapioca has a reduced amount of calories and is not known to provoke or cause any damaging health effects.

What Can I Substitute For Tapioca Syrup?

To sweeten your coffee, you can substitute tapioca syrup with a range of different honeys, maple syrup, rice syrup, stevia, coconut sugar and a number of other healthy sugar alternatives. Experiment and enjoy as each will add a different taste and slightly different texture to your coffee.

How Is Tapioca Syrup Made?

To make tapioca syrup the cassava root is pulverized and crushed into starch, has enzymes incorporated or goes through hydrolysis. Both breakdown the starch into syrup.

What Is A Good Substitute For Tapioca Syrup?

If you are seeking an alternative to tapioca syrup, both rice syrup and oat syrup are great alternatives that can be used in the same way and have very similar flavor profiles.

Is Tapioca Syrup The Same As Tapioca Starch?

Organic tapioca syrup is made from tapioca starch. It’s a 100% natural sweetener.

Final Thoughts – How To Make Tapioca Syrup

There is nothing difficult about making tapioca syrup – with a little practice you will get it spot on and start making great syrup for sweetening your coffee.

The most difficult task you will have is finding the ingredients – you can find tapioca pearls on Amazon, as you can tapioca flour if you are really struggling. 

Good luck and enjoy making this healthy alternative to regular sugar. 

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