A sweet, rich, strawberry bubble tea made up of combining our homemade strawberry boba balls, milk, date syrup, and strawberry extract. Satisfy your strawberry boba tea cravings by making your own chewy tapioca pearls like the traditional ones but with a fresh strawberry flavor.
Prep: 15 mins Total: 45 mins Yields: 1
So first let’s see how to make strawberry tapioca pearls from scratch! And then follow the simple recipe for some delicious boba tea!
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Strawberry Boba Recipe
What is Strawberry Bubble Tea?
The creation of strawberry bubble tea is a delightful process that begins with a sweet syrup gently swirled at the base, creating a flavorful foundation that coats the cup’s interior. Next, we introduce a tea base into the mix – whether it’s the robust notes of black tea, the fresh and earthy green tea, or perhaps your favorite tea variety.
To infuse that delightful strawberry essence into the drink, we incorporate strawberry powder, along with a choice of milk—be it traditional dairy milk or alternative options like almond, oat, or coconut milk. The addition of brewed tea and ice completes the blend, creating a refreshing and creamy concoction.
But the real excitement in strawberry bubble tea comes from the freshly prepared strawberry boba. These chewy, translucent balls of tapioca are carefully added to each cup, allowing them to sink to the bottom. It’s these tapioca pearls that add a playful texture and a burst of fun to the drink. What’s more, the strawberry-flavored boba offers a unique twist compared to the traditional tapioca pearls typically sweetened with brown sugar, making for a tastier and more vibrant experience.
Strawberry Boba Ingredients
Making homemade tapioca pearls with strawberry flavor helps us be in control of the final result of our tea. You cannot obtain the same freshness from store-bought tapioca pearls!
For the Strawberry Boba Balls
- Tapioca flour – also called tapioca starch. This is the key ingredient and what creates the unique, gelatinous tapioca pearl texture.
- Strawberry – Fresh strawberries work out better but you can also use frozen thawed strawberries.
- Icing sugar – Some icing sugar will enhance the strawberry flavor.
- Water – Use warm water.
For the Strawberry Bubble Tea
- Milk – Both dairy and plant-based work well. I love to use almonds, oats, or coconut milk.
- Syrup – You can also add some maple syrup if you like it sweeter. However, feel free to use any other syrup if that’s all you have.
- Strawberry powder – For a stronger flavor, you can optionally add strawberry powder or extract.
- Tea – Black tea is the base for traditional strawberry bubble ‘tea’. But you can choose the tea of your choice.
- Ice Cubes
- Strawberries: Optionally add some strawberries.
How to make Strawberry Boba Pearls and Bubble Tea
How to make strawberry boba pearls
- Clean the strawberries removing any darker flesh and the leaves.
- Blend the strawberries into a smooth consistency without leaving any chunks so that we obtain smooth tapioca pearls.
- Taste the strawberry smoothie before adding the powdered sugar. Then, if necessary add the sugar, a tablespoon of tapioca starch, and warm water. Stir well to incorporate the powdered elements.
- Heat the tapioca starch in a medium pan, heating over medium heat and constantly stirring.
- Turn off the heat when reaching medium heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool for a couple of minutes.
- Add the remainder of the tapioca starch little by little but mix vigorously.
- Keep adding tapioca until a shiny dough forms.
- Knead it towards the end as required.
- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap.
- Cut a piece of the dough.
- Roll the dough onto a counter covered with tapioca starch. Turn it into a long snake as thick as a finger.
- Cut the rope into small pieces the width of a finger.
- Roll each piece into a ball. Pour tapioca starch on them so that don’t stick together.
- Repeat and turn into balls the remaining dough.
- Freeze the pearls if you’re not going to use them.
- Cook the rest.
How to cook strawberry boba balls
- Boil water in a pan.
- Add the pearls to the boiling water.
- Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on top.
- Remove the pan from the heat, keeping the lid on.
- Leave them to steam for an extra 20 minutes.
- Strawberry boba should be now translucent and bouncy.
- Drain the pearls and rinse them with cold water to rinse the excessive starch.
To prepare the strawberry boba milk tea
- Combine the strawberry powder, milk, brewed tea, and ice.
- Blend until the ice is completely dissolved in the mix.
- Add the syrup to a glass, swirling it to cover the walls.
- Add the strawberry boba balls, milk, and the black tea
Variations
When it comes to enjoying a strawberry boba, there are several delightful options to explore:
- Strawberry Milk Tea vs. Strawberry Fruit Tea (Without Milk): You can choose between the creamy goodness of strawberry milk tea or the refreshing taste of strawberry fruit tea without any milk involved.
- Tea Choices Matter: The type of tea used in your strawberry boba matters. You can find variations using black, green, matcha, or oolong tea, each offering a unique flavor profile.
- The Sweetness Factor: The sweetness of your strawberry boba can differ based on the ingredients used. Pay attention to whether they use syrup, powder, fresh fruit puree, or actual pieces of fresh fruit.
All these factors play a significant role in crafting your perfect strawberry boba experience. Personally, I lean towards the use of fresh fruit purees while sometimes I love to change white tea and cherish a strawberry matcha bubble tea.
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Strawberry Tapioca Balls From Scratch
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Tapioca Balls
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- 1/3 cup strawberries
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- warm water
For the Strawberry Boba Milk Tea
- 1 cup milk of your choice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp strawberry powder or some fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup black tea strongly brewed
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
STEP 1: Prepare the strawberries
- Clean the strawberries removing any darker flesh and the leaves.
- Blend the strawberries into a smooth consistency without leaving any chunks so that we obtain smooth tapioca pearls.
- Taste the strawberry smoothie before adding the powdered sugar. Then, if necessary add the sugar, a tablespoon of tapioca starch, and warm water. Stir well to incorporate the powdered elements.
STEP 2: Heat the mixture
- Heat the tapioca starch in a medium pan, heating over medium heat and constantly stirring.
- Turn off the heat when reaching medium heat.
STEP 3: Add the remaining tapioca
- Allow the mixture to cool for a couple of minutes.
- Add the remainder of the tapioca starch little by little but mix vigorously.
- Keep adding tapioca until a shiny dough forms.
- Knead it towards the end as required.
- Wrap the dough with plastic wrap.
STEP 4: Shape the Strawberry Boba Pearls
- Cut a piece of the dough.
- Roll the dough onto a counter covered with tapioca starch. Turn it into a long snake as thick as a finger.
- Cut the rope into small pieces the width of a finger.
- Roll each piece into a ball. Pour tapioca starch on them so that don't stick together.
- Repeat and turn into balls the remaining dough.
- Freeze the pearls if you're not going to use them.
- Cook the rest.
STEP 5: Cook the Strawberry Boba
- Boil water in a pan.
- Add the pearls to the boiling water.
- Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on top.
- Remove the pan from the heat, keeping the lid on.
- Leave them to steam for an extra 20 minutes.
- Strawberry bobas should be now translucent and bouncy.
- Drain the pearls and rinse them with cold water to rinse the excessive starch. the cooking process and rinse off excess starch.
STEP 6: Prepare the Strawberry Boba Tea
- Combine the strawberry powder, milk, brewed tea, and ice.
- Blend until the ice is completely dissolved in the mix.
- Add the syrup to a glass, swirling it to cover the walls.
- Add the strawberry boba balls, milk, and the black tea