Milk Teas W/boba Recipe

Boil water

Bring 1.2 liters (1200 ml) of water to a rolling boil in a wide pot over high heat.

Cook pearls

Add 120 g tapioca pearls to boiling water. Stir gently for 10–15 seconds to prevent sticking. Cover and maintain a medium-high simmer. Cook according to package instructions (typically 5–8 minutes for quick-cook pearls or 20–30 minutes for raw pearls). For ready-to-cook pearls, simmer 6–8 minutes until they are plump and chewy with a slightly translucent center.

Rest

Once cooked, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let pearls rest in the hot water for 10–15 minutes (adjust based on package recommendations) to fully hydrate.

Rinse and drain

Drain the pearls in a colander and rinse briefly under warm water to remove excess surface starch and stop cooking.

Make brown sugar syrup & sweeten boba

In a small saucepan, combine 80 g brown sugar and 60 ml water. Heat gently, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture becomes syrupy (2–3 minutes). Place drained tapioca pearls into a bowl, pour the warm brown sugar syrup over them, and stir to coat. Let the pearls sit in syrup at least 5–10 minutes (longer for more sweetness). Keep warm or refrigerate; if refrigerated, warm slightly before serving.

Brew strong black tea

Bring 600 ml water to a near boil (95–100°C / 203–212°F). Add 4 tsp black tea leaves to a heatproof container or teapot. Pour the hot water over leaves and steep 4–6 minutes for a strong infusion suitable for milk tea. Longer steep (5–6 min) yields bolder flavor. Strain leaves and reserve the brewed tea.

Sweeten tea

While the tea is still hot, stir in 30 g granulated sugar (or adjust to taste) until fully dissolved. If using honey or simple syrup instead, add 2 tbsp as preferred.

Add dairy

Allow sweetened tea to cool slightly (to avoid curdling). Stir in 300 ml whole milk and 30 ml evaporated milk for extra creaminess (optional). Taste and adjust sweetness or milk ratio. If making matcha variation, whisk 2 tsp matcha powder with 30–40 ml hot water until smooth, then combine with milk instead of brewed tea.

Chill

For iced milk tea, cool the mixture in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes or fill serving cups with ice and pour the tea over ice immediately to chill rapidly.

Distribute the prepared boba among 4 serving glasses: about 30 g (roughly 3–4 tbsp) per glass, or adjust to preference.

If boba are syrupy or warm, spoon them into the bottom of each glass, along with a little syrup for extra sweetness if desired.

Fill each glass about halfway with ice (about 1/2 cup per glass) if not already added.

Pour the sweetened black milk tea into each glass, leaving 1–2 cm headspace. Stir gently to combine boba and tea.

Optional: add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract to each glass or top with a splash (5–10 ml) of evaporated milk for a cream-top effect.

Serve with wide bubble tea straws and enjoy immediately. If reheating boba, warm syrup briefly and pour over pearls before serving to restore chewiness.