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Brown Sugar Matcha Bubble Tea

20 min

Drink

10 ingredients or less
This beautifully layered drink is a fusion of a creamy matcha latte and sweet bubble tea. The chewy pearls are coated in a brown sugar syrup, which adds the perfect balance to the earthy matcha flavour.

Servings

Total

20 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

10 min

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sesame

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp (28 g)
    brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL)
    boiling water
  • ½ cup (76 g)
    quick-cooking tapioca pearls
  • 2 tsp (4 g)
    matcha powder†
  • ½ cup (120 mL)
    hot water, at around 80°C/175°F†
  • 1 tsp (5 mL)
    pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (111 g)
    ice cubes
  • 2½ cups (600 mL)
    barista oat milk†

Directions

  1. Add the brown sugar and boiling water to a bowl. Stir vigorously until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. In a saucepan, cook the tapioca pearls according to the package instructions. For us, this took about 5 minutes.
  3. Drain the tapioca pearls, rinse under cold water, and transfer to the brown sugar syrup jar. Give it a mix.
  4. Sift the matcha powder into a bowl. Then add the hot water. Use a matcha whisk* to whisk until there’s a foam layer on top of the matcha.
  5. Add the vanilla extract to the matcha mixture and whisk again until combined.
  6. Divide the brown sugar pearls between the glasses, top with the ice cubes, milk, and lastly the matcha. Enjoy!

Notes

  • †A premium grade of matcha is preferable for this drink over culinary or cooking grade matcha.
  • †Ideally around 175°F/80°C.
  • †Nutrition tip: aim to use plant-based milk that is fortified with calcium.
  • * If you don’t have a matcha whisk, add the same amount of matcha and warm (rather than hot) water to a jar, and shake until combined.

Storage

  • Best to enjoy this bubble tea immediately.
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Nutrition info

Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.

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Catherine Auld - July 24, 2024, 4:10 p.m.

Make sure you have a bubble tea straw to get the best experience of drinking this deliciousness!

Reply
Janelle - July 4, 2024, 11:09 p.m.

Do you have any recommendations on recipes to make the pearls? Where I live doesn't sell the pre made tapioca pearls.

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 5, 2024, 7:53 p.m.

Hey Janelle, there are a couple of types of tapioca pearls - for the bubble tea pearls, we use the brown quick-cooking pearls. Do you have access to the regular, not quick-cooking pearls? These generally need double boiling - they are boiled once for 40 minutes or so, drained and rinsed, and boiled again for another 40 minutes until fully soft and translucent. We haven't tried making tapioca pearls from scratch yet so we can't say with certainty., but we'll add this to our list of future recipe ideas though 😃

Reply
Mary - May 8, 2024, 12:44 a.m.

What matcha powder do you recommend?

PUL small logo PUL Team - May 8, 2024, 7:25 a.m.

Hi there, Mary! In general, opting for a premium grade or ceremonial grade matcha works best for drinks like this, compared to cooking grade matcha. It can be a personal choice, though, as some prefer certain brands to others. We got our ceremonial grade matcha by recommendation from a friend from "Matcha Oishii" 🍵

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Aileen - March 30, 2024, 5:05 a.m.

So delicious! (Just minus the tapioca pearls.)

Reply
lisa u - Feb. 17, 2024, 1:48 a.m.

Great easy less expensive option! Very good!

Reply
CO - Jan. 16, 2024, 12:42 a.m.

5 stars!

Reply
Chrysiida - Oct. 19, 2023, 7:01 p.m.

This is seriously the best thing I have tasted all month! I don't even care that the weather is becoming colder, I am going to make this again in the next weeks!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Oct. 19, 2023, 7:43 p.m.

Such a big compliment, Chrysiida, thank you! 🤩

Reply
Sophia - July 21, 2023, 9:33 a.m.

Hello! I am not sure if you remember me but I am the eleven-year-old Sophia who commented the Strawberry Milk Boba, anyways guess what-I’m back! I tried three of your bubble tea flavors! All so tasty and yum! But the matcha hit the spot for most of my family… It was mellow and calming! Great for a sunny day. Also, I am not sure if this recommendation is helpful but I used maple syrup to sweeten the tea slightly more. I totally recommend this bubble tea flavor. Happy bubble tea making and I love the PUL videos!

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 25, 2023, 1:19 a.m.

Aw, Sophia, you're the best! We are so thrilled you enjoyed the bubble tea. More maple syrup is a lovely idea 😊 We hope you continue to enjoy our content - happy nourishing ✨

Reply
Jace - April 28, 2023, 6:04 p.m.

Just made this for the first time and wow!!! Way better than the Starbucks iced matcha latte! 10/10 ❤️❤️

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 29, 2023, 5:11 p.m.

Such a big compliment, Jace! We're so happy the recipe was enjoyed 🤗

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Sanam - Feb. 5, 2023, 2:58 p.m.

Tasty!

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Emiliana - Oct. 7, 2022, 9:44 p.m.

very good :)

Reply
Estela - Sept. 12, 2022, 2:47 p.m.

Loved all the bubble tea's recipes! I'm going to buy the ingredients and give it a try. By the way, the glass and straw are beautiful. Where did you get them?

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 14, 2022, 12:20 a.m.

Hey there, Estela, we got the glasses and straws from an online shop in the Netherlands called FonQ. We've linked two similar ones in our shop here: https://amzn.to/3add0jV, https://amzn.to/3urpImd 🙂

Reply
Issy - Aug. 31, 2022, 3:11 p.m.

I am so excited to try this, along with the other bubble tea recipes you've posted! Would it be possible to make the boba pearls ahead of time and keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days, in order to use them in smaller batches (but without the need to cook as often)? Seems like the perfect refreshment to enjoy with a friend as summer winds down. 😊

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 31, 2022, 6:03 p.m.

Hey there, Issy! We don't recommend storing cooked pearls in the fridge because cold makes them harden up and they lose their chewiness. We've heard some good experiences with reheating pearls in the microwave to help soften them but haven't personally tried this out. You could also omit the pearls for an equally refreshing drink 🙂

Reply
Jess - July 30, 2022, 1:37 a.m.

Hi Sadia and PUL team!
Thank you for the easy to follow recipe.
I just tried it and it was absolutely refreshing on this humid day. The vanilla extract and sugar really helped cut through the earthiness of the matcha powder.

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 30, 2022, 8:27 p.m.

Beyond happy to hear, Jess, thanks a bunch!

Reply
Stef - July 24, 2022, 11:55 p.m.

Perfect way to beat the heatwave here in the southern part of the US. Delicious and creamy!

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 25, 2022, 3:37 a.m.

So glad it's being enjoyed, Stef! Stay cool out there ☀️

Reply
Charlotte - July 22, 2022, 6:36 p.m.

I love all of your matcha recipes and this one did not disappoint! I loved the bitterness of the matcha paired with the creaminess of the milk and the sweetness of the boba pearls. So delicious! 🌿❤️

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 23, 2022, 2:02 a.m.

It means so much the bubble tea was enjoyed, Charlotte, thank you!

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Meli - July 20, 2022, 10:11 a.m.

I tried the matcha one today... wwoowww it was so good. It was also my first time tasting matcha and I have to say it tastes wonderful. I like the combo of matcha in a bubble tea, since I think it would taste too earthy on its own. I'm more of a sweet tooth so this recipe is perfect for me.

Later 'i wanna try out the strawberry one, since I have some pearls left :)
THANK YOU FOR THIS

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 20, 2022, 4:24 p.m.

Oh so lovely to hear, Meli, thank YOU! We hope you enjoy the strawberry bubble tea as well 🤗

Reply
Quynh - July 17, 2022, 10:52 a.m.

I did not like matcha. But after seeing your beautiful recipe video I gave it another try. And I'm surprised how much I love this drink! Using barista oatmilk, which is richer and sweeter than soy milk as well as using vanilla extract makes all the difference. It tastes much more mellow and rounded this way. Good call!

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 17, 2022, 4:06 p.m.

Beyond thrilled to hear, Quynh, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with it 🤗

Reply
Tanya - July 13, 2022, 12:49 p.m.

This was so refreshing and simple to make! hello, new summer obsession :D

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 13, 2022, 5:42 p.m.

Aw so happy to hear, Tanya, thank you 😃

Reply
Keren - July 11, 2022, 2:32 p.m.

Hi, what's the difference between the white tapioca pearls and the black boba pearls? Can you use the white ones for this recipe?

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 12, 2022, 7:33 a.m.

Hey there, Keren, we prefer black boba pearls since they have brown sugar, which gives them their darker colour plus a sweeter flavour compared to white pearls. You can use white tapioca pearls if desired though. You may just want to sweeten them in syrup after boiling them for a sweeter flavour 🙂

Keren - July 12, 2022, 8:17 a.m.

Thanks!

Reply
Shania - July 10, 2022, 5:29 p.m.

I tried and it was above my expectations!!Thanks PUL and team.

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 10, 2022, 9:33 p.m.

We're so glad it was enjoyed, Shania!

Reply