Ingredients
Brown Sugar Flavor
- ⅓ cup water (70 mL)
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar or Muscovado sugar (65 g)
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g) – divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
- 1-2 drops black food coloring (optional)
Matcha Flavor
- ⅓ cup water (70 mL)
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- 1 tbsp ceremonial grade matcha
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g) – divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
Strawberry Flavor
- ⅓ cup strawberry puree (about 5-6 whole strawberries) (70 mL)
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g) – divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
- 1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
Mango Flavor
- ⅓ cup mango puree (about 1-2 ripe mangoes) (70 mL)
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g) – divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
- 1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
Peach Flavor
- ⅓ cup peach puree (about 2-3 ripe peaches) (70 mL)
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g) – divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
- 1-2 drops food coloring (optional)
Syrup
- ¼ cup maple syrup, agave nectar, simple syrup, or brown sugar syrup
Instructions
- Prep Fruit Juices & Liquids: For fruit flavors, blend the fruit until smooth and strain through a fine metal sieve discarding pulp. Combine the strained puree with sugar in a pot and add food coloring if desired. For brown sugar or matcha flavors, combine water, sugar, matcha (if using), and food coloring (if using) in a pot. Heat over medium until sugar dissolves and the mixture gently simmers.
- Make the Dough: Once simmering, add half the tapioca starch, stirring to form a paste. Remove from heat when mixture is sticky and clumping. Immediately add the remaining tapioca starch, mixing as much as possible, then transfer to a work surface and knead gently until smooth. Adjust dough moisture by adding starch if sticky or water if too dry. Cover dough with plastic wrap or damp cloth when not in use.
- Shape the Tapioca Pearls: Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a 1 cm diameter log. Cut each log in half and align halves. Cut into 0.5×0.5 cm pieces (~1 g each). Roll each piece into a ball and dust lightly with tapioca starch. To speed up, roll 5-10 pieces at a time on the counter with your palm, dusting starch as needed. Place formed pearls in a metal sieve and shake off excess starch.
- Cook the Boba Pearls: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add boba pearls and boil for 15-20 minutes until pearls rise to the surface and reach desired softness (20 minutes for softer texture). Turn off heat and let cook covered in hot water for an additional 5 minutes.
- Drain and Sweeten: Drain the cooked pearls and immediately transfer them into syrup (maple syrup, agave nectar, simple syrup, or brown sugar syrup) to prevent sticking and add sweetness.
Notes
- Use a fine metal sieve to strain purees for smooth texture in fruit-flavored boba.
- If dough is sticky, gradually add tapioca starch one teaspoon at a time and knead until smooth.
- If dough is too dry or crumbly, wet your hands or add water in one teaspoon increments while kneading.
- Rolling multiple pearls at once speeds up shaping but may produce slightly oblong pearls with similar taste and texture.
- Cooking time varies depending on desired chewyness; longer boils yield softer pearls.
- Keep cooked pearls in syrup immediately to prevent clumping and maintain flavor.
- Optional: Add food coloring to liquids for more vibrant colors if using natural fruit purees.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Beverage Accompaniment
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
