Bubble tea is a sweetened beverage invented in Taiwan, which has since become popular all around the world. It usually has a tea or fruit base, which is then combined with milk and ice and blended. The final ingredient – which gives the drink its name – is tapioca pearls, also called boba pearls, which are mixed into the bubble tea. When you purchase bubble tea at a café, it is sealed with a plastic cover that you pierce with a thick bubble tea straw in order to be able to access the tapioca pearls.
While some bubble tea cafés offer vegan bubble tea options (such as juice only bubble tea, or bubble tea made with soy, rice, or almond milk), many do not. And although it may seem like a daunting task, it is actually very quick and easy to make your own bubble tea at home. Not only does this ensure that your bubble tea is 100% vegan, but it will also save you money and provide you with a much healthier version of bubble tea, since it is usually very high in sugar and calories. What follows is a couple of basic recipes for vegan bubble tea, which can be altered and/or added to depending on what flavours you prefer.
How to Cook Tapioca Pearls
As a general rule, you want to cook tapioca pearls with at least a 1:5 ratio of dry pearls to water. Some fast-cooking pearls, however, do not require quite as much water. It’s usually your best bet to follow the instructions on the package. Here is a basic recipe that makes for lightly sweetened, soft-yet-chewy boba pearls.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Dry Tapioca Pearls
- 5 Cups Water
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
Method:
- Combine tapioca pearls, water, and sugar in a medium pot and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Bring water to a boil, then lower and allow pearls to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the pearls are softened, but still chewy in texture.
- Drain water. Add tapioca pearls to your preferred recipe of bubble tea and enjoy.
How to Make Tea-Based Bubble Tea
Ingredients:
- 1 Tea Bag (your preferred type: black tea, green tea, chai tea, etc.)
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup or ½ Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 4-6 Ice Cubes
- 1/3 Cup Cooked Tapioca or Boba Pearls
- Soy Milk (or Almond, Coconut, Rice, Hemp, etc.)
Method:
- In a cup, steep the tea bag in approx. ½ Cup of boiling water. Leave it long enough that the tea is quite strong.
- Once it is well steeped, pour the tea into a blender. Add maple syrup or brown sugar, ice cubes, and as much milk as you would like (at least ¾ Cup recommended).
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Pour cooked tapioca pearls into the bottom of a tall serving glass. Add blended tea on top. Enjoy!
How to Make Fruit-Based Bubble Tea
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Soy Milk (or Almond, Coconut, Rice, Hemp, etc.)
- 3-4 Ice Cubes
- ½ Cup (approx.) Fruit (1 Banana, 1 Handful of Blueberries, 4-6 Strawberries, etc.)
- 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup or ½ Tbsp. Brown Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Cooked Tapioca or Boba Pearls
Method:
- In a blender, combine milk, fruit, ice cubes, and maple syrup or brown sugar.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Pour cooked tapioca pearls into the bottom of a tall serving glass. Add blended fruit smoothie on top. Enjoy!
Once you’ve tried homemade bubble tea once, you will want to make it again and again. Have fun experimenting with various fruit and tea combinations!
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Andrea Beca - Andrea has a BA (distinction) in English and Creative Writing from the University of Alberta, and an MLitt (distinction) in Dramaturgy and ...
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