Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (2024)

  • Recipes
  • Drinks

It’s easy to make your very own boba tea at home with our foolproof recipe.

By

Irvin Lin

Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (1)

Irvin Lin

Irvin is a critically acclaimed cookbook author and food blogger. His cookbook "Marbled, Swirled, and Layered" was chosen as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016 in the New York Times.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated February 07, 2024

Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (2)

Trending Videos

Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (3)

You know boba tea has reached peak popularity when Trader Joe’s has instant packets of boba tea in their freezer section. What was once a rare commodity in the US—only found in major cities with large Asian populations (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles)—has slowly spread across the country. Practically every day a friend of mine texts me excited that they found a local boba place in their city, no longer needing to visit me in San Francisco for their boba tea fix.

But boba tea isn’t hard to make at home! Though there are instant versions (like the Trader Joe’s product) as well as quick-cook tapioca balls, quality boba tea is best made with traditional tapioca balls. This takes a little time (though it’s very low effort) and the result is superior to the quick version. Once you make the tapioca balls, the drink itself is completely customizable.

What Is Boba Tea?

If you’re not familiar with boba tea (also known as bubble tea), it’s a popular Asian drink that often consists of a milky sweet tea and tapioca pearl balls. Invented in Taiwan in the early 1980s, the chewy bouncy tapioca balls are sucked up with a large straw as you drink the tea.

Taiwanese folks love a sort of bouncy firm springy texture in their food, something they call “Q,” which is almost like a Taiwanese version of al dente pasta for Italians. Tapioca balls, along with fishcakes and mochi, are great examples of this “Q” texture. Growing up, when my mom bit into a quality fishcake, she would proclaim “QQ” (double Q!).

Nowadays there are dedicated shops for boba tea and it comes in a variety of flavors. Popular brown sugar milk tea is the one I’m featuring here, but you can find versions at shops made with matcha green tea, Hong Kong-style boba tea with condensed milk, fruit flavors like lychee, mango, strawberry, and endless more. Boba tea shops often have different toppings you can add like grass jelly, sago, pudding, and cheese foam.

Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (4)

Tips for Making Boba

Making basic boba tea consists of four components: strongly brewed tea, milk, tapioca balls, and sweetener. Each are customizable to your taste, but quality tapioca balls are my highest priority.

  • Quality tapioca ball texture requires time. Lisa Lin over at Healthy Nibbles and Bits likes to use quick cook 5-minute tapioca balls for her boba tea, but I prefer dried tapioca pearls, which require boiling for 15 to 25 minutes, then resting in the hot water another 20 minutes. This is the most time-consuming part of making quality boba tea. But it’s almost all hands-off time, and you can brew your tea and make your simple syrup while the tapioca balls cook. I can taste the difference between the texture in the quick cook and the dried tapioca balls, but if you’re impatient or less picky about the texture, feel free to use the quick cook kind.
  • Make your sweetener. I often make simple syrup as a sweetener because the sugar syrup dissolves quicker in the tea. But you can use maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar if you like. In this recipe, I make a brown sugar simple syrup because I like the molasses flavor, but feel free to make it with white sugar.
  • Make your tea. You should brew your tea double-strength because the tea gets diluted by the ice and milk. Traditional classic black tea, like Assam or Ceylon, is often what is used for boba tea, but pick what you like. Early grey is a favorite of mine, and when I want a special treat I’ll reach for lapsang souchong for that bit of smokiness. You can also use a green tea or matcha green tea, white tea, or herbal tisane if you’d like. Because I’m adding sweetener and milk to the tea along with the chewy tapioca balls, I skip using my high-end loose teas for boba tea.
  • Choose your milk. I typically go for non-dairy milk like oat milk or almond milk. Any milk will work—if you are using dairy milk, whole milk is typical for its richness. If you want extra creaminess, you can use half-and-half for a richer boba tea. Or simplify the recipe by making a Hong Kong-style boba tea by skipping the sweetener and milk and using sweetened condensed milk instead.
  • Boba Straws. If you’re going to make boba, you need a wide large straw to suck the boba balls up! You can find reusable boba straws online. I have these plastic boba straws which are dishwasher safe and BPA-free, but you can also find metal ones if you are avoiding plastic.

Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (5)

How to Store Boba Tea

Boba tea should be enjoyed the day you make it. The tapioca balls should ideally be consumed within an hour of making them. Keep them in the liquid that you boiled them in until you’re ready to drink your boba tea. The liquid will keep them fresh, bouncy, and chewy.

You’ll find that if you make a large batch of the tapioca balls and store them in the fridge they will harden. I’ve had some luck storing leftover boba milk tea in the fridge overnight with plastic wrap over the top, then scooping the hardened and cooled balls out of the liquid and heating them up in the microwave to soften them again. 20 to 30 seconds is usually enough—you don’t want to cook them again, just warm them up and soften them. Once softened, I’ll add them back to the tea. But they do become mushier, with the quality similar to using quick-cook tapioca balls.

That said, you can easily brew the tea and make the simple syrup ahead of time. Let them cool to room temperature and store them both in the fridge in airtight jars or containers. The tea will keep for up to 2 days while the simple syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Icy Cold Drinks!

  • Strawberry Italian Soda
  • Agua de Jamaica (Hibiscus Iced Tea)
  • Cold Brew Coffee
  • Ice Chai Latte

How to Make Boba Tea

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time45 mins

Servings4 servings

Ingredients

For the tapioca pearls

  • 3 1/2 cups water

  • 1 cup dried tapioca pearls

For the tea

  • 8 bags of black tea, like Ceylon, Assam, or English Breakfast

  • 4 cups boiling water

  • 1/2 cup milk, whole or non-dairy, plus more to taste

  • Ice

For the brown sugar simple syrup

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup water

Method

  1. Cook the tapioca pearls:

    Add the water to a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Carefully add the dried tapioca pearls to the hot water. Be cautious as you add them as they can be fragile. Gently stir the balls, making sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or each other.

    Once the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat so it’s gently boiling and let the tapioca pearls cook for 15 minutes, uncovered. They’ll start to change color but won’t all turn completely black; that’s okay. Occasionally stir the pearls to ensure they don’t stick.

    After 15 minutes, scoop out one of the balls, let it cool slightly, and carefully bite into it. If they’re still hard or not soft enough for your taste, continue to cook them for up to 15 minutes longer, checking periodically for texture.

    Once they’re cooked to your liking, remove them from the heat, cover the pan, and let them sit in their liquid for 20 minutes or up to an hour. If you’re using quick-cook tapioca balls, follow the instructions on the package.

    Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (6)

  2. Meanwhile, make the tea:

    While the tapioca pearls are cooking, brew the tea by boiling the water, then placing the bags of black tea in the hot water. Remove from the heat and steep for 5 minutes.

    Tip

    Don’t over-steep the bags; over-steeping the tea will cause more tannins to be released, which will create bitterness.

    Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (7)

  3. Make the simple syrup:

    Meanwhile, make the simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat the water over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.

    Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (8)

    Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (9)

  4. Assemble the boba tea:

    Once the tapioca pearls are ready, assemble the milk tea by scooping out the boba pearls from the hot water with a slotted spoon and placing them in 4 glasses.

    Add 1 cup of tea and 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the simple syrup to taste and top with ice. Stir together and taste. Add more syrup or milk to your taste and serve.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (10)

    Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (11)

    Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (12)

    Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (13)

  • Drinks
  • Most Recent
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By World Cuisine
  • Coffees and Teas
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
422Calories
17g Fat
55g Carbs
12g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories422
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g22%
Saturated Fat 6g32%
Cholesterol 95mg32%
Sodium 544mg24%
Total Carbohydrate 55g20%
Dietary Fiber 2g7%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 2mg12%
Calcium 89mg7%
Iron 3mg18%
Potassium 288mg6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Enjoy Boba Tea at Home In All of Its Refreshing, Chewy Glory (2024)

References

Top Articles
Bradenton FL Real Estate - Bradenton FL Homes For Sale | Zillow
4 Ups! Model of effective communication – Align4Profit
Www Craigslist Com Juneau
Subfinder Online
Craigslist Greencastle
I Feel Pretty (2018) | Rotten Tomatoes
Ark Ragnarok Map Caves
Kutty Movie Net
Tamara Lapman
Lojë Shah me kompjuterin në internet. Luaj falas
Sonic Fan Games Hq
Ts Egypt Dmarco
Naughty Neighbor Tumblr
These Mowers Passed the Test and They’re Ready To Trim Your Lawn
Best Builder Hall 5 Base
Perse03_
Nwi Police Blotter
Astried Lizhanda
Craigslist Parsippany Nj Rooms For Rent
Sissy Hypno Gif
Reptile Expo Spokane
25Cc To Tbsp
Receive Sms Verification
Pwc Transparency Report
Directions To American Legion
Lufthansa LH456 (DLH456) from Frankfurt to Los Angeles
Busted Barren County Ky
Dl 646
Lux Nails Columbia Mo
Coors Field Seats In The Shade
Gmail Psu
Reely Hooked Fish Dip Amazon
Myhr North Memorial
Snowy Hydro Truck Jobs in All Sydney NSW - Sep 2024 | SEEK
Proto Ultima Exoplating
Tcc Northeast Library
NO CLUE: deutsche Übersetzung von NCT 127
Telegram No Limit Groups - Telegram Rocket
Obituary Sidney Loving
Natalya Neidhart: Assembling the BOAT
20|21 Art: The Chicago Edition 2023-01-25 Auction - 146 Price Results - Wright in IL
Registrar Lls
Used Cars For Sale in Pretoria | Quality Pre-Owned Cars | Citton Cars
Top-Filme und Serien mit Maggie Smith
Hkx File Compatibility Check Skyrim/Sse
Online-Shopping bei Temu: Solltest du lieber die Finger davon lassen?
Perolamartinezts
XY6020L 6-70V CNC einstellbares stabilisiertes Spannungsnetzteil Konstantspannung Konstantstrom 20A/1200W Buck-Modul Bewertungen
Sicilys Pizza Promo Code 40 Off
Vox Machina Wiki
What Does Code 898 Mean On Irs Transcript
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Roderick King

Last Updated:

Views: 5247

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Roderick King

Birthday: 1997-10-09

Address: 3782 Madge Knoll, East Dudley, MA 63913

Phone: +2521695290067

Job: Customer Sales Coordinator

Hobby: Gunsmithing, Embroidery, Parkour, Kitesurfing, Rock climbing, Sand art, Beekeeping

Introduction: My name is Roderick King, I am a cute, splendid, excited, perfect, gentle, funny, vivacious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.