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Making tapioca pearls (boba) at home is so much easier than you think. These brown sugar boba pearls are tender, sweet, and delicious. It's fun to make at home, it will save you so much money (bubble tea is expensive!), and you can customize how sweet it is.
Homemade tapioca pearls are made with just 3 simple ingredients — water, sugar, and uncooked tapioca pearls. It's an essential recipe for all bubble tea lovers to enjoy all summer (or any time of the year).
Why You’ll Love Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
- It’s so easy to make. The bubble tea shops might not want you to know this, but it’s so easy to make boba! All it takes is boiling your boba, waiting for it to cook, and stirring them around. Once you’ve finished, mix them with the homemade brown sugar syrup to prevent sticking and to add sweetness. Add it to homemade Bubble Tea and you are all set.
- They are bubble tea shop quality. These tapioca pearls taste just like (if not better!) than the ones that you get when you buy bubble tea at your local tea shop. I personally think they taste better because you are making them yourself and you can control how sweet you want to make them.
- Tapioca pearls can be a pantry staple. When stored unopened, tapioca pearls can last for 6-12 months in your pantry. Once opened (but still uncooked), it’s best to keep them in an airtight container (like a mason jar) to keep them fresh. Air and moisture can make the dry pearls fall apart.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make the best Tapioca Pearls (Boba), you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- tapioca pearls - I used black bobas, but you can use this recipe with clear tapioca pearls or mini tapioca pearls.
- brown sugar - you can customize the sweetness in this recipe by adding less brown sugar. I added in ¼ cup, but feel free to reduce it to 2-3 tablespoons if desired. Note that if you taste the tapioca pearl mixture, it will seem overly sweet but once you make your bubble tea it dilutes as it blends into the drink and adds sweetness to the drink.
- water
You will also need measuring cups, saucepan, and mesh sieve or strainer.
How to Make the Best Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
- Cook tapioca pearls. In amedium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add tapioca pearls and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Let rest. Turn off the heat and let the tapioca pearls sit in the hot water for another 20-25 minutes.
- Drain. Drain the pearls through a fine mesh sieve and return to the saucepan.
- Add brown sugar. Add in brown sugar and ¼ cup water. Stir well and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup starts to thicken a bit, about 4-5 minutes. When the pearls are fully cooked through, they should be soft and chewy. Serve immediately inbubble tea.
How to Serve Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
You can enjoy your favorite bubble teas with boba such like taro, strawberry, coconut, and more.
Storing Instructions
- Tapioca pearls are best if used within a few hours of cooking (within 4 hours). They will get mushy. Make a smaller batch if you are worried about having extras.
- If you do have extra, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and fully coat them in the honey syrup so that they don't stick to each other. But again, you need to consume them within 4 hours before they start to get mushy. Do not store in the refrigerator as they will harden.
Troubleshooting
Why are my tapioca pearls too soft?
This will happen if the boba are overcooked, or if they have been sitting out for over 4 hours.
Why are my tapioca pearls too hard?
This will happen if the boba are undercooked or stored in the refrigerator.
More Drink Recipes
- Three Ways to Make Bubble Tea
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Healthy Mango Yogurt Smoothie
- Majoon (Banana and Nut) Smoothie
- Peach Ice Tea
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
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Recipe
Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
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- Author: Sam | Ahead of Thyme
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 cups
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Making tapioca pearls (boba) at home is easier than you think with just 3 ingredients. Add tender and sweet brown sugar boba pearls to your bubble tea.
Ingredients
- 4 and ¼ cups water, divided
- 1 cup uncooked tapioca pearls
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add tapioca pearls and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Turn off the heat and let the tapioca pearls sit in the hot water for another 20-25 minutes.
- Drain the pearls through a fine mesh sieve and return to the saucepan. Add in brown sugar and ¼ cup water. Stir well and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup starts to thicken a bit, about 4-5 minutes. When the pearls are fully cooked through, they should be soft and chewy.
- Serve immediately in bubble tea.
Notes
Use tapioca pearls within a few hours.Tapioca pearls are best if used within a few hours of cooking (within 4 hours). They will get mushy. Make a smaller batch if you are worried about having extras.
How to store cooked tapioca pearls. If you do have extra, you can store them in anairtight containerat room temperature. Cover and fully coat them in the honey syrup so that they don't stick to each other. But again, you need to consume them within 4 hours before they start to get mushy. Do not store in the refrigerator as they will harden.
Why are my pearls too soft?This will happen if they are overcooked, or if they have been sitting out for over 4 hours.
Why are my pearls too hard? This will happen if they are undercooked or if stored in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Taiwanese
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