Recipe

This Homemade Bubble Tea is Better and Cheaper Than the Shops

By Madeleine Le at University of Washington

Bubble tea, otherwise known as boba, is one of my favorite drinks. The combination of chewy tapioca pearls and well-flavored milk tea is amazing. Unfortunately, it can be expensive. A good cup of bubble tea can cost about $3-$5 at bubble tea shops near my university. If I bought bubble tea everyday, it would set my food budget back due to the costs. 

After some research through YouTube and some personal experimentation, I came up with a delicious recipe for bubble tea. This drink is not only delicious, but it's cheaper to make rather than buying it from the store. I've decided to make this bubble tea matcha flavored, as I've noticed that matcha tends to be a popular flavor. 

Matcha Bubble Tea

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 1/5 tsp Matcha powder
  • 3 1/2 cups Water
  • 2/3 cups Soy milk or any type milk
  • 1 cup Ice
  • 1/3 cups Tapioca Pearls
  • 1 tsp Honey

Madeleine Le

Step 1

Start boiling 3 cups of your water in a pot.

Madeleine Le

Step 2

Add your tapioca pearls slowly once the water boils.

Madeleine Le

Step 3

When tapioca pearls float to the surface of the water, cover the pot and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Then turn off heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Madeleine Le

Step 4

Scoop out tapioca and let rest in cold water for 20 seconds.

Madeleine Le

Step 5

Scoop tapioca in dry bowl and mix it with half of your honey.

Madeleine Le

Step 6

Boil the rest of your water.

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Step 7

Place your matcha in a clean glass and then pour the rest of your water over it.

Madeleine Le

Step 8

Next, use a matcha whisk to mix your matcha concentration.

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Step 9

Let your matcha concentration cool for about 5 minutes.

Madeleine Le

Step 10

After your matcha concentration has cooled off, pour it into a martini shaker.

Madeleine Le

Step 11

Add your soy milk, half of your ice, and honey into the martini shaker.

Madeleine Le

Step 12

Put lid on and shake till well mixed.

Madeleine Le

Step 13

Add your pearls, rest of ice, and matcha mixture into a clean glass. Enjoy!

Madeleine Le

This recipe is one of my favorites to make whenever I'm craving bubble tea. I'll still go to a bubble tea shop whenever I want to try out a new flavor (my new favorite is rose milk tea), but I love making this one when I'm craving a classic flavor like matcha. This recipe will definitely allow you to express your inner boba-rista as it gives you room to experiment how you like your bubble tea, such as trying out different sweetness levels. Let yourself be creative and save money by making this bubble tea.