Adding a twist to your usual milk tea will keep the boba craving in check while letting you enjoy a refreshing new flavor. A strawberry milk tea is one of the easiest boba tea recipes that you can do yourself. But did you know that you put your own twist on this delightful recipe? Yes! It’s perfect if you can find this delicious milk tea flavor near you.
This article will give you a strawberry boba tea recipe and the ingredients you should keep in your pantry. Ready for a refreshing dose of strawberry bubble tea?
What is Strawberry Milk Tea?
Milk tea, as its name implies, is a mixture of milk and tea made refreshingly delicious by topping it with ice and your preferred flavoring. One common addition is the boba pearls. It’s the reason why milk tea is also called bubble tea.
Bubble tea first became popular in the 1980s in Taiwan. Since then, this drink has become well-known and in demand worldwide. A strawberry milk tea is a combination of milk, tea, and strawberry. Of course, you can also add other ingredients to it to make it as tasty as you like.
What Does Strawberry Milk Tea Taste Like?
If made with real, fresh strawberries, a strawberry milk tea will have a fresh strawberry taste. But what makes it different is its creaminess mixed with a tea flavor. The tea is only subtle but perfectly complements the strawberry taste.
The overall taste will depend on how much of each ingredient you choose to add. If you want it extra creamy, you can add more milk. Continue reading to know what strawberry boba ingredients you should prepare if you plan to have an extremely refreshing drink to complete your day.
Strawberry Boba Ingredients
Yield: 4 glasses
Preparation Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Cooking Time (tapioca pearl): 20 to 30 minutes
Here’s what you need:
- Fresh Strawberries (3 to 4 pieces): It’s best to use fresh strawberries if you have access to them. If it’s not possible, then frozen strawberries can work as well. Before using frozen strawberries, make sure to thaw them and let the water drain first.
- Green or Black Tea (3 bags): You may choose to use either green or black tea to add that kick of tea for boosting your energy. If you want to achieve a burst of strawberry flavor, you may also use strawberry tea.
- Milk (3 to 4 cups): For creamy goodness, add full-cream milk. If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, oat or almond milk also works!
- Sugar (4 tbsps): Add sweetness to your strawberry milk tea by adding strawberry syrup. If you don’t have this, prepare granulated sugar, water, and strawberries.
- Boba or Pearls (½ cup): Milk tea won’t be complete without the delectable boba pearls. Boba pearls add texture to your strawberry milk tea drink. For this recipe, you can cook them using tapioca pearls. You can get these at any Asian grocery store or an online shop. If you want to stay true to the strawberry flavor, you can get a strawberry boba. But be warned, they’re pretty hard to find.
- Vanilla Extract: Adding vanilla to your strawberry milk tea will give it a flavorful depth that perfectly complements the sweetness of your drink.
- Crushed Ice: Milk tea is best enjoyed cold! So make sure to have a handful of ice.
How to Prepare the Sugar Syrup:
- In a heated pan, mix sugar and water in equal parts.
- Allow it to boil until reduced to syrup.
- Use it to sweeten your drink.
Note: You can refrigerate excess sugar syrup in the refrigerator for a month.
How to Cook Tapioca Pearls:
Boba comes from slightly cooked tapioca flour. As it is, boba doesn’t have any flavor. Sweeten your boba pearls by adding honey or sugar syrup. Most boba pearls are available in brown or black. But they can also be found in other colors to match a particular theme that you’re aiming for.
Tapioca Pearl Ingredients:
- Water
- Tapioca pearls
- Sugar syrup or brown sugar to taste
How to Cook Boba Pearls:
- Boil 7 parts of water to 1 part of tapioca.
- When the water starts to boil, add the tapioca pearls.
- Stir the mixture lightly so the pearls don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Allow the tapioca pearls to float on the water.
- Once the pearls are floating, cover the pan.
- Continue cooking on high heat for 15 minutes. Stirring lightly every 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the burner, and let it sit for 15 minutes while still covered.
- Run the cooked tapioca pearls over cold water to maintain their chewy texture.
- Drain the water. Transfer it to a clean container.
- Add the sugar syrup or brown sugar.
How to Make Strawberry Boba Tea
Now that you have everything ready let’s start making the best strawberry-flavored milk tea!
Step 1: Prepare the tea.
Steep your tea bags in the water for at least 3 minutes. Remember, the longer you steep your tea, the stronger the flavor is. For green tea, the freshest flavor comes in about 3 minutes. Black teas are often infused longer than other teas.
You can steep it for at least five minutes to increase its caffeine content and give you a full-bodied tea flavor. For milk teas, the ideal infusion time is 3 minutes. It’s enough to get a hint of tea flavor. You can also steep your tea a day ahead and keep them in the refrigerator before use.
Step 2: Cook the boba.
While you’re infusing the tea, start cooking the boba. You can follow the recipe given above. Take note, however, that quick-cooking tapioca pearls only have a five-minute cooking time. But you can cook depending on your preferred consistency. Remember to follow package instructions on prep time. You don’t want to end up with uncooked or overcooked boba pearls!
Step 3: Cook the strawberries.
While you let the boba pearls sit, work on your strawberries. Follow these steps:
- Rinse and remove the stems.
- Cut them into small pieces.
- On medium-high heat, add the cubed strawberries and mix them with sugar.
- Add vanilla extract.
- Allow it to boil for about 8 minutes. Lower the heat to medium as soon as the water is on a rolling boil.
- Simmer for 15 minutes. Continue stirring. Don’t forget to smash the strawberries until they thicken.
- Skim the foam that will form on the top player.
- Once cooked, store the strawberry mixture in the chiller. Chilling it will further thicken the compote and add a unique taste to your strawberry boba tea.
Step 4: Mix the ingredients
Are you ready to put together your ingredients? Here’s how you should assemble your strawberry milk tea:
- Start by putting sugar syrup in your glass. You can drizzle on the sides of your glass for an added aesthetic to your drink.
- Add the boba pearls.
- Pour the strawberry compote.
- Add milk and the steeped tea to the mixture.
- Add crushed ice.
- Drizzle with strawberry syrup if you prefer.
Remember how some milk tea shops would ask you about your sugar level? You can adjust the sweetness level to your liking.
Notes:
- For pre-mixed strawberry compote and milk tea, it’s safe to keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- However, if mixed with cooked boba, it’s best to serve it immediately. Cooked boba can only be kept on the counter for two hours. The longer you keep it on the counter, the faster it will turn into a mushy mess.
FAQs
Does boba tea have caffeine?
Yes, boba tea has caffeine. However, it’s not as much as you would find in a regular coffee. The steeping time factors in the caffeine concentration. As mentioned, the longer you infuse your tea, the more concentrated it will be. If you want to remove the caffeine, you will have to remove the tea from the mix completely, and you’d only have a strawberry milk drink.
Are boba teas healthy?
Boba teas can provide a boost of energy when you’re feeling down or stressed out. Its refreshing goodness and flavorful taste can make you want to consume more. However, its health benefits are only minimal. They are not ideal to consume regularly because they can have high sugar levels that may cause chronic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. As always, it’s best consumed in moderation.
What is bubble tea vs. boba tea?
There’s no district difference between bubble tea and boba. But most would refer to boba as the tapioca pearls in your drink. Bubble tea may refer to the drink itself.
What is jelly in boba tea?
Aside from the usual tapioca pearls, you can have other additions to your milk tea drink, such as jellies. These jellies, contrary to what most believe, are not gelatin. They are often made from coconut meat or a vegetable by-product. It’s a good alternative for boba pearls.
What are boba balls made of?
Boba balls are tapioca pearls that come from cassava root starch. Some use it as a more affordable option for sago, a substance from the palm tree trunk used for making sweet puddings.
