Ingredients
Scale
For the tapioca pearls
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup dried tapioca pearls
For the tea
- 8 bags of black tea, like Ceylon, Assam, or English Breakfast
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup milk, whole or non-dairy, plus more to taste
- Ice
For the brown sugar simple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Bring 3 1/2 cups water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan, then add tapioca pearls and stir immediately to prevent sticking.
- Boil pearls for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they float to the surface and become translucent with a slight chew.
- Remove from heat, cover the pot, and let pearls sit for another 15 minutes to finish softening.
- Steep tea bags in 4 cups boiling water for 5 minutes, then remove bags and let tea cool to room temperature.
- Make brown sugar syrup by combining 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves completely (about 3 minutes).
- Drain cooked tapioca pearls and rinse briefly under cold water, then toss them with 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup to coat.
- Add desired amount of tapioca pearls to each glass, pour in cooled tea until glass is about 3/4 full.
- Stir in milk and remaining brown sugar syrup to taste, then add ice and serve immediately with wide boba straws.
Notes
- Cook tapioca pearls right before serving, they get hard and lose their texture within 3-4 hours
- For a quicker version, look for “instant” tapioca pearls that cook in 5 minutes instead of 20
- Double the brown sugar syrup recipe and keep extra in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
- Wide boba straws are essential, regular straws won’t let the pearls through
- Adjust milk ratio based on preference: use up to 1 cup for extra creamy boba
- Leftover brewed tea keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Taiwanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass ( 450 ml)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 72 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg