Learn to make refreshing bubble tea at home. Delicious milk tea, perfectly sweetened, and with chewy, soft boba pearls. Bubble milk tea is perfect for summer. EASY - This recipe is very easy to make. Good, robust black tea makes the difference in flavor. You can use store-bought quick cook boba pearls to make this recipe even easier and quicker. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions.Please use the US Customary / Metric toggle button to switch between measurement units.
½cupeasy cook boba pearlsalternative option to homemade boba pearls.
Sugar syrup
½cupbrown sugaror white sugar
¼cupwater
To serve
Milkto top off
Ice as needed
Instructions
Hot brewed tea
Place the tea leaves in a brewing pot or French press.
Heat the water to 205°F / 96°C (if you don't have a thermometer to measure the temperature, bring the water to a boil, and then leave it off-heat for about 3 minutes to reach the correct temp.), and THEN measure 2 ¼ cup of water into the brewing pot. Stir once or twice to make sure the tea leaves are saturated with water, then cover the pot and let it sit for no more than 5 - 6 minutes.
Strain the tea leaves, and place the tea in the fridge to cool down.
Cold brew tea
Place the tea leaves in a French press.
Pour the room temperature water into the French press, and stir the leaves to make sure they are saturated with water.
Press the French press plunger, until the tea leaves are just below the surface of the water, so that they remain submerged in the water.
Let the tea leaves steep for 12 hours, at room temperature. Strain the tea leaves, and place the tea in the fridge to cool down.
If you’re using quick cook boba pearls, follow the directions on the package to cook the boba pearls.
When the boba pearls have been cooked, place them in cool water to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Sugar syrup (make this before cooking the boba pearls)
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan, and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat while stirring, to melt all of the sugar.
Let the syrup come to a boil. Cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes, until the syrup has thickened up slightly. Let it cool a little bit, while you cook the boba pearls.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the boba pearls from the cool water into the warm syrup. Stir to coat. Use the pearls while slightly warm.
To serve
In a glass (15 - 16 oz), place some boba pearls, along with some of the sugar syrup.
Pour about 1 cup of brewed tea. The tea should be chilled or at least at room temperature (if you’re adding ice).
Add ice, and top up the glass with milk. Stir to combine. Taste and add more sugar syrup if you'd like the drink sweeter.
Notes
Note on chilling the teaIf you're making hot brewed tea, and you'd like to enjoy the tea ASAP, you can keep the container with the tea in the freezer, or in an ice bath. You can also shake the tea in a cocktail shaker with some ice to cool it down more rapidly. However, the more ice you use, the more diluted the tea flavor will be.