Tapioca pearls are just tapioca starch, boiling water and brown sugar. The trick is pouring the water boiling-hot so the dough holds together.
Prep: 30 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 55 min · Makes: about 250g pearls (4 drinks)
Ingredients
- 120g tapioca starch (plus extra for dusting)
- 40g dark brown sugar
- 80ml water
- 1 tsp cocoa powder (optional, for dark colour)
Method
- Boil the sugar and water until dissolved and bubbling hard.
- Take off the heat and immediately stir in half the starch (it turns gluey).
- Add the rest of the starch and knead into a smooth dough while warm.
- Roll into thin ropes and cut into 1cm pieces; roll each into a ball and dust with starch.
- Boil in plenty of water 20 minutes, rest 10 minutes covered, then soak in syrup.
Troubleshooting
- Dough crumbles: the water was not boiling — add 1 tsp boiling water and knead.
- Dough sticky: knead in more starch a teaspoon at a time.
- Hard centre: pearls too big or under-rested.
Variations
- Mini pearls: roll 0.5cm and boil 12 minutes.
- Matcha or taro pearls: replace the cocoa with 1 tsp powder.
- Use brown sugar syrup to soak.
Storage
Freeze uncooked pearls dusted in starch for up to 3 months; cook from frozen. Cooked pearls last about 4 hours.
Making it for a café or event? See bubble tea supplies or our one-day training course.
People also ask
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Making boba at home or for a business?
We supply the pearls, syrups and cups behind the recipes — and run training for anyone turning this into a shop.
