Lavender Milk Tea

5 from 7 votes

I love making this refreshing iced lavender milk tea with boba when I need a small pick me up or a simple treat during the day. I steep Earl Grey tea with fragrant lavender leaves, then pour it over ice and finish it with creamy almond milk. It is vegan, gluten free, and best part is having a delicious drink ready in under one hour.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Cooling Time30

Total Time55

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Asian, Vegan

Diet: Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: glasses

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Simmer 2 cups of water, remove from the heat.
Add the loose lavender flowers to a tea infuser and place in the hot water along with the tea bags, steep for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bags and tea infuser and allow the tea to come to room temperature.
While the tea is cooling bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the tapioca pearls reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Strain the pearls, add to a small bowl, and stir through the brown sugar. Set aside and cool completely.
Evenly divide the soaked tapioca pearls and syrup between two glasses.
Divide the ice between the glasses and top with the steeped tea and finish off with almond milk.
Stir and serve immediately.

Video

https://youtu.be/BrFBBJLXEWg

Notes

My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to make the tea ahead of time and refrigerate it. When I already have a chilled lavender Earl Grey base waiting in the fridge, putting the drink together takes just a few minutes. I can cook the boba, grab a glass of ice, pour in the tea, and finish with almond milk without having to wait for anything to cool down. It is a simple habit that saves time and makes this milk tea easy to serve whenever I want it.
Sweeten to Taste: If I like a sweeter lavender milk tea, I stir in maple syrup, simple syrup, or light agave. If I’m using sugar or honey, I add it while the tea is still hot so it dissolves properly.
Why I Make It From Scratch: I find that homemade lavender tea is far better than using lavender milk tea powder, which is just instant black tea powder, sugar, and lavender flavoring. Making it from scratch lets me control the quality of the ingredients and the amount of sugar in my drink.
Stronger Lavender Flavor: For a stronger flavor, I steep the tea for an extra minute or 2.
Do not oversteep: I keep an eye on the steeping time. Letting the tea sit too long can make the flavor bitter, so I taste it and stop once it smells and tastes balanced.

Nutrition