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    Home » Recipes » Drinks

    How to Make Bubble Tea with Any Tea

    Published: Mar 13, 2017 Modified: Dec 1, 2019 by Candice

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN RECIPE

    Homemade bubble tea is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up! In my recipe, I add a twist by combining three favorites - matcha, latte, and bubble tea. You can make this recipe with any tea, and I'm showing you how. It's a beverage with something for everyone. Just look at those fun bubbles…I promise this tea will make your day that much better!

    Pouring milk into matcha latte boba milk tea.

    What is Bubble Tea?

    Bubble tea goes by many different names: milk tea, tapioca tea, pearl milk tea, boba, boba tea... The names can be confusing, as bubble tea can, in fact, be made without tea and without bubbles!

    The drink itself is of Taiwanese origin and is traditionally made with a base of tea, milk, and sugar with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom. While most bubble teas are indeed tea-based, they can have a fruit juice or a coffee base also.

    Go to a bubble tea shop and you'll see all kinds of wild combinations - honeydew, taro, mango, coconut, lavender, sesame... the tasty flavors are endless!

    What is Boba Made Of?

    Boba refers to the little chewy balls at the bottom of bubble tea. These are made from tapioca pearls that are boiled in hot water, which makes them slightly enlarge and become chewy.

    When served, you usually need a larger than usual straw to be able to drink the boba along with the tea! Flavors can be also be added to the boba to make different types for different tea combinations.

    What Tea Should I Use for Bubble Tea?

    You can be experimental with the tea you use for your bubble tea! By far the most common teas to use are black tea (like earl grey, chai, breakfast tea), green teas (matcha, jasmine) and oolong teas. If you're new to bubble tea, try a black tea to get you started or my matcha powder version recipe in this post.

    How to Make Bubble Tea

    To make matcha latte bubble tea, here are the ingredients you will need. There's room to customize by swapping in your favorite tea and milk. It works with all kinds of milk such as almond milk, oat milk, rice milk... I have made a version that uses non-dairy milk, but you could substitute with dairy milk if you like.

    Ingredients to make tapioca pearls.

    First you will need to make the simple syrup (combination of sugar and water). I like to use turbinado sugar for the simple syrup. You can also use brown sugar, and the flavor is fantastic. Use in the same ratio, 1:1.

    Add the turbinado sugar and ½ a cup of water to a saucepan. Turn to medium heat and stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and set the sugar syrup aside to cool. 

    Pouring sugar into saucepan.

    Follow these next steps to make bubble tea by itself, and the steps for turning it into a matcha latte bubble tea will come later. Here is a link to the bubble tea tapioca pearls that I use from Amazon.

    Steep your chosen tea in hot water and let the tea come down to room temperature. Separately, bring 4 cups of water to boil over high heat. Add the tapioca pearls (boba or bubbles) and stir until they start floating to the surface (photos 1 & 2). Turn the heat to medium and cook the tapioca for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover them, and let them sit for 12 minutes. 

    Drain the cooled boba (photo 3) and add to a bowl with the sugar syrup, and leave to cool (photo 4). You can keep the boba in the simple syrup for up to 12 hours, so it's easy to serve later in the day.

    Pouring tapioca pearls into boiling water and draining them over a clear bowl.

    The tapioca pearls do not keep well overnight, so be sure to enjoy them the same day.

    Make it a Matcha Latte Bubble Tea

    If making bubble tea with matcha powder, wait until just before you're ready to serve the bubble tea before preparing the matcha (so that the matcha leaves do not settle).

    You have two options: Option 1: Blend 2 tablespoons of culinary grade matcha powder with the 4 cups of room temperature or cold water. Option 2 (and my usual method): Add 2 tablespoons of culinary grade matcha powder to a medium bowl. Add enough room temperature or cold water to barely cover the matcha (photo 1). Then, whisk to remove clumps adding more water if necessary (photo 2). Next, add the rest of the water (4 cups total) and whisk to blend well.

    You can also do this one cup at a time with a ratio of 1.5 tablespoons of culinary grade matcha powder per serving and 1 cup of water each.

    Whisking matcha in a small bowl.

    Make it with Any Tea

    To serve your finished bubble tea, add ⅓ cup of tapioca pearls to each glass. Top with 1 cup of your chosen tea or the matcha mixture (photo 1), then 1 cup of non-dairy milk or creamer (photo 2). You even make your very own simple nut milk at home.

    Pouring milk into a matcha latte next to tea lattes.

    Drink and enjoy! And be sure to get the right straws. These extra-wide glass straws work perfectly. The wide is not wide enough for the large pearls.

    Three glasses of boba milk tea with wide straws.

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    5 from 25 votes

    Boba Milk Tea with Any Tea

    Homemade bubble tea is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up! By combining three favorites - matcha, latte, and bubble tea, it's a beverage everyone will enjoy!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American, Japanese, Thai
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 390kcal
    Author: Candice

    Ingredients

    Simple Syrup

    • ½ cup turbinado sugar or brown sugar
    • ½ cup water

    Boba

    • 1 ⅓ cups tapioca pearls
    • 4 cups water

    Tea

    • 4 cups non-dairy milk or creamer like oat milk creamer
    • 4 cups tea or 2 tablespoon culinary grade matcha powder and 4 cups of water
    • 3 cups ice cubes
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Simple syrup: Add the turbinado and ½ 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 2 tablespoon of matcha with the 4 cups of room temperature, or cold water.
    • Boba: Bring 4 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 ⅓ cup of tapioca pearls to each glass. Top with 1 cup of tea, then 1 cup of non-dairy milk or creamer. Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    You can also use brown sugar for the simple syrup. Use in the same ratio, 1:1.
    Let the tea come down to room temperature so the ice doesn't melt too quickly.
    You can keep the boba in the simple syrup for up to 12 hours, so it’s easy to serve later in the day. The boba does not keep well overnight.
    Purchase extra-wide straws. The wide straws are not wide enough for the large boba.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 927IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 351mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did you try this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and/or comment! And tag @ProportionalPlate on TikTok or Instagram... I'd love to see what you're making.

    Want to see more of my matcha recipes? Check them out here.

    This post was originally published in March of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, and tips December of 2019.

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    1. Lw

      May 18, 2022 at 6:04 am

      Should I keep boba in the fridge or at room temp

      Reply
      • Candice

        May 18, 2022 at 7:30 am

        Room temperature, but it doesn't last long. Use it the day you make it.

        Reply
    2. Pramiti

      August 06, 2021 at 8:11 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Candice

        August 08, 2021 at 2:28 pm

        I'm so happy I was able to help, Pramiti. Can't wait to hear what you think when you give it a try!

        Reply
    3. Julie

      August 20, 2020 at 6:29 pm

      Looks great! Love the glass you are using. Where did you get them from?

      Reply
      • Candice

        August 26, 2020 at 7:41 am

        Hi Julie! Here are the links to the straws and the glasses.

        Reply
    4. Catarina Benavides

      May 30, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      Where are the glasses and straws you used from? They’re so pretty!

      Reply
      • Candice

        June 05, 2020 at 12:10 pm

        Thanks, Catarina! Here are the links to the straws and the glasses.

        Reply
    5. Allyson

      May 22, 2020 at 7:06 am

      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 😋

      Reply
      • Candice

        May 22, 2020 at 8:22 am

        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!

        Reply
    6. Haley D Williams

      April 07, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      I wish I had one of these today! I have been wanting to try this! I cannot wait to get what I need!

      Reply
      • Candice

        April 12, 2020 at 1:05 pm

        Can't wait to see and hear how it goes!

        Reply
        • Karin

          February 17, 2021 at 9:21 pm

          Yeah

          Reply
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