Learn how to make boba pearls with this simple tutorial with nature ingredients at home. Caution firstly, this is a time-consuming recipe due to the long time rounding process. Make this in your leisure time for example during watching TV. To make this chewy small balls, we only need three ingredients, brown sugar, tapioca flour and water. Sound quite easy!
You can use this homemade boba pearls to make a traditional Chinese style boba milk tea. My mom always complains milk tea brings her insomnia because of the tea included. And this is her new way of enjoying boba in milk — only using brown sugar syrup for flavoring. This is also a new star Chinese boba drinking on street.
Cook’s Note
Tapioca flour is the only option for chewy boba pearls. In Chinese, it is called as “木薯淀粉”. You can get is from amazon.
Making part of the tapioca flour gelatinization is the best way of holding all the flour together and form a dough for further steps. Firstly mix in partial tapioca flour with colder brown sugar water (help to avoid any bumps inside). Mix well and then heat over slow fire and bring all the content to a boiling to complete the gelatinization.
Steps
In a small pot, slightly warm the water and dissolve brown sugar. Let the liquid slightly cooled down. Add 1/3 of the tapioca flour in and mix well. Then heat over slowest fire until the content boils and all of the ingredients combined well to form a smooth paste.
Place the remaining flour on an operation board. Transfer the smooth paste in and knead into a dough with the help of a scraper blade. At first, it might be slightly sticky. Continue kneading until smooth.
Roll the dough into a large wrapper around 1cm thickness. Cut into strips and further into small squares.
Round each small squares to small balls (be patient and do not require prefect roundness).
In a large plate, spread some flour and coat each ball with enough flour to avoid sticking to each other. You can now package in air-tight bags and freeze for later use.
How to make a brown sugar tea| in a small pot, melt 1 slice of brown sugar slab and 1cup brown sugar with 1/2 cup of water in a small pot. Simmer until well melted. Set aside to cool down.
How to cook the boba pearls| bring a large pot of water (at least 6 times of the volume of the pearls) and cook the pears for 20 to 30 minutes. Then transfer the balls into a cold water (they shrink to original size immediately). Wash under running water. Drain and mix with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup to avoid sticky together.
How to assemble| drizzle some brown sugar syrup in serving cup, rotate the cup so the syrup can form marbles on the cup wall. Place boba pearls in. Pour in milk. Shake or stirring before enjoy.
Homemade boba pearls
- 1 cup around 130g tapioca flour , + more for adjusting and coating
- 6 tbsp. water
- 60 g brown sugar
- 6 cup milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 brown sugar slab , around 70g (can be replaced by brown sugar too)
- 1/2 cup water
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In a small pot, slightly heat the water and dissolve brown sugar with warm water. Let the liquid slightly cooled down. Add 1/3 of the tapioca flour in. Continue stirring and heat over slowest fire until all the content is well combined and form a smooth paste.
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Place the remaining flour on an operation board. Transfer the smooth paste in and knead into a dough with the help of a scraper blade. At first, it might be slightly sticky. Continue kneading until smooth.
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Roll the dough into a large wrapper around 1cm thickness. Cut into strips and further into small squares.
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Round each small squares to small balls (be patient and do not require prefect roundness).
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In a large plate, spread some flour and coat each ball with enough flour to avoid sticking to each other. You can now package in air-tight bags and freeze for later use.
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In a small pot, melt 2 slices of brown sugar slab and 1cup brown sugar with 1/2 cup of water in a small pot. Simmer until well melted. Set aside to cool down.
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Bring a large pot of water (at least 6 times of the volume of the pearls) and cook the pears for 20 to 30 minutes. Then transfer the balls into a cold water (they shrink to original size immediately). Wash under running water. Drain and mix with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup to avoid sticky together.
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Drizzle some brown sugar syrup in serving cup, rotate the cup so the syrup can form marbles on the cup wall. Place boba pearls in. Pour in milk. Shake or stirring before enjoy.
May I know what the 6 cups of milk under the boba ingredients are for?
For the brown sugar milk drinking.
Are the brown sugar slabs different to the brown sugar in the cup measurement? What sort of brown sugar is referred to?
Paul,
I am referring this one. Usually made made from the residual fluid after rock sugar production and have a light molasses flavoring. If you cannot get it, you can use the same amount of brown sugar.
Can you cook this in an Instant Pot?