How to Make Boba Tea Like a Boba Shop

Fanny Camota

Make bubble milk tea just like from a boba shop. This recipe includes how to make tea and how to cook tapioca pearls.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Rest Time 25

Servings

Equipment

Ingredients

TAPIOCA PEARLS

1/2 cup uncooked tapioca pearls
3 cups water

CLASSIC MILK TEA RECIPE

1 cup water
2 tea bags English Breakfast Tea
1 tea bag Yunnan Pu'erh Tea
1 tea bag Ceylon Tea
3 ounces half and half
4 ounces ice

SIMPLE SYRUP

6 tablespoons sugar white, brown, or turbinado
3 tablespoons water

Instructions

HOW TO COOK TAPIOCA PEARLS

In a pot, boil water over medium heat. Add tapioca pearls and stir. Let it simmer and stir every few minutes to prevent tapiocas from sticking. Cover the lid when not stirring.
Simmer and stir for 20 minutes. Then turn off heat and let the cooked tapioca pearls sit in the pot, with the lid on for 25 minutes.
Drain the cooked boba into a bowl. Rinse a few times with running water and drain. Sweeten with 2 tablespoons or more of simple syrup.

CLASSIC MILK TEA

In a pot, bring the water to boil. Then pour hot water into a cup. Add tea bags and steep for 4 minutes. Remove tea bags.
Note: As a substitution, you can use 5 bags of English Breakfast Tea, although mixing the teas tastes that much better!

SIMPLE SYRUP

In a pot, boil water and sugar. Heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

PUTTING TOGETHER YTHE BOBA MILK TEA DRINK

In a large cup (16 oz or larger), measure 4 oz. of ice. Add the tea, boba, and cream. Sweeten as desired with simple syrup.

Notes

If making more than 1 cup of bubble milk tea, be sure to follow the recipe and use 4 tea bags per 1 cup of water per serving. This is so that your milk tea flavor won't be diluted.