How to Make Bubble Tea

There’s something about freshly-made bubble tea that sets it apart from all other drinks. The creamy and refreshing tea variations and the chewy tapioca pearls make this drink oh-so-yummy! Bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, but has recently become a popular favorite around the world – there was even a bubble tea challenge trending on TikTok!

There are a few bubble tea shops near me that I like to visit, and I always like checking out new bubble tea spots whenever I visit a city. But one day, I decided to make my own bubble tea at home. Armed with a few basic ingredients, I set out on a journey to create the perfect cup of bubble tea. And let me tell you, it was a blast! 

As I mixed, stirred, and tasted my way through different flavor combinations, I realized that making bubble tea is about experimenting and having fun (and of course, getting to drink allll the boba tea your heart desires!).

Whether you’re a seasoned bubble tea enthusiast or a curious beginner, this bubble tea recipe will guide you through how to make bubble tea like a pro!

Recipe Ingredients

Bubble tea comes in many flavors, but we’ll start with a basic one: bubble milk tea, or boba milk tea, using black tea as a base. Before we dive into how to make bubble tea, let’s get a few ingredients ready: 

For the “bubbles,” you’ll need: 

• Uncooked tapioca pearls: You can find tapioca pearls, also called boba, at most Asian grocery stores or online if you don’t have an Asian grocery store near you. 

To make a simple syrup that will be used to coat the boba and sweeten the tea, you’ll need:

• White and brown sugar: I use ½ a cup of each, but you can adjust this based on the amount of sweetness you want for the syrup. 
• Water: For this amount of sugar, you’ll need just one cup of water to make the sugar syrup.

For the tea base, you’ll need:

• Milk: I use whole milk as I find this makes the creamiest milk tea! You can also use sweetened condensed milk for an even richer taste – just omit the sugar syrup from the tea base.
• Black tea: Brew a cup of your favorite black tea!
• Sugar syrup: I use 1 oz of homemade simple syrup. 
• Ice: I prefer using crushed ice, but you can use ice cubes or any form of ice you like!

 How to Make Bubble Tea

Here comes the fun part: making bubble tea! There are three parts to this: the boba, syrup, and the actual tea itself. I’ve broken each part down into simple steps that you can easily follow. One of the great things about this bubble tea recipe is that kids can follow along, too! 

Here’s how to make bubble tea: 

1. To make the boba, cook the tapioca pearls by pouring them into boiling water. Boil, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat, place a lid on the pot, and let sit for 20 minutes. Drain and coat lightly in sugar syrup.
2. To make the sugar syrup, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
3. To make the bubble tea, combine the ingredients for the tea base in a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour the tapioca pearls into a tall glass, then pour the slushie on top. Enjoy with a bubble tea straw!

Is Bubble Tea Healthy?

If some of us had a choice, we’d probably want to drink bubble tea every day – I know I would! I’m not one to be hung up on eating healthy all the time (in case you couldn’t tell, I have a sweet tooth!), but I must admit that I’ve wondered: is bubble tea healthy? Short answer, no. But can bubble tea be healthy?! Well, it depends on how you make it!

Bubble tea doesn’t necessarily have any health benefits, and if I’m being honest, it could actually get pretty unhealthy with all the sugar inside. But, if you brew the tea for your tea base (instead of using artificially flavored powder teas), you could reap the health benefits of tea, like getting an immune system boost and fighting inflammation. Certain teas like green tea also have additional health benefits; it’s rich in antioxidants that may lower the risk of some cancers, and is also known to be a fat burner!

The tricky thing about keeping bubble tea on the “healthier” side is keeping the sugar level low. Lots of bubble tea shops tend to add lots of sugar syrup or extra sweetener to make their teas tasty. The good part about making bubble tea at home is that you can control the sugar content. 

If you’re interested in suggestions on how to make bubble tea a little healthier, check out my recipe tips below!

What to Serve with Bubble Tea

Bubble tea is a great drink to have with almost anything, if you ask me! But if I had to choose, here are some of my favorite things to pair with bubble tea: 

• Chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken) or popcorn chicken – Sweet drink + savory, crispy meat = the perfect snack! I had this a lot while I was in Japan and highly recommend it!
• Fried rice – My kimchi fried rice pairs especially well with bubble milk tea because the milk balances out the slight spice from the kimchi! 
• Potato wedges – Honestly, any potato dish would go well with almost any type of bubble tea. Even this simple roasted potato dish would go perfectly with a creamy milk tea!
• Popcorn – Pop some corn, drizzle the butter, add some sea salt, and throw in some nuts. This crunchy snack and bubble tea make a great movie snack or midday pick-me-up! You can also substitute the sea salt with furikake for that umami flavor 🤤

Recipe Tips

This recipe is fairly simple, but I do have some tips on how to make bubble tea that is perfect and just the way you want it. 

For the tea base, I recommend ensuring it’s at room temperature before you blend it. Whether you’re brewing your own tea or using powdered teas, having it at room temperature or cooler will ensure it mixes well with the ice to form a nice, cool slush. You don’t want to end up with a lukewarm, watery mess! 

Make sure you don’t over-boil the tapioca pearls as this can result in mushy boba – not the best texture to have in your drink! On the other hand, undercooked boba could be tough and inedible. Also, be sure to coat your boba in the sugar syrup as soon as it’s done cooking and leave it at room temperature – don’t refrigerate it, as it becomes overly chewy!

If you’re looking to keep things on the healthier side, you can swap out dairy milk for plant-based alternatives like almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. These options are lower in calories and saturated fat, while still giving your bubble tea that creamy goodness! This is also a great substitute if you’re lactose intolerant or prefer plant-based alternatives in general. Another great way to make bubble tea healthier is by using natural sweeteners like honey or agave syrup instead of the sugar syrup in this recipe.

Bubble Tea Flavor Variations

The possibilities with bubble tea flavors are almost endless! From different loose-leaf teas to powdered variations to using fruit juices or other sweet beverages as a base, the list goes on and on. As I said, making bubble tea is really a fun process of experimenting and finding flavors you love! 

If you’re not sure where to start after the basic black tea, I do have a few recommendations for you to try: 

• Creamy milk tea: This is another basic one, but uses a flavored powder rather than brewing your own loose-leaf tea. This recipe calls for:
  • 16 oz crushed ice
  • 2 oz milk
  • 4 oz cream flavor powder
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 oz sugar syrup
  • 1/3 cup cooked tapioca pearls
    

• Taro milk tea: Taro is a pretty popular staple in certain Asian cuisines, especially Japanese. You can use this recipe and substitute the taro flavor powder for any other powder you’d like, but this slightly sweet root vegetable tastes great in desserts! For this, you’ll need:
  • 16 oz crushed ice
  • 2 oz milk
  • 4 oz taro flavor powder 
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 oz sugar syrup
  • 1/3 cup cooked tapioca pearls

• Sour cherry milk tea: Fancy something tangier, but still with that creamy goodness? This one’s for you! This recipe calls for:
  • 16 oz crushed ice
  • 2 oz milk
  • 4 oz sour cherry flavor powder
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 oz sugar syrup
  • 1/3 cup cooked tapioca pearls

Once you feel comfortable making bubble tea, you can experiment with all kinds of bases and add in other toppings besides tapioca pearls – my favorites are fruit jellies and yogurt boba!

More Bubble Tea Recipes to Try!

Lychee Bubble Tea

Light, sweet and packed with lychee! The syrup is also made with lychee, so double the flavor and double the deliciousness.

Healthy Bubble Tea

A lighter version of this bubble tea recipe! Super easy and quick; learn to make Matcha, Strawberry and Mango bubble tea!

How to Make Bubble Tea (Easy Recipe) – PankoBunny

Discover how to make bubble tea at home with this easy recipe! Learn how to cook boba perfectly, what tea base to use, and bubble tea variation ideas.

Course beverage

Cuisine taiwanese

Servings 1

Calories 754 kcal

Ingredients

• uncooked tapioca pearls

Sugar Syrup:

• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup water

Taro Milk Tea:

• 16 oz crushed ice
• 2 oz milk
• 4 oz taro flavour powder can be substituted with any other flavour powder you like!
• ¼ cup water
• 1 oz sugar syrup
• 1/3 cup cooked tapioca pearls

Sour Cherry Milk Tea:

• 16 oz crushed ice
• 2 oz milk
• 4 oz sour cherry flavour powder can be substituted with any other sour flavour powder you like!
• ¼ cup water
• 1 oz sugar syrup
• 1/3 cup cooked tapioca pearls

Creamy Milk Tea:

• 16 oz crushed ice
• 2 oz milk
• 4 oz cream flavour powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 oz sugar syrup
• 1/3 cup cooked tapioca pearls

Black Milk Tea:

• 3 oz milk
• 3/4 cup black tea
• 1 oz sugar syrup
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1/3 cup cooked tapioca pearls

Instructions

• To cook the tapioca, pour the tapioca into boiling water. Boil, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat, place a lid on the pot and let sit for 20 minutes. Drain and coat lightly in the sugar syrup.
• To make the sugar syrup, combine the white sugar, brown sugar and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• To make the bubble tea, combine all ingredients for each flavor (except the tapioca) in a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour the tapioca into a tall glass and pour the slushie on top. Enjoy with a bubble tea straw!

Video

Notes

Want to see more video tutorials? Check out all of my recipes here!

http://www.youtube.com/pankobunny

Nutrition

Calories: 754kcalCarbohydrates: 137.8gProtein: 17.9gFat: 19.2gSaturated Fat: 8.7gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 389mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 46.4gCalcium: 329mgIron: 2mg

Keyword drinks

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