Make Your Own Boba: Honeyed Berry Orange Bubble Tea

This refreshing Honeyed Berry Orange Bubble Tea is so much fun to drink with the pearls of tapioca in the bottom.

And this version is dairy free and has no added sugar making it pretty guilt free too.

I first time I had boba, aka bubble tea or milk tea, was long before it became popular and was available in every mall in the US.  We'd often get them at lunch with our pho or banh mi sandwiches. One of the benefits of working near Little Saigon!

With #NationalBubbleTeaDay coming up on April 30th, I thought I'd try to make it at home.

If you can boil water you can make it from scratch. Though there are syrups you can buy to make it at home as well.

I left this version dairy free, using just tea and juice. But you are welcome to add a little sweetened condensed milk (or dairy free milk) if you desire.

What are boba pearls made of?

Tapioca. Yes, the same little balls in tapioca pudding. Tapioca is a starch derived from the cassava plant. Cassava is grown in South America and South East Asia and you will see it used in their cuisines.

Where do you find boba pearls?

The hard part for me was finding the boba. I didn't have time to run over to the Asian market across town, so I just ordered these pretty colored ones from Amazon (<--affiliate link, I may receive a commission for any purchases through that link). There is no flavor difference between these or any other color (tapioca is basically flavorless), but I thought the colors were fun.

And while you are ordering the boba, you probably want to pick up the fat straws to slurp up the pearls as you drink the tea.

Recipe

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Ingredients

 

• ¼ cup uncooked boba tapioca pearls
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup strong berry or orange tea (chilled)
• ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (chilled)
• 1-2 fresh strawberries (mashed)
• 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (optional)

Instructions

 

• Prepare the pearls according to the package directions. Put in a small bowl with honey and chill until ready to serve
• In a tall glass combine tea, orange juice and strawberries (plus milk if using). Add ice if desired.
• Add cooled pearls and stir before serving.