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Homemade Tapioca Pearls (Boba) Recipe

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This recipe guides you through making homemade tapioca pearls, perfect for creating authentic bubble milk tea. Using tapioca starch and brown sugar, you’ll prepare chewy, translucent pearls from scratch, then cook and coat them with a warm sugar syrup. Finally, serve the pearls with your choice of milk or tea for a delightful bubble tea experience.

Ingredients

Tapioca Pearls

  • 3/4 cup tapioca starch (plus a bit more for dusting – aka tapioca flour)
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar (black sugar, muscovado sugar, or white sugar can be substituted)
  • 1/4 cup water

Sugar Syrup

  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar

Bubble Milk Tea

  • 4 cups almond milk (or any milk, tea, or beverage of choice)
  • Ice cubes (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make tapioca dough: In a medium-sized pot, heat 1/4 cup water and 2 Tbsp sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is almost boiling, then remove from heat.
  2. Mix starch and heat: Add about 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch to the mixture, stirring until fully combined and lump-free. Place over low heat and stir continuously until the mixture thickens to a paste-like consistency. Remove from heat.
  3. Form dough: Add the remaining tapioca starch to the hot mixture and mix well until a sticky dough forms. Lightly dust a working surface with tapioca starch and knead the warm dough until smooth and uniform, adding more starch as needed to prevent sticking.
  4. Shape pearls: Divide the dough in half, covering the unused portion to prevent drying. Roll the dough into thin, long rods and cut into small pieces. Roll each piece into tiny balls, remembering they will expand when cooked. Place the pearls in a bowl and dust with tapioca starch to avoid sticking. Repeat with the remaining dough. You may store dry pearls at this stage if desired.
  5. Cook tapioca pearls: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, using at least 4 cups of water per cup of dry pearls. Add the pearls carefully to boiling water, stirring to prevent sticking. Cover and boil for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and let the pearls rest in the hot water for another 20 minutes to achieve chewy, translucent texture.
  6. Rinse pearls: Drain the cooked tapioca pearls and quickly transfer them to cold water to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
  7. Prepare sugar syrup coating: Warm 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over medium heat for a few minutes until it starts to melt but not fully liquefied. Add the drained pearls and stir until they are evenly coated with the warm sugar syrup.
  8. Make bubble milk tea: Prepare your preferred drink, such as almond milk or tea, chilled or at room temperature. Pour about 1/4 cup of warm, coated tapioca pearls into a glass and gently roll the glass to coat its walls with the sugar syrup.
  9. Serve: Add ice cubes if desired, then pour in your drink of choice. Serve with a wide boba straw and enjoy your homemade bubble milk tea!

Notes

  • Tapioca starch is sometimes labeled as tapioca flour; either works for this recipe.
  • Keep the dough covered to prevent drying out while shaping pearls.
  • Pearls will expand significantly during cooking, so make them smaller than you want the final size to be.
  • The resting time after boiling is crucial for chewy texture.
  • You can store uncooked dry pearls in an airtight container for future use.
  • Adjust sugar quantity in syrup to your sweetness preference.
  • Feel free to use any plant-based milk or traditional milk to customize your bubble tea.

Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/homemade-tapioca-pearls-boba-recipe/