Homemade Bubble Tea - Healthy, Tasty, Authentic Boba Bubble Tea Recipes
Bubble tea is very popular especially in Asia, but is growing in popularity everywhere. It is creamy, soft, light, tea based drink, resembling a smoothie with the fun of chewy black tapioca pearls at the bottom. The bubbles in bubble tea are not from the tapioca pearls, but from the air bubbles generated when the drink is shaken in a cocktail shaker. This aerates the tea and adds lightness and a frothy texture to the bubble tea. This is the coolest way of drinking iced tea.
If you enjoy the commercial varieties, there is good news! You can easily make your bubble tea yourself at home using the recipes provided below. When you make your own bubble tea you can use various milks, fruits, flavors and other ingredients to make it just the way you like it.
Commercial bubble teas are often made with powdered milk and other ingredients of dubious origins. These bubble teas may contain other strange stuff and artificial flavors and ingredients.
If you enjoy bubble teas, you will love to make them at home with the assurance that the ingredients are wholesome and healthy.
The black boba pearls and other ingredients can be found at Asian groceries and larger supermarkets.
Discover how to make your own distinctive bubble teas for yourself, your friends and family. Enjoy!
Simple Bubble Tea Recipe (2-3 serves)
Ingredients
- 3 black tea bags, (or 3 heaped teaspoons of loose tea if using a pot)
- 1/2 cup black boba pearls (dried)
- 2 cups dairy milk, almond milk or similar milk substitutes
- 1 cup good quality honey; or 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar; or other sweeteners such as nectars and fruit juices; or artificial sweeteners added to 1 cup of water
- Ice
- Flavors such as syrups, blended frozen fruits and other ingredients you like
Method
You start by preparing the black boba pearls and making a syrup for flavoring the tea. You can prepare extra batches of both and keep in the refrigerator for later use. Prepare these ingredients well before they are required and chill before use.
Add 1/2 cup of dried black boba pearls to a pot of boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside for 12 - 15 minutes to cooling and finish the softening process. Drain the pearls and set aside.
Next, make the syrup by adding 1 cup of water together with the honey or sugar to a saucepan. Bring the syrup to a boil over moderate heat while stirring, and then set aside to cool. You can add fruit to the cooled syrup at this stage, blending the mixture until smooth. Alternatively the fruit can be blended separately and added when the bubble tea is being assembled in the cocktail shaker. Add the drained pearls to the syrup and set aside for about 10-15 minutes. Some of the honey or sugar can be replaced with fruit juice or nectar. Keep the syrup volume to a maximum of 1-2 cups.
Prepare the tea by steeping the 3 tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water for about 3-4 minutes and let cool. Alternatively you can make a pot of 2 cups of strong black tea using loose tea rather than tea bags to enhance the flavor. Pour the tea into a bowl or small jug and allow to cool in the refrigerator.
To serve transfer half of the pearls and syrup mixture into two tall glasses. Pour half the tea, your choice of milk, blended fruit and other spices, herbs and other flavorings into a cocktail shaker with a few cubes of ice. Shake the tea vigorously, then pour it into one of the glasses. Do the same with the other half of the tea, syrup, pearls, milk and flavorings. Pour the aerated tea into the glasses on top of the pearls and syrup. Stir and serve immediately.
Thai Coconut Bubble Tea with Fresh Mango
Ingredients
- 2 green tea bags
- 1 1/2 litres water
- Juice of 2 oranges
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- Flesh from 1 ripe mango
- 250 ml ( 1 cup) boiling water
- 200 ml (3/4 cup) coconut milk
- 75 g ( 2 1/2 oz) large tapioca pearls
Method
Boil 1 cup of water and insert the teabags for 5 minutes, jiggling occasionally. Remove the bags and mix in the honey. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill before using. Heat the 1 1/2 litres (1.5 quarts) of water to the boil. Add the tapioca and simmer the pearl for about 50 minutes, until the tapioca is soft and tender. Drain the tapioca pearls and rinse under cold water to cool. Add the mango flesh, coconut milk and orange juice to a blender bowl and blend until smooth. You can also use a stick blender or mash ripe mango flesh with a fork. Combine the chilled tea water, mango liquid and tapioca in tall glasses for serving.
Strawberry Bubble Tea Recipe Made with Black Tea
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- handful of ice
- 5-6 strawberries
- 1 cup strong black tea
- 2 black tablespoons tapioca pearls (reconstituted)
- 1/2-1 tablespoon of sweetener (honey, fruit nectar or agave)
Method
As for previous recipes
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Kiwi and Honeydew Bubble Tea Recipe with Green Tea
Ingredients
- handful of ice
- 1 1/2 cups green tea
- 2 kiwi fruits, peeled
- 6-7 chunks of honeydew melon
- 2 tablespoons black tapioca pearls
- 1/2-1 tablespoon (or to taste) of sweetener (honey or agave)
Method
As for previous recipes
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Cinnamon Milk Bubble Tea
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- handful of ice
- 1/2 cup black tea
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons black tapioca pearls (reconstituted)
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon (or to taste) of sweetener (honey or agave)
Method
As for previous recipes
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Passion Fruit Bubble Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 almond milk
- 1/2 cup passion fruit concentrate
- 1 cup tapioca pearls (reconstituted
- 6 bags black tea to make 3 cups of tea
- 1 cup sugar, or honey, or fruit nectar or other sweetner
Method
As for previous recipes
Pineapple Bubble Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup syrup
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 2 cups fresh pineapple
- 3 cups of water, as needed
- 1/4 cup boba tapioca pearls reconstituted)
Method
As for previous recipes
