15 Bubble Tea Recipes that You Can Make at Home

Bubble Tea is a fun and simple drink to make at home, but before you start, you will need tapioca pearls and bubble tea sugar syrup.

Tapioca Pearls

If you want your tapioca pearls to be tender all the way through, rather than soft on the outside and chewy on the inside (which is how most people prefer them), soak them in water for a few hours before continuing with Step 2. Tapioca pearls swell when boiled, so figure that they increase three times their size when determining how much boba you want in one drink.

• Measure 7 parts water to 1 part tapioca pearls. Bring the water to a rolling boil on a high heat.
• Add the pearls to the boiling water slowly, stirring all the while to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of your pan.
• When the pearls float to the top of the water (this should occur after approximately 1 minute), cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and keep the water at a rolling boil for 15 minutes more. Remember to stir every once in a while to ensure the pearls don’t stick together.
• After 15 minutes has elapsed, remove the pan from the heat and let the pearls sit covered to cook in the hot water and steam for a further 15 minutes.
• Rinse the pearls with lukewarm or cold water, and drain in a metal strainer or colander – avoid anything plastic, as it might melt! Pour tapioca into a container and cover in sugar syrup (recipe below) or brown sugar.
• Add the cooked tapioca pearls to your favorite Bubble Tea recipe immediately. To use at a later date, keep them in water and put them in the fridge (covered) for no more than 4 days (or else they will get too mushy). When you want to use them, boil a cup of water and put the tapioca pearls in it for a few minutes to warm them.

Bubble Tea Sugar Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar.
• 1 cup brown sugar.
• 2 cups water.

Method:

1. Mix sugar and water in a large pot.
2. Cook at medium to high heat. As soon as the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils remove from heat.
3. Let cool and refrigerate or serve.

Note: An alternative is to use honey. If you are worried about allergies, local honey is best, and it is also healthier than using concentrated sugars.

1. Taro Bubble Tea

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• 30 tapioca pearls (boiled and prepared to eat).
• 1 green tea bag.
• 2 cup hot water.
• 4 tbsp taro powder.
• 2 tsp honey.
• 3 tsp condensed milk.
• 4 ice cubes.

Method:

1. Prepare a glass of green tea (2 cup hot water with a tea bag). Add honey and condensed milk into tea.
2. While the tea is still hot, add taro powder. Mix well.
3. Shake tea with a cocktail shaker or thermos flask until frothy on top.
4. Blend together tea and ice cubes, using a kitchen blender. Blend on high speed for 10-15 seconds.
5. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

2. Green Bubble Tea

Ingredients:

• 20 ice cubes.
• 2 cup green tea brewed.
• 2 cup milk of your choice.
• 4 Tbsp. matcha.
• 1 cup cooked tapioca pearls.

Method:

1. Add the ice, green tea, milk, and matcha to a cocktail shaker or Thermos flask and shake well until the mixture is frothy on top.
2. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the hot tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

3. Bubble Milk Tea

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 3 cups brewed tea (such as black, green, chai, or jasmine).
• 4 cup ice cubes.
• 8 tablespoons Sugar Syrup.
• 2 cup milk (or soy, almond, or rice milk).
• 1 cup Tapioca Pearls (prepared, ready to eat).

Method:

1. Combine the tea, ice, syrup, and milk in a cocktail mixer or Thermos flask; shake until frothy.
2. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

Note: This drink can be served either hot or cold. If you want this cold, make the green tea milk ahead of time and refrigerate, or simply add ice.

4. Purple Yam Milk Bubble Tea

Ingredients:

• 2 cups boiling water.
• 2 teaspoons purple yam powder (found in Asian supermarkets or online).
• Sweetener of your choice, and amount to your taste.
• Milk, cream or condensed milk.
• Boiled and prepared tapioca pearls.

Method:

1. Whisk the purple yam powder in the boiling water until smooth, and add the sweetener of your choice if desired.
2. Add the milk, cream, or condensed milk in amounts to your taste.
3. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the hot tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

Note: This drink can be served either hot or cold. If you want this cold, make the purple yam milk ahead of time and refrigerate, or simply add ice.

5. Fruit Juice Bubble Tea

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fruit juice of your choice (orange, mango, coconut, pineapple, guava , lychee, soursop, tamarind, etc.).
• Boiled and prepared tapioca pearls.

Method:

Easy! Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the chilled fruit juice on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

6. Berry Bubble Tea Slushie

Ingredients(Serves 4):

• 1 bag (10-12 ounces) frozen strawberries, raspberry, blackberry (or berry of choice!).
• 1 cup sugar.
• 3-4 cups water.
• Plenty of crushed ice.

Method:

1. Before you start, let the frozen berries thaw slightly. Place all the berries, sugar and water in a blender and liquefy. Combine in a pitcher filled with crushed ice.
2. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the mixture on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

7. Thai Iced Bubble Tea

Ingredients:

• 2 cups boiling water.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Thai iced tea powder – found at Asian grocers or online.
• Sweetener of your choice, and amount to your taste.
• Milk, cream or condensed milk.
• Boiled and prepared tapioca pearls.

Method:

1. Thai iced tea powder is very fine and does not dissolve, so you will need to put it in a coffee filter or a tea sock before commencing. Strain the boiling water through your filter or sock and steep.
2. Add the sweetener and creamer of your choice. Traditionally, condensed milk is used in this recipe, but if you are concerned about fat content, you may use ordinary milk instead. Chill the Thai tea or add ice.
3. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the Thai tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

8. Bubble Tea Iced Coffee

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coffee.
• Sweetener of your choice, and amount to your taste.
• Milk, cream or condensed milk.
• Boiled and prepared tapioca pearls.

Method:

1. Prepare coffee as you would normally, and add the sweetener of your choice if desired. Add the milk, cream, or condensed milk in amounts to your taste.
2. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the hot tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon. This drink can be served either hot or cold. If you want this cold, make the coffee ahead of time and refrigerate, or simply add ice.

9. Hot Bubble Tea Latte

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 12 tbsp of Bubble Tea “Flavored Powder”.
• 2- 2 1/2 cup of Hot Tea.
• 1 cup of Milk/ Fat-Free Milk.
• 2 scoops of cooked Bubble Tea “Tapioca Pearls” in a drinking cup.

Method:

1. Add  the powder and hot tea into the drinking cup.
2. When the powder has dissolved, add the milk.
3. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the hot tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon. You may also like to add whipped cream as a topping.

10. Melon Bubble Tea

Ingredients (Serves 5-6):

• 2 cups green tea.
• 1/3 cup sugar.
• 4 cups water.
• 1/2 cup pearl tapioca (prepared and chewy, ready to eat).
• 4 cups honeydews or 4 cups cantaloupes or 4 cups watermelon (chunks).
• 4 cups ice cubes.
• 2 cups orange juice.
• 1/2 cup coconut milk.

Method:

1. Combine the brewed green tea with the 1/3 cup of sugar and set aside for later.
2. Blending in 2 batches, combine melon, ice cubes, orange juice and coconut milk in blender or food processor. Whizz until the mixture is smooth.
3. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the hot tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

11. Mango Bubble Tea

Ingredients (2-3 servings):

• 1 Ripe Mango peeled and cut into chunks.
• 1 cup low fat milk.
• 1/2 cup water.
• 2 tbsp sugar.
• 1/2 tapioca pearls (boiled and ready to eat).
• Honey to taste.

Method:

1. Blend the mango pieces, milk, and water together in a food processor. Add sugar to taste.
2. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the mixture on top. Black tea (if desired) can also be added at this point. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

12. Blueberry Bubble Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 cup medium tapioca pearls (boiled and prepared to eat).
• 1 cup small size blueberries.
• 4 teaspoons blueberry loose leaf tea.
• 4 cups of ice.
• Lots of water.

Method:

1. Brew 32oz of tea with the 4 teaspoons of loose leaf, and leave in the fridge to chill.
2. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the chilled tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon. Add the ice.

13. Honey-Peach Bubble Tea

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 2 cups large pearl tapioca.
• 8 tablespoons + 4 tablespoon honey.
• 8 small or 4 large peaches, pitted and cut into quarters.
• 2 cups black tea, chilled.
• 2 cups milk.
• Crushed ice.

Method:

1. In a food processor, blend together the peach, black tea, milk, ice, and 1 tablespoon honey.
2. Place 1/4 cup of honey-coated tapioca pearls in a glass, and slowly pour the hot tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

14. Avocado Bubble Tea

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 2 cups avocado, mashed.
• 2 cups green tea.
• 12 ice cubes.
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk.
• 1/2 cup pearl tapioca (prepared and ready to eat).

Method:

1. Blend the avocado, green tea, ice, and sweetened condensed milk in a food processor until liquefied.
2. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the blended tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.

15. Iced Lemon Bubble Tea

Ingredients:

• Water – 4 glasses.
• Tea powder/Tea leaves – 8 tbsps.
• Sugar – to taste.
• Lime juice – from 4 limes.
• 2 cups Tapioca pearls (prepared and ready to eat).

Method:

1. Boil 4 glasses of water and add the tea powder and sugar as required.
2. Once infused, drain the black tea and allow to cool (you can also put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process once it has cooled to room temperature).
3. At the time of serving, dilute the chilled black tea with adequate cold water. Add honey if desired, and lime juice. Stir well.
4. Pour the boba into your glass and slowly pour the tea on top. Serve with a “fat” boba straw or spoon.