Brown sugar milk tea is a Taiwanese drink that has recently spread across the world and achieved global popularity. Despite having the word tea in the name, the original recipe from Taiwan actually contains no tea at all but just three simple ingredients: milk, brown sugar, and tapioca pearls (boba).
It’s super simple to make at home. Just follow these steps, and you’ll be sipping this sweet treat in no time!
How to Make Brown Sugar Milk Tea
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 cups water for boiling
- 4 cups milk
- Ice cubes (optional)
- Dried boba or tapioca pearls
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Four glasses
- Straws
1. Boil The Water.
Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan and bring it to a boil on the stovetop.
2. Cook the Boba Pearls.
When the water boils, add the boba pearls to the water and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Make the Syrup.
Stir 2 cups of brown sugar into the saucepan with the pearls. Boil for another 5 minutes.
4. Assemble the Drinks.
Pour the syrup and pearl mixture into four glasses, dividing evenly. Tip each glass from side to side until the syrup has coated the glass. Add milk and ice, stir it up with a straw, and enjoy!
The Bubble Tea Experience
Brown sugar milk tea is a bubble tea: a milky tea beverage first brewed in the 1980s in Taiwan. Not all variations of bubble tea contain tea, including brown sugar milk tea, and not all of them have milk.
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What Are Boba Pearls?
All bubble teas have boba, also known as tapioca pearls. Boba pearls are the eponymous bubbles and are traditionally made of cassava root. They are chewy, cooked spheres of dough at the bottom of the drink. Bubble tea is often served with a large straw to accommodate the boba’s size.
Since the invention of bubble tea, drink makers have come up with various types of boba, not just tapioca pearls. There is also popping boba, which are pearls with fruity liquids that burst in your mouth when you eat them.
It’s also common to find jelly candies mixed into bubble teas.
What Does Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea Taste Like?
Brown sugar milk tea is also called tiger milk tea because of the distinctive look it gets when the brown sugar syrup coats the sides of the glass. It has a creamy, caramelly taste that can be incredibly addictive.
Some bubble tea shops serve a drink called flaming brown sugar milk tea. It is the same as standard brown sugar milk tea, except that it has a cheese foam layer on top sprinkled with caramelized brown sugar.
If you love creamy, sugary drinks, you’ll love brown sugar milk tea!
Simple Brown Sugar Milk Tea Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Four glasses
- Straws
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 cups water for boiling
- 4 cups milk
- Dried boba or tapioca pearls
Instructions
- Heat the water in a saucepan on the stovetop. Bring it to a boil.
- Add the dried pearls to the boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Add the brown sugar to the water with the pearls. Boil for 5 more minutes.
- Divide the brown sugar boba between four glasses. Swirl to coat the sides of each glass.
- Add milk of your choice and ice cubes if desired. Stir with a straw and enjoy!
Nutrition
Final Thoughts
A traditional delicacy of Taiwan, brown sugar milk tea is now enjoyed the world over, and you can make it right in your home!
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Featured Image Credit By: Theerawan, Shutterstock
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