Strawberry Rose Milk Tea Latte
Mar 13, 2018 • Updated Jan 08, 2024
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A strawberry milk tea + rose latte mashup that is caffeine free, sweet, floral, and a delightful shade of pink. Enjoy with tapioca pearls to make this a strawberry bubble tea, or leave them out. You will love this better for you, homemade version!
What Makes This Recipe Great
I love this recipe because it combines two of my favourite flavors. Think of it as a mashup of a strawberry bubble tea recipe meets strawberry milk tea meets rose latte. A balanced, calming rose and strawberry-flavored tea latte. The rose tea base makes this drink free of caffeine and has a beautiful floral flavour.
Rose tea is also very calming, and paired with strawberry, makes the perfect pink hue. It’s also vegan, completely caffeine free, and if you choose to add the bubbles, a really fun drink! Not to mention, budget-friendly! At coffee shops, these specialty drinks cost much more than making them at home. And with this recipe, the homemade version has never been easier!
If you love bubble tea, I’ve shared a more traditional recipe, a matcha version, and even tried to make a bubble tea inspired pancake recipe.
Strawberry Milk Tea + Rose Latte + Bubble Tea Made Vegan!
In this recipe, I used the brand new Silk Oat Yeah oatmilk plain flavour, in place of regular dairy milk to make it vegan. The oat milk has a really creamy texture and a subtle sweetness to it, making it a perfect substitute PLUS it’s a little more allergen-friendly, as it’s free of nuts and soy.
I’ve been really enjoying it in my matcha lattes and golden cacao lattes because it’s not too thick, like other oat milk varieties I’ve tried. It also has a great consistency and doesn’t clump or become gritty, which is important, especially when making a textural drink like bubble tea. The only texture we want is the chewiness from the tapioca!
Ingredient Notes
I opted not to sweeten this drink because the oatmilk has a subtle sweetness to it already, but you can add additional sweetness as you see fit or use the Vanilla Oat Yeah variety.
I offer two strawberry options because freeze-dried strawberries will give you more of an intense, strawberry flavour plus a really vibrant pink, but the fresh strawberries add a little texture and are usually easier to find than freeze-dried.
Also, the strawberry boba tea version (bubble tea in my book!) is totally optional. If you opt not to include the tapioca pearls (boba pearls), this will be a perfect strawberry milk tea + rose latte mashup.
- rose teabags or dried rose buds: for the rose latte recipe portion of this drink, there are a few options. Rose tea is typically made with edible rose petals and they are not too hard to find. They have a lovely rose flavor that is so calming.
- vegan milk: I used Silk Oat Yeah oat milk in the Plain flavour. You can use coconut milk, almond milk, or another version of plant-based milk you like.
- strawberries: I like using fresh or freeze-dried strawberries instead of strawberry syrup because I prefer to stick to all-natural sweeteners.
- dry tapioca pearls: if you’re making the bubble tea version (strawberry boba tea) you’ll need these! Omit if you just want to make strawberry milk tea.
- liquid sweetener: You can use maple syrup or coconut nectar or simple syrup (for the bubbles).
Optional
- vanilla extract
- additional sweetener
Step-by-Step Instructions
With Tapioca Pearls
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan and cook dry tapioca pearls on low heat for about 5-8 minutes, or according to the package. Stir occasionally to avoid bubbles sticking together. Tapioca pearls are ready when they become a translucent black colour, and you can try one to make sure it’s cooked through.
- Once tapioca is cooked through, strain and set aside in a bowl with just enough water to cover. Add sweetener and allow to sit while you prepare your tea.
- To make the rose latte, heat your milk and steep tea bags, allowing it to steep until the desired rosy-ness is achieved. Give it a taste, and when ready, transfer it to a blender.
- Blend rose tea latte with strawberries (fresh or freeze-dried) until completely smooth.
- To assemble, strain and divide bubbles between 2 glasses to serve, and pour rose + strawberry milk tea on top. Add additional sweetener if desired.
Without Tapioca Pearls
- To make the rose latte, heat your milk and steep tea bags, allowing it to steep until the desired rosy-ness is achieved. Give it a taste, and when ready, transfer it to a blender.
- Blend the rose tea latte with strawberries (fresh or freeze-dried) until completely smooth.
- Pour the rose + strawberry milk tea into your glass. Add additional sweetener if desired.
Expert Tips
- If this is your first time making bubble tea at home, I recommend checking out this standard bubble tea recipe first, in which I go into more detail about how to prepare and where to source ingredients.
Serving Tips
- Serve hot over the tapioca pearls or on its own. Since it’s caffeine free, you can enjoy this in the morning, afternoon, or night!
Recipe FAQs
In this recipe, I use a base of rose tea. Some rose lattes are made with a shot of espresso, but I prefer the milk tea version, which is caffeine free and so delicious. If you add the tapioca pearls, there’s an added chewy texture as you sip, which is so fun.
The rose tea is blended with fresh or freeze-dried strawberries for a hint of sweetness and a lovely floral, fruity, strawberry flavor. Also, it’s pink! Which makes it so pretty as well.
None! It’s absolutely caffeine free. Enjoy it any time of the day.
Rose tea has a lot of health benefits- reducing anxiety or stress, improving digestion, and soothing cramps to name a few. It’s also high in antioxidants and reduces inflammation. Strawberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamin c, making this the perfect pairing.
Yes! If you’ve ever been veg-curious or interested in trying out a plant-based or vegan diet, I recommend taking small steps, instead of going cold turkey. #ProgressIsPerfection, meaning making small changes to start is already an incredible feat. I think dairy is always an easy step to start and there is a wide range of plant-based milk available almost everywhere.
More Vegan Beverages to Love…
5-Ingredient Golden Immune Booster
Triple Chocolate Hot Chocolate
Strawberry Rose Bubble Tea (Boba) | Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry tapioca pearls
- 2 tablespoons liquid sweetener such as maple syrup or coconut nectar for the bubbles
- 2 rose teabags or dried rose buds
- 3 cups vegan milk I used Silk Oat Yeah oatmilk in the Plain flavour
- 2/3 cups fresh or freeze dried strawberries
- optional
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- additional sweetener
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan and cook dry tapioca pearls on low heat for about 5-8 minutes, or according to package. Stir occasionally to avoid bubbles sticking together. Tapioca pearls are ready when they become a translucent black colour, and you can try one to make sure it’s cooked through.
- Once tapioca is cooked through, strain and set aside in a bowl with just enough water to cover. Add sweetener and allow to sit while you prepare your tea.
- To make rose latte, heat your milk and steep tea bags, allowing to sit until desired rosy-ness is achieved. Give it a taste, and when ready, transfer to a blender.
- Blend rose latte with strawberries (fresh or freeze dried) until completely smooth.
- To assemble, strain and divide bubbles between 2 glasses to serve, and pour rose + strawberry milk tea on top. Add additional sweetener if desired.
Notes
Expert Tips
If this is your first time making bubble tea at home, I recommend checking out this standard bubble tea recipe first, in which I go into more detail about how to prepare and where to source ingredients.Serving Tips
Serve hot over the tapioca pearls or on its own. Since it’s caffeine free, you can enjoy this in the morning, afternoon, or night!Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love & roses,
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