Description
Homemade Vanilla Bubble Tea with chewy tapioca pearls, fragrant vanilla syrup, and your favorite tea and milk. A fun and customizable treat!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup tapioca starch, plus extra for dusting
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ½ cup brown sugar (or granulated sugar), for cooking
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 vanilla beans, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 4 cups brewed black tea, cooled (Assam or Ceylon recommended)
- 1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy, your preference!)
- Ice cubes
- Vanilla Syrup (to taste)
- Cooked Tapioca Pearls (as desired)
Instructions
- In a heat-safe bowl, pour the boiling water over the tapioca starch. Stir immediately and vigorously with a spoon or spatula. The mixture will start to come together quickly.
- Once the mixture has cooled enough to handle (but is still warm!), turn it out onto a lightly dusted surface (use tapioca starch for dusting). Knead the dough until it forms a smooth, elastic ball. This might take a few minutes. If the dough is too dry, add a tiny bit of water, a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too sticky, add a little more tapioca starch. The consistency should be similar to playdough.
- Pinch off small pieces of dough (about ¼ inch in diameter) and roll them into small, round balls. Keep the finished pearls covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. You can also dust them lightly with tapioca starch.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently add the tapioca pearls. They will initially sink to the bottom, but as they cook, they will float to the surface. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are translucent with a small white center. The cooking time can vary depending on the size of your pearls, so test one to make sure it’s cooked through.
- While the pearls are cooking, prepare a simple syrup by combining ½ cup brown sugar (or granulated sugar) and ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Once the pearls are cooked, drain them and immediately transfer them to the sugar syrup. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes, or longer for a sweeter flavor. This also prevents them from sticking together.
- In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, water, and vanilla beans (split and scraped). If you’re using vanilla extract, you’ll add it later.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to low and let the syrup simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the vanilla flavor to infuse into the syrup.
- If you used vanilla beans, remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool slightly. Then, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla bean solids. If you’re using vanilla extract, stir it in now.
- Transfer the vanilla syrup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep for several weeks.
- Brew your black tea (Assam or Ceylon are great choices) according to the package directions. Let it cool completely. You can even brew it ahead of time and chill it in the refrigerator.
- Scoop a generous amount of cooked tapioca pearls into the bottom of each glass. The amount is really up to your personal preference. I usually go for about ¼ to ½ cup per glass.
- Fill the glass with ice cubes.
- Pour the cooled black tea over the ice. Leave some room at the top for the milk and vanilla syrup.
- Pour in the milk (dairy or non-dairy) to your liking. Start with about ¼ cup and adjust to taste.
- Add the vanilla syrup to taste. Start with a tablespoon and stir well. Taste and add more syrup if needed. Remember, the tapioca pearls are already sweetened, so you might not need as much syrup as you think.
- Stir everything together well. Serve immediately with a wide straw (bubble tea straws are ideal) so you can slurp up those delicious tapioca pearls!
Notes
- Tapioca Pearl Consistency: The texture of the tapioca pearls is crucial. If they’re undercooked, they’ll be hard and chewy. If they’re overcooked, they’ll be mushy. Aim for a slightly chewy, but still soft, texture.
- Vanilla Bean vs. Extract: Using vanilla beans will give you a richer, more complex vanilla flavor. However, vanilla extract is a perfectly acceptable substitute.
- Tea Strength: Adjust the strength of your tea to your liking. If you prefer a stronger tea flavor, use more tea bags or loose-leaf tea when brewing.
- Milk Options: Feel free to experiment with different types of milk. Almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, and coconut milk all work well.
- Sweetness Level: The sweetness of the bubble tea is entirely up to you. Adjust the amount of vanilla syrup to your taste. You can also use other sweeteners, such as honey or agave nectar.
- Add-ins: Get creative with your bubble tea! You can add other flavors, such as fruit purees, chocolate syrup, or even a splash of rum extract for a boozy twist (for adults only, of course!).
- Making Pearls Ahead: You can make the tapioca pearls ahead of time, but they are best served fresh. If you do make them in advance, store them in the sugar syrup in the refrigerator. They may harden slightly, but you can soften them by microwaving them for a few seconds before serving.
- Adjusting the Recipe: This recipe is easily adaptable. You can double or triple the ingredients to make a larger batch.
- Tapioca Pearls Sticking Together: If your tapioca pearls are sticking together, make sure you are cooking them in plenty of boiling water and stirring them occasionally. Also, transferring them to the sugar syrup immediately after cooking will help prevent them from sticking.
- Dough Too Dry: If your tapioca dough is too dry and crumbly, add a tiny bit of water, a teaspoon at a time, until it comes together.
- Dough Too Sticky: If your tapioca dough is too sticky, add a little more tapioca starch, a teaspoon at a time, until it is easier to handle.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes