Bubble Tea



I have never ordered this drink before at restaurants because they are always a lot of money for the small cup that you get. I always walk by this one smoothie place at my local mall and they advertise these drinks and they look so cool with dark bubbles of the bottom that I am always temped to pay the $5 for that small glass of bubble tea. I love Chai tea and if you love tea especially Chai tea than you will love this. I found the pearl tapioca at my local grocery store just ask around if you cannot find it. I had trouble finding it and when I asked the lady at the store, she immediately knew what I was talking about and took me to the tapioca pearls. Now I made this drink for a lunch I hosted at my house yesterday and they all loved it. I will be honest, these stores that sell Bubble tea are ripping you off!! I spent $2.50 for the box of pearl tapioca and that was enough for 4 quarts of tea. I doubled the syrup and tea recipe figuring that we would suck through the tea like it was a hot summer day, leaving me with none to enjoy later on. So if you have a big party coming up and you want to impress your guests or if you just want a spin on your average iced tea on a hot day, you should make this. Not only is it really cheap to make but it certainly is neat to look at.

  • 7 cups water
  • 1 (7-ounce) package pearl tapioca
  • 10 black Chai tea bags
  • 1 pint half-and-half
  • Spiced Simple Syrup, recipe follows
  • Straws




  1. In a large pot, add the water and the pearl tapioca. Bring to a boil, over medium heat, then cover and cook for 16 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit another 15 minutes, covered.
  2. Strain into a container and add 1/3 cup of the Spiced Simple Syrup. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  3. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the tea bags, let steep for 7 minutes and then remove. Allow the tea to cool.
  4. When ready to serve, add 1/3 cup tapioca pearls, 1/3 cup half-and-half, and 1/4 cup spiced simple syrup to each glass. Serve with a wide barrel straw to get the pearls.

Spiced Simple Syrup:

  • 1 c. water
  • 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole cloves
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. Strain the mixture into a glass jar and discard the cloves and cinnamon.
  3. The syrup will keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

5 comments:

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

What an awesome idea for a party! I wish I had something coming up to try this, I'll have to invent something. I love chai tea and I know several of my friends who will as well, thanks again.

Cafe Groenhout said...

As one of the guests who tried this at the party, I can vouch for how tasty it was! Attractive in the glass, delightful in your mouth. :) Will definitely be making this at my place!

Rachel said...

I've never even heard of this before!
What an interesting drink. I may have to try this!
So glad you linked it up, I love finding new recipes.

Cheryl Pitt said...

That sounds absolutely dedcadent,and it would probably work well with my dairy free milks or creamers!

Suzy said...

Good for you making some on your own. I've seen it before but never been adventurous to try it. I love chai, so I'd probably love this too. It sure is pretty.