Have you ever considered combining coffee with boba? It is a super lovely idea if you are both coffee and boba lovers.
Traditionally, boba or bubble tea is made with strong brewed black tea or sometimes with other types of tea, like Oolong or Jasmine green tea. But replacing the tea base with boba transforms traditional bubble tea into something exciting.
You can partially replace the tea base with a coffee liquid. Yuen Yuang Milk Tea makes this type of milk tea and is very popular in Hong Kong. However, you may skip the tea base and use coffee liquid completely, as in this recipe.
I included two versions of coffee boba with a unique whipped coffee called Dalgona boba.
How to Prepare Boba Pearls
The essential ingredient for all boba is boba pearl. It is round, usually brown or black tapioca flour pearls. We have instructions about how to make boba pearls with tapioca starch at home. You can also purchase a bag from Amazon.
Boba pearls must be cooked, followed by the package’s instructions, and then sweetened.
The first step of making bubble tea is to cook the boba pearls. I have shared a detailed guide about how to cook boba pearls. The process usually includes 3 steps:
- Cook the boba pearls in hot, boiling water (at least ten times) for the time required on the package.
- Soak it in the water. Turn off the fire and cover the lid. Let them stay for the required time (usually the same as the cooking time).
- Rinse in running water to remove the stickiness, then mix with syrup or sugar. You can also simmer the boba pearls with brown sugar for a caramelized taste.
Step by Step
1. Cook the boba pearls and mix them with white or brown sugar. Set aside. If you prefer a caramelized flavor, simmer the boba pearls with brown sugar for around 5 minutes.
2. Whipping your coffee: Add two teaspoons of instant coffee and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, followed by about 2 tablespoons of hot, boiling water. Use a milk frother and whip the entire mixture for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and whip any bits that didn’t get whipped.
3. Assemble
Add the boba pearls first and then your favorite milk. You can try soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or regular milk. Optionally add some ice cubes and then add the whipped coffee on top.
Or, if you don’t want a whipped version, add the boba pearls, syrup, milk, and coffee liquid. That’s another type of coffee boba.
For Bubble tea lovers
If you love to make bubble tea at home, remember to check the following recipes.
Coffee Boba – Two Versions Included
Ingredients
Dalgona Coffee boba
- 2 tsp. instant coffee
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. hot boiling water
- 1 cup milk of choice
- ice cubes
- 3 tbsp. cooked boba pearls
Regular Coffee boba
- 1/4 cup coffee liquid
- 1 tbsp. syrup
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 3 tbsp. cooked boba pearls
Instructions
Cook the boba pearls
- Bring 8 times of water to a boiling and then place tapioca pearls. Read the instruction on the package (find the required time). It may be 20 minutes or 5 minutes. Cover the lid, turn off the fire and let it rest for another required time.
- Rinse the boba pearls under running water. Then mix the boba pearls with brown sugar or syrup.
Whipping your coffee
- Add 2 teaspoons of instant coffee and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, followed by about 2 tablespoons of hot, boiling water. Use a milk frother and whip the entire mixture for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and whip any bits that didn’t get whipped.
Assemble
- Add the boba pearls first and then your favorite milk. You can try soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or regular milk. Optionally add some ice cubes and then add the whipped coffee on top.
Regular coffee boba
- if you don’t want a whipped version, simply add the boba pearls, syrup, milk, and coffee liquid. That’s another type of coffee boba.