Recipe

5 Homemade Bubble Tea Recipes

By Kayla Zhang at St. Louis University

Admit it. You've thought about all the foods you miss eating during the school year. Whether it's the local pizza place a few blocks down from campus or the cafe that makes the best smoothies, there are some foods that you can't wait to reunite with once school starts. For many of us, bubble tea sits at the top of the list. Whether it's bubble tea from popular places such as Joy Yee or Kung Fu Tea or that amazing, hole-in-the-wall boba shop that has the best boba ever, it's unlikely you'll be able to put off your cravings until the end of Summer. Here are 5 homemade bubble tea recipes to help you satisfy your bubble tea desires.

Tapioca Pearls (Boba)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Servings: 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup instant boba
4 cups water
2 Tbsp honey/agave nectar or 1/2 cup sugar

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Measure out the boba. For every 1/4 cup of boba, boil 2 cups of water.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Add the boba to the boiled water and stir gently until the boba rises to the top.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Once the boba rises to the top, turn the heat to medium and cover the pan.

Kayla Zhang

Step 5

Allow the boba to cook on medium heat for 12-15 minutes.

Kayla Zhang

Step 6

Once the boba is done cooking, turn off the stove. Drain the water using a colander or bowl.

Kayla Zhang

Step 7

Rinse the boba with cold water in the sink.

Kayla Zhang

Step 8

Transfer boba to a separate bowl or container and add sweetener.

Kayla Zhang

Step 9

Add 2 Tbsp of honey or sugar syrup.

Kayla Zhang

Step 10

Sugar Syrup: Boil 1/2 cup of water or heat up 1/2 cup of water in the microwave.

Kayla Zhang

Step 11

Add 1/2 cup of sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow syrup to cool before use.

Kayla Zhang

Brewed Tea

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Servings: 1

Ingredients

1-2 tea bags green or black or 1-2 Tbsp free tea leaves
1 cup water

Jocelyn Hsu

Step 1

Boil water on stove or heat water in the microwave.

Using free tea leaves: Place leaves into tea infuser or tea infuser teapot. Add hot water.

Using tea bag: Place teabag in mug with hot water. Allow tea bag to infuse.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Wait for tea to cool.

Kayla Zhang

1. Avocado Bubble Tea

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 spoonful boba
1 medium avocado pitted
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp honey or any sweetener

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Cut the avocado in half and spoon out the edible parts into a blender.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Add 1/2 a cup of milk and 1 Tbsp of honey to the blender. Blend everything together.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Add 1/2 cup of boba to the cup.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Add the avocado mix to the cup.

Kayla Zhang

2. Coffee Bubble Tea

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 spoonful boba
1/2 cup coffee or 1 shot espresso
1/2 cup milk or 2 Tbsp condensed milk

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Add boba to the cup.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Brew the coffee. Allow the coffee to cool and add it to the cup.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Add the milk.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Optional: Add ice or chill in fridge.

Kayla Zhang

3. Jasmine Bubble Tea

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 spoonful boba
1 cup jasmine green tea
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp honey/sweetener

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Add boba to the cup.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Add tea to a separate cup.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Add milk and sweetener of choice to the same cup as the tea.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Pour all of the mixed ingredients into the cup with boba.

Kayla Zhang

4. Sweet Peach Bubble Tea

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 spoonful boba
1 peach
1 Tbsp honey or any sweetener
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup green tea

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Cut the peach into small pieces.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Throw the cut pieces of peach into a blender. Add milk.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Add honey/sweetener and blend.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Place 1/2 cup of boba into cup.

Kayla Zhang

Step 5

Add the peach mix into the cup or add in the green tea and blend.

Kayla Zhang

Step 6

If green tea was not added to blender, add it to the cup with the peach mix.

Kayla Zhang

Step 7

Stir the mix using a utensil.

Kayla Zhang

5. Mango Bubble Tea

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 spoonful boba
1 mango
1 Tbsp sweetener
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup black tea

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Add boba to the cup.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Cut the mango in half and spoon out the edible parts into a blender.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Add the milk.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Add sweetener.

Kayla Zhang

Step 5

Add black tea.

Kayla Zhang

Step 6

Blend all the ingredients together and pour mixture into the cup.

Kayla Zhang

Whether you're an avid bubble tea drinker who has tried every bubble tea flavor the world has to offer or you've just now learning about the bubble tea craze, these bubble tea recipes are bound to make your Summer a bit more interesting. Who knows? Maybe once you've nailed these bubble tea recipes, you'll want to try more unique bubble tea flavors instead of ordering your usual drink. Either way, you'll have some new recipes to take back to school to impress your friends at the start of the semester.