🧋Brown Sugar Boba (Milk Tea)

This Brown Sugar Boba is rich, sweet, and creamy. This favorite Asian milk drink is just as good as the ones sold at the store and a lot easier to make than you think.

If you love sweet, cold drinks, then you should try this Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat) and Iced Caramel Macchiato.

Recipe Details

I honestly can’t get enough of this brown sugar milk tea! It’s sweet and refreshing and easier to make than I thought. This homemade boba is just as good as store-bought, and a lot cheaper to make yourself!

• TASTE: Creamy and sweet, this drink is delicious. The caramelized brown sugar syrup makes this beverage more like a dessert.
• TEXTURE: The heavy cream gives it a really rich, smooth texture. And the tapioca pearls are a chewy addition that you’ll love.
• TIME: It takes about 45 minutes to make.
• EASE: Don’t be intimidated by this recipe, it’s really quite easy. With just 5 ingredients, it’s a breeze to whip up.

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Tapioca pearls– These edible spheres are made from tapioca starch and add texture to the boba.
• Dark brown sugar- Because of the molasses in it, this type of sugar is richer in flavor than regular white sugar, or even light brown sugar.
• Heavy whipping cream- This rich ingredient adds more thickness to the boba than just using milk.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Add tea- Add black tea to this drink to give it a little caffeine boost and a different flavor.
• Make it dairy-free- Substitute the heavy cream with coconut cream and the milk with coconut or almond milk.
• Add some spices- Make this Brown Sugar Boba with some chai spices, including cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, and cloves.
• Make it lighter- If you want to lighten this boba up, use milk instead of the heavy cream. You can also use a lower-fat milk. This will make the drink thinner, but still tasty.

How to Make Brown Sugar Boba

• Dissolve the brown sugar. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the dark brown sugar and water. Stir them with a whisk as the sugar dissolves.
• Simmer. Once it comes to a boil, lower the temperature to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, being careful not to overcook it.
• Allow it to thicken. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup thicken and cool to room temperature before using.

Pro Tip: To avoid overcooking the sugar mixture, use a candy thermometer to check that the temperature reaches about 230-240 degrees Fahrenheit, but no more.

• Cook the tapioca pearls. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the tapioca pearls according to the package. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked boba to a bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar, which will dissolve as the boba cools.

• Assemble your boba. Now in a 16 oz cup or glass, add 1/4 cup of the brown sugar syrup, 1/4 cup cooked boba, then a cup of ice. Now pour in a cup of milk with 2 Tbsp of heavy cream. Stir well and enjoy using a boba straw!

Recipe Tips

• Don’t overcook the sugar mixture- Keep the sugar simmering at no more than 240 degrees. If you overcook it, it will harden completely.
• Make extra syrup- If you love making this often, make a larger batch of syrup and keep it in the fridge so you can whip up some brown sugar milk tea without having to wait for the syrup to cool.
• Add sugar to the cooked tapioca pearls- Adding sugar to dissolve with the cooked tapioca pearls creates a syrup that keeps the pearls from sticking together.
• Use a boba straw– The tapioca pearls can’t go through a regular straw, so get yourself a larger boba straw so you can enjoy this Brown Sugar Boba as it’s meant to be.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

This sweet Brown Sugar Boba is the perfect accompaniment for lots of sweet treats. Enjoy it with cookies, cake, donuts, and more.

• Cookies: Serve this drink with some Coffee Cookies, Chocolate Macarons, Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies, or Cookies And Cream Cookies.
• Cake: Enjoy this refreshing boba with a slice of Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Chocolate Mousse Cake, New York Style Cheesecake, or Berry Chantilly Cake.
• Donuts: Pair it with some Perfect Sugar Donuts, The BEST Mochi Donuts (VIDEO), Chocolate Donuts, or Old Fashioned Sour Cream Donuts.
• Sweet treats: Serve this Brown Sugar Boba with some Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (VIDEO), Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti, Crème Brulée, or Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (VIDEO).

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: Make a larger batch of the sugar syrup beforehand and keep it in the fridge. You can also pre-cook the tapioca pearls and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Then you can make this drink whenever you’re ready.

Storing: You can store this Brown Sugar Boba in the refrigerator for a few hours, but the ice will melt and make it watery, so make sure to remove it beforehand. This drink is best fresh because the boba pearls will change texture as they sit.

Freeze: The tapioca pearls can be frozen for up to 6 months, but the drink will need to be made fresh.

Watch Recipe VIDEO Here

More Tasty Drinks!

Full Recipe Instructions

Brown Sugar Boba

This Brown Sugar Boba is rich, sweet, and creamy. This favorite Asian milk drink is just as good as the ones sold at the store and a lot easier to make than you think.

Print Pin Rate

Course: beverage

Cuisine: Asian

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

cool time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 47 minutes

Servings: 1

Calories: 712kcal

Instructions

• Bring a saucepan over medium-high heat. Then add 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup water. Stir it with a whisk as the sugar dissolves.

• Once the sugar mixture comes to a boil, adjust the temperature to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Or until the mixture reaches about 230-240 degrees F°. Be careful not to overcook it or it will harden completely.

• Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup thicken and cool to room temperature before using. Or make a larger batch and keep in the fridge to make more than one serving of bubble tea.

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the tapioca pearls according to the package. Then use any kind of allotted spoon to transfer the cooked boba to a bowl. Then in mix in 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar. The sugar will dissolve as the boba cools.
• Now in a 16 oz cup or glass, add 1/4 cup of the brown sugar syrup, 1/4 cup cooked boba, then add about 1 cup of ice. Now pour in 1 cup of milk along with 2 Tbsp heavy cream. Stir well and enjoy using a boba straw!

Notes

• Don’t overcook the sugar mixture- Keep the sugar simmering at no more than 240 degrees. If you overcook it, it will harden completely.
• Make extra syrup- If you love making this often, make a larger batch of syrup and keep it in the fridge so you can whip up some brown sugar milk tea without having to wait for the syrup to cool.
• Add sugar to the cooked tapioca pearls- Adding sugar to dissolve with the cooked tapioca pearls creates a syrup that keeps the pearls from sticking together.
• Use a boba straw– The tapioca pearls can’t go through a regular straw, so get yourself a larger boba straw so you can enjoy this Brown Sugar Boba as it’s meant to be.

Nutrition

Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 132g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 557mg | Sugar: 131g | Vitamin A: 836IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 430mg | Iron: 1mg

Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!