Blue Tea Boba Milk w/ Homemade (Tapioca) Pearls (Vegan & Gluten-free)

This fairytale drink is one to make with the kids or friends!

This fairytale drink is one to make with the kids or friends!

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you know I struggle with being consistent in sharing recipes on time. Though am really working on it, it’s sometimes difficult to combine my full-time job with my company sooo, this recipe was lingering in my concepts for ages and during my days off I FINALLY managed to write it all down. It’s defo a recipe that takes a bit of time, but the result is all worth it guys! So check it out, I’ve also added a step by step for you and let me know how it was.

Blue Tea Boba Milk w/ Homemade (Tapioca) Pearls (Vegan & Gluten-free)

  • Prep: 45 min
  • Total: 1 hour

  • Vegetables

Ingredients

 

For the Blue Tea:
- 3 tbsp Blue Tea flowers (you can buy them at specialized Tea Stores) 
- 1 cup of water

N.B. remove 4 tbsp (for the Tapioca Pearls) and save the rest (3/4 of a cup) for the Blue Tea Syrup

For the Blue Tea Syrup:
- ½ cup
- 4 ½ tbsp white sugar

For the Tapioca Pearls: 
- ¾ cup Tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 4 tbsp Blue Tea

For the Blue Tea Milk:
- 2 cups of soy milk (I’ve used Alpro but use whatever brand or milk you like)
- 3 tbsp Blue Tea flowers
- 1 tbsp white sugar

I’ve adapted this recipe from Alpha Foodie/alphafoodie.com

Instructions

For the Blue Tea:
Add the Blue Tea flowers to a heatproof bowl/teacup and add the hot water. Let the tea sit and when the water is cooled down, squeeze the tea leaves so you’ll end up with a beautiful blue tea. 

NOTE: remove 4 tbsp (for the Tapioca Pearls you’ll make in a bit) and save the rest ( ½ of a cup) for the Blue Tea Syrup

For the Blue Tea Tapioca Pearls:

  1. Add the water and sugar to a pan. Heat it up over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then turn off the heat. 
  2. Add 1 tbsp of the tapioca flour and mix well (make sure there are no lumbs).
  3. Then turn on the heat again and stir well until the mixture starts thickening. Once it becomes thicker, remove the pan from the heat and add the rest of the tapioca flour. Then mix well until you have a sticky dough.
  4. Sprinkle some tapioca flour on a cool surface and knead the dough until it becomes soft and elastic.

NOTE: I added about 4-5 tsp of water because my dough was still not pliable.

  1. Roll the dough into thin rod. This is important, because the dough will expand. If your dough gets dry, you can wet it and knead it again. Then cut the rods into small pieces and roll each piece into a ball until all the dough is finished. 
  2. Cook the Tapioca balls in a pan with water. Stir well so they won’t stick. Cover the pan with a lid and then let them cook for 20 minutes. 

In meantime prepare your Blue Tea Syrup (see below) and let the liquid reduce to half. When the Tapioca pearls are cooked add them to the syrup. 

For the Blue Tea Syrup:
Add ½ cup of the Blue Tea to a pan with the sugar and let it cook on medium heat until it becomes a thick syrup.

  1. Then add the pearls and sugar syrup back in the pan and until it becomes a thicker mixture and cook this for about 5-7 minutes.
  2. Now prepare your Blue Milk Tea (see below).

For the Blue Milk Tea:
Add the sugar, your milk of choice and blue tea leaves to a pan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Squeeze out the leaves for extra colour. If you’re making a cold drink, then let this cool down. 

NOTE: you can also make a traditional Boboa Milk Tea by adding black tea as the base. I decided to make my own Blue Milk Tea as I thought this would enhance the Blue Tea flavour even more and would look super cool!

  1. Assemble your Blue Boba Milk Tea w/ the Homemade Pearls:

Add the Blue Tea Boboa Pearls to your glass followed by the ice cubes, your Blue Tea w/ Milk, add some whip cream and garnish with some Blue Tea leaves or syrup.

TIPS:
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice over the pearls and they will turn purple (don't use any milk then, just a lemonade).

If you make my recipes please tag me in them and use #thespicedchickpearecipes. I'd love to see what you've made!