
Bubble tea
Black tea and plant-based milk over instant tapioca pearls glossed in brown sugar syrup. The classic milk bubble tea, home-brewed.
Medium
Difficulty
30 min
Time
258 Cal
Calories
1
Serving
Flavor profile
Non-alcoholic
Taste values from the Pocket Bartender recipe catalog.
Ingredients
- Tapioca Pearls· not in your bar1/2 cup
Or swap: Popping Boba — bursting texture
- Ice(optional)· not in your baras many as you would like
- Brown Sugar· not in your bar1/4 cup
Or swap: Maple Syrup — deeper caramel, Sugar — cleaner, less molasses
- Black Tea· not in your bar6
Or swap: Oolong Tea — smoother, toastier
- Water· not in your bar2 tablespoons
- Plant-Based Milk· not in your bar2 cups
Or swap: Milk — dairy version
Instructions
To prepare the syrup. Add the brown sugar and hot water into a small bowl.
Stir until the sugar dissolves.
If the sugar does not dissolve, heat the bowl in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes then stir again.
To prepare tapioca pearls—the instant type. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
Cook the tapioca pearls according to package instructions.
Drain the tapioca pearls and run under cold tap water for a few seconds, to stop cooking.
Drain again and transfer into the bowl of syrup.
Let marinate while preparing the bubble tea.
Prepare bubble tea. Add 1 cup of boiling water and the tea into a glass or a pot that’s easy to pour from.
Let the tea steep for 10 minutes to make a strong tea.
Strain tea with a very fine colander or coffee filter (or remove the tea bags).
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the tapioca pearls along with the brown sugar syrup into each serving glass.
Pour in 1/2 cup of the black tea.
Add up to 1 cup of plant milk, or according to your taste.
Stir to mix before drinking.
You can adjust the taste by adding more tapioca pearls with syrup, tea or plant milk.
Serve the drink hot, at room temperature, or add ice cubes to serve it cold.
Note: Instant tapioca pearls are easy to cook and they taste the best when served fresh.
However, if you want to prepare them a day or more ahead, use the regular type instead.
Pairs well with
Classic brown-sugar milk tea and chewy pearls suit tea-shop bakery snacks:
- Egg tarts
- Pineapple buns
- Sesame balls
- Almond cookies




