How to Make Mango Boba Pearls

How to make mango boba pearls

Prepare the mango: First, extract the flesh from your ripe mango. If you want, check out my top tips on how to cut a mango and collect the flesh.

Then, blend the mango into a smooth consistency – you can use a blender/food processor or a hand-held immersion blender. It must be as lump-free as possible for smooth tapioca pearls. Give it a taste, and if you think it needs it, add the powdered sugar- blend again or stir to incorporate. Finally, add one tablespoon of tapioca starch and the warm water and stir well to combine.

Heat the mixture: Tapioca starch needs heat to “activate” and work the way we need it to create mango boba pearls. You can heat the mango tapioca mixture in one of two ways:

• Stovetop: Transfer the mixture to a medium pan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes.
• Microwave: Heat the mixture in 20-second bursts, stirring in between. Do this for about 1:30 minutes.

Add the remaining tapioca: Add a little bit of tapioca starch at a time, mixing vigorously in between. Keep adding tapioca until a shiny, non-sticky dough forms. As the dough forms, knead it with your hands on a kitchen surface dusted with extra starch. As soon as it’s ready, wrap the dough with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

Shape the mango boba pearls: Pull a little dough at a time, keeping the rest wrapped tightly. Dust your countertop with tapioca starch and roll the dough into a long rope (around 3/8 inch or 1 cm thick).

Then, cut the rope into pieces every 3/8 inch (1 cm) apart. Roll each piece into a ball, then dust it with more starch to prevent the mango tapioca pearls from sticking together. Repeat this with the remaining dough. 

At this point, you could cook them or freeze any pearls you don’t plan to use immediately.

Cook the mango boba: Place the pearls in a pot with boiling water (about 4 cups of water per cup of boba pearls) and simmer for 20 minutes with a lid on. Then, remove the pan from the heat, keep the lid, and allow them to steam for another 20 minutes. The mango tapioca balls should be slightly translucent with a slightly “bouncy” texture.

Drain the pearls through a sieve and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Alternatively, place them in an ice bath—depending on which is easiest for you. You can now add the mango boba pearls to your favorite drink or dessert.

Make mango bubble tea (optional): For my mango bubble drink, I used homemade date syrup instead of simple syrup (which you can use if preferred). I also used mango coconut milk—an easy coconut milk recipe blended with fresh mango. The combination of flavors with the pearls is absolutely delicious.

To make the drink, add the date syrup to the bottom of your glass and swirl it around to coat the walls. Then, add the pearls and ice cubes (if using), and pour the mango coconut milk. Enjoy your mango boba tea right away!

Recipe notes

• Hot mixture: The mango boba mixture needs to be really hot when you add the rest of the tapioca starch. That’s the key to getting the dough right.
• How to use: This mango fruit boba works in mango bubble milk tea, with black tea, with milk, smoothies, mango juice, or even in a tapioca pudding dish (especially if you make smaller pearls).
• Storage: Store the pearls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Make sure they are well-dusted to prevent sticking. The refrigerator can make them a little harder, but they’ll still be fine to use. Alternatively, store the pearls in simple syrup, not brown sugar syrup, to avoid sticking and maintain their color.
• To freeze: The best way to store the uncooked mango boba balls is in the freezer in an airtight container for 2-3 months. You can then cook them from frozen, so there is no need to wait for them to thaw.