Boba Coffee (Bubble Coffee)

This Homemade boba coffee, often referred to as bubble coffee, is an ideal refreshing iced beverage, featuring creamy coffee served over delectable chewy tapioca pearls. Skip the lines and save some cash by whipping this drink up at home in just under 15 minutes.

Instant tapioca pearl

I commenced making my own bubble tea and coffee at home when the lockdown started, as it was no longer practical to travel long distances for just one drink. Honestly, it didn’t take long before I found myself yearning for a cup of that bubble delight, which led me to order instant tapioca pearls from Amazon.

What a joy it was to discover that I could create my own boba coffee and tea at home in under 15 minutes! I always keep a supply of cold brew tea or cold brew coffee alongside simple sugar syrup in my refrigerator, making this recipe incredibly easy to replicate.

This homemade bubble coffee (boba coffee) recipe is

• Great for using up leftover coffee

• Vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free

• Budget-friendly, particularly when prepared at home.

• Not excessively sweet, yet wonderfully refreshing

• Ideal for entertaining; this refreshing drink will surely impress your guests

What is tapioca pearl

Tapioca pearls, or boba, are small edible chewy spheres made from tapioca starch. Crafted from a few basic components—tapioca, black food coloring, sugar, and water—they take on the size of tiny marbles, boasting a gummy bear-like texture, albeit slightly softer, resembling jelly.

Traditionally, tapioca pearls are paired with milk teas or flavored teas, commonly referred to as bubble tea or boba tea; this delicious drink hails from Taiwan but has gained popularity in many regions around the world.

You can certainly make your own tapioca pearls at home if you wish, though it can be quite time-consuming, which is why I prefer to purchase the ready-made option from Amazon.

What you’ll need to make boba coffee at home

Cooked tapioca pearls: homemade or store-bought

Brewed coffee: this can be instant coffee, cold brew, espresso, or freshly brewed coffee that has cooled down

Milk: any milk of your choice, whether dairy or plant-based, will work here, including whole milk, heavy cream, semi-skimmed, half-and-half, coffee creamer, condensed milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, and more.

Vanilla sugar syrup: this is optional

Honey: to sweeten the cooked tapioca pearl; brown sugar syrup can be used as a substitute

Ice: Optional if you’re serving the coffee hot or warm.

How to make boba coffee (Boba coffee)

Cook the boba pearls: place tapioca pearls in a large pot, cover with adequate water, and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the pearls turn translucent and float to the water’s surface. Alternatively, follow the packet instructions for cooking the pearls.

Drain the cooked boba in a colander and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking process (this helps prevent the pearls from sticking together). Transfer them to a bowl, mix in some honey, and stir to combine before proceeding to prepare the drink.

Assemble the drink: in a coffee glass, add around 3 tablespoons of sweetened tapioca pearls to the bottom or as desired. Next, add ice, pour in the coffee, add sugar syrup if you’d like, and finish off with milk. Stir to mix well and serve.

Variations

In addition to coffee, try adding cooked boba to any of the following drinks for delightful variations:

Coffee tea drink

Vietnamese iced boba coffee

Brown sugar boba tea

Brown sugar boba milk

Dalgona coffee with boba

How to store leftover cooked boba

While most instant tapioca pearls suggest storing leftovers in the fridge for a few days, it’s advisable to cook only what you need at a time. If you do have any leftovers, keep them refrigerated for no longer than 24 hours.

Watch how to make it

More iced drink recipes to try

Cold-brew tea

Iced condensed milk coffee

Iced Coffee lemonade

Iced coffee

Brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso

If you try this iced coffee, be sure to leave me some feedback. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save it to your Pinterest. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog if you haven’t already for more free recipes in your inbox.