Description
Make your own chewy and flavorful tapioca pearls (boba) at home with this easy recipe featuring five delicious flavors: brown sugar, matcha, mango, strawberry, and peach. Follow step-by-step instructions to prepare and cook perfect homemade boba pearls that are ready to enjoy in bubble tea or desserts.
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Flavor:
- ⅓ cup water (70 mL)
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar or Muscovado sugar (65g)
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110g), divided + extra for kneading & dusting
- 1-2 drops black food coloring (optional)
Matcha Flavor:
- ⅓ cup water (70 mL)
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 1 tbsp ceremonial grade matcha
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110g), divided + extra for kneading & dusting
Strawberry Flavor:
- ⅓ cup strawberry puree (about 5-6 whole strawberries, 70 mL)
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110g), divided + extra for kneading & dusting
- 1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
Mango Flavor:
- ⅓ cup mango puree (about 1-2 ripe mangoes, 70 mL)
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110g), divided + extra for kneading & dusting
- 1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
Peach Flavor:
- ⅓ cup peach puree (about 2-3 ripe peaches, 70 mL)
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110g), divided + extra for kneading & dusting
- 1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
Syrup:
- ¼ cup maple syrup, agave nectar, simple syrup, or brown sugar syrup
Instructions
- Prepping Fruit Juices & Liquids: Blend the fresh fruit until smooth and pass through a fine metal sieve to remove pulp. Alternatively, use store-bought juice. Combine the strained fruit puree with sugar in a pot. Add food coloring if desired. For brown sugar and matcha flavors, combine water, sugar, matcha (if using), and food coloring (if using) in a pot. Dissolve the sugar over medium heat until it simmers gently.
- Making the Dough: When the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid is simmering, add half of the tapioca starch and stir to form a paste. Remove the pot from heat once the mixture becomes sticky and starts to clump. Immediately add the remaining tapioca starch and stir in as much as possible. Transfer the mixture to a work surface and knead gently until a smooth, pliable dough forms. Cover the dough to prevent it from drying out.
- Adjusting Dough Consistency: If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle additional starch 1 teaspoon at a time while kneading. If it’s too dry, wet your hands with water or add 1 teaspoon water at a time and knead until the dough feels like soft playdough that holds together without breaking.
- Forming Tapioca Pearls: Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long log about 1 cm in diameter. Cut each log in half and place the halves side by side. Cut these halves into small pieces approximately 0.5 x 0.5 cm (about 1 gram each). Roll each piece into a ball and lightly dust with extra tapioca starch to prevent sticking.
- Speed Rolling Tip: To save time, roll 5-10 pieces on the counter with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle starch as needed. This may create some oblong pearls rather than perfect spheres but the texture and taste remain the same.
- Removing Excess Starch: Place the rolled tapioca pearls in a metal sieve and shake off the excess starch before cooking.
- Cooking the Boba Pearls: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the tapioca pearls and boil for 15-20 minutes until they float to the surface. For softer pearls, cook for the full 20 minutes.
- Simmering Off-Heat: After boiling, turn off the heat and let the pearls sit covered in the hot water for an additional 5 minutes to finish cooking.
- Draining and Sweetening: Drain the cooked pearls and immediately transfer them into a container with simple syrup, maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown sugar syrup to prevent sticking and enhance sweetness. They are now ready to be added to drinks or desserts.
Notes
- If dough is too sticky, gradually add tapioca starch 1 teaspoon at a time while kneading.
- If dough is too dry and crumbly, wet your hands and add water in small increments during kneading until pliable.
- Rolling multiple pearls at once with your palm speeds up the process though pearls might be less perfectly round.
- Cook boba pearls longer if you prefer them softer; 20 minutes boiling plus 5 minutes off heat is ideal.
- Use syrups immediately after cooking to avoid pearls sticking together.
- Food coloring is optional and for aesthetic purposes only.
- Make sure to sieve fruit purees thoroughly for smooth texture and consistent cooking.
