These classic boba tea tartlets combine Earl Grey custard with chewy tapioca pearls for a playful vegan dessert inspired by bubble tea. The mini tart format makes them easy to serve, while the mix of creamy and chewy textures keeps every bite interesting.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 vegan pie crust unbaked
- Vegan butter for greasing pans
- All-purpose flour for dusting
For the Glaze
- 10 ml (½tbsp) maple syrup
- 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted vegan butter, melted
For the Earl Grey Custard Filling
- 240 ml (1 cup) coconut cream
- 207 ml (~¾ cup + 1 tbsp) unsweetened plant-based milk of choice
- 50 g (¼ cup) cane sugar
- 7 g (½ tbsp) unsalted vegan butter
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 Earl Grey tea bags
- 20 g (2 tbsp) arrowroot powder + 30 ml (2 tbsp) cold water, combined
For the Topping
- 120 g (1 cup) cooked tapioca pearls (boba pearls) (buy online or at an Asian supermarket)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease six (3-inch [8-cm]) pans with vegan butter or coconut oil. Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper.
- Make the vegan pie crust but don’t bake it. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into six pieces. Place one of the pieces of dough on the center of the parchment paper. Lightly flour the dough and cover it with a second sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough into a round shape that’s 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter. Carefully transfer the dough to a greased pan. There should be some dough hanging over. Trim off the excess dough, leaving a ¼-inch (6-mm) overhang, and shape the edges with your hands, pressing on all the sides. Repeat this step with the remaining dough. Transfer the pans to the freezer for 5 minutes.
- To make the glaze, add the maple syrup and vegan butter to a small bowl and mix well. Brush the crusts with the glaze.
- Add a sheet of parchment paper to the middle of the crusts and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crusts for 13 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Allow the crusts to cool completely before adding the filling.
- To make the filling, add the coconut cream, plant-based milk, sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Immediately reduce the heat to low and add the Earl Grey tea bags. Allow the tea to steep for 10 minutes, then remove the tea bags from the saucepan. Bring the mixture back to a simmer. Pour in the arrowroot mixture, stirring quickly. Once the mixture starts to thicken, remove it from the heat and divide the filling among the tart pans. Allow the tarts to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to the refrigerator to cool for 2 hours. Top with some of the tapioca pearls before serving.