Bubble tea, bubble coffee, bubble chocolate milk and bubble mango coconut smoothie
This one is for my dear friend Joan.
Joan and I have known each other from working together as nurses in the hospital. Since then I moved to outpatient care and Joan retired, but we stayed best friends. We share the love of food and cooking and did that together in the past. We are planning another get together to make her fabulous scones and post them here in the blog - you better look for this one. Ever since I launched my blog (about 2 weeks ago), Joan already made 2 of the recipes in the blog: homemade granola and cream puffs with strawberries - both turned out amazing. She said she is planning to make all of them, which is crazy since I already have about 60 dishes there and counting 😁😋
This one though she will surely make because last week she asked me if I can post a recipe for bubble tea in the blog. Of course I said yes, first, how could I ever refuse her and second, what a great idea for a post now that summer is here and we can all use some yummy refreshing drink.
Bubble tea is usually sold in Asian restaurants and in some coffee places, but is actually super easy to make at home and like with anything homemade, you can customize it to your own taste and diet needs. Bubble tea is a drink ,with added tapioca pearls, originating in Vietnam. It is usually based on strong flavored tea with milk and tapioca pearls, but can be done with any other drink you love. The tapioca is a starch manufactured from the cassava root. It is gluten free, flavorless and has starchy chewy texture when cooked. Bubble tea is so versatile that you can make it any way you want. Sugar free, dairy free(vegan), low carb, low calorie. Also you can make it based on any kind of tea you like ( even store bought ice tea) and any smoothie or drink of your choice. You can also use flavored powders they sell for making bubble tea - look in your Asian store. Tapioca pearls can even be used in warm drinks so the options are really endless. To strengthen my point of how versatile it can be, I took the freedom to make it based on ice coffee (because I'm a coffee addict and I'm sure some of you my friends share my addiction) and chocolate milk for my kids (they loved it).
Well, as I said, making bubble tea is super easy, and it just got easier with the "5 minutes" black tapioca pearls (instead of up to 1hr with the traditional kind) you can find now in Asian stores or at Amazon (like I did). This kind of pearls needs to be consumed not more than 1-2 hrs from the time they have been cooked, since they will get harder and will lose their soft chewy texture. After cooking, drain the pearls and wash them for few seconds under cold water, then place in the cup and use immediately, or mix in a bowl with a teaspoon of honey/maple, and make sure you use it in an hour or two. One bag of tapioca pearls (250 gr) is enough for about 5 drinks (2 cups of liquid for each drink). If using the slow cooking tapioca, just follow the instructions on the bag. Whatever kind you choose to buy, make sure it is the big ones for bubble tea and not the small tapioca used mostly for puddings (and boy, do I have the best tapioca pudding recipe coming up soon - stay tuned).
To make it easier to sweeten the cold drink and adjust it to your own taste, make simple sugar syrup (directions below). You can keep any leftover syrup in your fridge for future use (for bubble tea/cold coffee/homemade lemonade).
To drink your bubble tea the right way, you will need wide straws that will allow the pearls to pass through. I found the straws on Amazon too. They actually came as a deal with the pearls. Also, for the recipes listed below you will need a large glass or Mason jar that can hold 2.5 cups of fluids easily.
To make it easier to sweeten the cold drink and adjust it to your own taste, make simple sugar syrup (directions below).You can keep any leftover syrup in your fridge for future use (for bubble tea/cold coffee/homemade lemonade).
Good things to know:
You can choose any kind of fruit for your smoothie. If it is not a tropical one, you might want to switch the coconut cream to heavy cream/half&half/milk of your choice.
If you prefer less creamy version for your smoothie you can use coconut milk instead of cream, but it's less recommended. If you don't like coconut flavour, replace it with heavy cream.
You can switch the chai tea to any kind of strong flavored tea you like.
You can use any kind of milk, dairy free or not.
You can make it unsweetened or use any sweetner of your choice.
You can make it milk free and only use water or juice as your liquid.
You can use any of your favorite store bought juice and add the pearls to it with or without milk.
Instead of sugar syrup, you can use liquid sweeteners like maple, sugar or others.
If using powdered sweetener, make sure to dissolve it in hot water before adding the cold liquids.
Your drinks (coffee/tea/chocolate milk) should be 2-3 times stronger than your usual cup of drink in order to let the flavour stand out from all the rest of the ingredients.
You can enjoy any of these drinks listed below without the tapioca as well.
To make the sugar syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Instructions
Place the ingredients in a small saucepan, stir on medium heat till all the sugar dissolves.
Cool and store in the fridge.
Tapioca pearls for one drink (the fast cooking kind)
Ingredients
¼ cup tapioca pearls.
1 cup water
Cook the pearls
In a small saucepan boil the water.
Add the tapioca and stir.
When all tapioca floats, cover and keep cooking for 2-3 min.
Open the lid and cook tor 2-3 more minutes.
Drain and wash under cold water.
Use immediately or mix with one teaspoon of honey/maple and use in the next hour.
If using the traditional tapioca pearls (and not the fast cooking) follow the directions on the bag.
Bubble coffee
1 cup of strong coffee - room temperature.
¼ cup condensed milk.
¾ cup half and half (or milk of your choice).
Cooked and cooled tapioca from ¼ cup tapioca pearls.
Sugar syrup or any other liquid sweetener to taste.
Ice cubes.
For topping
Whipped cream
Powdered cocoa/cinnamon
Instructions
Make your favorite coffee 2-3 times stronger than usual dissolved in one cup of water and cool completely in the fridge.
If using solid sweetener (and not any of the liquid options listed above) make sure to dissolve it in the hot coffee prior to cooling the coffee.
In a blender or a shaker place the coffee,half&half and condensed milk. Blend/shake well.
Place the tapioca pearls at the bottom of your serving glass and pour the coffee over it.
Taste and add liquid sweetener to your own taste.
Add ice cubes.
Top it with whipped cream and dust it with cinnamon/cocoa.
Bubble chai tea
Ingredients
2-3 bags of chai tea.
¼ cup condensed milk.
¾ cup milk of your choice.
Cooked and cooled tapioca from ¼ cup tapioca pearls.
Sugar syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice.
Ice cubes
For topping
Whipped cream.
Cinnamon.
Instructions
Make the tea
Place 2-3 tea bags in a mug and cover in 1 cup of boiling water. Stir well until you get the most out of the tea bags. Cool completely in the fridge. If using solid sweetener (and not any of the liquid options listed above) make sure to dissolve it in the hot tea prior to cooling the tea.
In a blender/shaker, place the tea, condensed milk and milk and blend/shake well.
Place the cooked tapioca pearls at the bottom of your serving glass and pour the tea over it.
Taste and add sweetener as needed.
Add ice cubes.
Top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.
Bubble chocolate milk
4 tablespoons Nestle chocolate milk powder (regular flavor, strawberry or mix of the 2).
1/2 cup boiling water.
¼ cup condensed milk.
1 ½ cups half&half.
Cooked and cooled tapioca from ¼ cup tapioca pearls.
For the topping
Whipped cream
Chocolate powder
Cherry/strawberry - optional.
Instructions
Make the chocolate milk
In a cup mix the powder and the boiling water until powder dissolves.
Mix in the half&half and condensed milk. Stir well and cool completely in the fridge.
Place the cooked and cooled tapioca pearls at the bottom of your serving glass and pour the chocolate milk over it.
Add ice cubes
Top with whipped cream, dust with chocolate powder and place cherry/strawberry on top.
Bubble mango coconut smoothie
Ingredients
350 gr fresh/frozen mangoes.
¼ cup condensed milk.
½ cup coconut cream - make sure you shake it well before using until smooth.
Sugar syrup or liquid sweetener of your choice.
Cooked and cooled tapioca from ¼ cup tapioca pearls.
For the topping
Whipped cream
Fresh mint leaves.
Instructions
Make the smoothie
In the blender place the mangoes, condensed milk and coconut cream and blend well.
Place the cooked and cooled tapioca pearls at the bottom of your serving glass and pour the smoothie over it. You can add more cream/milk if it's to thick for you.
Taste and add sweetener as needed.
Add ice cubes.
Top with whipped cream and mint leaves.
Enjoy!