Boba Milk Tea Recipe
Make Boba Milk Tea Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
Milk Tea
To Serve
Method
Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
- 1
Boil water
Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- 2
Add pearls
Add 1/2 cup dried tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Stir gently once to keep them from sticking together.
- 3
Cook pearls
When the pearls float back to the surface, reduce heat to medium-high and maintain a gentle rolling boil. Cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cooking time varies by brand — pearls should be tender with a slightly chewy center.
- 4
Rest
Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the pearls sit for 10–15 minutes to finish cooking and become evenly chewy.
- 5
Rinse and drain
Drain pearls in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse briefly under cool running water to remove excess starch and prevent sticking.
- 6
Make brown sugar syrup
While pearls cook (or immediately after), combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from heat.
- 7
Sweeten pearls
Transfer drained pearls into a bowl and pour the warm brown sugar syrup over them. Stir gently to coat evenly. Let sit for at least 5–10 minutes so the pearls absorb syrup and stay soft and sweet.
Milk Tea
- 8
Steep tea
Bring 2 cups of water to a near boil (about 200°F / 93°C). Pour over 2 tablespoons of black tea (or 2 tea bags) in a heatproof container and steep 4–6 minutes for a strong brew. Longer steeping yields stronger flavor but can increase bitterness.
- 9
Strain and sweeten
Strain out leaves or remove tea bags. While tea is still hot, stir in 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (adjust to taste). If you prefer a less creamy tea, omit condensed milk and add 1–2 teaspoons simple syrup or sugar instead. Taste and adjust sweetness.
- 10
Cool the tea
Let the sweetened tea cool to room temperature for 10–15 minutes, or place in the fridge for quicker cooling (about 10 minutes). The tea should be cold enough so it doesn't melt the ice excessively when assembling drinks.
- 11
Chill if desired
If you want an extra-cold drink, chill the tea completely in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes.
Assemble & Serve
- 12
Portion pearls
Scoop about 3–4 tablespoons (or to taste) of the syrup-coated boba into each serving glass.
- 13
- 14
- 15
Finish and serve
Taste and adjust sweetness if needed (add more simple syrup or sugar). Insert a large boba straw and serve immediately so the pearls remain chewy.