Oolong Bubble Tea (Oolong Boba Milk Tea)

Name: Oolong Bubble Tea (Homemade Boba Milk Tea)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Ingredients: 1 cup water; 2 oolong tea sachets ((or tea bags)); 1 tablespoon brown sugar; ¼ cup milk ((any kind, including half & half)); ¾ cup ice; ¾ cup water; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; ¼ cup tapioca balls

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Oolong bubble tea (boba milk tea) is a Taiwanese iced drink combining steeped oolong tea, chewy tapioca pearls, milk, and ice. This recipe delivers café-quality results at home in under 20 minutes without special equipment.

🌍Taiwanese

Oolong Bubble Tea (Oolong Boba Milk Tea)

Total

15 min

Servings

1

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From Ohhowcivilized

Ingredients

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8 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Make tea. Steep oolong tea in hot water for 5 minutes. and cool.Set the water temperature to 195°F if you're using an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Use filtered water when possible.
2
Discard tea sachets and stir in brown sugar. Set aside to cool.
3
Cook tapioca balls. Boil ¾ cup of water and sugar in a saucepan. Add tapioca balls.Combine water and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. When you see big bubbles (2-4 minutes), add tapioca balls. Keep boiling for 8 more minutes on medium-high heat. Cool slightly, until tapioca balls aren't too hot to eat. They should still be quite warm.
4
Assemble the drink. Add warm tapioca balls in brown sugar syrup into a cup.  Add ice, cooled down tea, and milk.Serve immediately and stir before drinking. Use an extra wide straw to drink.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Use filtered water and maintain 195°F water temperature for optimal oolong flavor extraction without bitterness.
Keep tapioca balls warm in their brown sugar syrup until serving to preserve the chewy texture; they firm up as they cool.
Serve immediately after assembly and stir before drinking to distribute the boba and syrup throughout the drink.
Use an extra-wide straw to prevent tapioca balls from clogging a standard straw.

Substitutions

oolong tea sachets → loose leaf oolong tea (use 1 tablespoon per 1 cup water and strain)
brown sugar → white sugar or honey (note: color and flavor will differ slightly)
tapioca balls → popping boba or grass jelly (note: skip the cooking step for popping boba; adjust cooking time for jelly)

Storage & make-ahead

Store cooled tea and cooked tapioca separately in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Assemble fresh to order for best texture.

Equipment

electric kettle with temperature setting (optional but recommended for precise steeping) · wide drinking straw · saucepan

Common Questions

What temperature should I use to steep oolong tea?

Set water to 195°F if using an electric kettle. Steep oolong tea sachets for 5 minutes, then cool before assembling.

How do I know when tapioca balls are cooked?

Boil water and brown sugar, add tapioca balls when big bubbles appear (2–4 minutes), then boil for 8 more minutes on medium-high heat until they're opaque and chewy.