Watermelon bubble tea or boba is an excellent summer drink. It is filled with the refreshing flavor of watermelon slushie coupled with the chewy tapioca pearls, and the brown sugar syrup brings everything together.
If you have been here before than, you know my obsession with bubble tea. I have created all sorts of bubble tea flavors at home. Try my chocolate bubble tea, strawberry milk tea, mango bubble tea, rose bubble tea, and blueberry bubble tea.
Are you confused about Watermelon bubble tea, Watermelon boba, and watermelon milk tea?
Well, there is no need to get confused. Bubble tea and boba can be used interchangeably. Bubble tea has become popular throughout western culture, Asia, and Europe. It is known by various terms all around the world. A few popular ones are:
- Pearl milk tea
- Tapioca pearl milk tea
- Boba tea
- Boba
- Milk tea
- Tapioca tea,
- Bubble tea, etc.
Typical bubble tea contains brewed tea, syrup, milk or creamer, tapioca pearls, and a star flavor. Even if it does not contain some of these elements, it is still called boba.
Many bubble tea recipes do not have any tea but are still called bubble tea. And in some bubble teas like the watermelon bubble tea, there is no milk, but it is still called watermelon milk tea.
That is because the commercially sold watermelon bubble tea does contain some sort of milk in them. Using milk does not make much sense when you are making a refreshing bubble tea using fresh watermelons.
If you are making it use the watermelon bubble tea powder, it does contain no dairy creamers and milk solids. Then, watermelon boba becomes watermelon milk tea in the true sense.
How does the watermelon bubble tea taste?
This watermelon bubble tea tastes refreshing, sweet, and mildly aromatic, with an added caramel-like sweetness from the brown sugar syrup. The chewy tapioca pearls further complement it with their texture and characteristic flavor.
This watermelon bubble tea does not contain any sort of milk or dairy, unlike the ones that you get at the boba cafes, or the ones made using the watermelon milk tea powder.
I have tested this recipe by adding condensed milk, non-dairy creamer, and even dairy milk. Nothing works with the fresh watermelon flavor. Also, some milk coagulates and makes the bubble tea look ugly and unappetizing. It is not possible to achieve the flavor that we get from the watermelon boba tea powder.
So, if you want to have boba in fresh watermelon flavor, skip adding any type of dairy or plant-based milk. In other words, this recipe is more of a watermelon boba slushie.
Why should you try this watermelon boba recipe?
- Easy and quick recipe.
- Just three ingredients.
- Refreshing and delicious.
- Caffein free
- Dairy-free.
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🥘Ingredients required to make watermelon bubble tea
🍉 Watermelon
We need fresh and sweet watermelon for making its bubble tea. Do you struggle with choosing the right watermelon? Look for the following cues for selecting a ripe and sweet watermelon.
- Uniform sized. Be it the oval or oblong variety, the shape of the sweet watermelon is always uniform. The elongated (males) ones are due to excess watering while growing which makes them watery and less sweet.
- Look for the orange field spots on the opposite side of the stem. It means that the watermelon on was on the vine for longer, increasing its chances of being sweet.
- Choose dull-looking watermelon over shiny watermelons. The dull ones are mature and ripe.
- The webbings on the watermelons are the best indicators of sweet and delicious flesh. So, go for the one with wider webbings.
🧋Tapioca Pearls
I am using brown sugar uncooked boba for making this watermelon tea boba. You can choose whichever boba pears you like the most. Mine is quick-cooking boba.
The brown sugar boba is the most common and is very easily available. They are also called black boba sometimes due to their color. Other options that you can explore are:
- Clear boba. You can use clear boba. Unlike the brown sugar boba, they can absorb the flavors from the bubble tea.
- Mini boba. I love mini boba. I have used them in my lychee bubble tea. They are a type of clear boba, but smaller in size. You do not need an extra-wide straw to sip.
- Flavored boba. These are usually fruit-flavored tapioca pearls. They taste best with respective bubble tea flavors.
- Popping boba. These are juice-filled boba. They come in various flavors. Works wonders with fruity boba tea. But they are not easy to find. And the flavor options are also minimal. They have an interesting texture. A pop-up juice balls sort of thing.
- Jelly boba. They are boba made with fruit-flavored jelly. They are chewy and fruity, but way different than the regular tapioca pearls boba.
Brown Sugar Syrup
Brown sugar syrup is a luscious thick caramel-like syrup that is a must for making boba. It can be made by combining 2 parts of sugar with 1 part of water. Then you need to cook the solution until the sugar melts, and everything comes to a boil. And you have a perfect syrup to sweeten your boba or bubble tea.
The actual amount of brown syrup required will depend on how sweet your watermelon is. I used 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup for soaking the cooked black boba pearls and 2 tablespoon while blending the watermelon.
🔪Instructions to make watermelon bubble tea
Step 1 Cook Tapioca Pearls
Cook the boba according to the package instructions. If you are using popping boba or jelly boba, you do not need to cook them.
To cook black tapioca pearls, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Then add ⅓ cup of tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Let them boil for 4-5 minutes or until they come floating to the top.
The exact time will vary with the type of boba you use. But look for them to come to the top. When boba starts to float, cook them for additional 10 minutes at medium heat. Then, turn off the heat and cover the pan and let the boba soak for 5 more minutes. Then, strain the water and gather the cooked boba.
Transfer them into a bowl. Then add some brown sugar syrup to dunk the tapioca pearls. You can use whichever syrup you like. Tapioca pearls are starchy and tend to stick together after cooking if no syrupy is added to them.
Step 2 Making watermelon slush
Remove the rind and cut the watermelon into small cubes. Add the watermelon cubes, with some ice cubes and brown sugar syrup into a blender. Blend to form a watermelon smoothie or slushie.
Alternately you can also strain it to collect the watermelon juice and go from there.
Step 3 Assemble watermelon boba tea
Into the glasses, first add the cooked tapioca pearls, followed by the watermelon slushie. Drop a wide boba straw and enjoy!
💭Pro Tips and Substitution Notes
- The actual amount of brown syrup required will depend on how sweet your watermelon is. If the watermelon is sweet, you might need to reduce the amount of syrup.
- I used 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup for soaking the cooked black boba pearls and 2 tablespoon while blending the watermelon.
- Cook the tapioca pearls or boba right before making the watermelon bubble tea. They taste best when made fresh.
- The time it takes to cook boba depends on the sort of boba you use. Follow the package instructions but do check a pearl to check the doneness yourself before burning off the flame.
- Tapioca pearls are starchy and tend to stick together after cooking if no syrupy is added to them.
- Replace fresh watermelon with 2 tablespoons of watermelon boba tea powder per glass. You can also add creamer and milk to them.
- Replace brown sugar syrup with maple syrup, honey, simple syrup, etc
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is. Watermelon boba is sold at most boba shops. You can also get the watermelon boba powder and make it at home. Alternately you can try this recipe where I have used fresh watermelon.
To make watermelon milk, freeze the watermelon cubes and then blend them with some dairy or non-dairy milk until smooth. Then, let it sit on the kitchen counter for a few minutes. Further strain it and you will get watermelon milk.
Most watermelon bubble tea that you will buy does not contain tea. But some often have a choice to add tea if you like. This recipe is also caffeine-free.
🧋More boba recipes:
Bubble tea makes great refreshing drinks. A few more bubble tea 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!
Hope you love this watermelon bubble tea. Share your results and opinions in the comment section below. Also, subscribe to never miss a recipe.
Till then,
Make it delicious!
📝 Recipe
Watermelon bubble tea
Ingredients
- 3 cups Watermelon cubes
- ⅓ cup black tapioca pearls
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar syrup
Instructions
Step 1 Cook Tapioca Pearls
- To cook black tapioca pearls in a saucepan bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Then add ⅓ cup of tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Let them boil for 4-5 minutes or until they come floating to the top.
- Cook them for additional 10 minutes at medium heat. Then, turn off the heat and cover the pan and let the boba soak for 5 more minutes. Then, strain the water and gather the cooked boba.
- Transfer them into a bowl. Then add 2 tablespoon of brown sugar syrup to dunk the tapioca pearls.
Step 2 Making watermelon slush
- Remove the rind and cut the watermelon into small cubes. Add the watermelon cubes, with some ice cubes and brown sugar syrup into a blender. Blend to form a watermelon smoothie or slushie.
Step 3 Assemble watermelon boba tea
- Into the glasses, first add the cooked tapioca pearls, followed by the watermelon slushie. Add some ice cubes if you like.
- Then, drop a wide boba straw and enjoy!
Notes
- The actual amount of brown syrup required will depend on how sweet your watermelon is. If the watermelon is sweet, you might need to reduce the amount of syrup. I used 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup for soaking the cooked black boba pearls and 2 tablespoon while blending the watermelon.
- Cook the tapioca pearls or boba right before making the watermelon bubble tea. They taste best when made fresh.
- The time it takes to cook boba depends on the sort of boba you use. Follow the package instructions but do check a pearl to check the doneness yourself before burning off the flame.
- Tapioca pearls are starchy and tend to stick together after cooking if no syrupy is added to them.
- Replace fresh watermelon with 2 tablespoons of watermelon boba tea powder per glass. You can also add creamer and milk to them.
Nutrition Facts
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