Healthy Eating

Strawberry Milk Tea | The Picky Eater

May 13, 2023

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Strawberry milk tea is sweet, refreshing, and simple to make at home! Homemade strawberry syrup, earthy green tea, and almond milk top chewy tapioca pearls in this pink boba summer drink. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and super easy to make ahead of time!

Strawberry milk tea with boba in a glass with a straw.

It’s hard to resist strawberries during the summer! They’re plump, juicy, affordable, and a gorgeous shade of red. I like to stock up on them and throw them into smoothie and smoothie bowls (like this strawberry smoothie bowl recipe), muffins, and this easy strawberry bubble tea recipe!

Also known as strawberry bubble tea, strawberry boba milk tea is easy to make at home. It’s more cost-effective than boba shops (like gong cha) and lower in sugar, too. One bag of boba pearls can make up to six boba tea drinks! This means I get to enjoy this strawberry milk bubble tea ALL summer long, and you can too! (And honestly, you can enjoy this in the winter too using frozen strawberries and serving it hot instead of iced!)

Strawberry bubble milk tea is sweet and creamy, but it’s full of cancer-fighting antioxidants and plant compounds. Green tea is a nutrient powerhouse I love to incorporate into my daily routine, and strawberry milk boba tea is my favorite way to do it!

👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

Fresh & Nutritious: This drink is with fresh or frozen strawberries – there are no artificial flavors or strawberry milk powder here!
Easy to Customize: Whether you adjust the amount of sugar, choose a different type of tea, or even make the milk tea with a different type of berry, this easy recipe is so simple (and fun!) to make your own.
Creamy and Refreshing: It’s one of our favorite drinks to enjoy on warm summer days!
Light Pink Color: This boba tea strawberry drink is as fun to look at as it is to drink!
Healthier Than Bubble Tea Shops: Though the occasional tea shop treat can certainly be a part of a healthy lifestyle, the reduced sugar and high antioxidant content of this strawberry milk tea boba recipe makes it a healthier option you can feel good about enjoying regularly.

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🥘 Strawberry Milk Tea Ingredients

This easy strawberry milk tea recipe requires only 5 simple ingredients plus chewy boba pearls!

Ingredients for strawberry milk tea recipe on a white background.

Tapioca Pearls: Boba pearls are tapioca balls made from tapioca starch. They have a chewy gummy bear consistency and mild flavor and are typically soaked in a sugar syrup to make them lightly sweet. Either light or black quick-cooking tapioca pearls can be used for this sweet strawberry milk tea recipe. You can buy quick-cooking boba online or at most Asian markets.
Fresh Strawberries: Skip the pre-made strawberry milk powder! Strawberry simple syrup from real strawberries is SO much better. Their sweet flavor intensifies as they cook down into syrup.
Sugar: To sweeten the strawberry syrup and bring out the rich strawberry flavor!
Green Tea: Classic green tea or jasmine green tea are both great picks. I like to use tea bags, but loose leaf works great too. Just use a tea diffuser or strain the tea through a sieve to remove the tea leaves.
Ice Cubes: Strawberry boba milk tea tastes best chilled! Add as much ice as desired.
Almond Milk: Almond milk has a mild flavor and creamy texture. I used unsweetened, but for a sweeter iced tea drink, use sweetened.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

Strawberries: Frozen strawberries can also be used to make this strawberry bubble tea recipe. Cook the berries from frozen (not thawed) and follow the recipe directions as listed. Alternatively, this recipe can also be made with raspberries, blueberries, or any combination of mixed berries.
Milk: Any type of milk can substitute for the almond milk. Oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or even dairy milk (whole milk for a richer taste, lowfat or nonfat for a lighter drink) are all great options!
Tea: Though this fruit bubble tea recipe is written for a strawberry green tea boba, black tea, white tea, or oolong tea can replace green tea in a pinch.
Sweetener: Raw sugar, coconut sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, or maple syrup can all be used in place of granulated sugar. Sweetened condensed milk or coconut milk is another great option! If using coconut or brown sugar, however, it may slightly change the color of this strawberry flavor milk tea.

🔪 How To Make Strawberry Milk Tea

Fresh strawberry milk tea boba is super easy to make! Just follow these simple steps to learn how to make milk tea at home.

Brew Tea: In a small saucepan, bring one cup of water to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, add tea bags to the hot water, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and set the tea aside to cool to room temperature.

Pro-tip: Chill the tea in the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature faster!

Tea steeping in a measuring cup for strawberry milk tea.

Cook Strawberries: Add the diced strawberries, sugar, and 3/4 cup of cold water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the strawberries break down. You can use a potato masher to help them break down faster.

Strain Strawberry Mixture: Pour the strawberry syrup into a sieve placed over a bowl. Use a spoon to press into the mixture to get as much strawberry juice as possible. Set aside to cool.

Pushing cooked strawberries through a strainer.

Cook Tapioca Pearls: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the black tapioca pearls, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

Strain Pearls: Strain the boba tapioca pearls and transfer them to a small bowl. Add half of the strawberry syrup and stir. Let the mixture cool.

Boba pearls mixed with strawberry puree in a bowl.

Assemble: Evenly divide the chewy tapioca pearls and syrup between two tall glasses and top with ice.

Boba pearls, ice, and strawberry puree in a glass.

Add Tea & Milk: Divide the cooled tea, milk, and remaining syrup between the two glasses. Enjoy this strawberry boba drink recipe immediately!

Milk poured into glasses for strawberry milk tea with boba.

💭 Expert Tips

How to Make Pink Bubble Tea Ahead of Time: The strawberry syrup and steeped tea can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days before use. Cook and soak the tapioca pearls as needed. Assemble right before serving this strawberry fruit tea boba!
Serve the Tea Fresh: Once assembled, this tea is best served fresh. Leftover tapioca balls can get mushy or tough. If the drink starts to separate before serving, just give it a stir.
How to Brew Green Tea: Green tea brews best in just simmered (not fully boiling) water or at a temperature of about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Steep the green tea for 5 minutes, or until your desired flavor is reached. To make stronger green tea, steep it for longer.
Mash the Strawberries As They Cook: This will help them to cook down faster and for the most flavor to extract from the berries. Additionally, press the berries through the sieve as you drain them to get the most strawberry juice in the syrup.
Cool the Strawberries, Boba, and Tea Before Assembling: Otherwise, the heat of these ingredients will melt the ice and dilute this homemade strawberry boba drink.
Use a Boba Straw: Use a wide straw (i.e., the traditional fat straw used for boba) to be able to suck up the boba balls with the tea.

📖 Recipe Variations

Though this strawberry boba drink is delicious as-is, you can make it your own with any of the following variations:

Strawberry Basil Milk Tea: Steep a few leaves of sliced fresh basil in the green tea to make a delightful herbal variation on this tea! Steeping dried lavender buds is also a great variation.
Strawberry Matcha Milk Tea: Stir a teaspoon of matcha powder into the brewed tea to make matcha boba strawberry tea!
Adjust the Sugar Level: If needed, add more sugar to the syrup to make this milk tea strawberry drink sweeter. You may want to add more sugar to frozen strawberries if they are not as sweet as fresh.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Pink boba tea is delightful served cool with plenty of ice and a boba straw! We love enjoying it as a mid-morning pick-me-up or for an afternoon or poolside snack on a warm summer day. It’s also great anytime you simply want to treat yourself or your family with a sweet, but healthier treat.

This drink can be enjoyed warm on a cold winter day, however, too! To do so, just skip the ice and the cooling step and assemble the tea with the warm ingredients.

Strawberry milk tea in a glass with a large straw.

❓ Recipe FAQs

What does strawberry boba milk tea taste like?

This boba tea tastes like sweet strawberry milk with a light hint of green tea and occasional pops of gummy bear-like chewiness. Think of it like a homemade strawberry milkshake, just a little bit thinner, with slightly sweet chewy treats inside!

How many calories are in strawberry boba tea?

When you make it at home, you get to control the amount of sugar and calories in your drink. In fact, there are only 257 calories in one huge glass of this strawberry boba tea recipe. Boba tea from a bubble tea shop can contain up to 700 calories!

Is strawberry bubble tea good for you?

Though the nutrition factor in boba strawberry milk tea can depend on the recipe or where you purchase it from, this recipe is a healthy option! With the vitamin E and calcium in almond milk, phytochemicals in green tea, and just a negligible amount of sweetener, this strawberry bubble tea is a delicious and nutritious choice!

Does strawberry milk tea with boba have caffeine?

Yes, since the milk tea is made with green tea it does contain a moderate amount of caffeine, or about 30-40 mg per serving.

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