How To Make Boba Tea (the Easy Way)

There are a variety of flavors available for boba tea powders. At home, we have some popular flavors such as taro, matcha, coffee, milk, and honeydew. Depending on your preference and whether you have an Asian market nearby, choose a flavor you’d prefer. For those who are new to boba, you can’t go wrong with the simple milk boba tea. If you’re like me and love sweet drinks, then taro is for you!

For this recipe, I’ll be making taro for myself and matcha for my partner, who greatly appreciates me writing this recipe.

The tapioca pearls are generally all the same, though there are some that are fruit flavored. For this specific recipe, I’ve blended together regular black tapioca pearls and rainbow-colored for some added fun (plus I needed to finish the bag for the colored tapioca pearls).

The longest part of this recipe will be waiting for the water to boil!

1. In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to boil over high heat.
2. Add in 1 cup of the tapioca pearls and stir gently until they rise to the top.
3. Cover the saucepan and cook in medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
4. Once the pearls are squishy but still hold their shape, turn off the heat and let simmer for 2-5 minutes.
5. Drain the pearls and let sit in cold water for 20 seconds.
6. Drain again and place them in a separate bowl.
7. Mix in ¼ cup of honey or enough to cover them completely.
8. Let them sit while you prepare the rest!

Optional: If you prefer them to be room temperature or cooler before enjoying your drink, do NOT put them in the refrigerator. They will become hard and unusable. Let them sit another 15-20 minutes before putting together your drink.

This is where I deviate from most instructions or recipes I’ve read, so be prepared and don’t panic. It’s important to mix the powder into water first before adding anything else.

1. Bring 4 cups of water to boil. You can use another saucepan or a kettle for boiling in this step!
2. Pour 350 mL or 1.5 cups of hot water into each bubble tea cup. Depending on your cup, there might be measurements marked on the outside.
3. Add in the tea powder. The standard amount is 2 tablespoons, but if you prefer a strong flavor (much like myself) add in 4 tablespoons.
4. Use your straw to mix the water and powder. You’ll know you’re done when there are no clumps in the cup.

Optional: You can let this sit in the refrigerator or the counter until it's cool enough, unless you’re impatient like me!

Now that all the parts are ready, you can combine it all together!

1. Add your preferred amount of pearls into your cup. This recipe makes enough to split between two.
2. Add some ice to help cool it down or keep it cool.

Bubble or boba tea is my recommendation for the perfect warm weather drink. You can enjoy it at nearly any time of the day, and it's super easy to make if you have the ingredients on hand!

Here are some fun additions you can add to your boba:

• Use milk instead of water to mix with powder.
• Add some chopped fruit to make it even more fresh.
• If you prefer a smoothie consistency, then blend ice, milk, and powder in a blender.