Chocolate Milk Tea

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Learn how to make iced chocolate milk tea at home with my simple tips and tricks – perfect for boba lovers or anyone craving a rich and creamy drink! My homemade boba tea recipe is an irresistible afternoon pick me up, snack, or dessert with plenty of sweet chocolate flavor. It’s easy to make, ready in 10 minutes, and budget-friendly too!

I have a thing for bubble tea drinks (also known as boba tea). The combination of sweet iced tea, creamy milk, and chewy boba pearls is so delicious! Fruit-based drinks are the most common, but I never overlook chocolate bubble tea. It’s decadent but refreshing all at the same time.

Despite its name, this chocolate boba tea recipe doesn’t typically contain tea. It’s a mixture of chocolate syrup or cocoa powder, milk, sweetener, and tapioca pearls. It’s like traditional chocolate milk, leveled up with chewy boba! My kids love it, and honestly adults do too!

If you’re looking for more flavorful boba recipes like this one, be sure to check out my honeydew milk tea or my boba smoothie that includes 4 yummy options!

✔️ What Is Boba Tea?

Boba tea is a popular Taiwanese drink that combines tea with chewy tapioca pearls. Sometimes, it consists of a tea base (like black, green, or oolong tea) mixed with milk or fruit flavorings but not always. 

Typically, it’s served over ice with large straws that can accommodate the pearls. The pearls, made from tapioca starch, give the drink its distinctive “boba” texture.

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🥘 Ingredients

My chocolate milk tea with boba requires only five ingredients, plus ice! While the ingredients list is simple, each one is essential to making this drink shine.

Tapioca Pearls: Also known as fresh boba pearls, these tapioca balls are made from tapioca starch. They have a mild flavor and offer a nice surprise at the bottom of the glass. I find these at a local Asian grocery store or purchase them online.

Maple Syrup: I use a little bit of pure maple syrup to sweeten the boba balls. Brown sugar syrup works great, too. The pearls aren’t very sweet, so it’s important to add a bit of sweetener to make a syrup.

Hot Chocolate Mix: Hot chocolate powder mix is a simple way to add chocolate flavor. I like Ghirardelli hot cocoa mix, but any high-quality brand will work. Also, make sure it’s a hot chocolate mix, and not just unsweetened cocoa powder.

Milk: I have made this drink with both unsweetened almond milk and low-fat milk, but any plant-based milk or dairy milk works great. For a creamier drink, I use whole milk or half and half. For a non-dairy version, I use soy, cashew, oat milk, or almond milk instead.

Water: Hot water dissolves the hot chocolate powder so it’s smooth once you pour it over ice.

Ice Cubes: Use plenty of ice for a chilled chocolate tea. I have also refrigerated the chocolate mixture a few minutes before assembling.

Whipped Cream: Optional, but I highly recommend it! For a vegan-friendly option, use whipped coconut cream.

🔪 How To Make Chocolate Milk Tea

Learn how to make my chocolate bubble tea recipe! I’ve created a summary of instructions below, but see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete recipe with ingredients and instructions.

Cook Tapioca Pearls: To make the boba, I bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the tapioca pearls, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

Strain Boba: Next, I strain the pearls, transfer to a small bowl, and stir in the maple syrup. Set aside.

Make The Chocolate Mixture: In a small bowl, I mix together the hot chocolate powder and boiling water. Then stir until the powder dissolves.

Assemble: To assemble, I add the tapioca pearls and syrup in the bottom of two tall glasses, divided evenly.

Add Chocolate: Then, I pour in the chocolate mixture and milk evenly.

Enjoy: Finally, I add plenty of ice and whipped cream. Serve immediately!

📖 Variations

With Tea: For tea lovers, I’ll heat the milk and steep a black tea bag in it. Follow the recipe as directed. This will boost the caffeine content a bit too.

Enjoy It Warm: Turn this into a hot chocolate with boba just by omitting the ice, and serving it warm as soon as you pour the milk over the boba!

Cocoa Milk Tea With Hazelnuts: To recreate hazelnut chocolate Chatime, I’ll swap the low fat milk with hazelnut milk. Sweeten with hazelnut syrup.

Dark Chocolate Milk Tea: Swap the hot cocoa mix with a dark chocolate cocoa mix.

Sugar-Free Bubble Tea: Use a sugar free syrup instead of the maple syrup, a keto hot chocolate mix, and unsweetened almond milk!

Gluten Free Option: To make this gluten-free, I buy a gluten-free hot chocolate mix. Some mixes are prepared on shared equipment with wheat and other gluten-containing ingredients.

Vegan Option: If I need this to be vegan, I look for a vegan brand of hot chocolate since some brands have milk powder in them. Additionally, I’ll swap the low-fat milk for a dairy-free milk.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

When serving chocolate bubble tea, I like to pair it with snacks or light dishes that complement its flavors. 

Snacks: For a quick afternoon snack, this tea is delicious and refreshing paired with my vegan summer rolls, avocado sushi rolls, instant pot popcorn or dairy free caramel popcorn! 

Desserts: I love to serve bubble tea with a special treat, like my butter mochi cookies, mochi donuts, or mango mochi ice cream!

🧊 Storage Instructions

Make Ahead: I think it’s best to enjoy chocolate boba milk tea immediately after it’s made! However, sometimes I’ll make the chocolate mixture and combine it with the milk ahead of time. To do this, I’ll simply refrigerate the “chocolate tea” in an airtight container for up to three days, then cook the tapioca pearls and assemble right before I’m ready to serve!

Refrigerating: If you didn’t drink up all your tea in one sitting, you can store it in an airtight container or mason jar for later! The tapioca pearls will get softer and mushy, but the drink will still taste super delicious.

❓ Recipe FAQs

📋 Recipe Card