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 or dark brown sugar , tapioca starch and water. Sound quite easy and healthy.
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 starch is the most commonly used option for chewy boba pearls. In Chinese, it is called as "木薯淀粉". You can get is from amazon. Currently I have never tried other type.
- Making part of the tapioca starch gelatinization is the best way of holding all the flour together and form a dough for further steps. I get several failure report for this one, mainly caused by the over gelatinization or lack of gelatinization.
- If the starch is added directly to the boiling water or cold water, then we get a thing named as non-Newtonian fluid and can't from a dough. So we add part of the starch in for the gelatinization. However if the starch is over heated or cooked, the pearls can't hold the round shape and chewy texture after cooked. Becomes quite soft and shapeless. So please follow the steps exactly. I highly suggest watching the video and reading the recipe before starting since we do't get too much time for thinking during the process.
- The cooked pearls should be used within hours. If you want to use next time, freeze them after the shaping.
Steps
In a small pot, slightly warm the water and dissolve brown sugar (or dark brown sugar). Let the liquid boil completely over slowest fire. Adding a cover can help to avoid too much water lost. Add ½ of the tapioca starch in and mix well (count: 6-7 seconds). Remove from heat for electric stove or turn off fire, then add the remaining tapioca starch and continue mixing until gathered. Be quick during this process.
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. Slightly dust the board during the kneading process until it becomes smooth, not sticky any more but still soft. Divide the dough into four parts and then shape one portion into thin and long log. Cut into small cubes.
Round each small squares to small balls (be patient and do not require prefect roundness). You can simple skip this process and save your self lots of time if you get no requirement for the shape. Longer shaping will make the balls more stable after boiled.
In a large plate, spread some flour and coat each ball with enough flour to avoid sticking to each other. Then shift the extra starch off. You can now package in air-tight bags and freeze for later use.
How to make a brown sugar boba drink| in a small pot, melt 1 slice of brown sugar slab and 1cup brown sugar with 100ml water in a small pot. Simmer until 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). Drain and mix with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup or honey 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.
Ingredients
For boba pearls
- 1 cup around 135g tapioca starch , + 2 tbsp. more for adjusting and coating
- 6 tbsp. water 90ml
- 60 g brown sugar
Serving
- 4 cups milk
Brown sugar syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 brown sugar slab , around 70g (can be replaced by brown sugar too)
- 100 ml water ⅓ cup + 1.5 tbsp.
Instructions
Make boba pearls
- In a small pot, slightly heat the water and dissolve brown sugar over slowest fire (to avoid too much water lost). Make sure the sugar is dissolved. Heat the liquid to a boiling and then use slowest fire. Now, add ½ of the tapioca starch in and mix quickly (Count 6 to 7seconds). Turn off the fire or remove from fire and add the remaining ½ of the tapioca starch. Mix until gathered. Quick during the process.
- 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. Be quick during the process. The dough becomes hard to control when cool down completely.
- Divide the dough into 4 portions. Remember to cover the other three with plastic bag. Then shape one portion into a long log (around 1.5 cm in diameter), cut the log into small cubes.
- 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. After finish all of the pearls, shift the extra flour off. You can now package in air-tight bags and freeze for later use.
Sugar Syrup
- In a small pot, melt 2 slices of brown sugar slab and 1cup brown sugar with 100ml water in a small pot. Heat until there are large bubbles. Or you can simply use brown sugar syrup.
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 or honey (or sugar) 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Dayana
Hi. I tried this recipe from another blog, (but without the sugar), when I put the home made pearls in the hot water all of them melt it right away. Now is a big mess, Is there anyway to make them without the sugar? Thank you
Elaine
Choose a pot with poor heat holding capacity or shorten the time of heating. It is caused by overheating of the starch.
phroggy
ok this is the best boba recipe i have ever seen. other recipes are weird, and gave me the texture of oobleck. this one actually worked and tastes great!
Elaine
Thank you,Phroggy! I am so happy to read your comment. I really have tested so many times and shared my ratios and all tips in the post. Thank you for such an encouraging comment.
Sabbasstion Weidright
Did I make mine incorrectly. Because that is the texture I have been left with?
Amy
Gotta tried this!!😍😍
Elaine
Happy cooking!
Andrea
Hi, I have 2 comments.
1) My dough was lumpy, I ended up getting the right consistency kinda like play dough but it was still lumpy.
2. When i cook the boba is really soft and chewy but after a while in cold drink the center becomes a little hard. Do you know what is the problem or what can I do to overcome this?
Also, can I cook boba and refrigerate to be used 1 or 2 laters without it getting hard?
Thanks
Elaine
Andrea,
Once you add the flour into the sugar liquid, you need to stir it quickly otherwise lots of small lumps formed.
If you want to serve the boba peals later, I suggest you add more sugar water to soak them before serving. Or you can add around extra 10ml water for a softer texture.
Rumi
Hey there! Can you please guide me on how to avoid "over heating and over cooking of starch" in the step 3. I did used the lowest fire and also remove the pot from fire. But when i boiled the pearls they lost there shape and shrunk. I'm so worried ;-;
Elaine
Rumi,
The key is to use a pot with super low heat storage capacity. If you remove from heat, the temperature drops quickly.
Lisa
Hey, may i please know how to avoid over cooking or over heating of starch in 3rd step. I've been doing it for a year now and sometimes my whole pearl batch is ruined when i cook them. I'm thinking it might be from over cooking of starch you mentioned in step 3
The consistency of dough is perfectly fine when rolling the pearls plus i did remove it from fire and used the lowest fire in gelatinisation process.
Elaine
Lisa, you need to choose a pot with lower heat capacity, which means if you move the pot from fire, the temperature drops immediately.
Tracy
Where do I get nutrition facts I mean what website
Tracy
What website do I get Nutrition Facts
Elaine
Not sure about the website. It is calculated by the recipe plugin. Sorry I have less experience using Nutrition websites.
Emma Washburn
Sooo good had to add so extra ingredients because when I added the tapioca powder to the water had to add extra water and the only downside, it is REALLY SWEET!!
Elaine
Thanks Emma!
Rosemary
I need help I've tried this 3 septate times and being careful to follow the recipe directly I keep on getting obleck I'm getting really overwhelmed and really annoyed with myself please
Elaine
Rosemary,
If this happens, the most possible reason might be the temperature is not hot enough. You need to heat the water to a boiling (hot enough) before adding the starch to mix. I suggest you preparing yourself with a small pot of boiling water by hand. If it continues to present obleck, add a small pot of hot boiling water can help. Heating in pot for seconds also helps.