How to Make Bubble Tea (Boba Tea)

Did you know you can make your own bubble tea at home with only 4 ingredients and no special kitchen tools? Boba tea is a popular drink made around the world with so many options it’s hard to imagine! Now you can make your own, with your favorite tea, at home in your kitchen.

The Ultimate Guide to Making Bubble Tea

One of my favorite treats is bubble tea. Whether it is an outing to our favorite bubble tea shop, or making my own at home

What is Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea, in a nutshell, is tea with boba balls. It can be any type of tea from oolong tea, to black tea, to herbal tea. It can include any type of boba including the wonderful chewy boba balls made from tapioca flour or popping boba. Commonly is it combined with milk and sugar to make a creamy delightful drink that is decadent and delicious!

Origins of Bubble Tea

While bubble tea was born in the 1980s, milk and tea have been mixed together for ages. When the creative and bright idea was born to add boba to tea, bubble tea was born. 

For many years bubble tea was only found in Asia and it wasn’t until the 1990s that bubble tea made its way to the United States. Now you can find bubble tea shops all over the world boasting their own recipes and flavors. 

Names

Now depending upon where you live, you might not even call this drink, bubble tea. Besides having many flavors it has many names! Boba tea, milk tea with boba, and bubble tea just to name a few!

Varieties

As mentioned above, Bubble tea can come in many varieties. My local bubble tea shop lists the range of teas, flavors, and toppings from which you can choose along with the traditional recipes. As you can tell there are a lot of options! 

Boba Tea Flavors

While it is impossible to name all of the options for boba tea, here is a list of some of the most popular including my favorites, and not in any particular order. I will call them milk tea, but note that they are milk teas with boba, which essentially is, bubble tea! (If I’m missing your favorite, leave it in the comments below!)

• Taro Milk Tea
• Tiger Milk Tea 
• Strawberry Milk Tea
• Matcha Milk Tea
• Jasmine Milk Tea
• Brown Sugar Milk Tea
• Classic Milk Tea

Ingredients

There are 4 main ingredients of boba tea. They are tea, milk, boba balls or popping boba, and a sweetener which can be granulated sugar or simple syrup. Often times a simple syrup is used to add flavor as well as sweetening. 

Tea

The first step to making bubble tea is deciding what tea you like. Black tea is classic to use, but even a delicate oolong or jasmine green tea is delicious in bubble tea. 

You can choose to use loose leaf tea or tea bags. Be sure to properly brew your tea using the correct water temperature, and steeping time. For a strong tea simply use more tea. It is not recommended to steep longer as that will only release more tannins making your tea bitter.

Some Tea Options

• Black Tea (English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Assam, Earl Grey)
• Green Tea (Matcha, Jasmine)
• Oolong
• Herbal Tea

Boba and Other Bubble Tea Toppings

Boba balls can come in many different varieties. The most common to find is black sugar boba. But bubble tea isn’t limited to only tapioca pearls for toppings. Popping boba is a fun addition. It has a thin outer shell and when bitten into it bursts with sweet juicy flavor. I especially like these in floral or herbal type teas. Jelly is also another fun topping. This is not similar to the jam you would put on toast but rather small chunks of deliciousness made from ingredients like aloe, coconut, or other fruit. Egg pudding is another topping that can be added to bubble teas.

Some Boba Types

• Lychee boba,
• Golden boba
• Rainbow boba
• Taro Boba
• Crystal boba 

More Bubble Tea Toppings

• Popping boba
• Aloe Jelly
• Egg Pudding

Milk

Any type of milk can be used to make boba tea. Many bubble tea shops have non-dairy options on their menu. As a growing amount of the population is vegan or dairy-free this makes boba tea very inclusive. This list may not be exhausted, but can give you an idea of the options you have. Think about how rich you enjoy your drinks to be. For example, using half and half will result in a very rich drink. Another idea is to use a blend of two different kinds of milk for a unique and perfect combination.

Dairy Milk

• Whole Milk
• 2% Milk
• Half n Half
• Evaporated Milk
• Sweetened Condensed Milk

Non-Dairy Milk

• Cashew Milk
• Soy Milk
• Oat Milk
• Almond Milk
• Coconut Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Coconut Milk

Sugar 

A classic element of bubble tea is its sweet taste. Using a simple syrup is popular because it mixes into tea effortlessly, and leaves no undissolved granules. You can make your own using my super simple 2 ingredient recipe! It takes about 5 minutes or less! Simple syrups not only add sweetness but can add a unique flavor as well. (Rose Milk Tea is a wonderful example) Simple syrup is not the only option though, sweetened condensed milk is used in many recipes as well as healthier options such as honey or maple syrup. 

Ice (optional)

Some boba drinks are served hot and some are served cold. This is a personal preference, and you can choose to add ice or not. 

How to Brew Tea for Bubble Tea -2 Ways

See my guide for making tea here.

Hot Water Method

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Pour water over the tea.
3. Steep tea covered for 5 minutes.
4. Strain out tea leaves.

Cold Brewing Tea

Cold brewing tea is a fabulous way to make tea! This method does take a few hours, but the results are well worth it.

1. Add tea to a refrigerator-safe pitcher with a lid.
2. Pour over water.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 4-12 hours.
4. Strain out tea.

How to Make Boba

There are many times of boba you can purchase and it is recommended to use the preparation instructions that come with your particular boba brand. You can also make your own boba balls. This is easier than you might think and a very fun activity. Prepare boba before serving. It does not store well and should only be made right before use.

1. Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil.
2. Add in boba and give a gentle stir.
3. Wait for the boba balls to rise to the top and then set your timer for 10-15 minutes. 
4. Once the boba is finished cooking, strain them out of the pot and add them directly to your serving cup or to a bowl, and top with simple syrup.

Making Your Own Bubble Tea

Everyone has their own opinion on what portions of tea, milk, and sugar should be combined to make the perfect tea. The beauty of making your own is that you can decide what you like best! Experiment with more or less to decide your perfect bubble tea ratio and balance.

Health and Calories

There are many elements in milk tea with boba that are very healthy and ingredients that are high in calories. Although the number of calories can vary depending upon what milk and sugar you use, it is generally about 200-300 calories per serving.

How to Make Bubble Tea

Ingredients

• Tea
• Milk
• Simple Syrup
• Boba

Instructions

1. Prepare tea.
2. Cook boba.
3. Assemble your drink.
4. Scoop boba into your serving cup first.
5. Top with sugar.
6. Pour over tea.
7. Top with milk.
8. Add a wide boba straw and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Make boba right before serving.
• Use your own balance of milk and sugar to tea.
• Try different flavors and teas.
• Try cold-brewing your tea.

Make-Ahead

Some components of this tea can be made ahead of serving. Making your simple syrup even days in advance is a great option, and cold brewing tea can be a great way to prepare and cool tea before using it in your recipe.

More Bubble Tea Recipes

• Coconut Milk Tea
• Oolong Milk Tea
• Chocolate Milk Tea
• Honeydew Milk Tea
• Thai Bubble Tea

I hope you enjoy this guide to making bubble tea. I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below and if you try this recipe, please come back and leave a 5-star review! And be sure to check out my other blog posts for more great tips and recipes!