25 Best Bubble Tea Recipes You Can Make at Home
The best bubble tea recipes are the ones you can easily make at home, from creamy milk teas to fruity blends, matcha, and even fun dairy-free or low-sugar twists. Bubble tea, also known as boba tea or pearl milk tea, has become a global favourite thanks to its sweet taste, chewy tapioca pearls, and endless creative variations. If you’ve ever wondered how to make bubble tea at home, you’re in the right place!
This roundup brings together 25 of the best bubble tea recipes, from classic milk teas to fruity blends, matcha creations, and even fun dairy-free or low-sugar options.
From brown sugar boba tea and strawberry bubble tea to fun DIY recipes with black, green, or herbal teas, this roundup brings together easy ideas for every flavour. These homemade bubble tea recipes show you how simple it can be to create your own café-style boba drinks at home.
With step-by-step tips and flavour variations, you’ll discover just how versatile and utterly delicious bubble tea can be. You’ll also find creative twists like taro bubble tea, vegan boba tea, dairy-free, gluten-free bubble tea, and plenty of fruit bubble tea recipes featuring so many refreshing flavours!
Read more 👉 the complete bubble tea guide
Steps to Make the Best Bubble Tea at Home
🧋 Choose high-quality ingredients: Great homemade bubble tea starts with the basics. For the best flavour use loose tea leaves (black, green, oolong, or herbal), creamy milk or dairy-free alternatives, and good-quality sweeteners for the best flavour.
🧋 Brew the tea correctly: The taste of your DIY boba tea depends on how well the tea is brewed. Follow the steeping instructions for your chosen tea to achieve the perfect balance of strength and smoothness.
🧋 Balance the sweetness: Finding the right level of sweetness is essential. Experiment with different options such as honey, brown sugar syrup, or simple sugar syrup to create a flavour that suits your taste buds.
🧋 Pick the right tapioca pearls: Authentic bubble tea recipes call for chewy, fresh tapioca pearls. You can also try flavoured boba pearls or popping boba to add a fun twist.
🧋 Add ice for freshness: Ice cubes not only cool your drink but also help stop the pearls from clumping together, giving your tea that refreshing café-style finish.
🧋 Shake to perfection: Use a cocktail shaker or a sealed jar to mix your bubble tea. A good shake creates a light, frothy top: the signature look of true boba tea.
🧋 Get creative with flavours: From fruity blends to creamy matcha, don’t be afraid to explore new combinations.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, dive into my roundup of 25 easy bubble tea recipes for more inspiration!
You may also love to read about 👉 Japanese Milk Tea
25 Best Bubble Tea Recipes to Make at Home
If you love bubble tea but you are feeling tired of paying café prices, then good news! You can make your own boba tea at home with just a few simple ingredients. This roundup of 25 easy bubble tea recipes covers everything from classic milk tea to fruity blends, creamy matcha, and even fun twists with popping boba. Perfect for everyone including beginners or seasoned boba tea lovers, these recipes will help you shake up your favourite flavours in your very own kitchen.
1. Strawberry Matcha Boba
Strawberry Matcha Boba by Teak & Thyme
This layered Strawberry Matcha Bubble Tea is a refreshing way to learn how to make bubble tea at home. With sweet strawberries and earthy matcha, it’s one of the most colourful and fruit bubble tea flavours you’ll want to make again and again.
2. Easy Taro Milk Tea
Easy Taro Milk Tea by The Oregon Dietitian
Creamy and vibrant, Taro Bubble Tea is one of the most popular easy bubble tea recipes. Made with taro powder, jasmine green tea, milk, and tapioca pearls, this recipe is simple and delicious, with dairy-free and healthier swaps available.
3. Earl Grey Bubble Tea
Earl Grey Bubble Tea by Teak & Thyme
Fragrant and bold, this Earl Grey Bubble Tea blends black tea, bergamot, milk, and boba pearls. If you’re exploring how to make bubble tea at home, this twist on a classic cuppa is a great place to start.
Read more about 👉 Earl Grey tea
4. Butterfly Blue Boba Milk Tea
Butterfly Blue Boba Milk Tea Recipe by Mama Likes to Cook
Made with natural butterfly pea flower tea, this fruit bubble tea recipe is as stunning as it is refreshing. The bright blue colour, creamy milk, and chewy pearls make it a unique easy bubble tea recipe you can try at home.
Read more about 👉 butterfly pea flower tea
5. Chocolate Milk Tea
Chocolate Milk Tea by Entirely Elizabeth
Indulgent and comforting, Chocolate Bubble Tea combines cocoa, black tea, milk, and boba pearls. Perfect hot or iced, this is one of the most versatile easy bubble tea recipes that works year-round.
6. Thai Iced Tea with Boba
Boba Tea Recipe (How to Make Thai Bubble Tea) by The Forked Spoon
Turn a café classic into an easy bubble tea recipe at home. This Thai Bubble Tea features spiced black tea, milk, sugar, and tapioca pearls for a refreshing summer drink.
Read more about teas from around the world
7. Hong Kong Milk Tea Bubble Tea
HK Milk Tea Bubble Tea by Sift & Simmer
Strong black tea and sweetened condensed milk make this Hong Kong Milk Tea Bubble Tea bold and satisfying. It’s an easy way to enjoy a traditional favourite while practising how to make bubble tea at home.
Read more about 👉 traditional Hong Kong milk tea
8. Easy Vegan Bubble Tea
Easy Vegan Bubble Tea by Plant Based on a Budget
This vegan boba tea recipe swaps dairy for plant-based milk and uses natural sweeteners like agave. It’s one of the best dairy free bubble tea options if you want a lighter but still creamy boba drink.
9. Oolong Milk Tea
Oolong Milk Tea by Thyme for Flavor
Smooth and slightly floral, Oolong Milk Tea is a wonderful way to expand your bubble tea repertoire. With oolong tea, milk, brown sugar, and pearls, it’s both unique and simple to make at home.
10. Passion Fruit Boba
Passion Fruit Boba by Balance with Jess
This tropical Passion Fruit Bubble Tea recipe is perfect for experimenting with fruit bubble tea flavours. Real passion fruit purée, black tea, and chewy pearls make it one of the most refreshing fruit bubble tea recipes.
11. Matcha Milk Tea
Matcha Milk Tea by Entirely Elizabeth
A fan favourite, Matcha Bubble Tea combines green tea powder, milk, and tapioca pearls. It’s creamy, energising, and a must-try if you want to learn how to make bubble tea at home.
Read more about 👉 matcha green tea
12. Strawberry Milk Tea with Hibiscus
Strawberry Milk Tea by Moon and Spoon and Yum
This Strawberry Bubble Tea gets an extra tang from hibiscus tea. With strawberry syrup and pearls, it’s one of the best fruit bubble tea recipes for hot days.
13. Jasmine Milk Tea
Jasmine Milk Tea by Thyme for Flavor
Floral and delicate, Jasmine Bubble Tea pairs jasmine green tea with milk and tapioca pearls. It’s an easy bubble tea recipe that brings a peaceful, fragrant twist to your boba collection.
14. Instant Pot Bubble Tea
Instant Pot Iced Boba Tea by Two Sleevers
Learn how to make bubble tea at home the easy way with your Instant Pot. This method speeds up the process so you can enjoy a quick, refreshing easy bubble tea recipe in no time.
15. Real Taro Milk Bubble Tea
Real Taro Milk Bubble Tea by Sift & Simmer
This recipe shows you how to make Taro Bubble Tea with real taro root instead of powder. Creamy milk, natural taro, and chewy pearls make it authentic and delicious, with dairy-free bubble tea options included.
16. Traditional Bubble Tea Recipe
How to Make Traditional Bubble Tea by Rosie Loves Tea
The original brown sugar bubble tea from Taiwan mixes black tea, milk, sugar, and tapioca pearls. This is the ultimate guide if you want to master how to make easy bubble tea at home.
17. Chocolate Bubble Tea
Chocolate Bubble Tea by Healthy Life Trainer
This rich Chocolate Bubble Tea combines black tea, cocoa powder, vanilla, and chewy pearls. A simple yet indulgent easy bubble tea recipe for chocolate lovers.
18. Egg Custard Bubble Tea (CoCo-Inspired)
Coco-Inspired Egg Custard Bubble Tea by Sift & Simmer
This Egg Custard Bubble Tea recreates CoCo’s famous drink with Hong Kong-style milk tea, custard, pearls, and jelly. A fun recipe to try if you’re experimenting with how to make bubble tea at home.
19. Strawberry Milk Tea (Two Ways)
Strawberry Milk Tea by Entirely Elizabeth
This versatile Strawberry Bubble Tea can be made with black or green tea, served hot or iced, and with or without pearls. It’s one of the most adaptable fruit bubble tea recipes you can make at home.
20. Homemade Tapioca Pearls (Boba Pearls)
Homemade Tapioca Pearls aka Boba Pearls by Damn, Spicy!
Learn how to make bubble tea at home with homemade tapioca pearls. With just two ingredients, you can create fresh boba pearls for any easy bubble tea recipe.
21. Chai-Coconut Milk Boba Popsicles
Chai-Coconut Milk Boba Popsicles by Boulder Locavore
A fun frozen twist, these Chai Bubble Tea Popsicles use coconut milk, chai tea, and ready-made boba. They’re perfect if you’re looking for dairy-free gluten-free bubble tea-inspired dessert.
22. Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bars
Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bars by The Oregon Dietitian
This dessert is inspired by brown sugar milk tea. Made with coconut milk and mochi pearls, these ice cream bars are vegan and gluten-free bubble tea-inspired, a creative twist on a boba shop favourite.
23. Vegan Boba Cake
Vegan Boba Cake by Rainbow Nourishments
This Vegan Bubble Tea Cake combines black tea, dairy-free milk, brown sugar, and tapioca pearls. It’s a playful dessert for anyone looking for a dairy-free bubble tea or vegan boba tea idea beyond drinks.
24. Spiced Apple Bubble Tea
A cosy autumn drink, this Spiced Apple Bubble Tea blends black tea, apple juice, warming spices, and chewy pearls. It’s one of the best fruit bubble tea flavours for cooler weather.
25. S’mores Hojicha Bubble Tea
Creative and indulgent, this Hojicha Bubble Tea adds marshmallow, chocolate, and tapioca pearls for a s’mores twist. It’s a fun way to go beyond easy bubble tea recipes and try something unique.
Making Bubble Tea FAQs
1. What are the essential ingredients for homemade bubble tea?
The basic ingredients for homemade bubble tea include brewed tea (black, green, oolong or herbal), a milk or non-dairy alternative, a sweetener such as honey, brown sugar, or syrup, and tapioca pearls (boba). You can also add fruit flavors, jelly toppings, or popping boba for a unique fun twist.
2. How do I make chewy tapioca pearls for bubble tea?
To make chewy tapioca pearls, boil water and add the dried tapioca pearls. Stir gently and let them cook until they float, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. Afterward, let them sit in the hot water for another 10-15 minutes before draining and soaking them in a sugar or honey syrup to enhance flavor.
3. Can I make bubble tea without tapioca pearls?
Yes! If you prefer a different texture, you can replace tapioca pearls with alternatives such as fruit jelly, chia seeds, basil seeds, or popping boba. Many DIY bubble tea recipes use ingredients like aloe vera cubes, coconut jelly, or grass jelly for a fun variation.
4. What’s the best way to sweeten homemade boba tea?
You can sweeten bubble tea using honey, brown sugar syrup, simple syrup, condensed milk, or fun flavored syrups such as vanilla or caramel. If you prefer a natural option, try using maple syrup or agave nectar for a healthier touch.
5. How do I make a dairy-free or vegan bubble tea at home?
To make a vegan bubble tea, swap dairy milk for plant-based alternatives including almond, oat, soy, or coconut milk. Ensure your tapioca pearls are free from gelatin, and use a natural sweetener like agave or maple syrup instead of honey. Many fruit-based bubble tea recipes are naturally dairy-free!
