This classic bubble tea drink, originating from Taiwan, is one of my favorite summer drink recipes! You can also make ube milk tea (ube bubble tea) or bubble tea panna cotta for more delicious variations!
What is bubble tea?
I grew up drinking tea, especially milk tea. As a result, I’ve always been picky about my teas. While hot tea was a staple for me as a kid, the adult me prefers iced tea variations, like this bubble milk tea or another favorite of mine, iced matcha latte. This refreshing drink originates from Taiwan (much like dalgona coffee). The name possibly comes from the bubbles that are created by frothing the milk tea, or from the chewy tapioca pearls that are like “bubbles” in the tea. This drink is also known as Hong Kong style boba milk tea. Whatever the origins of the name, the drink is now a favorite everywhere, and there are many different types of bubble tea now too. So here, I’ll show you how to make bubble tea at home.
Bubble tea ingredients (and notes)
Black tea – a strong black tea, like assam, ceylon tea or taiwanese tea. Water – for steeping milk and to cook tapioca pearls. Whole milk or plant based milk (for a vegan option). Sugar – I use dark brown sugar, but you can use white sugar as well. Honey or maple syrup can also be used. Tapioca pearls – Homemade, or store-bought. You can purchase quick cook tapioca pearls for convenience.
What type of tea to use
There are many different versions of bubble tea. Black tea, earl grey tea, matcha tea, other green teas, oolong tea, jasmine tea and even tea bags with fruit flavors. Some of these are mixed with milk to make milk tea, and others are served plain. Taiwanese milk tea is made with black tea. The strong tannin flavor in black tea is an important factor here. Chinese breakfast tea (Chinese black tea or Taiwanese black tea) is the usual choice for this bubble milk tea, likely due to its Taiwanese origins. However, if you can’t find Chinese breakfast tea, you can use a strong black tea, such as Ceylon OP tea or Assam or a blend (like English breakfast tea). I also prefer to use loose leaf tea, but you can also use tea bags as well. To add more depth of flavor, you can also use fermented black tea like Pu-erh tea. A tea bag usually should contain between 1.5 – 3 g of tea per bag, and you will need to use a few bags to get a really nice strong tea base for bubble milk tea.
How to brew the tea properly
Since we will be brewing a strong tea base, this step is important! If the tea brew is very weak, the flavor of the bubble tea will be weak and watery.
Hot brew tea
This is the traditional way of brewing tea. For this bubble tea drink, it’s important to brew tea that is stronger than regular tea. The hot water will help extract more of the tea flavor. I opted to make tea the way masala chai is made. Which is to boil some water with the tea leaves. But you can also let the tea leaves steep in hot water too. I like to brew or boil the tea for about 10 minutes. This will result in a very strong tea that has more tannins than a regular cup of tea, BUT this drink will be diluted with milk, so it’s ok! Take care not to let it boil too much, as it will make the tea too bitter due to too much tannins. Because the tea does have more tannins than regular tea, it will become cloudy as it cools down. This is normal and is not a deterrent to making milk tea (as we will be adding milk to it!). Some articles talk about using filtered water to avoid cloudy tea, but I wouldn’t use this method for this recipe as the tea will be mixed with milk at the end, and it won’t make a difference.
Cold brew tea
This is in no way a traditional way to make tea. But it’s my favorite way to make iced tea for a smoother taste, without an overpowering tannin flavor. And most importantly, cold brew tea will give you a very clear tea (no cloudiness). It’s also difficult to over-brew cold brew tea, because the process of cold brewing tea takes about 8 – 12 hours anyway. However, this method requires more tea than the hot brew version. You can choose whichever method you like to make bubble tea. Both recipes will be included below. Just make sure the final tea is a little strong, so that it can be diluted with milk, and still have a great taste.
What type of tapioca pearls to use
I use my own tapioca pearls recipe (boba pearls recipe) for bubble tea whenever I can. The recipe is simple, but making the balls can get really tedious. However, once I do make a couple of batches, I can store them in the fridge and cook the boba pearls whenever my bubble tea cravings strike. That being said, I don’t always have already made boba pearls at home. Occasionally, I’d buy some quick cook tapioca balls, if I’m lucky enough to find them at Asian grocery stores. Make sure to look for quick cook tapioca balls that only take 2 – 5 minutes to cook. Otherwise you may need to boil the pearls for much longer! Honestly though, I much prefer the tapioca pearls I make myself. They are chewier than the quick cook version, and the ingredient list is short and simple. But the quick cook ones are ready in 5 minutes, so they are certainly more convenient. If you haven’t made your own boba pearls, and don’t have time for it, then I highly recommend going with quick cook pearls. They are less chewy than homemade, but still work great for this boba tea recipe!
Sweetener
You can use any kind of sweetener you like for your bubble tea recipe. Simple syrup made with white sugar and honey are great options as a sweetener for tea. I also use dark brown sugar simple syrup. That’s because when I make homemade boba pearls, I like to store the cooked boba pearls in a dark brown sugar syrup (to make brown sugar boba). But you can also store cooked boba pearls in a simple syrup solution (white sugar and water), or just honey. I personally prefer the taste of brown sugar in my bubble tea. Another great thing about making your own bubble milk tea is that YOU can control how sweet it is. You can add more or less sweetener, depending on whether you want a dessert-like treat, or something more refreshing.
Milk
Traditionally, whole milk is used to make boba milk tea. A concentrated tea base, and an equal amount (or more) of milk are mixed together to make the milk tea base for bubble tea. But you also have the option of using other types of dairy to make the drink taste even more creamy.
Can I use other options besides milk?
Absolutely! However, the following options are great to add to your bubble milk tea especially if the brewed tea base isn’t as strong, and you can only add a little milk.
Evaporated milk – Concentrated milk. So, you can either add half the amount of milk and more tea for a stronger milk tea, OR add the same amount for a creamier bubble milk tea. Condensed milk – A little condensed milk will add sweetness and the creamy milk taste in one go. You would have to add less than regular milk of course, because condensed milk is more concentrated and can be too sweet in larger amounts. Half and half – Just like adding creamer. Half and half is creamier and will yield creaminess and richness.
How to make dairy free bubble tea (or vegan bubble tea)?
You can absolutely substitute the milk with plant-based milk to make a dairy free and vegan boba tea. Here are some tips to make the best vegan bubble tea that is still just as creamy.
Choose a barista grade plant milk. I use Earths own Barista oat milk. But you can also use oatly or any other barista plant-based milk. There are many options in the stores now. You can also purchase vegan coffee creamers now. But I still prefer to use Barista plant based milk. I also found a bubble tea company that sells powdered oat milk. While this is a Canadian company, I know that you can also find powdered soy milk in certain stores now.
All these options can be used instead of regular milk to make a dairy free or vegan bubble tea.
How to make bubble tea (classic Taiwanese bubble milk tea)
Step one – Brew the tea
There are many different teas available, so choose a good black tea. This is the prominent flavor in the drink after all. I like to use Assam tea or Ceylon orange pekoe. But you can also use a good Chinese black tea or African black tea. Tea bags are a good option for convenience as well. Since we want at least double strength, make sure to use extra tea for each cup. Bring the water to a boil and then add the tea into the boiling water. Either let the tea steep for about 10 – 15 minutes, or gently simmer the tea for about 10 – 15 minutes (image 1). Then strain the tea, and lightly squeeze the tea to get some of the liquid out. But don’t squeeze too much (image 2). Let the tea chill, or at least come to room temperature in the fridge (image 3).
Step two – Make the boba pearls
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the boba pearls according to manufacturer’s instructions. Usually, the tapioca pearls should be cooked in under 5 minutes. Remove the cooked pearls and discard the water (image 4). Finally, cook the brown sugar with water to make a thick sugar syrup (image 5) and then add the warm tapioca pearls. Simmer to get the right consistency (image 6). Set aside to let it cool down, but it should be used while still a little warm, as the tapioca pearls will harden as they cool down.
Step three – Assemble the drink
The sweetener for the drink comes from the brown sugar syrup or regular sugar syrup used with the boba pearls. Add a generous amount of boba pearls along with the syrup into a glass. Then add about ½ cup of the strongly brewed tea into the glass and stir to mix the sugar syrup with the tea. Optionally, add some ice cubes. Then add about 1 cup of chilled milk to top up. If you’re not using ice, it’s important to make sure the tea AND the milk are nice and chilled! Immediately serve with a boba straw. Stir and enjoy.
Recipe tips
Use a good quality black tea for this drink. I use Vadham tea, but you can also use twinnings or taylors. Make sure to use a good amount of tea to make a strong tea base. Use regular tapioca pearls for black milk tea. Popping boba or fruit flavored boba pearls may not pair nicely with black tea, but will be fantastic with green tea or oolong tea. Keep the milk nicely chilled in the fridge. If you don’t want to make the brown sugar syrup, keep the tapioca pearls in some syrup (honey, maple syrup or corn syrup) to prevent them from sticking to each other. You can use a sweetener of your choice! The brown sugar syrup is just my favorite, but you can use white sugar to make this too. Alternatively, you can use honey or maple syrup. Just make sure to store the boba pearls in a syrup solution too. Boba pearls must be used while still slightly warm or at room temperature. When the boba pearls get cold, they get very hard. They taste best when cooked just before serving.
Bubble tea flavors
Popping bubble tea – Popping bubble tea has to do with the boba pearls. Regular boba pearls are made with chewy tapioca balls. However, popping boba pearls are fruity spheres made through molecular gastronomy gelification! They have a jelly-like coating, with a liquid filling (fruit juice/ syrup), and burst (or pop) when you bite into them. These popping boba pearls can be found in many Asian stores, and come in a variety of flavors like passion fruit, mango, strawberry and even lychee! Matcha bubble tea – Matcha bubble tea is when the black tea is replaced with matcha. The matcha is made with powdered matcha whisked with hot water, and you can find my favorite matcha bubble tea recipe on the blog too. Taro bubble tea – Taro is a tuber that is very adaptable in many recipes! It has a sweet and nutty taste and is delicious in desserts. You can purchase taro powder to make your own taro bubble tea at home by mixing it with milk. I also have an ube bubble tea version that is very similar in taste to taro bubble tea. Strawberry bubble tea – The base of strawberry bubble tea is usually green tea and strawberries. Some versions also have a shot of matcha added to give the drink red, green, and white layers. Mango bubble tea – Green tea or oolong tea mixed with mango puree or mango syrup and milk. You could also skip the tea altogether, but I personally like the addition of green tea. Brown sugar bubble tea – I love brown sugar bubble tea. Even for this recipe, I used the brown sugar boba syrup to make the boba tea drink! But brown sugar bubble tea usually only has milk and brown sugar syrup, but you can also add tea like in this recipe. Coffee bubble tea – Just add a shot of coffee instead of the tea (or in addition to it if you prefer). Now you have coffee bubble tea!
Storage
Can I make bubble tea ahead of time?
You can make the tea ahead of time. But I don’t recommend making the other components for the bubble tea recipe ahead of time. Tea – I usually make my tea the day before. If I’m making cold brew, I just let the tea sit at room temperature until the following day. If I’m making hot brew tea, I make sure to strain the tea once brewed, and let the tea cool to room temperature BEFORE storing it in the fridge. Brewed tea can be stored in the fridge for about 2 days. After that, it starts to lose its freshness. You can also freeze brewed tea in ice cube trays as well, to make it last longer. Do NOT add milk until you’re ready to serve the tea. Boba pearls – As mentioned in my earlier post on how to make boba pearls, boba pearls are best served while warm so that they remain chewy in the drink. The longer they remain cool, the harder they become. So, it’s best to cook only the amount of boba pearls you need, each time. That being said, I do sometimes cook too much of the boba pearls. So, I like to store them in the fridge for the next day, along with the syrup that they are in. Then, the following day, I’ll add a little water and reheat the boba pearls in a small saucepan on the stove, to get them soft again. This will involve re-boiling the sugar syrup as the pearls may not soften until heated through. I also don’t store cooked boba pearls in the fridge for longer than a day. So I prefer to make small batches when needed, so that they are fresh and have the best texture.
Can I make this in bulk for a party?
If you’re serving this drink to a crowd or at a party, then mix the tea base with milk a few hours before the party and let it chill in the fridge. Then you can pour the drink straight into glasses, and add the cooked tapioca balls with the syrup into each glass for individual guests before serving. You still have to make sure the boba pearls are at least slightly warm, or they would be very unpleasant to bite into. However you prepare this boba tea, it’ll be delicious and refreshing! You can customize it to your liking, and adjust the amount of any ingredient to your liking as well. This recipe is super easy. Bubble tea is really the perfect summer drink. Great as a pick me up drink in the mornings or afternoons. Perfectly refreshing and perfectly sweet, with the added chewy texture of boba pearls, this is a uniquely delicious drink that kids and adults can both enjoy! Once you try homemade boba milk tea (bubble tea) properly, you’ll see it beats what you can buy at a bubble tea shop too.
Frequently asked questions
