Sweet and tart honey tea with chewier boba is my newly loved drink. It is super easy to make.
Unlike classic boba teas, honey lemon boba does not include any milk or cream. It is only made with fresh lemons, honey, black tea, or your preferred tea and tapioca pearls. Let’s make a fresh, tarty, and sweet boba drink with honey.
What’s honey lemon boba
It is a popular milk-free boba drink and is a refreshing new bubble tea drink that combines the sweetness of honey with the zesty tartness of lemon.
This milk-free boba option uses black or green tea as a base and is topped with chewy tapioca pearls, often known as “boba”. With its bright citrus flavors and floral honey notes, honey lemon boba offers a lighter, fruitier alternative to creamy milk tea boba drinks.
It is firstly bought by the brand honey lemon tea with the idea of cooperating boba pearls in a much lighter drink than classic milk tea.
What does it taste like
Classic boba milk tea is amazing. But this one is totally different.
Honey lemon tea is a very classic drink on the street of many Asian countries. When tapioca pearls are added, it is even better. It combines the textural fun of chewy tapioca pearls with a sweet honey lemonade-esque flavor. It’s like boba meets bright, happy citrus.
Ingredients
One of the best things about honey lemon boba is that it only requires a few quality ingredients:
Brewed black or green tea – Strongly brewed tea like Ceylon black or jasmine green makes the perfect flavor base. Choose a high-quality loose-leaf tea if you can!
Lemon – We don’t need to use lemon juice. Instead, we use fresh lemon with the skin and muddle it. It is quite popular as it keeps the fresh taste the most. In China, we call this 手打柠檬茶. The skin will provide a lovely faint bitter taste.
Floral honey – A must for adding sweetness and aroma. Look for good unprocessed honey.
Boba pearls – Cooked chewy tapioca boba, the quintessential bubble tea ingredient.
Cook’s Note
- Rubbing the lemon skin with salt before washing can help to control the bitterness.
- Remember to remove the lemon seeds
- If you prefer a less sour taste, decrease the amount of lemon slices.
- Add enough honey to make sure the taste is well-balanced.
Honey Lemon Boba
Ingredients
- 2 fresh lemons
- 4 tbsp. honey 2 for each serving
- ice cubes as needed
Tea base
- 400 ml boiling hot water
- 3 tbsp. black tea powder or 5 black tea bags
Sinkers
- 6 tbsp. cooked tapioca pearls
- 4 tbsp. coconut jelly Optionally
Instructions
Brew strong tea
- In a tea pot, add around 3 tablespoons of black tea powder or 5 black tea bags, then pour in 400ml hot boiling water. Cover the lid and let is stay for 5 minutes for a extra bold flavor.
- Strain the tea liquid and set aside
- Make the honey lemon mixture
- Add 4 to 6 slices of lemon slices in a shaker, place 3 or 4 ice cubes in. Use a muddler to break and lemon and get the juice.
- Add honey, more ice cubes and pour in 200ml black tea base. Mix everything well.
Assemble
- Add cooked tapioca pearls and coconut jelly if using in the bottom. Then pour the honey lemon mixture to serving cup.
- Decorate with lemon slices.
Video
Nutrition
Recipe FAQs:
It’s all about the lemon juice and honey! Regular boba is milk tea sweetened with syrup. The lemon and honey provide a fruity, floral flavor profile without syrup and milk.
The antioxidants in tea, vitamin C in lemons, and probiotics in boba offer some benefits. But it is quite sweet and contains caffeine.
Black tea like Ceylon is classic, but I think any black, green, or oolong would work well. The tea taste balances the lemon and honey perfectly.
Yes, that’s a honey lemon tea.