Jasmine Milk Tea with Honey Boba

So, are you a boba tea lover?

While insisting that they love tea, I have a few friends who can’t stand boba milk tea. Is it the squishy, chewy texture of those tapioca balls that turn them off? Maybe poor quality tea? Perhaps a bad proportion of tea to milk? Whatever the reason, I’m hoping that this recipe for Jasmine Tea with Honey Boba might turn things around.

This recipe comes straight from The Boba Guys themselves. If you don’t already know of them, they’re a company based out of San Francisco, and one of the best places I’ve come across for a satisfying cup of Taiwanese-style bubble milk tea.The Boba Guys are purists. Loose-leaf tea, organic milk from grass-fed cows, and perfectly cooked boba are their signatures. No frills here, just keeping it simple.Although I love their Classic Milk Tea, I thought I’d share a more interesting variation of it for you to enjoy at home. Instead of black tea, this has a Chinese jasmine green tea base, fresh with the scent of jasmine blossoms.The most interesting thing about this recipe is that the tea is steeped for 8 minutes (yes…8!). Inevitably, this brings out bitter notes in the tea, which are later rounded out by the addition of honey and super rich milk (or half-and-half).If you’re a fan of boba milk tea and lucky enough to be around one of their stores in Northern California or NYC, definitely stop by. And if you aren’t a boba milk tea lover, but want to stay open-minded, you should also visit. If you’re ever going to be converted, it will happen here!

The tea featured in this post is courtesy of Tea People, the affiliate company of Boba Guys. If you want to enjoy freshly made milk tea, visit Boba Guys in person. To make milk tea at home the right way, visit Tea People online!

Jasmine Milk Tea with Honey Boba

Makes 3-4 drinks.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp jasmine tea (I used Tea People’s Jasmine Green Tea)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup boba

1/4 cup honey

1 cup organic half-and-half or whole milk, from grass-fed cows (I used Straus’ Cream-Top Whole Milk)

ice, for serving

Equipment:

large teapot with strainer

heat proof pitcher

medium pot

slotted spoon

4 serving glasses

fat straws

Directions:

1. Brew the Tea. Steep the tea leaves for 8 minutes with 4 cups water at 170 degrees F. Strain the leaves out and pour the tea into a heat proof pitcher. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Make the Simple Syrup. Combine the sugars with 1 cup of water in a pot. Heat over med-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Cook the Boba. Cook the boba according to package instructions. After the cooking time has elapsed, let the boba continue to sit in the hot water for 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the boba to a bowl, then combine it with the honey and set this aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

4. Shake & Serve! When ready to serve, fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 1 cup of tea, 1/4 cup of half-and-half (or Straus’ Cream-Top Whole Milk), and 1/4 cup of simple syrup (or less, to taste). Shake away, then pour into a glass half-filled with ice. Add 2-3 Tbsp of boba to the drink, then place a fat straw in the glass. This is the proportion I use to make 1 drink–repeat this step to make 4 drinks…enjoy!

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Bonnie Eng

I really hope you can try this recipe, Nichole! My hubby and I loved it…it’s a lighter and brighter version of black milk tea, a real treat if you love jasmine tea! 😉

Reply
Scott

Did you get the boba from an Asian supermarket, or does Boba Guys sell boba too?! Their boba is perfect. Ugh, Boba Guys is my ultimate favorite boba shop in the bay, I’d love to try and recreate their drinks!

Reply
Emiko C. D

Hi Bonnie,
Thank you for the delicious recipe! I tried it with Almond Milk.
Tastes great!
Have a wonderful day.
With Aloha,
Emiko

Reply
Beatrice

I love boba tea and definitely will be trying this out!
Jasmin, black milk and matcha were my go to flavours (sadly most of the boba shops in Vienna closed down) but I am glad that I can make them myself with some searching for tapioka 🙂

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Hey Carmen! Thanks for your message. I just get my boba from the Asian market. For best results, I try to get the kind that isn’t fast-cooking. Hope this helps! 🙂

Reply
Boba Made

Great recipe! I had no idea you would need to steep that long to make the flavors really come out. Boba Guys is definitely one of my favorite boba places because they use natural ingredients. However, if you make boba tea at home, you can definitely make it as healthy as you can and be as creative as you can be. If you like boba tea, come check out my boba illustrations #bobamade

Reply
Dana

Hi Bonnie,
Thank you so much for the recipe! I know this is an old post but wanted to ask a question about steeping the tea.
When I follow the recipe and try steeping the tea for 8 minutes, the tea turns very bitter to an extent that I cannot cover up the taste using sugar or half and half. Do you have any suggestions for this? If I steep the tea for a shorter period of time, I can barely taste the jasmine when mixed up with rest of the ingredients.
Thanks again for the recipe and I hope you will be able to come across this comment 🙂 happy new year!

Reply
Cindy

Bubble tea, also known as pearl milk tea or boba, is a sweetened and flavored beverage that comes with tapioca pearls at the bottom. It is an especially popular drink in East and Southeast Asia, but it has become increasingly popular all over the world due to its unique combination of textures and flavors. The drink is made from a brewed tea base, such as black or green tea, and then mixed with fruit or other flavor syrups. After this, small tapioca pearls are added which add texture and a chewiness to the beverage. There are also many variations of bubble tea that may include other ingredients such as jelly pieces, popping boba (fruit-flavored balls containing fruit juice), aloe vera pieces, and various kinds of pudding. Bubble tea can be served hot or cold depending on the customer’s preference – either way, it makes for a refreshing treat! Bubble tea has gained much popularity over the years due to its wide variety of flavor combinations and chewy texture that appeals to people of all ages. With the advent of technology, bubble teas are now available for purchase in supermarkets and convenience stores across the world – allowing everyone to experience this unique beverage no matter where they live. https://www.yucoo.net/

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