You can easily make sweet and tasty matcha boba tea at home! This tea is perfectly creamy, sweetened just right, and packed with chewy boba balls. Boba or bubble tea is a treat I used to only get at my local boba shop until I learned how to make this epic matcha boba at home. And you can too!
🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
🧾 Ingredients in this recipe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳 How to Make This Recipe
First, you’ll need to make the simple syrup (a combination of sugar and water). I use brown sugar, but you can also use turbinado sugar, and the flavor is fantastic either way. Use the same ratio for both, 1:1 sugar: water.
Add the turbinado sugar and 1/2 a cup of water to a saucepan. Turn to medium heat and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and set the simple syrup aside to cool.
Cook the tapioca pearls
Pro Tip
You can keep boba in the simple syrup for up to 12 hours, so it’s easy to serve later in the day. Boba does not keep well overnight.
Drink and enjoy! And be sure to get the right straws for drinking boba. These extra-wide glass straws work perfectly. The wide is not wide enough for the large pearls.
Pro Tip
If making this recipe with matcha powder, wait until just before you’re ready to serve the boba tea before preparing the matcha, so that the matcha leaves do not settle while you wait.
🧋How to Make Boba with Any Tea
If you want to try something other than matcha, this recipe works with any tea flavor. I’ve tried Thai tea boba, brown sugar milk boba, and many others!
By far the most common teas to use are black tea (like earl gray, chai, and breakfast tea), green teas (matcha, jasmine), and oolong teas. If you’re new to boba tea, try a black tea to get you started or this matcha boba recipe.
To make this with another tea, follow the steps up until the step to prepare the matcha. Instead, steep the tea of your choosing in 1 cup of hot water (per serving) until brewed to your preference. Let the tea come down to room temperature before serving so it doesn’t completely melt the ice and dilute the tea.
To serve your finished bubble tea, add 1/3 cup of tapioca pearls to each glass. Top with 1 cup of your chosen tea, then 1 cup of non-dairy milk or creamer.
Matcha Boba Tea
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar or turbinado sugar, or cane sugar
- ½ cup water
- ⅔ cups tapioca pearls
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups non-dairy milk or creamer like oat milk creamer
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp culinary grade matcha powder
- 1.5 cups ice cubes
Instructions
- Simple syrup: Add the turbinado and 1/2 cup water to a sauce pan. Turn to medium heat and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Tea: Steep your tea and let it come to room temperature. If making matcha, wait until just before serving so the matcha leaves do not settle. Then, whisk or blend 1 tablespoon of matcha with the 2 cups of room temperature, or cold water.
- Boba: Bring 3 cups of water to boil over high heat. Add the tapioca pearls and stir until they start floating to the surface. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes.
- Drain the boba and add to a bowl with the simple syrup. Let cool. You can keep the boba in the simple syrup for up to 12 hours.
- Assemble: Add 1/3 cup of tapioca pearls to each glass. Top with 1 cup of tea, then 1 cup of non-dairy milk or creamer. Enjoy!
Should I keep boba in the fridge or at room temp
Room temperature, but it doesn’t last long. Use it the day you make it.
I was very confused about the difference between normal tea and ‘milk tea’.. this recipe helped explain a lot! Can’t wait to try it out once I have everything I need 🙂 Thank you!
I’m so happy I was able to help, Pramiti. Can’t wait to hear what you think when you give it a try!
Looks great! Love the glass you are using. Where did you get them from?
Hi Julie! Here are the links to the straws and the glasses.
Where are the glasses and straws you used from? They’re so pretty!
Thanks, Catarina! Here are the links to the straws and the glasses.
I love this recipe! Do you know how to make it do it tastes like the coconut/mango/other fruit ones that you can get at the cafe? I can’t find a recipe for it 😋
Hi there, Allyson… for the coconut milk tea, just mix together 1/4 cup coconut cream with 1/2 cup of milk or milk. Pour over the cooked boba, sweeten with the syrup, and add ice.
For the fruity ones, you can use any smoothie recipe you like, and make it with fresh or thawed fruit instead of frozen.
I hope this helps!
Can’t wait to see and hear how it goes!
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Oh my, it’s been ages since I had my last bubble tea. And with the current situation, making it at home is the best route to go. Thanks for sharing this recipe. 🙂
Glad to hear it sparked some joy for you, Anita!
I love bubble tea, and I’m so glad to have found a recipe to make it at home! So good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jessica!
We have been spending a lot more time in the kitchen, cooking as a family lately. It has been fun to involve the kids with recipe research and cooking! We found your recipe and we made it today! It was a success and a hit with everybody! I have heard of boba tea but haven’t tried it before now! Its fun to try new things!
I’m so happy to hear you have been spending time in the kitchen as a family, Cindy.. that is the sweetest! And glad you all enjoyed the bubble tea. Such a fun, new thing to try. Take care!
These we’re so good – so happy I came across this recipe, thank you!
Happy to hear you liked it, Tawnie! I’m due to make them again… so good!
So cool! I’ve only ever been able to find bubble tea in China Town. Can’t wait to make it at home!
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Michelle!
It was a lot of fun making my own Boba tea. I’ve loved getting these at the cafe for so long now, but I hadn’t ever made my own before now. It was a lot easier than I expected.
I’m so happy to hear it was a success for you, Jennifer! If you’re like me, you’ll end up making these all too often… such a treat!
I tried it with normal tea but I want to try it with matcha. Do I use unsweetened matcha or sweetened matcha?
Hi Keira,
I use unsweetened culinary grade matcha. That way, I can sweeten it to my own preference with the simple syrup.
You can use sweetened matcha powder, too. But only do so if you have found one that you love. Otherwise, they can be very inconsistent.
Let me know how it goes!
I have never heard of this before, but it looks so refreshing and relaxing! Looking forward to making this tomorrow!
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Sara!
This is so interesting! I have never had bubble tea before and I definitely wanted to try it. Was refreshing and so fun.
Love to hear it, Mirlene… thanks for sharing!
I love bubble tea and this is a great recipe.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Krissy!