Purple Boba Tea (Ube Boba)
This purple boba tea is a stunning homemade ube milk tea with vibrant color, sweet chewy tapioca pearls, and that irresistible ube flavor — all in 25 minutes, no café required.
Ingredients
- ½ cup black boba pearls or other color
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water for simple syrup
- 1 tea bag black or green tea
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ teaspoon ube flavor extract ¼ teaspoon per glass
- ice cubes
- 1 ½ cups milk plant or dairy
Instructions
- Cook the boba pearls according to package directions. Drain.
- Make the simple syrup: bring ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan or microwave-safe cup. Whisk in the sugar until fully dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Stir the drained boba into the simple syrup. Let sit for 10–15 minutes.
- Brew the tea in 1 cup of hot water according to package instructions.
- Divide the boba and desired amount of simple syrup between two large glasses. Add half the tea and ¼ teaspoon ube extract to each glass. Stir well until the tea turns purple.
- Add a large handful of ice to each glass. Divide the milk between the glasses. Add extra simple syrup to taste. Serve with boba straws.
Notes
- Sweetness: Start with less simple syrup and add more to taste — you control the sweetness at home.
- Sweetened plant milk: Reduce the simple syrup if using sweetened non-dairy milk.
- Best fresh: Tapioca pearls get tough when refrigerated in the drink. Serve within 4 hours. Store extra cooked boba in simple syrup in the fridge for 2–3 days.
- Tea options: Earl Grey, jasmine green tea, and white tea all work beautifully. Brew it strong.
- Dairy-free/vegan: Use any plant-based milk.
- Ube powder substitute: Use 1 teaspoon ube powder per glass in place of extract. Whisk well to dissolve.
Nutrition
Serving: -2gCalories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 1gFat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 244mgPotassium: 5mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gCalcium: 233mgIron: 1mg
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