Boba Coffee ( Iced Coffee With Boba)

Boba coffee is a rich and delicious iced coffee filled with chewy tapioca pearls. Coffee is the dominating flavor, and the subtle sweetness of brown sugar syrup is reminiscent of a typical iced bubble tea flavor. Also, the chewy boba pearls will hit your palate from time to time offering a chewy delight.  It is super quick and easy to make and will become your go-to drink.

Boba coffee needs no introduction. It is all over the place after the release of boba coffee by Starbucks. Starbucks version uses popping boba filled with coffee. But we are going to go the usual Asian boba route and make a boba coffee with tapioca pearls. Some people also call this coffee boba as coffee milk tea or bubble coffee.

Since you are here you must be into boba. Do not forget to check out the matcha boba, boba smoothie, caramel milk tea, lychee boba, rose bubble tea, and more boba recipes.

Why will you love this coffee boba recipe?

• Easy. It is an easy-peasy iced coffee recipe with chewy boba.
  
• No prep time is required for making this recipe.
  
• Delicious. Who doesn’t like coffee? And what if it comes with boba? That is exactly what we are going to achieve here.
  
• Customize according to your taste. It is just a coffee guys, add what you like and omit what you do not want. Make your coffee!
  
• Make it vegan. Use coconut milk to make a vegan coffee boba.
  
• Make decadent. If you want to raise the bar, make it decadent and more indulging by adding a little bit of heavy cream and topping with whipped cream.

🍶 Ingredients required to make a Boba Coffee

Coffee

Use whatever kind of coffee you normally like to have. Whether you use beans or coffee pods to make your coffee, just brew yourself a cup of coffee. You could be using instant coffee or coffee beans. Some people use the French press or AeroPress for making coffee, while most people use the automatic drip coffee maker.

You could also use the coffee made with instant coffee roast powder to brew yourself a cup of coffee.

Tapioca pearls

I have used black boba pearls in this coffee bubble tea sort of recipe. But there are numerous other options. Just want to list the options that you can explore.

Popping boba

You can also go for popping boba. They are juicy than chewy. They are coffee-filled bubbles, pop open inside your mouth and release a burst of coffee flavor. In recent years, popping boba is gaining more popularity because of its versatility. These juice-filled balls are created with molecular gastronomy and are a total killer. Starbucks boba coffee is filled with coffee-popping boba.

Jelly boba

Jelly boba is another option. They are made up of Konjac or coconut meat. The best thing about jelly boba is that it can be stored for days without getting spoiled. Unlike tapioca boba, they do not need cooking.

Tapioca boba

You can any of the following types of tapioca boba.

• Clear boba: These are translucent tapioca pearls that are almost flavorless. They are used in milk teas and they absorb flavors from the milk and tea. 
  
• Brown boba/ black boba: These kinds of tapioca pearls are more prominent. Brown boba is flavored with brown sugar syrup which gives it a brown color and deep caramel and licoricey flavor.
  
• Flavored: These kinds of tapioca pearls are flavored with fruit juice and work best in fruit-based boba drinks. They come in all types of tropical flavors. 
  
• Mini boba: They are the same as the clear or brown boba, but just smaller. I used them in my Lychee boba recipe.
  

Milk

I have used skim milk in this coffee milk tea recipe. You can use 2 percent or whole milk. It is a matter of personal choice. You can use plant-based milk like coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk.

Use the milk straight from the fridge.

Sweetener

 I wanted to give this coffee boba a typical tapioca boba flavor, which is derived from brown sugar syrup. The sugar used in this syrup does the real magic. But you can keep it simple by just using maple syrup. Also, increase or reduce the level of the sweetener according to your taste.

You can even use sweetened condensed milk, agave, vanilla syrup, etc. to flavor the chewy tapioca pearls.

🔪How to make Boba Coffee?

Step 1 Brew coffee

Whether you use an automatic coffee maker or a manual coffee brewing tool like a French press, brew yourself a cup of coffee.

Step 2 Cooking boba

As directed on the packaging, prepare the boba. Popping or jelly boba doesn't require cooking. However, if you're using tapioca boba pearls as I am, you'll be boiling the boba.

I'm using boba with brown sugar. Better to purchase boba that cooks quickly. It has brown sugar syrup flavoring.

Bring about 2 ½ cups of water to a boil. Then add ¼ cup of uncooked tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Cook till they float to the top. It will take about 4-5 minutes to cook.

The exact time will vary with the type of boba you use. After the boba starts to float, cook them further for 10 minutes at medium heat. Then, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let the boba soak for 5 more minutes. Then, strain the water and gather the cooked boba.

 Transfer the cooked boba into a bowl. Then add some brown sugar syrup to dunk the tapioca pearls.

 You can also use maple syrup to soak the cooked boba. Since the tapioca pearls are starchy, they tend to stick together after cooking if no syrup is added to them. Now set them aside.

Step 3 Assemble boba coffee

This recipe will make 1 large glass or 2 small-sized servings of coffee boba. To assemble, start by adding brown sugar syrup dunked black tapioca pearls. Then add ice cubes followed by half cup milk. Now pour in the coffee. Add additional brown sugar syrup if you added less in the boba. Put extra wide boba straws in the glass. Sip, chewy, and enjoy the iced coffee with boba!

🫙How to store cooked boba?

There is no point in storing the cooked tapioca pearls for long. They get starchy and harden. You can simply brew a cup of coffee. Cook the boba and assemble it right when you want to serve it.

But if you desperately want to store the boba, refrigerate it while being dunked in syrup in an airtight container. Now, when you want to consume it, reheat it in a saucepan with some added water. It will become soft and chewy again. But note that it is not same as the freshly cooked.

💭 Pro Tips

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

🧋More Bubble Tea Recipes:

Bubble tea makes great refreshing drinks. A few beverage recipes that you might want to try are:

• Lychee bubble tea: An easy lychee boba tea recipe
  
• Blueberry Boba with Homemade Blueberry Milk
  
• Tiger Milk Tea: Classic Brown Sugar Boba Recipe
  
• Chocolate Boba: Homemade Chocolate Milk Tea
  
• Rose Milk Tea | Homemade Rose Bubble Tea
  
• Mango Bubble Tea: Homemade Mango Milk Tea
  
• Strawberry Milk Tea: Boba Tea with fresh Strawberries!
  
• Watermelon Bubble Tea
  
• Honeydew Milk Tea
  
• Peach Milk Tea: Peach Flavor Bubble Tea
  
• Boba Smoothie (with Strawberry and Banana)
  
  
  

I hope you enjoyed this boba coffee recipe. Share your results and opinions in the comment section below. Also, subscribe to never miss a recipe.

Till then,

Make it bubbly and delicious!

📝  Recipe Card

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Boba Coffee (iced coffee with boba)

Boba coffee is a rich and delicious iced coffee filled with chewy tapioca pearls. Coffee is the dominating flavor, and the subtle sweetness of brown sugar syrup is reminiscent of a typical iced bubble tea flavor. Also, the chewy boba pearls will hit your palate from time to time offering a chewy delight. It is super quick and easy to make and will become your go-to drink.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Asian

Keyword boba coffee, bubble coffee, coffee boba, coffee milk tea, coffee milk tea recipe

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 17 minutes minutes

Calories 316kcal

Author Meenakshi

Ingredients

• 1 cup brewed coffee
• ½ cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoon brown sugar syrup
• ¼ cup cooked black boba

Instructions

Step 1 Brew a cup of coffee

• Whether you use an automatic coffee maker or a manual coffee brewing tool like a French press, brew yourself a cup of coffee and set it aside.

Step 2 Cooking boba

• Bring about 2 ½ cups of water to a boil. Then add ¼ cup of uncooked tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Cook till they float to the top. It will take about 4-5 minutes. (The exact time will vary with the type of boba you use)
• After the boba starts to float, cook them further for 10 minutes at medium heat. Then, turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let the boba soak for 5 more minutes. Then, strain the water and gather the cooked boba.
• Transfer the cooked boba into a bowl. Then add brown sugar syrup to dunk the tapioca pearls.
• You can also use maple syrup to soak the cooked boba. Since the tapioca pearls are starchy, they tend to stick together after cooking if no syrup is added to them.
• Now set them aside.

Step 3 Assemble boba coffee

• To assemble, start by adding brown sugar syrup dunked black tapioca pearls. Then add ice cubes followed by the milk. Now pour in the coffee.
• Add additional brown sugar syrup if you added less to dunk the tapioca pearls. Put the wide boba straws in the glass.
• Sip, chewy, and enjoy!

Notes

• Cook the tapioca pearls or boba right before assembling the coffee boba. They taste best when made fresh.
• The exact time needed to cook boba will vary with the type of boba you use. But look for them to come to the top. It is better to use quick-cooking boba. 
• Use the coffee of your choice. 
• To make brown sugar syrup, Combine ½ cup water and1 cup brown sugar in a saucepan. Place it over high heat and let all the sugar dissolve on its own without stirring it. Let it cook for additional 4-5 minutes or until the syrup starts to become bubbly. Now, add corn syrup or lime juice. Reduce the flame to its lowest and check the syrup temperature. It should have reached a temperature of around 228-230 degrees F. Turn off the flame and remove the pan from heat. 
• Replace brown sugar syrup with maple syrup or honey to make a healthier choice. 
• To make vegan boba coffee, just substitute the whole milk with the plant-based milk of your choice. 
• Add more or less milk to adjust the consistency according to your preference.
• You can also add some tea if you like to make a milk tea coffee boba. 
• This recipe will make 1 large glass of boba or 2 small glasses.

 📋 Nutrition Facts