Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Jasmine Tea Base
- Jasmine tea bags or loose leaf jasmine tea: This gives the drink its soft floral flavor and fragrant café-style aroma.
- Hot water: Use hot water that is slightly cooled, especially if your jasmine tea is green tea-based, so the tea stays smooth instead of bitter.
- Optional extra tea bag: Use one extra tea bag if you like a stronger tea flavor that can stand up to milk and syrup.
For the Milk Tea
- Milk: Whole milk makes the drink rich and creamy, while oat milk gives a smooth dairy-free option.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Optional, but it makes the drink taste extra creamy and dessert-like.
- Vanilla extract: Optional, but a tiny splash softens the tea and makes the drink taste more like a boba shop treat.
- Ice cubes: Essential for a cold, refreshing milk tea.
For the Brown Sugar Pearls
- Tapioca pearls: Use quick-cooking black tapioca pearls for the easiest homemade bubble tea.
- Brown sugar: Creates the rich caramel-like syrup that coats the pearls.
- Water: Helps dissolve the brown sugar and turn it into a glossy syrup.
- Pinch of salt: Optional, but it balances the sweetness and deepens the brown sugar flavor.
For Serving
- Extra brown sugar syrup: Drizzle it inside the glass for beautiful café-style streaks.
- Boba straw: Helpful for sipping the pearls with the milk tea.
- Whipped cream: Optional if you want a dessert-style drink.
- Caramel drizzle: Optional for extra sweetness and a pretty finish.
Substitution Tips
You can use jasmine green tea, jasmine black tea, or jasmine oolong tea depending on what you have. Green tea gives a lighter floral drink, black tea gives a stronger milk tea flavor, and oolong gives a smooth roasted note.
For dairy-free jasmine milk tea, use oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk. Oat milk is especially good because it is creamy and blends beautifully with brown sugar syrup.
