Go Back
–+ servings
bubble tea in a tall 16oz jar with a white lid and metal straw
Print Recipe

Vegan Boba Milk Tea

This is a simple and delicious milk tea with bubbles that is what made me fall in love with boba! Based on the original Taiwanese milk boba tea, this is the veganized bubble tea that made me fall in love with this fun drink!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

For the tea:

  • 2 tbsp Hong Kong style black tea Ceylon black tea
  • 2 cups boiling water

For the pearls

  • 1/2 cup tapioca pearls use 1/4-1/3 cup per serving
  • ~1 inch water for the pot
  • 1 tbsp 13 g sugar
  • 2 tbsp 30 mL water

To serve

  • 2 cups ice
  • 2-4 tbsp vegan soy creamer* mine is sweetened, but if yours isn't, increase sugar amount to 2 tbsp

Instructions

  • For the tea
  • First brew the tea with boiling water and the tea. Since the tea leaves tend to be more finely ground in this tea, I prefer to stir the tea completely into the water, and then strain through a coffee filter. You can use a coffee filter in a mesh sieve if you don't have a coffee cone, or use a nut bag to strain the tea. Let cool or refrigerate while you prepare the tapioca.
  • Tapioca Pearls
  • In a small pot over medium heat, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil. Once at a rolling boil, add the tapioca pearls and cook until softened all the way into the centre (I tend to taste test to check). I have some quick-cooking boba so it only takes about 3 minutes, but I've had boba that takes 10-15 minutes to cook through. Stir so that it doesn't stick to each other or the bottom of the pot.
  • Once cooked through, strain and return to the pot with 1 tbsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of water. Continue to cook until the sugar is dissolved, and then transfer both the boba and sugar syrup to your two drinking glasses.

To serve:

  • Add 1 cup of tea per glass over your ice, and pour your strained tea over the ice. Stir to chill the tea, then add 2-4 tbsp of vegan creamer (I use coffee creamer) to your desired milky consistency.
  • Stir and enjoy!

Notes

If you don't have soy coffee creamer, use for your favourite non-dairy milk instead! My coffee creamer is sweetened, so when I'm using milk instead, I use 2 tbsp of sugar with the boba to make the syrup instead, then add about 1/2 cup soy milk to 1 cup of tea.