How to Make Homemade Boba Pearls (Tapioca Pearls)

5 from 2 votes

Addictively chewy boba made in the comfort of your home! Mix in with brown sugar boba, your favorite tea, or drink!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Rest Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Dessert, Drinks

Cuisine: Asian, Taiwanese

Servings: servings

Calories: 396kcal

Before turning on the stove, mix together the water, brown sugar, and half of the tapioca starch in a medium-sized pot. Make sure it’s smooth with no lumps before bringing it to the stove.
Heat on medium-low, continuously stirring and watching carefully. Cook until it just starts to thicken into a sticky paste - Do not overcook. If the tapioca mixture forms a dry ball, it’s overcooked and it’ll be difficult to roll out.
Turn off heat, add the rest of the tapioca starch, and mix. Not all of the tapioca starch will mix in well, but that’s okay!
Roll out the dough onto a clean dry surface. The dough will be very warm. Quickly knead the dough until it’s smooth and one consistent color, about 7 minutes. Be quick when working with the dough because it becomes hard to manage when it’s cooled down.
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each section into long ropes. Cut them into small pieces, depending on how big you want your boba to be. Keep in mind they'll slightly expand once they’re cooked and will need to fit in your straw.
Roll them into small balls then dust them in tapioca starch to prevent them from sticking. At this point, you can place them into the freezer for up to 3 months.

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. There should be enough to cover the boba by a few inches of water. Once the water is at a rolling boil, carefully add in the boba and stir to prevent them from sticking. Boil for 15 minutes with the lid on.
Meanwhile, prepare the brown sugar mixture. In a small pan, add the brown sugar, salt, and water then heat on medium. Cook until it's turned into a thick syrup, about 5 minutes. Transfer the syrup to a heat-proof bowl. If you’re making brown sugar milk tea, reserve 4 tablespoons to drizzle onto the cup rims.
Drain the boba then dunk them into an ice water bath for a few seconds to stop the cooking process. Drain them again, pour the boba into the brown sugar syrup, and allow them to soak for 30 minutes.

In a medium pot, bring to boil, then steep tea bags. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Prepare glass cups by swirling reserved brown sugar syrup on the sides of the glass, creating tiger stripes. Add boba to the bottom of the cup.
Divide the tea into two cups and 3 tablespoons of milk to each. If you like your milk tea creamier, you can add more. Add ice, if desired, then serve with a wide-mouth straw and enjoy!

Tapioca Starch: Essential for boba, find it easily on Amazon or at Asian markets.
Mascavado Dark Brown Sugar: Use for a deep color. Lighter sugars work too but result in lighter pearls.
Tea Bags: Black tea is common, but feel free to use your favorite tea or drink.
Don't Overcook Dough: Turn off heat when mixture thickens, add rest of starch. Soft, elastic dough is good; dry or cracked is overcooked.
Account for Expansion: Cooked boba expands slightly, so keep this in mind so they fit in your straw.
Freezing and Storing: Cook only what you need. Freeze uncooked pearls in airtight containers for up to 6 months. Cook from frozen in boiling water, no need to thaw.