{happy lady makes}: milk boba tea

I love treating myself a milk boba tea. Creamy, sweet, caffeinated, and doused in chewy fun - it's the perfect dessert-and-beverage-in-one. I previously shared some recipes found on the web for creating this sweet concoction. However, I found that most of these recipes and cafe-bought milk boba tea tends to be ultra rich {from the dairy creamer used} and super sweet {from the pre-mixed syrups}. So I now whip up my own version at home and have come up with my own process which I find to be much easier, less heavy, and equally as tasty which I am sharing with you today.

You'll need:
Loose tea
Tapioca pearls
Honey or sugar
Tea stick or coffee press
Milk tea powder
Jumbo straws

Here's how:
1. Make boba using the packaged tapioca pearls found at Asian grocery stores. I like the WuFuYuan brand in the classic black tapioca color. {Note: this brand's tapioca pearls are already partially cooked so they won't take as long to make as this kind.}  Follow the directions on the package which basically involves boiling the pearls for 5-10 minutes, straining, then soaking in honey or sugar until ready to use. The full 8 oz. bag makes 4-6 servings of Boba. So, if you're making just one or two servings, I would use 1/4 of the bag.

2. While the boba is boiling, make your tea. I prefer black tea and use a fresh loose black coconut tea from Premium Steap, but any loose tea of your choice will do. Because you'll be adding a good portion of milk, the tea needs to be made in concentrated form. For each serving, you'll need about 3-4 teaspoons of loose tea and 1/4 cup of hot water. You could use a tea stick or a Vietnamese coffee press {available at Asian grocery stores} to brew your tea. Brew for 3-5 minutes until dark in color and rich without being bitter.

3. Add 3-4 teaspoons of black milk tea powder to your concentrated tea brew. This adds sweetness and extra creamy black tea flavor. Then add milk to your mixture. {The ratio is about 1/3 tea mixture to 2/3 milk.} Full fat milk will obviously be the tastiest but low fat works well too. Non-fat and skim milk may be a bit too watery here, but it's your choice. {If you want a simple tea boba with no milk then skip this step all together.}

4. Finally, pour boba into a glass, add ice, and pour your milk tea mixture on top. Don't forget to add the straw!

{photos by Oh Joy. napkin by DwellStudio, vintage chalkboard from Blue Bell Bazaar.}

Comments

[evie s.]

Sounds yummy and exotic! I love your photos too. :)

[sarah]

thanks for the recipe! can't wait to try this. my favorite flavor is taro root. maybe i can find this at an asian grocery store as well. perfect timing. i'm going to have hot pot in china town this friday. will search for these things then.

[jen]

I could have milk boba tea everyday even though it's super cold out! Thanks for sharing with us your secrets to a perfect cup!

[Kacia]

Oh, man. I am drinking milk tea right now, and was just thinking that I really needed to find a great boba recipe. Joy to the rescue! I'm excited to try it; thanks for sharing!

Oh, and that table cloth/placemat in the first photo. Where is that from? It's magical!

[Eliespapel]

I absolutely love Boba Teas... my favorite is the green jasmine at Urth Cafe in LA (just in case you go there) i've also made it at home but i stopped because I was having too many of them on a regular basis... :)

[TreeCookies]

o_O thanks for sharing!.. .now, i too, can make my own boba at home. yay!

[my spatula]

oh, i'm such a fan of boba tea. nothing sings happiness like chewing the boba!

[leela]

awesome post -- i love the wonders of boba and would love to make it at home . . . thanks!

[tasha]

Beautiful styling.
I love love love that font. Can you tell me what it is?
Pleeeeeeeease?

[Lady]

This just got me craving for some!

Want to sink my teeth into some chewy tapioca pearls!

[lastslice that]

in asia we call it the Bubble milk tea. i <3 them pearls!

[Mona]

Oh, you rock for sharing this - thanks!

[Lilmagoolie]

I love bubble tea! You're so great to share this recipe so I can try it at home. Delish!

[Lucy]

I love the font too. I believe its
"La Portenia De La Recoleta: http://new.myfonts.com/fonts/sudtipos/la-portenia/de-la-recoleta/

[lisa]

Thanks for the recipe, we made this last night - so good! Especially the black coconut tea from Premium Steap. It may just replace my favorite tea from Teavana (MatéVana)