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Homemade Taro Boba Milkshake

Calories: 283.3kcal|Fat: 7.9g|Carbohydrates: 48.4g|Protein: 7.2g | 35 minutes
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A sweet, rich, and frothy purple drink made with a tea base, this Boba Milkshake is flavored with taro, sweeteners, milk, and tapioca pearls. Satisfy your boba shake cravings and get the creamy thick boba shop quality in 30 minutes. Treat yourself from the comfort of your home!
taro bubble tea milkshake
Bubble tea, also called Boba Milkshake, is like no other drink. This drink is quite a recent invention created in Taiwan just a few decades ago. A Taiwanese tea stand decided to add tapioca pearls to their frothy tea creating a unique and tasty drink making it a fast-growing drink not only in Asia but around the globe.

What is a Taro Boba Milkshake?

 

We start with a tea base using loose-leaf teas. Then we add the taro root or taro powder to give its particularly sweet taste and its purple colour and optionally add sweeteners. Since this is a Milk Team we add a creamy component which can be any milk of your choice dairy or plant-based. Now it’s time to shake it to create the froth with bubbles on the top.
 
However, the real fun of the bubble tea comes from the boba – the chewy scoop of sweetened tapioca pearls that are added at the bottom of the cup and the chewy contrast to the drink. The tapioca pearls are made from the cassava root, and after being boiled they’re sweetened with brown sugar and honey.
 
What is the difference between milk tea and bubble tea?

Bubble tea is also a milk tea but it has small tapioca balls included in the drink. Because of boba (tapioca balls), milk tea and bubble tea may taste nothing alike.

Why You’ll Like It

  • The pearls in the bubble tea offer a sort of “break” in the drink’s texture adding a fun element to the drink. The fat straw is a must-have with such a drink in order to sip up the balls through the straw.
  • Making homemade bubble tea helps us maintain complete control over the final result. I don’t like it too sweet, as I prefer to taste the tea itself.

  • Cooking the tapioca pearls ourselves adds that extra freshness that can only be experienced if you try this drink homemade.

Tips

  • If you have opened a packet of tapioca and left some of them uncooked, pour them into an air-tight container, freeze them, and then cook as needed. 

Variations

  • Subs the taro with strawberry my recipe to make Strawberry Boba Tea with strawberry boba make from scratch.
  • Try the sugar boba pearls nestled in creamy tiger milk tea.
  • Use different types of tea brands.
  • Try different tapioca pearls or buy a boba kit with different boba and milk tea flavors.

Storing Boba Milkshake

  • Refrigerate cooked tapioca pearls in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
  • Make ahead tips: Refrigerate the cooked tapioca separately from the taro smoothie and then assemble everything at the last minute.

How to serve the Boba Milkshake?

This is the fun part – putting it all together! At home, you can grab your favorite cup, jar, or fancy glass. I mean, who doesn’t have that one glass that just makes you smile? Personally, I’ve got my go-to glasses, especially reserved for smoothies and milk tea!

First, toss the freshly cooked chewy boba pearls at the bottom of your glass. Slowly pour the blended taro smoothie mixture over the tapioca pearls, filling the cup.

If you’re feeling extra fancy or just love your boba milkshake with whipped cream, go ahead and plop a dollop on top. Finally, add a sprinkle of taro powder for extra flavor and a touch of style.

Now, if you’re not into whipped cream but still want that creamy goodness, here’s a cool trick: use a milk frother to froth up some milk, just like they do in frappes. Drizzle that frothy milk on top of your boba milkshake for an extra layer of creaminess. And to finish it off, add another sprinkle of taro powder for flavor and style.

Don’t forget to serve the Boba Milkshake with a fat straw to sip up the balls through the straw.

 

Health Info

  • Calories: 283.3kcal
  • Sugar: 33.9g
  • Sodium: 119mg
  • Fat: 7.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 48.4g
  • Fiber: 0.2g
  • Protein: 7.2g
taro bubble tea milkshake

How To Make Taro Boba Milkshake

Author Caroline Sciberras
Servings 2 persons
Calories 283.3
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Fat: 7.9g|Carbohydrates: 48.4g|Protein: 7.2g

Description

A sweet, rich, and frothy purple drink made with a tea base, this Boba Milkshake is flavored with taro, sweeteners, milk, and tapioca pearls. Satisfy your boba shake cravings and get the creamy thick boba shop quality in 30 minutes. Treat yourself from the comfort of your home!

Ingredients

Tapioca pearls

  • ¼ cup tapioca pearls
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar (or coconut sugar)

Taro smoothie

  • 3 tablespoons taro powder
  • 1 cup milk can be substituted with almond or soy milk
  • 1 cup green tea strongly brewed
  • ½ cup ice
  • 2 tablespoons condensed milk
  • whipped cream optional

Instructions

STEP 1 – Cook the Boba

  • Boil 2 cups of water in a pot and add the tapioca pearls.
  • Boil for 10 minutes, reducing the heat to medium-low, and stir gently.
  • Check back and reduce the heat to low, and gently simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Let pearls sit for 10 minutes, and transfer into a container of sugar to chill.

STEP 2 – Prepare the Boba Milkshake

  • In a blender, combine the taro powder, milk, strongly brewed tea, ice, and condensed milk.
  • Shake around to mix and blend for about 20-30 seconds until the ice is blended in.
  • Adjust sweetness with liquid sugar.
  • In a cup, insert tapioca, taro smoothie, whipped cream, and some taro powder for decoration. Serve right away.

What is the difference between milk tea and bubble tea?

Bubble tea is also a milk tea but it has small tapioca balls included in the drink. Because of boba (tapioca balls), milk tea and bubble tea may taste nothing alike.

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