I absolutely love bubble tea (or sometimes called boba tea). Strong black tea becomes a creamy and sweet indulgence with the addition of milk and brown sugar syrup. And then those tapioca balls at the bottom give it contrast with a nice, chewy texture. In Asia, bubble tea cafes are everywhere. They’re on every corner, and I’m starting to see more of them take over the scene here in the U.S. I think it’s wonderful that it’s becoming so popular here. But what you didn’t know about this sublime tea drink is that it’s easy to make at home!
Ingredients
Tapioca pearls
The “boba” that’s used in bubble tea are black tapioca pearls made from tapioca starch. Some of the fancier tea shops use fresh, scratch-made tapioca pearls. But more often than not, the shops use the packaged dried type. That’s the type you would use at home as well. There are both regular and instant varieties of tapioca pearls. I highly recommend the instant type because they take much less time to prepare and taste just as good. I love to use the tapioca pearls from WuFuYuan. They take 5 minutes to get ready, and have a nice chewy texture like the ones from a tea shop. Start by shopping at an Asian market, where you are sure to find the tapioca pearls. But these days you can easily shop for them online as well.
What type of tea to use
There are many ways to prepare bubble tea using different types of tea, or even fruit juice. The original bubble tea always uses black tea. When I want to make a non-caffeinated drink at home, I love to use Rooibos tea, which is a special type of red tea. It creates a very rounded drink with a very rich flavor. These days matcha bubble tea is super popular and I have a recipe for that as well. You can either use tea bags or loose leaf tea.
Sweeteners
My favorite sweetener for bubble tea is brown sugar syrup. You will use it to marinate the tapioca pearls and infuse the drink. Alternatively, maple syrup is also a great option.
Milk
My favorite type of milk to use in bubble tea is Oatly Full Fat oat milk. Because it has a hint of sweetness and the texture is very silky. Soy milk, almond milk, or dairy full fat milk are also good options.
How to make bubble tea
That’s it! It’s super easy to make a great tasting bubble tea at home if you follow the tips below.
The tips of making great bubble tea
Brew a very strong tea
It’s important to brew a strong tea with less water than you would when making regular tea. In the past I liked to brew strong-ish tea and use heavy cream to create the silky texture. Now I prefer to use even less water to brew the tea, so I can use regular milk and still have a very rich texture.
Do not make the tapioca pearls too early
The instant type of tapioca pearls can hold its texture at room temperature for a couple of hours. They will gradually get tougher as time passes by. I highly recommend cooking them not too long before serving them, to preserve the nice texture.
Marinate the tapioca pearls before serving
If you order from a bubble tea shop, you’ll notice the tapioca pearls taste sweet. Some tapioca pearls are made with sugar already, but most do not have a sweet taste by themselves. It’s important to marinate them in the syrup so your drink will taste more authentic. That’s all you need to know to make great tasting bubble tea at home. Enjoy it hot on a wintery day, or add some ice cubes and serve it cold. You can also simply enjoy the bliss of bubble tea at room temperature if you prefer. One sip and you’ll see how amazing bubble tea is in its purest form!
More delicious drink recipes
Matcha Bubble Tea Chinese Jujube Tea (红枣茶) Easy Citron Tea (Made with Meyer Lemons) How to Make Bubble Tea (Boba Tea, 珍珠奶茶) Honey Lemon Tea Avocado Smoothie
