How to make Strawberry Boba Pearls & Boba Tea

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.

So first let’s see how to make strawberry tapioca pearls from scratch! And then follow the simple recipe for some delicious boba tea!

Yields: 1 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total: 45 mins

What is Strawberry Bubble Tea made of?

We start with syrup swirling at the base covering the walls. Then we add a tea base – using black, green, or your favorite tea. Then we add the strawberry powder, milk, brewed tea, and ice. I love to use almonds, oat, or coconut milk.

Now, the fun part of the strawberry bubble tea comes from the freshly cooked strawberry boba. Add some tapioca pearls into each cup letting them drop to the bottom. These chewy, boba add texture and fun to the drink. These are also tastier than the traditional tapioca pearls with brown sugar!

Ingredients for Strawberry Boba Tea

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 almond, oat, 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 also some strawberries.

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERY BOBA

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

Strawberry Tapioca Balls From Scratch

Caroline Sciberras

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine Chinese, Taiwan

Servings 1 portion

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
• 1 tbsp condensed milk or whipped cream

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

Keyword strawberry boba, strawberry milk tea, strawberry tapioca balls