The Best Ways to Make Your Own Bubble Tea

Posted on September 14, 2023 by resourcefulman

Since TikTok and Oscar Mayer have convinced us that hot dogs are sensible beer straws (who even uses a beer straw?), I’d like to take us back to a much more accessible drink-snack combination: bubble tea. Bubble tea, or boba tea, is a sweet drink that’s both refreshing and soothing, and each sip leaves a chewy bite to savor. You can buy this tasty snack at a specialty store, and some Asian restaurants sell it too, but if you live in a bubble tea desert or just want to make your own, you can make great bubble tea at home.

What is bubble tea?

“Bubble tea” is a pretty flexible term because it’s more about the bubbles. That is, if you want, you can add bubbles or boba pearls to juice, tea or coffee. Boba pearls are usually made from tapioca starch, a small amount of sugar and water. This is where you can add flavorings or food coloring to give the dish a little kick. These ingredients are mixed into a soft dough, from which pea-sized balls are rolled. You can make pearls at home or buy ready-made ones online or at some markets.

The starch balls appear opaque when raw or slightly colored if you use brown sugar or food coloring, but once cooked, the boba becomes translucent and shiny. Add them to simple syrup or honey and scoop them into your favorite chilled drink.

In times of need, here are my bubble tea helpers:

How to make bubble tea?

Making bubble tea at home is cheaper than buying it, and it allows you to personalize your experience with different drinks, sugar and milk ratios. It’s pretty easy from scratch and, unsurprisingly, even faster out of the bag. If you are using ready-made beans, simply follow the cooking instructions on the back. If you decide to make it yourself, take some time. The dough can be prepared quite quickly, but it takes about 40 minutes to cook. (Precooked boba pearls take 10 to 15 minutes to cook.) There are endless recipes out there, including mine below, but here are a few tips to make any recipe go faster.

Take advantage of the machine

I can’t tell you how many recipes call for mixing this dough by hand. If you’re already wondering whether it’s worth spending time on the dough, this will definitely kill your vibe. It’s sticky, but kind of dusty at first, and if you’re not familiar with the dough, it can be a mess. Use a car if you have one. This will reduce the mess, save your muscle, and ensure an even dough.

Any mixer or dough attachment that can be used to make cookie dough will help make this recipe easier, faster, and more fun. Try a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a food processor with a dough attachment. I used the latter. My Ninja food processor has a dough attachment, which is just a few plastic wings that spin to beat the ingredients. It is ideal for making dough.

Do only what you need to do

Boba does not last long after cooking. After three to six hours, the texture may change and they will not be as chewy. Cook as many pearls as you will eat and freeze the rest raw if they are homemade. If they are ready, simply leave the remaining pearls in the package and store them according to the instructions.

Use the Snake and Cut Method

A small amount of dough will yield a lot of pearls. Some recipes require you to measure each ball of dough, while others require you to process it. While you can use whatever method you prefer, just make sure the pearls are the same size so they cook at the same speed and that they are small enough to fit a boba straw if you are using one.

I like the “snake and cut” method instead of scooping the dough with a tiny spoon. The dough may get stuck in the spoon, it takes much longer and does not guarantee that the balls will be the same size. The snake and cut method works as follows. Pinch off a small amount of dough, about an inch-diameter ball, and roll it out into a long, thin snake. I pressed the dough with my palms onto the cutting board and made the dough about the thickness of a regular pencil. I then took a scraper and cut off the little tabs at regular intervals (about a quarter inch apart). I recommend making six or seven cuts, rounding them with your fingertips and checking the size. If you notice that one batch is thicker than the previous one, adjust the spacing size so that the next batch is smaller.

Check for readiness

These starchy bubbles cook in boiling water for about 20 minutes, but the real magic happens when you put the lid on and let them simmer in the hot water for a while longer. Whether you use homemade or store-bought tapioca pearls, the pearls will change from opaque to translucent when finished. Depending on how large your pearls are, you may need to adjust the cooking time. When you think they are ready, scoop out a few beans with a slotted spoon. If you added coloring, they should look gelatin-like and translucent or cloudy. I don’t have the color but they are made with light brown sugar so you can see they are golden in color but otherwise clear. If they are still white in the center, the starch inside is undercooked. Place them back in the hot water, covered, for another five minutes and check again.

Run the cooked boba under cold water for a few seconds, shake and stir in honey or simple syrup before adding to the drink.

Brew strong tea

Coffee and juice taste incredible even when diluted with ice cubes. Just pour any of them into a glass, add boba and some ice. On the other hand, tea is relatively mild, even black tea. For a more flavorful bubble tea, brew the tea two or three times stronger. Take two or three tea bags and fill them with hot water in a mug. Infuse as directed, usually four to seven minutes. Remove the bags and cool in the refrigerator. Once the tea has cooled, add the syrup-coated tapioca pearls, ice and milk, if using.

Bubble tea is easiest to drink with an extra-wide boba straw, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry: just use a spoon to scoop a few bubbles between sips. It’s better than a hot dog straw anyway. This recipe makes enough tapioca dough for about four servings. If you don’t plan to use it all, shape the dough into tapioca pearls and freeze them for later. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then transfer the frozen pearls to a bag or container and store in the freezer.

Brown Sugar and Pearl Tapioca (or Boba) Recipe

Ingredients:

¾ cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water
¼ cup water (for simple syrup)
¼ cup brown sugar (for simple syrup)

In a food processor fitted with a dough hook, add the tapioca flour and brown sugar. Pulse several times to mix. Add just boiling water to the food processor and run the food processor until a ball of dough forms. It should look like wet clay or Play-Doh. If the mixture looks sticky, add a tablespoon of tapioca flour at a time and turn the machine back on until it comes together into a dough.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it by hand until it forms a smooth dough that is soft but not dry or sticky. Remove a small piece about an inch and cover the remaining dough to prevent it from drying out. Roll this piece into a long snake or to the thickness of a pencil. Cut quarter-inch pieces and form them into balls. Set them aside and dust them lightly with tapioca flour to prevent them from sticking. Repeat the same with the rest of the dough.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Place the tapioca pearls in a sieve to shake off excess starch and place in water. Once the boba rises to the surface, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare simple syrup. Add the brown sugar and water to a small saucepan and cook for about three minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool. After 20 minutes, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the heat. Let them sit and cook on the residual heat for another 15 minutes. Check for doneness. Strain the boba and run under cold water for about 30 seconds. Shake them and add them to the pan with the simple syrup. Leave the boba here until you are ready to add it to a cold drink within the next two hours for the best texture.

More…

Drinks