Updated Published Aug 16, 2016 By Julia 25 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.
Summary:
Ever wonder how to make boba (bubble tea) at home? This recipe describes how to make boba with coconut milk and vanilla using home-cooked tapioca pearls, making it easy to adjust the flavors and sweetness to your liking.
Coconut Bubble Tea
4.3 from 6 votesPRINT PIN
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 15 minutes mins
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups brewed black tea (Note 1)
- 2/3 cup canned coconut milk (Note 2)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparing Tapioca:
- 3/4 cup
black tapioca pearls (Note 3) - 3 tablespoons honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook Tapioca: Cook tapioca pearls according to package instructions (Note 4). After cooking, let tapioca rest in cold water for half a minute. Drain, then stir tapioca with honey until evenly coated. Set aside.
Assemble Drink: Stir together brewed black tea, coconut milk, and vanilla extract until well-mixed. Stir in tapioca-honey mixture, and adjust honey for desired sweetness. Serve chilled with ice (Note 5).
NUTRITION
| Makes 4 Servings |
| Amount Per Serving (8 oz drink): |
| Calories 210 (23% from fat) | |
| Total Fat 6g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 20mg | 1% |
| Net Carb 39.5g | |
| Total Carb 40g | 13% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.5g | 1% |
| Sugars 15g | |
| Protein 1g |
Vitamin A 0% · Vitamin C 0% · Calcium 1% · Iron 5%
PHOTOS
NOTES & TIPS
(1) Black Tea. I use black tea, but any kind of tea will work (like green tea). Just use two cups of brewed tea.
(2) Coconut Milk. Use an unsweetened full-fat version, not light or reduced fat. I’ve used Goya and Chaokoh brands. Before measuring out the amount to use, stir or shake well because there will be separation in the can. Properly stirred coconut milk should appear thick and creamy, not watery.
(3) Tapioca Pearls. Buy black tapioca pearls from a local Asian grocery store or online. I found mine on Amazon: 2 pack black tapioca pearls with straws.
(4) Cooking Tapioca. I usually cook tapioca by boiling for 5 minutes in a saucepan on the stovetop, then transferring to cold water to stop the cooking process. Adjust the cooking time to get your preferred tapioca pearl texture. For example, if you like them to be soft and squishy, cook them a minute or two longer.
(5) Serving. Adjust proportions of coconut milk and honey for desired sweetness and taste. Serve chilled with ice cubes and extra thick straws wide enough for the boba to pass through. Enjoy promptly because tapioca pearls lose their texture over time and harden.
About Julia
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes in a user-friendly format. She typically prefers savory foods over sweet, hence the name of the site. Contact her at julia@savorytooth.null.com.
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newest oldest most voted
Paz
can u make this with white tapioca pearls?
Vote Up6Vote Down Reply
3 years ago
☯︎︎♪♲︎♪ᴥ︎
Any tapioca pearls will do – their flavours will be different though. Also, it won’t look as ꧁𝕒𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔꧂
Jotroop Kaur
*aesthetic
Vote Up2Vote Down Reply
3 years ago
Suzi
I love the tapioca pearls
Vote Up5Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Boba Made
What a refreshing drink! I love boba tea, and I make it at home all the time (even from scratch with tapioca powder) I am definitely going to try this Coconut tea recipe next time, which is probably tomorrow =)
Vote Up3Vote Down Reply
5 years ago
Travis
Delicious! Will be making again soon.
Vote Up2Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Joanne
This looks so cool! I’ve always wanted to try one of these boba bubble teas but for some reason I never did. Also I was intrigued about the little bubbles. I had no idea they were tapioca pearls! Oh and coconut and vanilla combo sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it! Do you think I can use homemade coconut milk instead of the canned one?
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Julia
Thanks Joanne! Yes, homemade coconut milk would work as well. 🙂
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
6 years ago
Sam
Love the tips !
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
8 months ago
Kathy Swenson
Can you make pearls using coconut instead of the tapioca and if so can you buy them instead of making them?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
2 years ago
Julia
I’m not aware of any way to make the pearls using coconut instead of tapioca. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
2 years ago
Shaheen
I’ve had black tapioca pearls in my cupboard forever and have been slow to make Bubble tea, hopefully this year I will get round to it.
Happy New Year to you too.
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Nicole
Did you use canned coconut milk or the more watery version in the carton? Also, what brand black tea do you recommend? Thanks! 😀
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Julia
Hi Nicole! I used canned coconut milk. As for the black tea, I used a Taiwanese brand that’s hard to find at most stores, but any brand will work nicely for this recipe. Hope that helps!
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Manar
Followed your directions. The same coconut can you have, I used. It was gritty. Tried straining it but still didn’t work. Didn’t taste good either. Not at all like the store bubble tea
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
3 years ago
Caitlin
It probably went bad, did you check the expiration date?
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
3 years ago
Julia @ HappyFoods
I am really curious about this bubble tea as I had never heard of it before! Do the tapioca pearls add some specific flavour to the tea? What do they taste like?
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Julia
Not so much flavor as texture. The tapioca pearls have a soft, squishy texture that make the drink more interesting. Instead of just drinking a beverage, you occasionally get something to chew on 🙂
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Julia @ HappyFoods
Thanks for the clarification! 🙂
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Roma Soodeen
The pearls actually don’t have any taste but you can change that by letting them sit and (soak) to absorb what ever flavor you like. such as strawberry syrup, honey etc.
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Pam
I’ve seen recipes for soaking or cooking them in brown sugar syrup. Yum!
Vote Up0Vote Down Reply
2 years ago
tiffany
i was wondering if you could use coconut water instead of coconut milk? would that work?
Vote Up-1Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
Julia
Coconut water would result in a much thinner drink, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Vote Up2Vote Down Reply
4 years ago
ashley
Delicious! ONe question, where did you get those cups, i love them 🙂
Vote Up-1Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
Julia
Thanks Ashley! Those cups are actually milk jugs. You can get them on Amazon (http://amzn.to/2bREVWf) or at Red Hill General Store: http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/housewares/kitchen/kitacc/Glass-Milk-Bottles.htm
Vote Up1Vote Down Reply
7 years ago
