No-Fail Bubble Tea Recipe (Boba Milk Tea) - Oh, How Civilized (2024)

Home Tea Recipes Bubble Tea

By Jee Choe

on Jun 20, 2019, Updated Feb 19, 2021

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Yes, bubble tea can be made at home! Get easy step-by-step directions on how to make this delicious boba tea with black tea, brown sugar, store-bought tapioca balls, and decadent cold foam.

No-Fail Bubble Tea Recipe (Boba Milk Tea) - Oh, How Civilized (1)

Table of Contents

  • What is Bubble Tea?
  • Recipe Highlights
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Expert Tips
  • Questions You May Have
  • Related
  • Homemade Bubble Tea (Boba Milk Tea) with Cold Foam Recipe

What is Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea is a cold drink made with tea, milk, sugar, ice, and chewy tapioca balls — it’s an iced milk tea with tapioca balls.

It originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and today, bubble tea can be found all over the world.

The black tapioca balls at the bottom of the drink are called boba. It’s made from tapioca starch taken from the cassava root. It’s served with a fat straw that’s big enough to suck up the tapioca balls while drinking the tea.

Bubble tea is also called boba, boba tea, boba milk tea, and bubble milk tea.

RELATED:

Recipe Highlights

  • Most bubble tea shops use powders that are loaded with chemicals and sugar. This recipe is made with real tea and brewed perfectly so that the tea flavor really comes through.
  • A trick to making bubble tea really good is to use warm tapioca balls! Don’t cool down the tapioca balls completely — put it into the drink while they’re still warm. They’ll be soft with a nice little chew in the center.
  • Delicious cold foam that makes the drink decadent and creamy is made using a handheld milk frother.
  • This recipe uses brown sugar instead of regular white sugar to sweeten the boba tea which gives it a deeper flavor.

RELATED: Taro Bubble Tea

Ingredient Notes

No-Fail Bubble Tea Recipe (Boba Milk Tea) - Oh, How Civilized (2)
  • Black tea: A strong black tea like Assam (which is what I used) or English breakfast tea is best to make a classic bubble tea. Use loose tea or tea sachets instead of tea bags.
  • Filtered water: Better water will make a better tasting tea.
  • Tapioca pearls: The package says it’s ready in 5 minutes but that’s a LIE.
  • Brown sugar: I’m a fan of brown sugar since it gives a deep, rich flavor, but you can swap the brown sugar with white sugar.
  • Half & half: To make the cold foam topping.
  • Granulated, white sugar: To sweeten the cold foam.
  • Ice: To keep the drink nice and refreshingly cold.

For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

No-Fail Bubble Tea Recipe (Boba Milk Tea) - Oh, How Civilized (3)

My Tapioca Balls Pick

Photo Credit: amazon.com

Plump with just a bit of a chew! This is the brand I use to make bubble tea.

SHOP NOW

Step-by-Step Instructions

No-Fail Bubble Tea Recipe (Boba Milk Tea) - Oh, How Civilized (4)
  1. Steep tea in hot water.
  2. Dissolve brown sugar in hot water to make brown sugar syrup.
  3. Cook tapioca balls.
    Follow directions on package but generally, all that’s involved is boiling tapioca balls in hot water for a few minutes.
  4. Whisk together half & half and granulated sugar.
    A handheld milk frother or a French press makes great cold foam.
No-Fail Bubble Tea Recipe (Boba Milk Tea) - Oh, How Civilized (5)
  1. Put tapioca balls in brown sugar syrup into a glass.
  2. Add ice.
  3. Pour in tea.
  4. Top with cold foam.
    Serve immediately. Stir before drinking. Use awide strawto drink.

RELATED: Brown Sugar Bubble Tea

Expert Tips

  • Do not make tapioca balls more than 1-2 hours ahead of time. After 4 hours, they’ll start to harden. The drink is the best when assembled and served right before drinking.
  • Bubble tea can be made with all kinds of tea. All you need to do is add tapioca balls to a drink and it instantly becomes boba tea! Try making it with jasmine green tea, Thai tea, or matcha.
  • If you prefer weaker tea, use 2 teaspoons of tea per serving.
  • Each serving of this recipe is 16 ounces (2 cups), which is a Starbucks grande drink size.
  • If you don’t want the trouble of making the cold foam, just add 4 tablespoons of half & half to each serving instead.
  • The tea, brown sugar simple syrup, and cold foam can all be made ahead of time and stored separately in the refrigerator. The tea keeps for 4 days at the most, the syrup for up to 2 weeks, and cold foam for up to 2 days. Just the tapioca balls can’t be made ahead.

RELATED:Jasmine Bubble Tea

Questions You May Have

Is there caffeine in this drink?

Yes! There’s caffeine in black tea so there’s caffeine in this bubble tea.

Can I make a caffeine-free bubble tea?

To make it caffeine-free, use herbal tea like chamomile, rooibos, or butterfly pea flower instead of black tea.

I don’t have loose tea, can I use tea bags?

Instead of 2 tablespoons of loose black teayou can use 3 tea sachets or 6 tea bags.

How long are tapioca balls good for?

Working with tapioca balls can be a little tricky since they’re only good for about 4 hours after making them; after that they’ll harden and get rubbery which won’t be fun to eat.

How can I adjust the sweetness?

To adjust the amount of sugar that goes into the drink, strain out the tapioca balls from the brown sugar simple syrup when assembling the drink. Add the simple syrup after the drink has been made to see how sweet you want it.

No-Fail Bubble Tea Recipe (Boba Milk Tea) - Oh, How Civilized (6)

Related

  • Matcha Bubble Tea
  • Strawberry Matcha Latte Bubble Tea
  • Strawberry Milk Tea
  • Thai Iced Tea with Boba
  • Iced Latte with Boba

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4.60 from 137 votes

Homemade Bubble Tea (Boba Milk Tea) with Cold Foam

By: Jee Choe

Decadent, delicious bubble tea drink made with tapioca balls, brown sugar, and milk tea.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

Black tea

  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons black tea

Brown Simple Syrup

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup water

Tapioca Balls

Cream Froth

  • ¼ cup half & half
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Instructions

MAKE TEA

  • Boil water.

    Boil 2 ¾ cup of water. If using anelectric kettle with a temperature setting,set the water to 208°F. Usefiltered waterif possible.

  • Steep tea in hot water for 5 minutes.

    Combine tea and 2 ½ cups hot water and steep. (The leftover ¼ cup of hot water is to make the brown sugar simple syrup.)

  • Strain tea leaves and let tea cool.

    Using ateapot with an infusermakesstraining the tea leaves super easy.

MAKE BROWN SUGAR SIMPLE SYRUP

  • Stir together hot water and dark brown sugar until sugar dissolves.

    Take the remaining ¼ cup hot water and stir in ¼ cup brown sugar.

COOK TAPIOCA BALLS

  • Boil water and add tapioca balls.

    Boil water in a saucepan on the stovetop then add tapioca balls. Cook on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

    (Follow directions on your tapioca ball packaging if you're using a different brand than the one I’m using.)

  • Drain tapioca balls.

  • Combine tapioca balls and brown sugar simple syrup.

    Stir in dark brown simple syrup into the pot with the strained boba. Let cool slightly so it's warm but not boiling hot.

MAKE COLD FOAM

  • Lightly whip half & half and sugar.

    Use a handheld milk frother and whip until it starts to thicken.

ASSEMBLE DRINK

  • Divide each component into two cups.

    Spoon tapioca balls in brown sugar simple syrup, add ice, then black tea, and top with cold foam. Stir together before drinking.

Video

Notes

  • Make sure your tapioca balls are still warm when you assemble the drink. They’ll be nice and soft with a little chew.
  • Instead of loose tea, you can use 3 tea sachets or 6 tea bags.
  • If you want less tea, use 4 teaspoons of tea which is 2 tea sachets or 4 tea bags.
  • Use an extra wide straw to drink your bubble tea.
  • Do not make tapioca balls more than 1-2 hours ahead of time. After 4 hours, they’ll start to harden. The drink is the best when assembled and served right before drinking.
  • Bubble tea can be made with all kinds of tea. All you need to do is add tapioca balls to a drink and it instantly becomes boba tea!
  • If you prefer weaker tea, use 2 teaspoons of tea per serving.
  • If you don’t want the trouble of making the cold foam, just add 4 tablespoons of half & half to each serving instead.
  • The tea, brown sugar simple syrup, and cream froth can all be made ahead of time and stored separately in the refrigerator. The tea keeps for 4 days at the most, the syrup for up to 2 weeks, and cold foam for up to 2 days. Just the tapioca balls can’t be made ahead.
  • To adjust the amount of sugar that goes into the drink, strain out the tapioca balls from the brown sugar simple syrup when assembling the drink. Add the simple syrup after the drink has been made to see how sweet you want it.

Nutrition

Calories: 427Carbohydrates: 82gProtein: 1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 60mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 1gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 437IUCalcium: 77mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Taiwanese

Tried this recipe?Mention @ohhowcivilized or tag #ohhowcivilized!

About Jee Choe

Welcome! I'm a certified Tea Sommelier and a self-proclaimed bubble tea and iced tea master. I'm all about making tea EASY and DELICIOUS.

Read More About Me

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No-Fail Bubble Tea Recipe (Boba Milk Tea) - Oh, How Civilized (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between boba milk tea and bubble tea? ›

The term boba typically refers to the tapioca Pearls in your bubble tea. For example, people can say, “what's your Boba texture like? Or “do you love boba pearls?” Overall, there's no difference or distinction between boba and bubble tea, or are there any decisions between them.

Why is boba milk tea so good? ›

Boba teas have a unique, addictive taste because of the ingredients that mix in. One of the tastiest boba teas is those with black pearl, or others usually call it the "tapioca pearl." Tapioca pearls are a small ball from the cassava root and are used and famous in a boba tea shop.

What is dirty boba milk tea? ›

It's a delightful blend of milk tea and tapioca pearls, offering a mix of creamy and chewy textures. Dirty boba became popular mainly because of Tiger, a famous bubble tea brand. In this type of drink, brown sugar is simmered into the thickened syrup form and can form strips on the cups of the bubble tea.

How was boba milk tea invented? ›

It claims that bubble tea was invented in 1986 when teahouse owner Tu Tsong-he was inspired by white tapioca balls he saw in the local market of Ah-bó-liâu (鴨母寮, or Yāmǔliáo in Mandarin). He later made tea using these traditional Taiwanese snacks. This resulted in what is known as "pearl tea".

Is bubble tea healthy? ›

Unfortunately, boba itself provides very few health benefits, though its calories and carbohydrates can provide you with a boost in energy. In most cases, boba tea contains high levels of sugar, which is linked to long-term health conditions like diabetes and obesity.

Is bubble tea boba healthy? ›

Boba tea is generally safe to drink, but you'll want to enjoy it in moderation. The beverage is usually high in sugar and calories and contains an additive that might lead to constipation. Drinking too much boba tea may increase your risk of diabetes and obesity.

Why is boba so expensive? ›

Furthermore, the report's analysis showed that costs were highly correlated with supply chain, store, and headcount efficiency. Price movements in any of these factors, which can be impacted by economic and market conditions, are likely to result in higher bubble tea prices for consumers.

Why is bubble tea so addictive? ›

Research has shown that sugar releases opioids and dopamine in the brain, which explains how it can potentially be as addictive potential as nicotine, drugs and alcohol. Just like any addiction, bingeing, withdrawal, cravings, and cross-sensitisation may be present with sugar addiction.

Why do people love bubble tea so much? ›

So why exactly is there such a big hype around the drink? It's difficult to say for sure, but the huge range of options available, the taste and colourful look of the beverage and the ability for people to customise their drink are all factors that are likely to play a part.

What is boba tea slang for? ›

Because that's exact what Boba means, large breasts. That's a slang term meaning king of wave, because large breasts move in wave motion. The pearl tea name came later, due to the vulgarness of it's predecessor I guess. Now, you can enjoy more next time you suck on those sweet bouncy topioca.

What is the black thing on boba? ›

Although tapioca starts as a hard and tasteless substance, after being boiled and steeped in caramelized syrup, it becomes the sweet, black and textured pearls that sit at the bottom of your tea.

What is the black in boba tea? ›

As mentioned previously – white, Tapioca pearls are made from either starch, caramel or chamomile extract. However, the more popular Tapioca pearls, which are black are made from starch, sweet potato and/or brown sugar.

Does Starbucks have boba? ›

In a first for Starbucks, the chain plans to add boba-like pearls to its Refreshers drinks. News of the innovation was confirmed by CEO Laxman Narasimhan during the company's earnings call earlier this week.

Who was the first person to drink boba? ›

One leading claim to the boba tea origin belongs to Tu Tsong-he, owner of Hanlin Tea House. He recalls standing at the market, spotting fenyuan (white tapioca balls) and imagining his favorite childhood snack mixed with his favorite drink.

What does boba mean in Chinese? ›

Etymology. borrowed from Chinese (Beijing) bōbà, name for the large tapioca balls found in the tea, perhaps literally, "large breasts, large-breasted woman"

Is bubble tea basically boba? ›

Bubble tea, on the other hand, is made with a combination of tea, milk, and tapioca pearls. It is also sometimes referred to as "pearl tea" or "boba tea." Boba tea is another name for bubble tea and is typically used in regions where the drink is more commonly referred to as "boba." Bob...

Why is it called boba instead of bubble tea? ›

The tea became known as "boba" because the term is Taiwanese slang for breasts (a reference to the spherical shape of the tapioca balls), and is believed to have originated from Chinese characters.

Why is it called bubble milk tea? ›

After the tea and flavor were shaken well, it topped tapioca pearls that were sitting on the bottom of a clear cup. The tapioca pearls also looked like bubbles, thus also became to known as "Bubble Tea." Bubbles floated on the top your drink and bottom of your drink.

Does boba milk tea taste like milk? ›

The most popular bubble tea drink is a classic milk tea (black tea, milk, sweetener, and pearls) which tastes sweet, creamy, and silky because of the milk, and has a nice chewy texture because of the tapioca pearls. A common alternative to milk teas is fruit tea.

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