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Brown Sugar Boba Milk

A satisfying cold drink with soft and chewy boba pearls in brown sugar syrup and milk. Option to add-in tea is great, too, for variety of flavour.
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Homemade Boba Pearls

  • 1/2 cup (50 g) dark brown sugar or muscovado
  • 1/3 cup (70 ml) water
  • 1 cup (100 g) tapioca flour/tapioca starch, plus 2 tbsp or more for coating, and when needed to adjust the dough

Brown Sugar Syrup

  • 1 cup (100 g) dark brown sugar or muscovado, plus 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 ¾ cup (350 ml) water

Boba Milk Tea

  • milk of choice (cow's milk, soy milk, etc.)
  • tea
  • ice cubes

Instructions

Homemade Boba Pearls

  • Place 1/3 cup water and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar in saucepan. Stir until sugar dissolves over low heat and allow to boil.
  • Once it boils, stir in 1 tbsp tapioca flour and combine. Keep stirring and let the mixture slightly thicken.
  • Turn off or remove from the fire and add the remaining tapioca flour. Stir until well incorporated. The mixture could be very sticky.
  • Knead the mixture/dough until smooth. If the dough is gummy or has glue-like consistency, add more tapioca flour in small amounts. Do this one at a time. Note 1
  • Divide the dough into 4 and form into long logs. Get one and cut into small cubes. Cover the rest of the dough with cling wrap/plastic. Repeat the process.
  • Shape the cube into pearl using both your palms. You may also put 2-3 cubes on a flat surface and shape into round ones against your palm. Note 2
  • Place the pearls in a bowl with 1 tbsp of tapioca flour and shake to coat to prevent from sticking together. Do this a few times or as needed.
  • Remove excess flour from the pearls. Boil 6 cups of water and add the boba pearls. Stir and cook for 15 mins.
  • Once cooked, remove from the pot and place the boba pearls in a bowl of ice cold water.

Brown Sugar Syrup

  • Combine the sugars and water in a large pot. Stir and bring to a boil over low-medium heat.
  • Stir in the boba pearls and cook for 15 - 20 mins. Lower the heat when it becomes thick and syrupy. Check for doneness. The cooked pearls should be soft and chewy.

Option 1: Brown Sugar Boba Milk (without tea)

  • Add 3 - 4 tbsp boba pearls in a tall glass or divide into 4 glasses. Tip the glass and rotate until the glass is coated with syrup. This will create the appealing tiger-stripes look around your glass, hence the name Tiger Sugar.
  • Add ice cubes, if desired.
  • Add 3/4 cup of cold milk to each glass. Note 3

Option 2: Brown Sugar Milk Tea/Tiger Sugar Milk Tea

  • Add 3 - 4 tbsp boba pearls in a tall glass or divide into 4 glasses. Tip the glass and rotate until the glass is coated with syrup.
  • Add ice cubes, if desired.
  • Pour 1/2 cup of tea (or according to preference).
  • Add 1/2 cup of cold milk (or more if preferred).

Notes

Note 1 If the mixture has a glue-like consistency, add more tapioca flour in small amounts until you have a dough you can work with. That was the adjustment I made and I was glad it worked.
In some cases, the dough became too dry or crumbly. People who had this issue suggested to add a bit of water until you get a better texture.
Note 2 It's OK if the pearls aren't perfectly round.
Note 3 You can add more milk if you prefer.