This homemade bubble tea recipe is a fun and refreshing treat that’s fully vegan and dairy-free. If you’ve ever had bubble tea, you know it’s all about the chewy tapioca pearls and the mix of sweet, cold tea. You can make it at home with simple ingredients like coconut sugar, black tea, and plant milk, which gives you control over the sweetness and the flavor.

The recipe starts by making your own tapioca pearls from scratch, which is simpler than you might think. You combine tapioca flour and coconut sugar to create dough, roll it out into little pieces, and boil them until they float and turn translucent. Then, brew your favorite black tea and mix it with plant milk and coconut sugar syrup to sweeten the tea.

This is a fun DIY drink and a great way to enjoy a treat with a vegan twist. Whether you’re making it for a cozy afternoon snack or serving it at a gathering, this bubble tea will surely impress your guests. This plant-based recipe comes from Sesame. Soy. Spice. by Remy Morimoto Park.

Here’s how to make homemade bubble tea

Bubble tea is super popular worldwide, so a vegan recipe was bound to pop up at some point. Enjoy a simple black bubble tea with tapioca pearls in the comfort of your own home.

No ratings yet

Servings

Ingredients

Tapioca pearls

½ cup tapioca flour
1 tablespoon coconut sugar

Tea

2 bags black tea or 2 tablespoons loose black tea of your choice
Ice
2 tablespoons coconut sugar simple syrup (look up a quick recipe online), or more to taste
2 cups sweetened or unsweetened plant milk of your choice

Instructions

Start by preparing the tapioca pearls: Place the tapioca flour in a medium heatproof bowl.
Place the coconut sugar in a small pot.
Bring a teakettle of water to a boil and pour 3 tablespoons of the boiling water into the sugar.
Stir until completely dissolved.
Bring the pot of sugar water a boil over low heat, then pour the hot sugar water into the bowl with the tapioca flour.
Using a small spatula, stir until a sticky dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide into two parts.
Roll out each into a long, thin strip about ½ inch thick.
Cut into small pieces, about a 1⁄3 inch in length, and roll each piece into a tight ball.
Depending upon your preference, you will want ¼ to 1⁄3 cup of cooked tapioca pearls per serving.
Cook immediately or, to store for later use, let them sit on the countertop, making sure no pieces are touching, to air-dry overnight, until completely dry. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry area or in the freezer.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the tapioca pearls and boil until they float and become translucent, about 5 minutes; they will cook quickly.
Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of lukewarm water to keep them from sticking.

Excerpted from Sesame, Soy, Spice: 90 Asian-ish Vegan and Gluten-free Recipes to Reconnect, Root, and Restore © 2024 by Remy Morimoto Park. Photography © 2024 by Kristin Teig. Reproduced by permission of William Morrow Cookbooks, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Read more: How To Make Vegan Pistachio Milk