This coconut melon sago dessert recipe is one of my favorites for cooling down on a hot summer’s day. It’s made with creamy coconut milk, chewy sago pearls, and sweet cantaloupe (or any ripe melon you have on hand). Vegan and dairy-free!
🍚 Ingredient tips and substitutes
- Sago pearls Use the small white pearls, often labeled as mini tapioca or sago in Asian grocery stores. Avoid the large black pearls used for bubble tea. (Still confused? Read the difference between sago and tapioca pearls here.)
- Melon Cantaloupe (rockmelon) is commonly used in Thailand, but honeydew or Korean melon are great too. Ripe mango or jackfruit variations also work.
- Coconut milk Use full-fat coconut milk for a creamy texture and rich coconut flavor. I recommend the Aroy-D brand.
- Sugar Feel free to customize the sweetness to your taste.
- Salt
- Pandan leaf (optional) Tied into a knot and simmered with the coconut milk to infuse it with pandan fragrance. Optional.
🥥 More Asian desserts to try
This Thai melon sago recipe is a light, fruity dessert that’s not too sweet, but always disappears fast at the table, especially on hot days! Leave a comment and rating if you gave it a try!
Coconut Melon Sago Dessert Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Sharp knife & cutting board for slicing the melon
- Small saucepan for cooking the sago pearls
- Fine mesh strainer to rinse and drain the sago after boiling
- Medium pot to simmer the coconut milk
Ingredients
- melon top each dessert bowl to taste
- 1 cup sago pearls
- 1 ½ cup coconut milk
- 6 ½ cups water divided: 6 cups and ½ cup
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 pandan leaves optional, tied in a knot
Instructions
- Cut melon into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate.
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add sago pearls, lower the heat, and simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat coconut milk with ½ cup water, sugar, salt, and pandan leaf (if using) in a separate pot. Do not boil! Just warm until the sugar dissolves.
- Drain the sago using a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch.
- To serve, layer sago into glasses, top with coconut milk, and finish with chilled melon. Serve immediately or chill. (Store melon and coconut milk in the fridge. Keep sago in cold water at room temp and use within 4–6 hours.)
Video
Notes
- Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and should be considered approximate.
🍈 How to make melon sago
- Cut the melon into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the dessert.
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and add the sago pearls. Lower the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes, or until the pearls are mostly translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Once done, turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let sit for 10 minutes.
- While the sago is resting, gently heat the coconut milk with ½ cup water, sugar, salt, and pandan leaf (if using) in a separate pot. Do not let it boil; just warm it enough to dissolve the sugar.
- When the sago is ready, drain it using a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. This removes excess starch and prevents the pearls from clumping together.
- To serve, layer the sago into glasses, pour the coconut milk over the top, and finish with the chilled melon pieces. Serve right away or chill for later. (You can keep both the coconut milk and melon in the fridge until ready to serve. Keep the pearls in a bowl of cold water at room temperature and use within 4–6 hours.)
Is sago and tapioca the same?
Online recipes often use sago pearls and tapioca pearls interchangeably, which can be confusing.
Traditionally, sago comes from the pith of the sago palm, while tapioca is made from cassava root. But today, most of the small white pearls sold as sago (especially in Asian grocery stores) are actually made from tapioca starch.
This is because cassava is more widely available and affordable to process than real sago, which is much less common and more expensive to produce. The name sago just stuck because it felt more familiar to shoppers.
There are two common pearl sizes, and here’s how to use each one correctly:
- Small white or colored pearls (often labeled sago or mini tapioca): used in Asian desserts like Thai tapioca pudding or this coconut sago with melon.
- Large black pearls: used in bubble tea drinks.
