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Brown Sugar Milk Boba: The Ultimate Guide to Making It at Home

  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Chewy tapioca pearls simmered in rich brown sugar syrup, topped with creamy milk tea. A fun and delicious homemade treat!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
  • ¾ cup boiling water
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup water
  • 4 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy, your preference!)
  • 4 black tea bags (or 4 tablespoons loose leaf black tea)
  • Optional: Sweetener to taste (if you prefer a sweeter drink, you can add a little more brown sugar syrup or honey)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dough: In a heat-safe bowl, combine the tapioca starch and brown sugar.
  2. Add Boiling Water: Gradually pour the boiling water into the tapioca starch mixture while stirring constantly with a fork or spatula. Be careful, as the water is very hot! The mixture will start to come together and form a sticky dough.
  3. Knead the Dough: Once the dough has cooled down enough to handle (but is still warm), turn it out onto a lightly tapioca-floured surface. Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more tapioca starch, a tablespoon at a time. If it’s too dry, add a tiny bit of water, a teaspoon at a time. The consistency should be similar to playdough.
  4. Shape the Boba: Pinch off small pieces of dough, about ¼ teaspoon in size. Roll each piece into a small ball. Dust lightly with tapioca starch to prevent sticking.
  5. Store the Boba (Optional): If you’re not planning to cook the boba immediately, you can store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Make sure to dust them generously with tapioca starch to prevent them from sticking together. When you’re ready to cook them, there’s no need to thaw them first; just add them directly to the boiling water.
  6. Boil Water: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil (at least 8 cups of water for every cup of uncooked boba).
  7. Add the Boba: Gently add the boba to the boiling water. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot.
  8. Cook the Boba: Once the boba float to the surface, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  9. Test for Doneness: Remove a few boba from the pot and taste them. They should be soft and chewy, with no hard center. If they’re still too firm, cook them for a few more minutes.
  10. Rest and Rinse: Once the boba are cooked to your liking, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Let them sit in the ice water for about 5 minutes.
  11. Drain and Sweeten: Drain the boba from the ice water and transfer them to a bowl of the prepared brown sugar syrup.
  12. Combine Ingredients: In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and water.
  13. Simmer: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the brown sugar is dissolved.
  14. Thicken: Continue to simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until the syrup has thickened slightly (consistency of maple syrup).
  15. Cool: Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool completely. It will thicken further as it cools.
  16. Brew the Tea: Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s just simmering. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Add the tea bags (or loose leaf tea in a tea infuser) to the hot milk.
  17. Steep the Tea: Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea.
  18. Remove Tea Bags: Remove the tea bags (or tea infuser) from the milk. Be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid from the tea bags.
  19. Sweeten (Optional): If you prefer a sweeter drink, add a little more brown sugar syrup or honey to taste.
  20. Chill (Optional): If you prefer your milk tea cold, let it cool completely and then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.
  21. Add Boba to Glass: Spoon a generous amount of the brown sugar boba into the bottom of a glass (about ¼ to ½ cup per glass).
  22. Swirl the Syrup: Tilt the glass and swirl the brown sugar syrup around the sides.
  23. Add Milk Tea: Pour the milk tea over the boba and syrup.
  24. Add Ice (Optional): If you’re using chilled milk tea, you can add ice to the glass.
  25. Serve and Enjoy! Serve immediately with a wide straw (boba straws are ideal) and enjoy! Be sure to stir well before drinking to distribute the brown sugar flavor evenly.

Notes

  • The key to perfect boba is getting the dough consistency right. Don’t be afraid to adjust the amount of tapioca starch or water slightly until it resembles playdough.
  • Cooking time for the boba will vary depending on their size. Taste-test them to ensure they are cooked through but still chewy.
  • You can customize the milk tea with your favorite type of milk and tea.
  • For a more intense brown sugar flavor, you can use dark brown sugar in the syrup.
  • Make sure to use a wide straw to enjoy the boba!
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes

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Find it online: https://recipesrefreshing.com/brown-sugar-milk-boba/