How To Make Bubble Tea? (Boba Tea | Brown Sugar Milk Tea)
How to make bubble tea (boba milk tea) with store-bought or homemade tapioca pearls in delicious brown sugar syrup. This brown sugar milk tea is simple, sweet, creamy, and refreshing!
Boba strawsor serve the bubble tea with a spoon to fish out the boba
Ingredients
2.7ozuncooked tapioca balls1/2 cup; use homemade or quick-cook tapioca balls
5cupswaterto cook the tapioca
Brown Sugar Syrup
2Tbspbrown sugardark brown sugar OR dark muscovado for more molasses flavor
2Tbspwater
Milk Tea
1Tbspblack tea leavesor one teabag. Use a robust tea like Chinese breakfast tea, English breakfast tea, or Earl Grey
2cupsboiling waterto brew the tea
1/2cupmilkYou can use dairy or non-dairy milk (such as coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, or soymilk) and adjust the fat level (i.e., skim, 2%, whole milk, etc.). For a super creamy boba milk tea, use half and half.
Add the black tea (tea bags or tea leaves) into a teapot and then pour the water over them, leaving it to steep for 5 minutes.Depending on how strong you want the brew, you can leave it for up to 10 minutes. However, I prefer between 5-7 minutes as it can become bitter if over-brewed due to the release of extra bitter tannins.
The Cold Brew Method: When making any iced tea, doing a cold brew can reduce any bitter flavor. To do so, add the tea to the bottom of a jug and pour over cool water, then leave it to brew in the fridge for between 10-12 hours (I usually leave it overnight). I recommend adding an extra spoonful or so of tea to extract maximum flavor.
Step 2: Prepare the Boba
If you aren't using store-bought tapioca balls, you’ll first need to prepare the boba and cook them according to my recipe.If using quick cook boba pearls, cook them according to their package instructions (usually 3-5 minutes). Stir them occasionally to avoid sticking.
Once cooked, drain and immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water or leave under running cold water. This will help prevent them from sticking to one another.
Step 3: Prepare the brown sugar syrup
I like to do this simultaneously while cooking the boba, so it’s ready as soon as the boba is cooked. For more notes and tips, check my simple syrup recipe.Add the water and brown sugar to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the brown sugar has completely dissolved and is simmering.
Then cook for a further 3-4 minutes to slightly thicken up.
Transfer the cooked tapioca balls to the syrup and mix well.
Step 4: Assemble the Brown Sugar Milk Tea
In a tall glass (like a latte glass), add the brown sugar boba mixture to the bottom (or portion them out if making several servings).The amount of brown sugar boba mixture you add is adaptable. However, I recommend around 1/3 cup boba/syrup mixture + 1 cup tea + around 1/4 cup milk and ice.
Pour the tea over the top and add your milk of choice.To get the tiger streak effect: After placing the syrup in the cup, swirl it around so it coats the sides in syrup. Then add the milk.Finally, stir well and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
The black tea: You can brew the tea 2-3 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it. It will technically be fine for up to 5 days, but the best flavor and freshness is within 3.The milk tea (black tea and milk) will also store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.Tapioca pearls: If you're making your own, you can prepare the tapioca balls (uncooked) 6 months in advance. I don't recommend cooking them in advance, as their texture changes fairly quickly and they become unpleasant to eat. If you accidentally cook too many tapioca balls, you can store them in the sugar syrup in the fridge for up to a day. Then, reheat them with a splash of water in a microwave or saucepan.Brown sugar syrup: Simple syrups can be prepared and stored for several (3-4) weeks in the refrigerator. Once fully assembled, it’s best to enjoy the brown sugar boba tea immediately for the best flavor and texture, particularly of the tapioca balls.
Video
Notes
Adjust the sweetness: By simply adjusting the amount of brown sugar you add to the boba milk tea recipe.
Adjust the amount of milk: You can adjust this to taste.
Make the boba pearls fresh: They stiffen as they cool and lose their chewy texture, not keeping well.
For extra flavor: You can slowly braise the cooked tapioca balls in the brown sugar caramel or allow them to steep in the mixture for 30 minutes, so they’re infused with flavor.
Optional Add-ins and Variations:
Other tea: You could substitute black tea for green tea or oolong tea.
Without tea: Brown sugar milk tea doesn't necessarily have to have tea in it. Simply omit the tea entirely and just use milk with the brown sugar syrup and tapioca balls.
Without milk: Yes, you can even enjoy this bubble tea with no milk for a more robust flavor.
Sweetener: Instead of the brown sugar syrup, you could use another sweetener like white sugar, honey, agave, etc. You could even use condensed milk for a creamier boba milk tea, then reduce the amount of added milk.
Coffee jelly OR Coconut jelly: This would make for a delicious extra topping in this brown sugar boba tea.
Check the blog post for more tips and answers to top FAQs!