Matcha boba tea is creamy and sweet with chewy boba pearls at the bottom! Make this refreshing matcha bubble tea at home all summer long!
The most refreshing matcha drink is definitely matcha boba tea. Not only is it really simple to make, it only takes 15 minutes and is so much cheaper to make at home than going to your local tea shop!
If you’ve never had bubble tea, it’s basically a mixture of sweet tea, creamy milk or cream, and is served over chewy black tapioca pearls, also known as boba pearls.
It comes in many different flavors, like taro, coffee, mango, almond, etc. It’s very popular in the United States and is available usually at tea shops or Thai restaurants.
Anyway, if you’re as much of a bubble tea lover as I am, then let’s get started!
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What does matcha boba tea taste like?
Matcha green tea boba tastes sweet, creamy, milky, and refreshing! Because this bubble tea is made with matcha powder, it has a slightly earthy but definitely not overpowering flavor. The boba pearls at the bottom are chewy and sweet as well, making this one delicious drink!
Ingredients
Tapioca pearls – These are totally optional but boba tea isn’t boba tea with tapioca pearls!
Organic cane sugar – You’re going to be using organic cane sugar to prepare the matcha as well as soaking the tapioca pearls in sugar water. Organic cane sugar is almost white, which doesn’t interfere or tarnish the green color of the matcha.
Matcha powder – I like to use 100% pure matcha powder, which gives this matcha milk tea recipe its beautiful green color!
Whole milk – Whole milk is about as low in fat as I like to go for matcha bubble tea because it ensures the drink is creamy! Anything like 2%, 1%, almond milk, or soy milk isn’t creamy enough and your matcha tea boba ends up tasting a little watery.
Substitutions
Tapioca pearls – There’s really no substitute for these little babies, but if you’re not a gummy texture person, feel free to leave the boba pearls out and simply make matcha milk tea instead!
Organic cane sugar – You can use granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar in place of the organic cane sugar. However, if you use brown sugar or coconut sugar, the green color of your matcha milk tea boba will not be as vibrant and may look a little muddied.
Matcha powder – Make sure to use 100% pure matcha powder, either ceremonial grade or culinary grade! Keep in mind that ceremonial grade generally has better color and flavor in comparison to culinary grade, but is typically much more expensive.
Whole milk – Heavy cream, full-fat coconut milk, or oat milk all work really great in place of the whole milk in this boba matcha.
How to make matcha boba tea
- In a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups of water. Add the dry tapioca pearls, and cook per the manufacturer’s instructions. Once done cooking, stir in the 2 tbsp organic cane sugar until dissolved, and allow tapioca pearls to soak in the sugar water for 10 minutes.
- While the tapioca pearls are soaking, prepare the matcha. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, turn off the heat, and whisk in the matcha powder. Once combined, whisk in the ¼ cup organic cane sugar until dissolved, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare the matcha boba tea. Divide the prepared tapioca balls evenly between 2 glasses.
- Top each glass with 1/2 cup of the matcha tea mixture, then ice.
- Add1/4 cup of whole milk to each glass, then stir until blended. Grab your boba straws and serve!
How to make ahead of time
To make this matcha boba recipe ahead of time, simply make the matcha mixture on the stove top, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Although you technically can make boba pearls ahead of time, they lose their chewy texture and become grainy if more than a day in advance. They are much better made fresh every time.
Tips & FAQ
Boba is delicious with matcha! You can add boba pearls to hot matcha or cold matcha drinks. It pairs perfectly with either one!
No, green boba is a specific type of boba pearl that is often available at bubble tea shops. Matcha is a green tea powder that can be used to make boba tea!
Nutritional Info
Making boba tea at home is so much healthier than buying it at a tea shop. Typically, the shop will use matcha mix instead of pure matcha powder, which has additives and unnecessary ingredients in it. It’s also much high in calories and sugar than homemade versions!
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 170 calories
- Total Fat: 2 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Sodium: 47 mg
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Pricing Info
This is what I personally paid to make this recipe:
- ¼ cup dry black tapioca pearls: $0.16
- 2 tbsp organic cane sugar: $0.08
- 1 ½ tsp matcha powder: $0.99
- ¼ cup organic cane sugar: $0.16
- ½ cup whole milk: $0.08
The total comes out to be around $1.47 for 2 servings or roughly $0.74 per serving!
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Recipe
Matcha Boba Tea
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dry black tapioca pearls
- 2 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ tsp matcha powder
- ¼ cup organic cane sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups of water. Add the dry tapioca pearls, and cook per the manufacturer's instructions. Once done cooking, stir in the 2 tbsp organic cane sugar until dissolved, and allow tapioca pearls to soak in the sugar water for 10 minutes.
- While the tapioca pearls are soaking, prepare the matcha. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, turn off the heat, and whisk in the matcha powder. Once combined, whisk in the ¼ cup organic cane sugar until dissolved, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare the matcha boba tea. Divide the prepared tapioca balls evenly between 2 glasses. Top each glass with 1/2 cup of the matcha tea mixture and 1/4 cup of whole milk. Stir until blended, then top with ice. Grab your boba straws and serve!
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Nutrition
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xoxo Megan
Thank you for sharing this. I love to make matcha boba tea. and This is very tasty. love that.
Matcha is my favorite flavor for bubble tea! Such a fun and tasty recipe to make at home, and much more budget friendly!
I’ve had all sorts of boba tea but never Matcha. It sounds refreshing and delicious.
I love that tea but never tried making it at home. Thanks for sharing. I will give it a try.
I’ve never made anything like this at home but the whole family loved them. It’s so fun to make with small children too.
My daughter and I loved this! The boba came out perfectly, too–I usually struggle with that part! Thank you!
So glad you loved it 🙂