Vegan Bubble Tea (boba tea)

Although boba is incredibly popular and can be found almost anywhere, limited tea shops offer plant-based alternatives, especially here in Malaysia. This inspired me to make my own at home, which turned out to be pretty effortless! 

Check out my lemon barley water next if you want more Asian-inspired drinks!

💚Why you will love this recipe

• A refreshing and cold beverage that is great for the warmer months 
• Budget-friendly and much more cost-efficient than buying it from cafes and coffee shops 
• Highly customizable to fit your needs and suit your taste 
• Fuss-free and ready in 15 minutes 

🤔What is boba 

Boba, also known as bubble tea and pearl milk tea, is a tea-based drink from Taiwan. The basic version features a base of tea (usually black tea) mixed with milk and syrup or sweetener with chewy tapioca pearls. They can be enjoyed warm or chilled but are more commonly served cold. 

Nowadays, bubble tea comes in various flavors (including coffee, matcha, and fruit teas) and toppings other than tapioca pearls (like jellies, popping boba, sago, and taro balls). This means that there are endless combinations and you will never get bored! 

However, as bubble tea is essentially milk tea with pearls, it is often not vegan unless plant-based milk alternatives are available. Hence, I usually make mine at home using almond milk or barista soy milk! 

📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 

• Tapioca pearls - They come in a dry form and have to be boiled before use. You can find it in your local Asian market or through an online retailer. I usually get my tapioca pearls online through Amazon. 
• Black tea - Traditionally, Chinese black tea (like oolong and lapsang souchong) is used. However, any strong black tea like Assam, earl grey, and English breakfast would work. 
• Milk - I am using almond milk, but any unflavored plant-based milk can be used. 
• Sugar - Any granulated sweetener like table, brown, and cane sugar will work. You can use sugar substitutes like erythritol and xylitol to make this sugar-free. 

🔪How to make 

Making sugar syrup - You can make it in the microwave or a saucepan. If using the microwave, heat the sugar solution at 30-second bursts until the sugar is fully dissolved, giving it a stir at every interval. To cook it on the stove, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer in a saucepan, and cook until the sugar fully dissolves. 

Cooking tapioca pearls - Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add your tapioca pearls. Let them cook for 5-8 minutes (per the package’s instructions) or until the pearls are chewy. Transfer them to a bowl of cold water until ready to use. 

Brewing tea - While the pearls are cooking, brew your tea in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Alternatively, you can make cold brew tea by brewing your tea in cold water for 10-12 hours, or overnight. 

Assemble milk tea - Strain the pearls, distribute them equally among 2 glasses, and add a handful of ice. Pour the tea, syrup, and milk on top. Give it a taste, adding more milk and syrup if needed. Your vegan bubble tea is ready to be served! 

✅Helpful tips 

• Make tapioca pearls fresh - Boba pearls tend to stiffen and lose their chewiness fairly quickly. 
• Drain pearls right before using - Allow pearls to soak in cold water until ready to use to prevent them from drying out or sticking together. 
• Use a strong-flavored tea - Adding milk and syrup will overpower the flavor of a mild-tasting tea. 
• Cooling tea faster - Add tea and a handful of ice to a cocktail shaker, and shake until the tea is cold. 
• Adjust the proportion of ingredients to your liking - This recipe only serves as a general guide. Feel free to play around with the amount of each component used to find a proportion that suits you! 
• Invest in a boba straw - I highly recommend getting a reusable boba straw if you drink bubble tea often. It will significantly enhance the drinking experience! If not, you can serve vegan boba with a spoon to spoon the pearls. 

✨Variations and add-ins 

This vegan boba is just a basic recipe. Hence, I recommend that you get creative and play around with the flavors and toppings to make it your own! 

Tea - Instead of tea, you can substitute it with a shot or two of espresso, matcha, or fruit tea. I even see variations that omit the tea entirely and flavor the milk with syrups. 

Low caffeine or caffeine-free  - Use decaffeinated tea instead. Alternatively, you can use herbal teas like chamomile or rooibos.

Flavored syrups - Instead of sweetening your vegan bubble tea with a simple sugar syrup, you can use flavored syrup. Fruit syrups like peach and strawberry are extremely popular. 

Make it creamier - Replace milk with vegan creamer. You might want to start with less. Give it a taste and add more if needed. 

Jelly - Another popular milk tea topping is jelly. You can make your own at home or use store-bought boba jelly. They give your vegan boba extra texture and flavor! 

🧋Make ahead suggestions 

This vegan bubble tea is best consumed fresh or within an hour after making. However, you can prep individual components of the dish ahead of time. 

• Tea - Brewed tea can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Remove the teabag before storing it, or it might turn out to be too bitter. 
• Sugar syrup - The syrup stores well and can be refrigerated for up to a week. 
• Tapioca pearls - I highly recommend cooking it right before serving. You can refrigerate it in water for up to 24 hours. It will turn soggy if it is stored any longer than that. 

❔Commonly asked questions