How to Make Boba Pearls at Home (Tapioca Pearls from Scratch)
Do you need tapioca pearls to make your boba, but can't find them in stores around you? Don't worry! With just 4 simple ingredients, you can make boba pearls from scratch. You'll have as many boba pearls as needed for your bubble tea or other drinks.
Yield: 3 servings
Calories: 262kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 120 g tapioca starch | + 2 tbsp for dusting
- 65 g brown sugar
- 80 ml water
- black food coloring | optional
brown sugar syrup - for 1 boba using ⅓ of this recipe (optional)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
Make the boba pearls
- In a pot, add brown sugar and water. Heat it over medium-high heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, and the mixture comes to a boil. If you're making black boba pearls, add the black food coloring at this stage.
- Reduce the heat to low and add half of the tapioca starch to the pot. Quickly stir for about 10 seconds until the mixture forms a smooth and elastic paste (be careful not to add more than half of the tapioca starch, as it could result in a dry consistency and make it difficult to incorporate the rest of the tapioca starch).
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the remaining tapioca starch to the mixture. Mix well. (Note 1)
- Transfer the dough onto a flat and clean surface. Using your hands (wear gloves as the dough is hot), knead the dough until it forms a smooth and tacky consistency. Work quickly, as the dough will become harder to knead as it cools down.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal parts.
- Roll each portion into a long, thin log approximately 6 mm / 0.24 inches thick. Using a dough cutter or knife, cut small pieces about 6 mm / 0.24 inches in size. Instead of cutting all of them at once, try cutting 10-15 pieces at a time to prevent them from drying out and make the rolling process easier.
- Take each piece of dough and roll it into a small ball in your hands.
- Once all the balls are shaped, place them in a bowl or container with tapioca starch and coat the balls thoroughly to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Transfer the balls to a strainer and shake them to drain any excess tapioca starch.
- Transfer the coated boba pearls to a container. Let them rest in the open-lid container for 1 day to allow them to dry out.
- This recipe yields enough boba pearls for 3 drinks. If you're not making all 3 drinks immediately, you can store the dried, uncooked boba pearls in an airtight container in a dry and cool area. They can be kept for up to 6 months. (Note 2)
Cook the boba pearls
- In a pot, bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the tapioca pearls to the boiling water and stir gently to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Boil the tapioca pearls for 20 minutes (Note 3). Note that depending on how thick you made the boba pearls, you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Once the tapioca pearls are cooked, remove the pot from the heat, cover it with a lid, and let the boba sit for 10 minutes until they become translucent and soft.
- Drain the pearls through a strainer and rinse them under cold water. This will prevent them from sticking to each other and stop the cooking process, causing them to shrink back to their original size.
Make the sugar syrup (optional)
- You can mix the pearls with brown sugar syrup to use in any of your bubble tea.
- In a pot, on medium heat, bring water and brown sugar to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved and until the mixture thickens and becomes syrup. Add the pearls to the pan and stir them gently to coat them with the melted syrup.
- Serve the brown sugar tapioca pearls in your favorite drink, such as milk tea or fruit tea.
Notes
1. Dough consistency:
- Dry dough: if the dough is too dry, add a little water (½ tsp at a time) to make it softer.
- Wet dough: if your dough is too wet, add some more tapioca starch until it becomes tacky.
- Cooked boba pearls: place the boba pearls in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend storing them in the brown syrup to prevent them from sticking to each other. I don't recommend freezing cooked boba pearls as they may lose their soft and chewy texture. When ready to be consumed, reheat them in a small pot until the syrup starts to boil.
- Dry boba pearls: once you have shaped the pearls and coated them with tapioca starch, place the pearls in a large tray to prevent them from overlapping. Let them dry for a day. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in a cool, dry place away from light. They can be stored for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 0.04g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 53mg | Sugar: 33g | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
