Coconut Bubble Tea (Homemade Boba Recipe) - Savory Tooth (2024)

Updated Published Aug 16, 2016 By Julia 25 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

Summary:

Ever wonder how to make boba (bubble tea) at home? This recipe describes how to make boba with coconut milk and vanilla using home-cooked tapioca pearls, making it easy to adjust the flavors and sweetness to your liking.

Coconut Bubble Tea (Homemade Boba Recipe) - Savory Tooth (1)

Coconut Bubble Tea

4.3 from 6 votes

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Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups brewed black tea (Note 1)
  • 2/3 cup canned coconut milk (Note 2)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparing Tapioca:

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Cook Tapioca: Cook tapioca pearls according to package instructions (Note 4). After cooking, let tapioca rest in cold water for half a minute. Drain, then stir tapioca with honey until evenly coated. Set aside.

  • Assemble Drink: Stir together brewed black tea, coconut milk, and vanilla extract until well-mixed. Stir in tapioca-honey mixture, and adjust honey for desired sweetness. Serve chilled with ice (Note 5).

NUTRITION

Makes 4 Servings
Amount Per Serving (8 oz drink):
Calories 210 (23% from fat)
Total Fat 6g8%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 20mg1%
Net Carb 39.5g
Total Carb 40g13%
Dietary Fiber 0.5g1%
Sugars 15g
Protein 1g

Vitamin A 0% · Vitamin C 0% · Calcium 1% · Iron 5%

PHOTOS

Coconut Bubble Tea (Homemade Boba Recipe) - Savory Tooth (2)

Coconut Bubble Tea (Homemade Boba Recipe) - Savory Tooth (3)

Coconut Bubble Tea (Homemade Boba Recipe) - Savory Tooth (4)


NOTES & TIPS

(1) Black Tea. I use black tea, but any kind of tea will work (like green tea). Just use two cups of brewed tea.

(2) Coconut Milk. Use an unsweetened full-fat version, not light or reduced fat. I’ve used Goya and Chaokoh brands. Before measuring out the amount to use, stir or shake well because there will be separation in the can. Properly stirred coconut milk should appear thick and creamy, not watery.

(3) Tapioca Pearls. Buy black tapioca pearls from a local Asian grocery store or online. I found mine on Amazon: 2 pack black tapioca pearls with straws.

(4) Cooking Tapioca. I usually cook tapioca by boiling for 5 minutes in a saucepan on the stovetop, then transferring to cold water to stop the cooking process. Adjust the cooking time to get your preferred tapioca pearl texture. For example, if you like them to be soft and squishy, cook them a minute or two longer.

(5) Serving. Adjust proportions of coconut milk and honey for desired sweetness and taste. Serve chilled with ice cubes and extra thick straws wide enough for the boba to pass through. Enjoy promptly because tapioca pearls lose their texture over time and harden.

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About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes in a user-friendly format. She typically prefers savory foods over sweet, hence the name of the site. Contact her at julia@savorytooth.null.com.

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newest oldest most voted

Paz

can u make this with white tapioca pearls?

Vote Up6Vote Down Reply

3 years ago

☯︎︎♪♲︎♪ᴥ︎

Any tapioca pearls will do – their flavours will be different though. Also, it won’t look as ꧁𝕒𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕔꧂

Jotroop Kaur

*aesthetic

Vote Up2Vote Down Reply

3 years ago

Suzi

I love the tapioca pearls

Vote Up5Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Boba Made

What a refreshing drink! I love boba tea, and I make it at home all the time (even from scratch with tapioca powder) I am definitely going to try this Coconut tea recipe next time, which is probably tomorrow =)

Vote Up3Vote Down Reply

5 years ago

Travis

Delicious! Will be making again soon.

Vote Up2Vote Down Reply

6 years ago

Joanne

This looks so cool! I’ve always wanted to try one of these boba bubble teas but for some reason I never did. Also I was intrigued about the little bubbles. I had no idea they were tapioca pearls! Oh and coconut and vanilla combo sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it! Do you think I can use homemade coconut milk instead of the canned one?

Vote Up1Vote Down Reply

6 years ago

Julia

Thanks Joanne! Yes, homemade coconut milk would work as well. 🙂

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

6 years ago

Sam

Love the tips !

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

7 months ago

Kathy Swenson

Can you make pearls using coconut instead of the tapioca and if so can you buy them instead of making them?

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

2 years ago

Julia

I’m not aware of any way to make the pearls using coconut instead of tapioca. Sorry I can’t be of more help!

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

2 years ago

Shaheen

I’ve had black tapioca pearls in my cupboard forever and have been slow to make Bubble tea, hopefully this year I will get round to it.

Happy New Year to you too.

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Nicole

Did you use canned coconut milk or the more watery version in the carton? Also, what brand black tea do you recommend? Thanks! 😀

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Julia

Hi Nicole! I used canned coconut milk. As for the black tea, I used a Taiwanese brand that’s hard to find at most stores, but any brand will work nicely for this recipe. Hope that helps!

Vote Up1Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Manar

Followed your directions. The same coconut can you have, I used. It was gritty. Tried straining it but still didn’t work. Didn’t taste good either. Not at all like the store bubble tea

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

3 years ago

Caitlin

It probably went bad, did you check the expiration date?

Vote Up1Vote Down Reply

3 years ago

Julia @ HappyFoods

I am really curious about this bubble tea as I had never heard of it before! Do the tapioca pearls add some specific flavour to the tea? What do they taste like?

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Julia

Not so much flavor as texture. The tapioca pearls have a soft, squishy texture that make the drink more interesting. Instead of just drinking a beverage, you occasionally get something to chew on 🙂

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Julia @ HappyFoods

Thanks for the clarification! 🙂

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Roma Soodeen

The pearls actually don’t have any taste but you can change that by letting them sit and (soak) to absorb what ever flavor you like. such as strawberry syrup, honey etc.

Vote Up1Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Pam

I’ve seen recipes for soaking or cooking them in brown sugar syrup. Yum!

Vote Up0Vote Down Reply

2 years ago

tiffany

i was wondering if you could use coconut water instead of coconut milk? would that work?

Vote Up-1Vote Down Reply

4 years ago

Julia

Coconut water would result in a much thinner drink, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Vote Up2Vote Down Reply

4 years ago

ashley

Delicious! ONe question, where did you get those cups, i love them 🙂

Vote Up-1Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Julia

Thanks Ashley! Those cups are actually milk jugs. You can get them on Amazon (http://amzn.to/2bREVWf) or at Red Hill General Store: http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/housewares/kitchen/kitacc/Glass-Milk-Bottles.htm

Vote Up1Vote Down Reply

7 years ago

Coconut Bubble Tea (Homemade Boba Recipe) - Savory Tooth (2024)

FAQs

How to make coconut boba tea in Dreamlight Valley? ›

To make a Coconut Boba Tea, you will need the following ingredients:
  1. 1 Milk.
  2. 1 Sugarcane.
  3. 1 Coconut. Once you have gathered the required ingredients, head to a cooking station and place the above items into the pot--you will need one piece of coal to start the cooking process.

How to make boba pearls at home without tapioca starch? ›

Theoretically, you can substitute tapioca flour with cornstarch, potato starch, or sweet potato starch. You can also substitute brown sugar water with any type of sweet drink you like. For example, I used freshly blended strawberry juice in this strawberry boba recipe.

What are the ingredients in Dreamlight Valley Boba Tea? ›

To make Boba Tea in Disney Dreamlight Valley, players must collect two crucial ingredients; Sugarcane and Milk. The first is related to a certain Biome while the latter is all about rescuing a certain character.

Can I eat boba by itself? ›

However, in response to Amanda's experience combined with Sharp's opinion, Yahoo Canada has debunked the trend of eating boba pearls whole. While they are safe to eat in general, they should be chewed first to prevent stomach discomfort. Additionally, they should be consumed in moderation.

Is homemade boba healthy? ›

Unfortunately, boba itself provides very few health benefits, though its calories and carbohydrates can provide you with a boost in energy. In most cases, boba tea contains high levels of sugar, which is linked to long-term health conditions like diabetes and obesity.

Can you just swallow boba? ›

According to BubbleBase, you should always chew the pearls before swallowing them. “Whole pearls … can take longer for your stomach to digest,” it wrote.

How to make popping boba pearls? ›

To make popping boba, the fruit juice is mixed with sodium alginate which will then be dropped into calcium chloride solution. Each droplet will form into a small ball in the calcium setting bath, causing the formation of a thin gel-like skin that can burst when squeezed.

Why is my homemade boba hard? ›

Sometimes if the tapioca pearls get too cold or come into direct contact with the ice before other liquid has been added, they can start to harden. Adding the ice last should help keep the boba soft and chewy. It's common to see boba tea served both with and without ice.

Does boba get hard? ›

Boba are at their best and chewiest if used within a few hours of cooking. However, the longer cooking method I outline below helps the boba stay soft and moist for several days if kept refrigerated in simple syrup. They will gradually start to harden and become crunchy in the middle.

What is the chewy boba called? ›

Tapioca Pearl – This is a chewy boba made with tapioca, brown sugar and water. As a classic, it is one of the most common bubble tea toppings. It works great with any drink flavor, and its texture makes it ideal for people who prefer something more gummy and chewy. We should also mention that Pearl Boba is vegetarian.

How do I get coconuts Dreamlight Valley? ›

Bury the eel on Dazzle Beach and tend to it until it grows into a Coconut Tree. To find Worms in Dreamlight Valley, dig around in the large mounds of dirt found in the Peaceful Meadow! Once these steps have been completed and "Burying The Eel" is finished, Coconut Trees will start appearing on Dazzle Beach.

How do you make a Coconut Tree in Dreamlight Valley? ›

Maui will ask you to plant the eel, so dig a spot somewhere in your valley and bury the fish there, then water it repeatedly until it finally sprouts into a coconut tree.

Where is CoCo bubble tea from? ›

Global bubble tea brand with more than 4000 stores worldwide! Come and enjoy the most fabulous fresh drinks from Taiwan! Enjoy CoCo on Mobile!

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