I first had boba tea back in high school when my friend Annie took me to an Asian cafe in our hometown. Boba is made from tapioca and or jelly balls, and the balls can be dark brown or multi-colored, like the ones here. At first I was surprised by the little gummy tapioca pearls coming up the straw and had a hard time not swallowing them straight away. But after a few sips I was able to get the hand of swallowing the milk tea and chewing on the little gummies.
Then when I went to LMU I found a little creperie right off campus that makes the BEST boba tea. My favorite was the jasmine milk tea boba, which I have recreated right here. I saw these tapioca pearls today at Simpang Asia for 2 bucks, and because I have little to no self control, I bought them and made this boba milk tea straight away. They’re such fun and cute drinks, and pretty easy to make too.
They’re also really versatile, since you can change up the tea you brew to make the beverage with. This recipe calls for jasmine green tea, and I’m a huge fan of T Project’s jasmine green tea blend, but you can use any brand you like, really. Just know that loose-leaf tea is of a higher quality than the bagged tea, so if you want to make your boba as tasty as possible, go the loose leaf route and brew them with a handy mesh strainer.
I also added a bit of matcha tea to this recipe for the green hue, but you can feel free to omit the matcha if it’s not your flavor jam. Just know that if you leave the matcha out it won’t be this minty green hue, but more of a pale beige color from the jasmine green tea. If you’re really into matcha, though, you might want to check out my recipe for this matcha green tea latte with coconut and honey that is *bonkers* good. Enjoy it, my friend!
Jasmine Green Milk Tea Boba
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Tapioca Pearls
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Cup Brewed Jasmine Tea or Jasmine Green Tea Blend chilled
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar
- 3/4 Teaspoon Matcha
Instructions
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Prepare the tapioca pearls according to the directions on the package. For mine, I boiled 1/3 cup of uncooked boba in 2 cups of water for 1 minute uncovered and then an additional 7 minutes, covered. Drain the boba and set them aside.
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Place the milk and matcha in a blender and blend until combined. You can mix them with a whisk in a bowl, just start with a teaspoon of milk first to form a paste with the matcha, and then add the milk gradually a bit at a time. Otherwise, the matcha will be clumpy and not smooth.
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Take out two glasses. Pour half of the tea in one glass and half of the tea in the other. Do the same with the matcha milk and the sugar. Mix each glass well with a spoon until the milk, tea and sugar are completely blended. Add half of the boba to one glass and half to the other. Allow the boba to settle to the bottom of the glass. Serve cold.
Cory and I are going to Uwajimaya this week so maybe we'll have to pick some up!
Amazing photography! Do you think I could try making this with soymilk? I don't really drink regular milk but this looks like a cool recipe!
This almost sounds delicious, even though I friggin' hate boba and its slimy little tapioca pearls. Super pretty anyway!
– Melanie
You should make the tea with soy milk instead of water so that it is richer. And Melanie I totally understand, I have a couple of friends who can't do the texture. But the milk tea by itself is tasty ๐
Love all your photos. The drink is so pretty with the colourful pearls.
I'm SO impressed that you attempted this at home – "Drinks I buy from other people" definitely fall into the category of "things I will never try to make on my own."
Plus, those pearls are just gorgeous!
Right?? I keep seeing recipes for DIY Starbucks and stuff like that. I'm like, I'll leave that to the pros! Lol
So pretty and such darling photos ๐
Looks fantastic. Great photos as well
That is simply gorgeous! Looks like little Easter eggs at the bottom. Very, very pretty.
This sounds lovely. I have a bag of those colored tapioca pearls in my pantry. Jasmine tea and coconut milk for me! So nice and refreshing. Thanks!
What a pretty drink!
What a cute idea, I love everything that has Jasmine in it!
Ok, everyone I've ever met has RAVED about boba milk tea, but I can't get over the face that it's a drink with chunks in it! Is it really that good? I don't think I could handle the texture.
I'm obsessed with boba milk tea. I don't think I could ever get sick of it. I love that you use the little colorful ones. They taste better when they are in color (I know the color doesnt affect the taste, but I "feel" like they taste better). I sometimes just make a batch of colorful ones to eat by themselves.
Thanks everyone!!!
@Kathryn: The balls are smooth and round, not so chunky, but the smooth wet texture can also bother people. I got used to it after a few drinks, but some people, (like my friend Natalie), just plain don't like it. Make some for yourself and let me know what you think ๐
@kirbie: I know what you mean, I like the colored ones better too haha! They're just so cute and fun I think it just tricks the brain into thinking they're even tastier.
It's actually really good if you use simple syrup instead of sugar. ๐ It dissolves easier and if you put too much in and it settles on the bottom, it's just like a little sweet treat at the end of your drink. ^___^
@eejackie: Excellent idea! I will do that next time I throw some together ๐
My mother is addicted to boba tea (Me? Not at all. The balls scare me haha.). Anyway, she tried to make some boba tea at home a couple of weeks ago, but the pearls had no flavor, she said. I wonder if it was the brand. She, too, bought it from an Asian supermarket, but there plenty of brands there. I guess she'll have to try this again with another kind. Lovely photos!
I've always loved bubble tea. I was at an asian grocer recently and almost bought the multi-colored tapioca pearls but refrained because I wasn't sure how to make it properly! I'm totally going to try this. Now I just need to find the giant straws….
Beautiful! I love boba tea, but have never seen the multi-colored pearls. Love it!
Just ran across your blog! Great idea… my daughter and I are obsessed with boba! I've never seen colored boba, so cute!!! Love it!
Thanks you guys! I couldn't find the large boba straws either, I just scooped the boba out with a spoon to eat. I bet you could order them online, but they probably only come in bulk amounts for cafes :/
http://www.ecrater.com/p/4772900/large-colored-boba-straws-pack-of-54
Okay, they do only come in bulk amounts, but it's only $2 for 50 of them, soooo pretty fantastically affordable ๐
If you make your boba ahead and let them sit in simple syrup for a few hours, they get sweet.
Thanks for the tip! I will definitely try that the next time I make some ๐
I've read some other DIY boba threads. If your tapioca need more flavor, you might try adding some sugar or flavoring to the water you cook them in. Natural sugars like palm, turbinado, or agave nectar would probably give the best flavor.
I came over from Robyn's Mingle Monday. I love boba milk tea…I'm actually addicted! Great photos!
@Julie Thanks Julie! Glad you found your way over ๐
@anonymous: Excellent idea! Agave nectar would be fantastic.
Even though I know they're not good for me (carcinogenic preservatives in the tapioca balls), I cannot resist bubble tea…I just had one this weekend. I like how your bubbles are multicoloured!
I recently became obsessive boba tea lover! Except the city I live in currently doesn't have any restaurants that serve it! Time to make my own! Great post!!
Awesome post! Definitely going to try this one out and share it with friends ๐
I've read some other DIY boba threads. If your tapioca need more flavor, you might try adding some sugar or flavoring to the water you cook them insearch engine optimisation specialistscool website designs
Each time that I see a Boba/Tapioca tea recipe I cannot but help to get excited. It is yummy; the pictures depicted/provided are surreal. My only request is that they be served hot/piping hot…steaming in the face cup of warmth. Other wise perfect, but I cannot surrender to milk or soy, no tolerance. Sorry!
Thank you for sharing.
This looks very yummy. I would be very happy to try this at home. Good job!
Speciality Tea
When I strain the boba after boiling, I let it sit in a mixture of hot water mixed with honey and brown sugar for at least 10 mins. You could even just do honey and it would probably be pretty sweet.
That is an excellent idea! I will definitely try that the next time I make boba tea!
I will have to try this recipe at home. It's SO funny reading this… because when I lived in LA with my boyfriend (we now live in NorCal SF bay area)… we would go to a little boba/crepe place called KC's crepes cafe, and it was right by LMU! I'm sure it's the same place you went to! What a small world! & my favorite drink to get there was the Jasmine Milk green Tea w/ boba. Oh my god! I kid you not, we are obsessed…. and have been trying to find the same taste up here… but no such luck! Every time we go back to Los Angeles, we always grab our favorite drink at our favorite little place. ๐ The taste of theirs is so delicious and sweet, most jasmine milk green teas up here are a bit bitter and not as sweet. ๐ Oh well!
Love your blog btw!
-Krystal
Where can you get the Tapioca Pearls? because i want to make this so badly!! can you get them at your nearest asian grocery store?
Please reply, thanks!
Hi Cheska! Yes, you should be able to get them at an asian grocery store. They may not carry the rainbow variety of tapioca pearls, but they should definitely carry the black variety at the least, which are just as tasty, just not quite as colorful. Hope this helps! ๐
Look pretty!!! It sounds so delicious and refreshing. Thanks for being a part of the healthy foods…
I think I will do it after work. Looks nice.
What jasmine green tea do you use?
I like to drink green milk tea. I always drink green tea when i do seo cost analysis for planing SEO promotion (www.linksmanagement.com/free-seo-cost-calculator/). Thanks for the recipe of tea!!!
Hi, when u said Matcha as an ingredient, is it in powder form? Hope it can be bought in the supermarkets yeah?
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