This vanilla boba tea (also known as vanilla milk tea) is a delicious tea-based drink that combines the bold flavor of black tea with the creamy, rich taste of whole milk and the aromatic flavor of vanilla, creating a perfect treat for any time of the day.
If you're looking for a refreshing and satisfying cold drink, you can't go wrong with this vanilla boba tea. Prepared as an iced beverage, this vanilla milk tea is an excellent choice for those who appreciate bubble boba tea and its unique texture. With just a few simple ingredients, you can enjoy a perfect cup of vanilla milk tea that is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
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❤️Why you will love this recipe
- It's easy to make with only 6 simple ingredients i.e. tea, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and boba pearls.
- You get to adjust the level of sweetness in your tea to suit your liking.
- You get to adjust the boba in your milk tea and add as much or as little as you like.
- You can make the tea with your choice of tea leaves and adjust the tea concentration as you wish.
❓What is Boba
Boba, also known as bubble tea, is a popular Taiwanese beverage that typically consists of tea (usually black tea or green tea) mixed with milk, sweetener, and chewy tapioca balls, known as boba pearls or simply boba.
The drink is usually served cold and can be customized with a variety of flavors and toppings, such as fruit syrups, jelly, or fruit bits. The tapioca pearls give the drink a unique texture, and the combination of flavors and textures make it a favorite among many tea enthusiasts.
Boba has become increasingly popular around the world and can now be found in many different variations in tea shops, cafes, and restaurants.
The boba pearls, also known as tapioca pearls, are made from cassava root, a starchy vegetable. The process of making boba pearls involves mixing tapioca starch with boiling water and kneading it into a dough. The dough is then rolled into small balls, which are boiled until they become translucent and chewy. The cooked boba pearls are then soaked in a sugar syrup or honey solution to add sweetness and flavor.
Boba pearls come in different sizes and colors, but the most common size is around ¼ inch in diameter. The pearls are typically black or brown in color due to the addition of caramel or brown sugar during the cooking process. However, some variations may use other natural ingredients to create different colors and flavors.
Boba drinks can also be made at home by making your own homemade tapioca pearls or purchasing the dry pearls from local grocery stores. This vanilla boba recipe teaches you how to make your very own vanilla bubble milk tea (pearl milk tea) at the comfort of your own home.
📋Ingredients
- Black tea (tea bags) - Use regular black tea bags. I prefer to use tea bags as they do not need to be strained.
- Brown sugar - this is to make the brown sugar syrup for the boba. You can make this in advance and keep it refrigerated for later use.
- Uncooked tapioca pearls (tapioca balls) - these are normally sold in vacuum packed bags in dry form. You can get these from your local grocery stores.
- White sugar - this is to sweeten the tea. You can use either coarse sugar or granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract - use pure vanilla extract for best results.
- Whole milk - I prefer to use whole milk for a creamier milk tea.
- Water - to cook the boba pearls as well as to make the milk tea.
*Refer to the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and exact quantities. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and variations
- Types of tea - The vanilla milk tea recipe on this page is made using black tea. You can substitute the black tea with green tea, oolong tea, Earl Grey tea, English breakfast tea, chai tea or other tea blends. You can also use bottled unsweetened tea. And instead of using tea bags, you can also use loose leaf tea (loose tea) too. Use one teaspoon of loose tea leaves for every tea bag.
- Stronger tea taste - You can also increase or decrease the amount of tea used in the recipe. For a stronger tea taste, add an additional tea bag into hot water for a stronger brewed tea.
- Substitute for whole milk - If you are not a fan of whole milk, you can substitute it with any type of milk of choice. For dairy-free drink options, you can use non-dairy creamer, coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk, soy milk, dairy-free milk or oat milk.
- Sweetener options - The milk tea in this recipe is sweetened with white sugar. if you are not a fan of white sugar, you can always sweeten it with other types of sweeteners such as glucose syrup, agave nectar, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla syrup or a few tablespoons of honey.
- Substitute for vanilla extract - If you like, you can replace the vanilla extract with vanilla powder if you are looking for alcohol-free options, or you can use vanilla beans.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🏻🍳How to make
Making the brown sugar syrup
In making this vanilla boba tea, you need to prepare the brown sugar syrup first as the boba pearls are best added into the sugar syrup as soon as they are cooked.
- Start by measuring hot water into a small saucepan.
- Add the brown sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved.
- Stir the solution to expedite the dissolving of the sugar.
- As soon as the sugar is dissolved and the syrup starts to bubble lightly on the sides, turn off the heat. Set it aside while preparing the tapioca pearls.
Cooking the boba pearls
- Add one liter of water (4 cups of water) into a small saucepan. Turn on the heat to a medium heat and let the water come to a boil.
- Add the dry tapioca pearls into the hot water. Stir for a few minutes to prevent the balls from sticking to one another and to the saucepan. You will see that the boba balls will start floating after a few minutes.
- Let them cook for 15 minutes. This is just an estimation and for best results, it is advisable for you to follow the time indicated in the packaging of the boba balls.
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat, but let the pearls continue to soak in the hot boiling water for another 15 minutes.
- Once the 15 minutes is up, drain the boba balls. You can drain them by pouring them out into a large sieve, or remove them from the saucepan with a slotted spoon into a medium bowl.
- Add the brown sugar syrup into the still warm balls and mix them well.
Making the vanilla tea
- Start by measuring water into a small pot. Bring it to a boil and add the tea bags.
- Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the tea steep in the hot water for 3 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags from the pot. Press them to the sides of the pot with the back of a spoon to release as much tea as possible from the bags before discarding them. If you are using loose tea leaves, strain and discard them.
- Add sugar to the tea. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Add the milk.
- And finally, add the vanilla extract.
Assembling the tea
- Divide the boba balls in brown sugar simple syrup equally into tall glass or large beverage glasses.
- Top with ice cubes.
- And then pour the tea into the glasses.
- Serve.
🍽️Serving & storage
- Cooked boba pearls are best served immediately. Hence, once assembled with the boba pearls, the milk tea is best served immediately.
- You can however, make the milk tea in advance (without the boba pearls) and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. The brown sugar syrup on the other hand, can last in the fridge for up to one month.
💡Expert tips
- If you are using store bought dry boba balls, it is best to follow the cooking instructions that are provided on the packaging. This is because the cooking time may vary from one brand to another and it also depends on the size of the pearl.
- It is advisable to make the syrup first and then cook the pearls so that you can add them into the syrup immediately after cooking. This will avoid the pearls from sticking to one another after cooking.
💭FAQs
This vanilla milk tea is sweet, creamy and fragrant.
You can make vanilla flavored boba simply by adding some vanilla extract to the boba pearls (if making the pearls on your own). Otherwise, you can add some vanilla extract into the milk like in this recipe to give your boba tea a lovely vanilla flavor.
Yes, it does. It has a lovely creamy and sweet vanilla taste and aroma.
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📖Recipe
Vanilla Boba Tea (Vanilla Milk Tea)
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Syrup & Boba Pearls
- 50 g brown sugar
- 25 ml water
- 85 g dry boba pearls (uncooked)
Milk Tea
- 1 tea bag (black tea)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 300 ml water
- 250 ml milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Making the brown sugar syrup
- Measure hot water into a small saucepan.
- Add the brown sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Stir to expedite the dissolving of the sugar.
- As soon as the sugar is dissolved and the syrup starts to bubble lightly on the sides, turn off the heat. Set it aside while preparing the tapioca pearl.
Preparing the boba pearls
- Add one liter of water (4 cups of water) into a small saucepan.
- Turn on the flame to a medium heat and let the water come to a boil.
- Add the dry tapioca pearls into the hot boiling water. Stir for a few minutes to prevent the pearls from sticking to one another and to the saucepan. You will see that the boba pearls will start floating after a few minutes.
- Let them cook for 15 minutes. For best results, follow the cooking time indicated in the packaging of the boba pearls.
- After 15 minutes, turn off the heat. Let the pearls continue to soak in the hot water for another 15 minutes.
- Once the 15 minutes is up, drain the boba pearls. Transfer them into a medium bowl.
- Add the brown sugar syrup into the still warm pearls and mix them well.
Making the vanilla tea
- Measure water into a small pot.
- Let the water boil and add the tea bag.
- Turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the tea steep in the hot water for 3 minutes.
- Remove the tea bag from the pot. Press it to the sides of the pot with the back of a spoon to release as much tea as possible from the bag before discarding it. If you are using loose tea leaves, strain and discard them.
- Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Finally add the milk and vanilla extract and mix well.
Assembling the tea
- Divide the boba pearls in brown sugar simple syrup equally into to prepared tall glasses.
- Top the pearls with ice cubes.
- Pour the milk tea into the glasses.
- Serve.
Notes
- If you are using store bought dry boba balls, it is best to follow the cooking instructions that are provided on the packaging. This is because the cooking time may vary from one brand to another and it also depends on the size of the pearl.
- It is advisable to make the syrup first and then cook the pearls so that you can add them into the syrup immediately after cooking. This will avoid the pearls from sticking to one another after cooking.
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