how to make matcha pearl milk tea

Get my tips and tricks to make this delicious and refreshing matcha bubble tea (boba tea) at home without a matcha whisk!

About This Recipe

• 6-ingredient matcha bubble tea recipe that’s easy to make at home.
• This drink is essentially a matcha latte with tapioca balls.
• The secret to making the best bubble tea is using warm tapioca balls.
• Matcha for this drink is made without a whisk! All you need is a cocktail shaker or any airtight container.
• Made layered so it’s super pretty. The trick layering is sugar and ice.
• Bubble tea is an iced drink that was created in Taiwan in the 80s. It’s made with tea, milk, sugar, and tapioca balls. (The tapioca balls, also known as boba, is why the drink is called bubble tea.)

Love matcha? Try these easy and delicious recipes — Iced Matcha Latte, Matcha Frappuccino, Matcha Milkshake, and Matcha Dalgona Coffee, and Matcha Milk.

Reading: how to make matcha pearl milk tea

Ingredient Notes

• MatchaThe brighter green the matcha, the better the quality.
• Filtered waterUse good quality water for a better tasting drink.
• Tapioca pearls/ballsThe package says it’s ready in 5 minutes but that’s a complete lie.
• Dark brown sugarYou can use any kind of sugar but I like using brown sugar.
• Oat milkAny kind of milk can be used but I like it with oat milk.
• IceHelps to separate the milk and the matcha to get those pretty layers.

My Matcha Pick:

How to Make Matcha Bubble Tea

1. Make brown sugar simple syrup

Stir together dark brown sugar and hot water until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2. Make tapioca balls

This part takes the longest but it’s pretty straightforward and not hard to make.

Boil water and add tapioca balls. They’ll start to float to the surface in a couple of minutes — at this point, cover and cook. Stir every once in a while. Strain tapioca balls.

If you’re using a different brand of tapioca balls from what I’m using, follow the directions on the packaging.

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Combine brown sugar simple syrup and tapioca balls. The brown sugar simple syrup will sweeten the bubble tea and the tapioca balls.

Set aside to cool slightly. The tapioca balls are ready when they’re nice and warm but not hot.

RELATED: How to Make the Best Bubble Tea

3. Make matcha

Combine cold filtered water and matcha in a cocktail shaker. Shake, shake, shake.

Tea Sommelier’s Tip: Shaking cold water and matcha is the easiest and best way to make iced matcha. No need for any matcha bowls, bamboo whisks, or hot water. It creates perfect, clump-free matcha each and every time.

4. Assemble drink

This recipe makes two servings, so just split all the components in half to make each drink.

Read more: can you make tea with condensed milk

I’m using 17 oz cups. These are a tiny bit bigger than a Starbucks grande which is 16 oz.

First, the boba (tapioca balls) in the dark brown simple syrup goes in. Add ice.

Pour in the oat milk.

If you don’t have or like oat milk, you can replace it with any kind of milk you like.

And the final layer, the cold matcha. Pour the matcha slowly over the ice. This will create a lovely layer between the matcha and the milk.

Pop in an extra wide straw and make sure to swirl to mix all the layers together before drinking.

RELATED: Best Matcha Brands for Lattes

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Notes & Tips

• Find the brightest green matcha without going over $30.
• To make iced matcha, you can use any airtight container. A cocktail shaker or a water bottle with a wide mouth works great.
• If you don’t have dark brown sugar, you can make the sugar syrup using any kind of sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or cane sugar. I just prefer the taste of dark brown sugar for this drink.
• Tapioca balls have the best soft, chewy texture when they’re warm. Don’t cool down the tapioca balls completely to keep the perfect texture.

Storage Tips

• All the components except for the tapioca balls can be made ahead of time (4 days max) and stored in the refrigerator.
• Tapioca balls need to be made and eaten within 4 hours otherwise it’ll start to harden.

Questions You May Have

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• Quick & Easy Iced Matcha Latte
• Best Matcha Brands for Lattes
• Matcha Frappuccino
• How to Make Matcha Properly
• 17 Delicious Matcha Drink Recipes