This Boba Tea Smoothie combines a creamy strawberry shake with chewy tapioca pearls for a delicious and refreshing bubble tea drink. It's ready in less than 10 minutes and uses 6 simple ingredients only.
If you've ever thought about how to elevate your regular strawberry banana smoothie, adding boba pearls is the answer!
After making my chocolate boba and oreo boba recipes, I started thinking about other ways I can enjoy tapioca pearls. Turns out, making boba shakes is way more delicious than I thought.
For more smoothie recipes, check out my Watermelon Mango Smoothie, Carrot Cake Smoothie, Detox Island Green Tropical Smoothie, and my 3 Avocado Smoothies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Texture heaven. A creamy and cold smoothie with chewy boba pearls on the bottom. What's not to love?
- Easy to make. You may think that homemade bubble tea requires some fancy methods to prepare, but actually, it's super easy to make at home. Anyone can make it!
- Customizable. The best part about making a bubble tea smoothie at home is that you get to control how much boba you want and how sweet it is!
- Made with 6 simple ingredients. The only "fancy" ingredient you'll need is the brown sugar boba, which you can order online on Amazon or buy from your local Asian grocery store.
- It's cheaper than buying boba at a bubble tea place.
Ingredients
- Banana: Make sure to use a ripe banana to make a creamy and sweet smoothie.
- Frozen strawberries: I like to use frozen fruit in smoothies to make them cold without the need for ice, but you can also use fresh strawberries.
- Tapioca pearls: Also known as boba pearls or simply boba, they have a chewy texture and are made with tapioca starch. I like to use black tapioca pearls because they're flavored with brown sugar.
- Coconut milk: You can use any milk you like, but I am using coconut milk from a carton here.
- Brown sugar syrup: You'll need 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup to coat the tapioca pearls after cooking. This sweetens the boba and prevents the pearls from sticking.
- Vanilla extract: A little bit of vanilla extract goes a long way here.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Boba Tea Smoothie (Shake)
Step 1: Cook the boba
In a small pot, add water and bring it to a boil. Add the pearls and cook over medium heat following the packaging instructions. Then, drain and add to a small bowl. Coat with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup.
Hint: Coat the pearls with the syrup immediately after draining them to prevent them from sticking.
Step 2: Make the smoothie
To a high-speed blender, add coconut milk on the bottom, then add the banana, frozen strawberries, and vanilla extract.
Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Assemble
Add the tapioca balls to the bottom of a large glass, followed by a few ice cubes (if desired).
Pour smoothie on top and give everything a good stir. Serve immediately!
Expert Tips
- Cook the tapioca pearls according to packaging instructions. Cooking time can vary depending on the brand you're using, so I can't give you exact instructions. Make sure to follow the packaging notes to avoid overcooking your boba.
- Serve with freshly cooked tapioca pearls. Don't cook the boba ahead of time! The pearls taste best when they're warm and freshly made, and start to harden after a few hours.
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. The best part about making a boba tea smoothie at home is that you get to decide how sweet you want it to be. I recommend starting with a small amount of brown sugar syrup (2 tablespoons), and adding more after you taste it.
- Use a jumbo boba straw to enjoy this delicious drink. Regular straws won't work in this recipe. If you can't get your hands on a glass boba straw, you can use a spoon.
FAQ
Contrary to bubble milk tea where you'd usually have black tea with a little bit of milk, this boba smoothie doesn't include any tea. Instead, it combines bananas, strawberries, and coconut milk into a delicious and creamy smoothie.
One serving of this recipe provides you with fiber, Vitamin C, vitamin A, and Iron. However, it should be consumed in moderation since it can be high in sugar.
Yes, the tapioca pearls are the best part of any bubble tea drink. It's important to chew them well to avoid any digestive problems.
No, I highly recommend serving it fresh, which means right after you cook the tapioca pearls. They start to harden after a few hours.
Yes, this recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free. Just make sure to use non-dairy milk!
Substitutions
- Strawberries: You can use any other fresh fruit you like. I like to use dragon fruit to get that same lovely pink color.
- Banana: If you want to make this smoothie without bananas, you can use frozen or fresh mango.
- Coconut milk: You can use whole milk, oat milk, or almond milk instead.
- Brown sugar syrup: If you want to make this recipe refined sugar-free, you can use maple syrup to coat the tapioca pearls.
Storage
I highly recommend serving this boba tea smoothie fresh, right after you cook the tapioca pearls. They tend to get firm and become hard to chew after a few hours.
The only thing you can make in advance is the strawberry smoothie (it will last for 24 hours in the fridge).
More Boba Tea Recipes
📖 Recipe
Boba Tea Smoothie Recipe (Shake)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ heaping cup quick-cooking tapioca pearls
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar syrup or maple syrup
- 2 cups coconut milk from a carton
- 1 cups frozen strawberries
- 2 medium-small ripe bananas, peeled
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Small pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a small pot, add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the pearls and cook over medium heat following the packaging instructions. Then, drain and add to a small bowl. Coat with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup.½ heaping cup quick-cooking tapioca pearls, 2 tablespoon brown sugar syrup
- To a high-speed blender, add coconut milk on the bottom, then add the banana, frozen strawberries, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth and creamy.2 cups coconut milk from a carton, 1 cups frozen strawberries, 2 medium-small ripe bananas, peeled, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, Small pinch of salt
- Add the tapioca balls to the bottom of a large glass, followed by a few ice cubes (if desired). Pour smoothie on top and give everything a good stir. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Cook the tapioca pearls according to packaging instructions. Cooking time can vary depending on the brand you're using, so I can't give you exact instructions. Make sure to follow the packaging notes to avoid overcooking your boba.
- Serve with freshly cooked tapioca pearls. Don't cook the boba ahead of time! The pearls taste best when they're warm and freshly made, and start to harden after a few hours.
- Adjust the sweetness to your liking. The best part about making a boba tea smoothie at home is that you get to decide how sweet you want it to be. I recommend starting with a small amount of brown sugar syrup (2 tablespoons), and adding more after you taste it.
- Use a jumbo boba straw to enjoy this delicious drink. Regular straws won't work in this recipe. If you can't get your hands on a glass boba straw, you can use a spoon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Paula says
So excited to try this delicious looking Boba Tea shake/smoothie recipe
Petranka says
Let me know if you like the recipe, Paula!