This sweet and refreshing taro boba milk tea (芋頭珍珠奶) is an easy-to-make treat comprised of taro root, tapioca pearls, and milk. Not only is this purple beverage Instagram-able, but it’s also creamy, perfectly textured with QQ boba, and easily customized to your preferences. No tea is actually necessary for this version of bubble tea - just the unique flavors of fresh taro!
1tablespoontaro root powder mixcan substitute with 1 teaspoon additional sugar
¼cupwater
serve taro milk tea
Ice to servefor cold; can be served hot
¼cupmilk of choicedivided
instructions
cook the boba / tapioca pearls
Bring the 4 cups of water to boil in a small (1.5 quart) saucepan.
4 cups water
Add the tapioca pearls, stir to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the pearls are no longer opaque in the center (about 45 minutes). Cook time will vary based on the brand (check the package for specific times). Check halfway through to make sure the water hasn’t evaporated – add more water if needed.
½ cup tapioca pearls (black)
In the meantime, prepare the taro mix.
Strain the tapioca pearls through a fine-mesh strainer, rinse with water, and transfer to a small mixing bowl. Add light brown sugar and stir to combine. Set aside until ready to assemble.
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
make the taro mix
While the tapioca pearls are cooking, add water to a large steamer and steam taro cubes over medium-low heat just until soft (about 10 minutes). A cake tester or pairing knife should pierce through like cold butter. The taro shouldn’t be too soft here since it will continue to cook once taken out of the steamer.
10 ounces peeled taro
In a blender, add 1½ cups of steamed taro cubes, ½ cup milk of choice, sugar, taro powder if using (or substitute with up to 1 teaspoon of additional sugar, to taste), and ¼ cup filtered water. Blend until smooth.
½ cup milk of choice, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon taro root powder mix, ¼ cup water
Optional based on preference: Transfer ½ cup of steamed taro cubes to a small bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Reserve the rest of the taro cubes for serving.
serve taro boba milk tea
In two large glasses, add tapioca pearls, remaining steamed taro cubes, optional mashed taro, ice cubes, and blended taro mix. Top each cup with your milk of choice and serve with a boba straw.
Ice to serve, ¼ cup milk of choice
notes
Traditional Taiwanese taro milk tea with boba does not have tea in it. In Chinese, the name 芋頭珍珠奶 actually directly translates to “taro pearl milk” or “taro milk.” I’ve seen “tea” added to the English name by those not of Taiwanese heritage, likely because they assume it contains tea like in bubble/boba milk tea.If you would like to include tea, jasmine green tea may work but it will overpower the taro flavor that’s loved in this drink. You can replace the water with equal parts jasmine tea. If using jasmine tea, make sure to only seep the tea leaves in 180°F water for a maximum of 3 minutes.This drink is also served either hot (without ice) or cold in Taiwan and in bubble tea shops globally.fresh taro substitute: Taro boba or milk tea will not taste the same without fresh taro. That’s why the best Taiwanese tea shops use fresh taro in this drink. If you can’t find fresh taro, additional taro powder can be used in a pinch, but it’ll taste more “artificial” than fresh.taro powder: To get the lovely purple color, you’ll need to add taro powder. This drink will still taste amazing without it though, so don’t fret if you can’t find any. Most taro powder sold in stores also contains other ingredients like sugar and milk powder (plant based or dairy), so make sure to check the ingredient list. I use the taro powder from Nuts.com in this recipe.milk: Dairy milk is usually used for this drink, but if you’re lactose intolerant like me, oat milk taste great with this recipe.boba straws: You’ll need boba straws that are wider to fully enjoy this drink. If you don’t have boba straws on hand, you can scoop the tapioca pearls and taro cubes with a long spoon while sipping.make ahead: The taro can be cooked one day in advance and refrigerated. Alternatively, you can steam the small cubes for 8 minutes, allow to fully cool, and then freeze in an airtight container. Already mashed taro can also be frozen in ice cube trays or Souper cubes, then transferred to a sealed container/bag when frozen solid, and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the steamer or microwave when needed.storage: Cooked tapioca (boba) pearls should be used right away. Once refrigerated, they will harden and the texture will be slightly mushy (rather than having that satisfying QQ bite) after reheating.
tried this recipe?Tag me @thesoundofcooking! I'd love to see what you made.