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How to Make Tapioca Pearls (Boba) | 5 Flavors Recipe

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Learn how to make chewy, flavorful homemade tapioca pearls (boba) from scratch with five delicious flavor options: brown sugar, matcha, mango, strawberry, and peach. This easy recipe guides you step-by-step to create perfect boba pearls for your bubble tea or dessert drinks.

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Flavor

  • ⅓ cup water (70 mL)
  • ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar or Muscovado sugar (65 g)
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g), divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
  • 1–2 drops black food coloring (optional)

Matcha Flavor

  • ⅓ cup water (70 mL)
  • ⅓ cup cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp ceremonial grade matcha
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g), divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting

Strawberry Flavor

  • ⅓ cup strawberry puree (about 5–6 whole strawberries, 70 mL)
  • 2 tbsp cane sugar
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g), divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
  • 1–2 drops food coloring (optional)

Mango Flavor

  • ⅓ cup mango puree (about 1–2 ripe mangoes, 70 mL)
  • 2 tbsp cane sugar
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g), divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
  • 1–2 drops food coloring (optional)

Peach Flavor

  • ⅓ cup peach puree (about 2–3 ripe peaches, 70 mL)
  • 2 tbsp cane sugar
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp tapioca starch (110 g), divided, plus extra for kneading & dusting
  • 1–2 drops food coloring (optional)

Syrup

  • ¼ cup maple syrup, agave nectar, simple syrup, or brown sugar syrup

Instructions

  1. Prepare Fruit Juices & Liquids: For fruit-flavored pearls, blend the fruits until smooth, then strain through a fine metal sieve, discarding pulp. Combine the strained puree with sugar in a pot and add food coloring if using. For brown sugar and matcha flavors, combine water, sugar, matcha (if using), and food coloring (if using) in a pot.
  2. Dissolve Sugar: Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, then bring to a very gentle simmer.
  3. Make the Dough: Add half of the tapioca starch to the simmering mixture and stir to form a paste. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner once the mixture becomes sticky and clumps.
  4. Knead the Dough: Immediately add the remaining tapioca starch and mix as much as possible in the pot. Transfer the dough onto a work surface and gently knead until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth when not working with the dough. Adjust dough texture if needed by adding more starch if sticky or a bit of water if dry, until it forms a smooth, pliable dough that doesn’t crumble.
  5. Shape the Pearls: Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a long log about 1 cm in diameter, cut in half, and place halves pairwise. Cut these halves into small pieces (~0.5 x 0.5 cm, approx. 1g each). Roll each into balls and dust lightly with extra starch. To save time, roll multiple pieces on the counter using your palm; this may form oblong pearls but they taste the same.
  6. Remove Excess Starch: Place the rolled pearls in a metal sieve and shake off excess starch.
  7. Cook the Boba Pearls: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the pearls and boil for 15-20 minutes or until pearls rise to the surface. Boil closer to 20 minutes for softer pearls.
  8. Rest the Pearls: Turn off heat and let the cooked pearls sit covered in hot water for an additional 5 minutes to achieve desired texture.
  9. Drain and Coat: Drain pearls and immediately place them in syrup (maple syrup, agave nectar, simple syrup, or brown sugar syrup) to prevent sticking and add flavor.

Notes

  • If the dough is powdery and breaks apart, add more liquid and heat: crumble dough back into pot, add 1 tbsp water at a time, mix, and heat until sticky, then add starch gradually to reach doughy consistency.
  • If dough is too sticky, gradually add more starch to achieve ideal kneading texture.
  • Keep dough covered with damp cloth during work to prevent drying and hardening.
  • If pearls are too soft after boiling, rinse them in cold water to firm up.
  • If pearls are too hard, let them sit longer in hot water after turning off heat.
  • Natural color of pearls varies with fruit and can fade after cooking; use food coloring drops to maintain vibrant hues if desired.

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