How to Make Mango Boba Pearls
Learn how to make mango boba pearls (mango tapioca pearls) at home with just three ingredients: fresh mango, tapioca starch, and sugar. Enjoy a freshly made fruity mango bubble tea any time of the year!
Servings: 6
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pearls
- 1 mango or 1 cup of mango puree
- 2 cups tapioca starch plus some more for dusting
- 1/2 cup water warm
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar optional
For the drink (optional)
- mango coconut milk or plain milk of your choice
- date syrup or sugar syrup
Instructions
Prepare the mango
- Extract the flesh from your ripe mango.
- Using a food processor or a hand-held blender, blend the mango into a smooth consistency.
- Taste the mango; if you think it needs it, add the powdered sugar. Blend again or stir to incorporate.
- Add only one tablespoon of tapioca starch and the warm water and stir well to combine.
Heat the mixture
- Heat the mixture either on the stovetop or in the microwave:Stovetop: Transfer the mixture to a medium pan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.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, you can also knead it on a kitchen surface dusted with extra starch.
- As soon as it's ready, wrap the dough with plastic wrap.
Shape the mango boba pearls
- Dust your countertop with tapioca starch. Pull a little dough at a time, keeping the rest wrapped tightly.
- Roll the dough into a long rope (around 3/8 inch or 1 cm thick). Cut the rope into pieces every 3/8 inch (1 cm) apart. Roll each piece into a ball, then dust it with tapioca starch to prevent it from sticking.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. At this point, you could cook the pearls or freeze any pearls you don't plan to use immediately.
Cook the mango boba
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, using about 4 cups of water for every cup of boba pearls. Add the pearls and simmer at medium-low heat for 20 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove the pan from the heat, keep the lid, and allow the boba to steam for another 20 minutes - it should be slightly translucent with a slightly "bouncy" texture.
- Drain the pearls through a sieve and rinse with cold water, or place them in an ice bath.The mango boba pearls are ready to enjoy with your drink or dessert.
Make a mango boba drink (optional)
- Add the date syrup to the bottom of your glass. Feel free to swirl it around the inside of the glass, too, to coat the walls.
- Add the pearls, ice cubes (if using), and mango coconut milk. Enjoy immediately!
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.
To store: Store the dusted mango pearls in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week. Alternatively, they can be stored in simple syrup to prevent sticking and maintain color.
To freeze: Store an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. You can then cook them from frozen, so there is no need to wait for them to thaw.
Check the blog post for more tips!
Nutrition
Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 373IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg