Strawberry Milk Tea
This strawberry milk tea with boba combines fresh strawberries, green tea, and almond milk into a stunning creamy pink drink with chewy tapioca pearls, providing a visual and edible contrast. I make it with a quick homemade strawberry syrup that gives it a naturally sweet and fruity flavor without any artificial additives. In just less than 1 hour, I have a refreshing bubble tea that is better than any store-bought one.
Servings: 2 glasses
Calories: 257kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup (90g) tapioca pearls
- 2½ cups (410g) fresh diced strawberries
- 2 tbsp (25g) sugar
- 2 green tea tea bags
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup (236 ml) unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Bring 1 cup of water to a simmer, remove from the heat, add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags and set aside to cool completely.
- In a small pot add the diced strawberries, sugar and ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the strawberries are very soft and mushy.
- Remove from the heat and pour the strawberry syrup through a sieve, pressing with a spoon to get as much juice out of the strawberries as possible.
- Set the strawberry syrup aside to cool completely.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the tapioca pearls, reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Strain the tapioca pearls. Add the cooked, hot pearls to a small bowl and stir through ½ of the strawberry syrup. Allow to cool completely.
- To serve: Evenly divide the soaked tapioca pearls and syrup between two tall glasses and top with ice.
- Divide the tea, milk and remaining strawberry syrup between the two glasses.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this strawberry milk tea recipe is to assemble it just before serving. I learned that the tapioca pearls change texture quickly once they sit for too long. Serving it fresh keeps the pearls soft and the drink balanced instead of diluted.
- Chill tea in fridge: I chill brewed tea in the fridge to bring it to room temperature faster. Just be sure to cover it with plastic wrap to avoid absorbing other smells in the fridge.
- Do not oversteep: Never steep the tea for longer than five minutes. You may think that doing this intensifies the flavor, but the tea becomes bitter. For a stronger flavor, add another tea bag.
- Use boba straws: When I serve this, I always use special boba straws so that the tapioca pearls can be enjoyed with the milk tea.
- Keep the strawberry pulp: I keep strawberry pulp, and either mix some into the tea if my guest does not mind pulp. Or I use it for smoothies the next day.
- Do not boil tea: I brew the green tea below the boiling point to prevent bitterness and keep the flavor smooth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1glass | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 22g