What Is Bubble Tea?

Bubble Tea or Tapioca Pearl Milk Tea is a Taiwanese drink made with tea + milk + tapioca pearls, or bubbles. Tapioca pearls are chewy balls made of tapioca starch, that are naturally gluten-free. 

Most traditionally, they’re black in colour, but there are also white coloured pearls too. It is usually made with a black tea base, milk powder, or standard dairy milk, and sweetened with refined sugars white sugar, brown sugar, or simple syrup (a lot of it too!). 

So while it CAN potentially be healthy depending on where you order it, and what you add to your order, making it at home will almost always give you a healthier result. You can find vegan options at bubble tea shops since so many of them offer milk alternatives now, but I still find it is much better homemade (and more budget-friendly!). 

Bubble Tea vs. Boba

Do you call it bubble tea or boba? I personally always say bubble tea because growing up in Taiwan, I had only ever heard “bubble tea” or “pearl milk tea/珍珠奶茶(zhēnzhū nǎichá)”. 

It really wasn’t until friends from the west coast started calling it “boba” that I had ever heard the word used at all. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to call it boba myself, but that’s just me hehe.

What Makes This Recipe Great

In addition to being able to control the ingredients, level of sweetness, and type of milk used, making this bubble tea recipe at home is also super cost-effective and creates less waste. 

On average, buying out can be anywhere from $5-8 in NYC, but you can easily find the ingredients to make multiple servings for the same price. 

You also cut down significantly on waste as most teas are served in a single-use plastic cup, with a plastic seal that you break through with a plastic straw. Making it at home means no single-use plastic is needed, especially if you invest in a reusable straw! Think metal straws, but big enough for bubbles.

• Dry tapioca pearls: I recommend browsing Asian specialty grocery stores if you want to find dry tapioca pearls in stores, or you can browse amazon as well. I got mine from nuts.com
• Cold water
• Liquid sweetener: I used coconut nectar. Use your favorite! You can even make a simple syrup with coconut sugar or another sugar you prefer. 
• Black tea: You’ll need 2 tea bags or 2 servings of tea (to make about 1 cup of dark brewed tea total).
• Vegan-friendly milk: Use the plant-based milk of your choice. You will need 2 cups. 

optional

• additional sweetener to taste
• cinnamon
• vanilla

​​Making this vegan bubble tea recipe at home can sound really intimidating at first, but I promise after you make it the first time, you’ll realize just how easy it is. 

1. In a saucepan bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add dry tapioca pearls and continue to boil on low heat for about 5-8 min, or according to package directions. Make sure you stir occasionally so the tapioca pearls don’t stick together. You’ll know when the tapioca is ready when it becomes a translucent black. You can also try one pearl to make sure it’s cooked through.
2. While this is cooking, set aside an additional 1 cup of hot water and allow your tea of choice to steep. I recommend black tea. Make this quite strong as you’ll be adding vegan milk later on. Once your desired tea strength is reached, allow chilling in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
3. Once tapioca pearls are cooked through, remove them from heat and strain. Transfer to a bowl and cover with just enough water so it doesn’t dry out, and add 2 tablespoons of sweetener.
4. To assemble, strain and divide the cooked tapioca between 2 cups. Add ice if desired, pour tea into each glass, and finish with non-dairy milk.
5. Add additional sweetener as needed, and enjoy! Don’t forget to use a reusable metal straw.

Expert Tips

• If you want to give zero-waste a shot in stores, I always bring a mason jar, and my reusable straw with me. Most shops are really accommodating and will fill your own cup up for you. If you’re unsure or nervous about asking, you can always call ahead to ask if they’re willing to fill your cup for you too. They also sell eco-friendly cup + straw sets made just for the tapioca pearls.

Storage Tips

• You can store uncooked tapioca pearls in an airtight container at room temperature for up 6 weeks and cook them when ready to use. You can store cooked tapioca pearls in cold water for one day.  
• In advance, you can mix together the tea, milk, and sweetener and store them in the refrigerator for later use. Use within 2 days for best results. 

Variations

There are so many different flavors to choose from! Here are some more vegan bubble tea recipes that I’ve created.

• Birthday Cake
• Matcha
• Pumpkin
• Strawberry Rose

Recipe FAQs

More Sweet Treats…

Vegan Matcha Cookies

Vegan Chai Cookies

Chewy Vegan Raspberry Lemon Cookies

Butternut Squash Snickerdoodles

Strawberry Matcha Sugar Cookies