Homemade Tapioca Pearls (Boba) + Video!
Make tapioca pearls (boba pearls) at home with just three ingredients! Follow my simple method to make boba perfect for bubble tea, taro milk tea, and more delicious bubble tea varieties!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Boba straws when serving
Ingredients
For the Tapioca Pearls
- 3/4 cup tapioca starch plus a bit more for dusting (aka tapioca flour)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar black sugar, muscovado sugar, or even white sugar will work
- 1/4 cup water
For the Brown Sugar Boba Drink
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 4 cups almond milk or any other milk, tea, or drink
Instructions
Make tapioca dough
- In a medium-sized pot, heat 1/4 cup water and 2 Tbsp sugar over medium heat. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is almost boiling. Remove from the heat.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of the tapioca starch and stir until well combined. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Place over low heat. Stir the mixture until it starts thickening. Once it becomes thicker, like a paste, remove it from the heat.
- Add the rest of the tapioca starch and mix well while it still hot until you obtain a sticky dough.
- Lightly flour your working surface with tapioca starch. Knead the warm dough until it becomes smooth and uniform. Sprinkle some extra starch if needed.
Shape the pearls
- Work with half of the dough and cover the rest so it doesn't dry.
- Roll the dough into thin, long rod-like pieces. Cut the rolls into small pieces and roll each into a tiny ball. The tapioca pearls will expand when cooked, so make small balls.
- Place the rolled pearls in a bowl and dust them with tapioca starch to avoid sticking. Repeat with the rest of the dough.At this point, you can store the dry pearls.
Cook the tapioca pearls
- Boil water in a large saucepan. Use at least 4 cups of water per cup of dry pearls.
- Carefully add the tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Stir well so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot or each other.
- Cover the pot and boil for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and let them rest for another 20 minutes. The boba pearls will become chewy and almost translucent.
- Drain the boba and quickly place them in cold water to prevent stickiness.At this point, you can enjoy them with your drink or cook them with sugar syrup.
Cook the tapioca pearls in brown sugar
- Warm the brown sugar over medium heat for a couple of minutes - it doesn't have to melt completely, just warm.
- Add the boba and stir well to coat all the pearls with the melting sugar.
Make bubble milk tea
- Prepare your drink of choice. You can keep it in the fridge until ready to use. The simplest way to enjoy these pearls is with some milk or plant-based milk.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of the warm pearls into a cup or glass (use glass for a great visual effect) and roll the cup or glass to coat the walls with melted sugar.
- Add ice cubes (optional) and your drink of choice. Serve with a boba straw, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
To store:
Uncooked Tapioca Pearls: Store uncooked tapioca pearls in a sealed container or bag. Dust with tapioca starch to prevent sticking if storing or making a large batch. Keep in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months; There is no need to refrigerate, as this can affect their texture and make them harder.
Cooked Pearls: Store cooked boba in simple syrup (a sugar and water mixture) to maintain its texture and prevent sticking. Keep them at room temperature for a few hours or in the refrigerator for a few days. Alternatively, you can freeze the cooked pearls, which helps keep their texture. If freezing, you can boil them straight from the freezer without thawing.
Check the blog post for more tips!
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 328mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 305mg | Iron: 1mg