Thai Bubble Tea (Thai Tea Boba)

A flavorful recipe made with simple ingredients and so easy to whip up in your own kitchen. This Thai bubble tea is not only delicious but a show stopper with gorgeous bright color and texture.

Thai bubble tea is another extremely popular tea. With bright orange coloring, this tea is stunning to look at! Now you can make your own easily customizable tea at home using this simple recipe! I love that this Thai milk tea with boba doesn’t call for any special kitchen tools or ingredients.

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What is Thai Bubble Tea?

 Similar to Thai iced tea, Thai bubble tea includes boba balls. Thai tea is a special combination of black tea, vanilla, and spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise. Its beautiful color is typically from an added coloring agent such as turmeric or more often food coloring.

Bubble tea has become increasingly popular with more flavors and variations than you can count.  Bubble tea was created in Taiwan in the 1980s when tapioca pearls were added to milk tea. Depending upon where you live, you might refer to this drink as boba tea, pearl tea, or tapioca tea. Bubble tea contains 4 main ingredients – tea, milk, sweetener, and boba balls. 

Why You Will Love Thai Milk Tea with Boba

• Amazing Unique Flavor
• Gorgeous Color
• Simple to Prepare.
• Economical

Ingredients

• Thai Tea Mix – Using a mix for this recipe really makes it simple. The spices and colors are already assembled leaving you only having to steep the tea, and add your milk and sugar.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – Using a rich creamy sweetener like sweetened condensed milk is the perfect finish to this tea. 
• Milk – Most commonly used is whole milk or evaporated milk, but you can use whatever you have on hand. The beauty of making your own is that you can customize it to fit your lifestyle and tastes. I have made this recipe using unsweetened almond milk and while it is not as rich as whole milk the results were delicious!
• Boba – There are many options for boba balls, including making your own, but I have found these to be consistently yummy, and easy to prepare.
• Water – Not to be overlooked, water plays an important role in tea. Fresh water has more oxygen which contributes to the aroma and flavor of the tea. I like to use filtered water for the best-tasting tea.
• Ice – While adding ice is optional, I recommend it for a cool refreshing drink! 

Cooking Boba Bubbles

Boba balls or boba bubbles are made from sugar, tapioca flour, and water. They are also gluten-free! While they are simple to make and almost foolproof, it is time-consuming to cut and roll each ball out. You can make your own for this recipe or purchase them. Below are general directions for cooking boba.

1. Fill a large pot (I like my boba to have plenty of room to evenly cook) with water and bring to a boil.
2. Add in boba and gently stir. 
3. Once boba has risen to the top of the pot, turn down the heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes. (You can do a taste test and adjust the time to cook to your desired chewiness.)
4. Strain out boba and gently rinse.
5. Add to your serving cup.

Flavor of Thai Boba Tea

This tea is not overly spicy like a chai latte, but with light hints of warm spices and vanilla. It is perfectly sweet and creamy making this tapioca tea a delightful treat!

How to Make Thai Tea Boba at Home

1. Prepare Tea – Bring water to a boil and pour over tea. Steep for 5 minutes.
2. Cook Boba – Bring water just to a boil and add in boba. Give the pot a gentle stir and wait for the balls to rise to the top. Turn down the heat and set your timer for 10 minutes. (You can adjust the time to achieve your desired chewiness) Strain out boba and give them a quick rinse. Add them to your serving cup.
3. Mix – Mix together your sweetened condensed milk and chosen milk.
4. Assemble – Now that the tea components are made, it is time to assemble. Add a scoop of ice on top of the boba and pour it over the tea. Lastly, drizzle in your milk and sweetened condensed milk mixture. Enjoy watching the beautiful layers it creates!

Thai Bubble Tea Recipe

Ingredients

• Thai Tea Mix
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Milk
• Boba
• Water
• Ice

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil and add in tea. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Cook boba according to package instructions. (See “cook boba” for more details)
3. Mix together milk and sweetened condensed milk.
4. Scoop boba into the serving glass and top with a handful of ice.
5. Pour in your tea.
6. Top with milk.
7. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes and Tips

• This recipe uses a tea mix, but you can also make your own.
• Substitute sweetened condensed milk with simple syrup. 
• Adjust the sugar level to your tastes using more or less.
• Cook boba right before serving. 
• Use a reusable boba straw to suck up boba with every sip.

Questions

What is the difference between bubble tea and Thai tea?

Bubble tea contains boba balls made from tapioca starch while Thai tea doesn’t necessarily contain boba. You can add boba and make Thai bubble tea using this recipe!

More Bubble Tea Recipes

• Taro Milk Tea
• Coconut Milk Tea
• Rose Milk Tea
• Tiger Milk Tea
• Chocolate Milk Tea
• Matcha Milk Tea

I hope you enjoy this tea recipe. 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!