Ingredients
Tea Milk Base
- 625 g dairy or non-dairy milk (preferably oat milk)
- 4 Earl Grey tea bags
Tapioca Pearls
- 100 g tapioca pearls
- 50 g brown sugar
Other
- Ice, as needed
Instructions
- Steep the tea: In a small pot, add the milk and Earl Grey tea bags. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let the tea steep for 10 minutes to infuse rich Earl Grey flavors into the milk.
- Extract infused milk: Use the back of a spoon to press the tea bags against the pot side, squeezing out all the tea-infused milk. Discard the used tea bags. Transfer the milk tea carefully to a glass container with a spout, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
- Prepare boiling water for pearls: Rinse the pot, fill it with about 1 inch of water, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, preparing for cooking the tapioca pearls.
- Cook tapioca pearls: Add the tapioca pearls immediately to the boiling water. Stir right away to prevent clumping. Boil the pearls uncovered for 15 minutes, allowing them to become tender and chewy.
- Let pearls rest: Remove the pot from heat, cover it, and let the pearls sit and continue softening for another 15 minutes off the heat.
- Sweeten the pearls: In a small bowl, place the brown sugar. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked tapioca pearls into the bowl, draining most of their cooking liquid. Stir together so the heat from the pearls dissolves the sugar, creating a sweet syrup coating. If the mixture is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to loosen the syrup.
- Assemble the bubble tea: In each serving glass, add about 100 g of the brown sugar-coated pearls, then fill the glass about three-quarters or fully with ice. Pour approximately 300 g of chilled Earl Grey milk tea over the ice and pearls. Stir well to combine and adjust sweetness by adding remaining brown sugar syrup as desired.
Notes
- Use oat milk or your preferred non-dairy milk for a creamy, vegan-friendly bubble tea.
- Be sure to stir the tapioca pearls immediately after adding them to boiling water to prevent sticking.
- Steeping time can be adjusted based on preferred tea strength.
- Brown sugar syrup can be adjusted for sweetness to taste.
- For best texture, consume bubble tea fresh after assembly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Taiwanese
- Diet: Vegan
