Learn how to make a delicious matcha boba tea with a balanced taste and chewy tapioca pearls with these few simple steps in your own kitchen. It is much easier than you think! {Gluten-Free, Vegan}
Matcha boba tea is a super delicious and fun drink that has been getting super popular these days. Boba tea, or bubble tea, is originally from Taiwan. The original boba tea is usually made with sweetened black tea. But lately matcha drinks have become so popular that I’ve started to see more and more matcha boba tea popping up everywhere.
The earthy and slightly bitter matcha powder is mixed with milk, and sweetened to achieve a balanced taste and served with chewy tapioca pearls. Not only is it a great drink at any time of the year, it’s also a very pretty drink to impress your guests.
Today I want to share the version of matcha boba tea from my favorite matcha shop.
Matcha boba tea ingredients & special equipment
What is matcha
Matcha is finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves. Different from green tea leaves, you can fully dissolve matcha in water and make it into a smooth drink.
Just like green tea, matcha has the health benefits. For example, it delivers high doses of antioxidants, boosts heart health, promotes a healthy cholesterol level, improves skin health and more.
Matcha contains caffeine. But I found it makes me less jittery than coffee does. It’s one of my favorite drinks in the morning to replace coffee to start my day and boost my energy level.
We usually purchase Davidson’s Organic Matcha Powder (1lb-size) because we drink matcha every day. For a smaller quantity, I like the 1-oz Jade Leaves Organic Matcha. Their culinary grade is good enough to make a sweetened mixed drink like this.
Tapioca pearls
Tapioca pearls, or boba, are also known as tapioca balls. They are usually made from tapioca starch and sugar. Once cooked, they become dark semi-translucent balls with a chewy texture.
The best way to prepare boba drinks is to get good quality instant tapioca pearls such as the WuFuYuan Black Tapioca Pearls. It only takes 5 minutes to prepare them and they have a very good texture.
In the past, I preferred to use the regular tapioca pearls (non-instant type) because they usually have a better texture than the instant type. But in recent years the instant type has evolved a lot and the quality has come a long way.
Matcha whisk
I highly recommend getting a bamboo matcha whisk for dissolving the matcha powder. It makes the process much easier and it will dissolve the matcha powder more thoroughly.
If you have a blender, you can also use it to blend the matcha powder with the milk directly. It is quite handy if you plan to make a big batch of matcha drinks.
I do not recommend using a spoon or fork to dissolve matcha powder. It doesn’t dissolve the powder properly. And when the matcha powder is not dissolved properly, it will separate very quickly once you add the milk.
If you make matcha boba tea or any matcha drinks very frequently, you can also get a matcha tea set, which includes the whisk, whisk stand and a matcha bowl that’s easy to pour from.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to make matcha boba tea, you should have:
- Matcha powder
- Sweetener (I prefer maple syrup, but you can also use sugar)
- Tapioca pearls
- Plant milk
I prefer to use Oatly Full Fat Oat Milk to make my matcha boba tea. Oat milk has a sweet taste and it balances very well with the bitter matcha. The Oatly full fat milk has a thick texture so you can make a smooth drink that is not watery.
You can also use almond milk, soy milk, or dairy milk for this drink.
How to make matcha boba tea
- Boil the tapioca pearls
- Rinse the tapioca pearls with cold tap water and drain
- Add the tapioca pearls and maple syrup to the serving glass
- Sift the matcha powder
- Whisk the matcha powder to dissolve it in the hot water
- Add the plant milk
- Pour in the dissolved matcha
- Add ice if needed
Do not overcook the tapioca pearls
It’s important to follow the package instructions and not over boil the tapioca pearls. For the WuFuYuan Black Tapioca Pearls, I prefer to cook them for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit for 2 minutes for a chewy texture.
It’s best to marinate the tapioca pearls
You’ll notice that the tapioca pearls from a boba tea shop are usually sweetened. When you cook tapioca pearls at home, it’s a common practice to marinate the cooked tapioca pearls in a sugar syrup for 30 minutes to achieve a sweet taste.
For this recipe, I directly added the cooked tapioca pearls and the maple syrup in individual serving glasses, and let it sit a bit to marinate. It cuts the process a bit shorter and the result is good.
Use as little hot water as you can
When you dissolve the matcha powder, I prefer to use as little hot water as I can so the end product won’t be too diluted with water. Especially when you plan to make a cold drink with ice.
I found that 2 tablespoons of hot water is enough to dissolve 2 teaspoons of matcha, but 3 tablespoons will make it easier to pour.
How much matcha powder per drink
A standard serving of a matcha drink (with 1 cup of milk) usually contains 1 teaspoon of matcha powder. However I found the ratio a bit low and the drink does not taste rich enough. That’s why I usually put 2 teaspoons of matcha powder in my matcha boba tea. If you’re not sure, 1 1/2 teaspoons of matcha powder is a good place to start.
How to make matcha boba tea ahead of time
You could blend the matcha and milk and store it in the fridge.
For the tapioca pearls, read the package and make sure you’re not making them too far ahead of time. You can usually store the cooked tapioca pearls for a few hours if using the instant type, and store them for up to a day if using the regular type. You should only store the tapioca pearls in maple syrup (or sugar syrup) at room temperature. The pearls will become very stiff if stored in the fridge.
More delicious drinks recipes
- Chinese Jujube Tea (红枣茶)
- Easy Citron Tea (Made with Meyer Lemons)
- How to Make Bubble Tea (Boba Tea, 珍珠奶茶)
- Honey Lemon Tea
- Avocado Smoothie
Matcha Boba Tea
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup tapioca pearls
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sugar, or to taste)
- 2 to 4 teaspoons matcha powder , divided
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup hot water , divided (Footnote 1)
- 2 cups oat milk (or almond milk)
- Ice cubes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the tapioca pearls to the water. Stir a few times to prevent the pearls from sticking to the bottom. Cook them according to package instructions. Drain the boba and rinse gently with cold tap water to stop cooking. Divide the boba into two glasses.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup into each glass (*Footnote 2), stir to mix with the boba. Let marinate for 15 to 30 minutes if time allows.
- Make 1 cup of matcha at a time. Sift 1 to 2 teaspoons of matcha powder (*Footnote 3) into a small bowl using a fine sieve. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot water and use a matcha whisk to whisk for a solid 1 minute, until the matcha powder is fully incorporated. Make the second cup of matcha using the same method.
- (Optional) heat up the milk in the microwave if making a hot drink.
- Once the tapioca pearls are marinated. Pour 1 cup of plant milk into each glass. And pour the matcha mixture into the glass. Add ice if making a cold drink. Stir and enjoy!
Notes
- I found you can properly dissolve 2 teaspoons matcha powder with 2 tablespoons of hot water if you sift the matcha powder before mixing. If you find 2 tablespoons of hot water is too little, I would increase it to 3 tablespoons but no more. I prefer to use as little water as possible so the drink stays richly flavored.
- One tablespoon of maple syrup per drink gives a pretty balanced taste. You can increase it if you want a sweeter drink. If you use less than 2 teaspoons of matcha powder, you might want to slightly reduce the amount of maple syrup.
- Two teaspoons of matcha powder gives you a strong matcha flavored drink. If you prefer a milder drink, use 1 or 1 1/2 teaspoons matcha powder per drink.
