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    Home » Recipes » Drinks & Smoothies

    Published: Nov 22, 2022 · Modified: Feb 9, 2024 by Petra · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Chocolate Boba Milk Tea (Bubble Tea)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A collage of photos of chocolate boba with text overlay "Rich chocolate boba milk tea". A photo of chocolate boba with text overlay "Creamy chocolate boba milk tea". A photo of chocolate boba with text overlay "Rich chocolate boba milk tea".

    Rich, creamy, and chocolatey, this Chocolate Boba Milk Tea is truly irresistible! It's made with 8 simple ingredients and is ready in 10 minutes!

    Two glasses of chocolate boba with glass straws on a white marbled board.

    When hot chocolate meets bubble tea, you get the most decadent chocolate milk tea boba!

    If you're like me and you love bubble tea drinks, you have to make this recipe at home!

    Just like my cookies and cream boba and boba tea smoothie, this one is SO easy to make, inexpensive and you can customize it to your liking.

    If you're into chocolaty drinks, check out my Oreo milkshake without ice cream.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Chocolate Boba
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQ
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Similar Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Quick and easy to make. This recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes and requires minimal effort.
    • Rich, creamy, and so chocolaty. This chocolate boba tastes like dessert! It's not too sweet, but it reminds me of my double chocolate chip cookies.
    • Customizable. You can add as much or as little sweetener to taste, and you can also add as many boba pearls as you want!
    • Made with simple ingredients. The only "fancy" ingredient you'll need is the tapioca pearls, which you can order online on Amazon or buy from your local Asian grocery store.

    Ingredients

    Gathered ingredients for making chocolate boba with text overlay on each ingredient.
    • Dark chocolate: Since this is the main ingredient, I like to use a high-quality 70% dark chocolate, but you can also use a few tablespoons of chocolate syrup instead. In this case, you may need to add less sugar to avoid making it overly sweet.
    • 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.
    • Milk: You can use any milk you like including whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, etc. I am using soy milk in this chocolate boba recipe.
    • Sugar: You'll need a little bit of granulated sugar or brown sugar to make the hot chocolate mix.
    • Brown sugar syrup: You'll need 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup to coat the tapioca pearls after cooking. This sweetens the boba and prevents the pearls from sticking.
    • Unsweetened cocoa powder: I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a rich chocolaty flavor.
    • Salt: A little pinch of salt enhances the chocolate flavor of this drink.
    • Hot water: For mixing the chocolate mix into a paste.

    See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

    How to Make Chocolate Boba

    1. Make the hot chocolate mixture. To a small bowl, add chopped dark chocolate, cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar.
    2. Pour a little bit of hot water (around ¼ cup) and using a whisk, mix to form a paste. When the chocolate has melted and the cocoa powder has dissolved, pour the rest of the hot water and mix.
    Chopped dark chocolate, cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar in a white bowl.
    Mixing hot chocolate mixture from a white bowl with a stainless-steel whisk.

    3. Cook tapioca pearls. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the pearls to the boiling water and cook over medium heat following the packaging instructions. Then, drain and add to a bowl. Coat with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar syrup.

    4. Assemble the chocolate boba. Add the tapioca balls to the bottom of a large glass, followed by plenty of ice cubes (if making this drink hot, skip the ice).

    A white bowl filled with cooked tapioca pearls coated in brown sugar syrup. A silver spoon is also placed in the bowl.
    A hand adding pouring tapioca pearls from a small white bowl to a large glass.

    5. Pour the milk over the ice cubes, followed by the hot chocolate mixture. Stir and give it a taste test.

    At this point, you can add more brown sugar syrup if you like it sweeter. Serve right away and top with whipped cream if desired!

    A hand pouring soy milk from a small white pot to a large glass.
    A hand pouring hot chocolate mixture from a small white bowl to a large glass filled with milk and boba.

    Expert Tips

    • Cook the tapioca pearls as per 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.
    • Once you cook the tapioca pearls, serve the milk tea right away. They taste best when they're fresh, and start to harden after just a few hours.
    • Adjust the sweetness as desired. The best part about making boba milk tea at home is that you get to decide how sweet or strong 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 boba straw to enjoy this delicious drink. Regular straws won't work in this recipe, but if you can't get your hands on boba straws, you can use a spoon.
    • To serve it warm. Similar to my hot boba tea, you need to skip the ice and heat up the milk in the microwave or in a small saucepan.

    FAQ

    What does chocolate boba taste like?

    This chocolate bubble milk tea tastes like iced hot chocolate with hints of caramel (from the brown sugar syrup), with chewy and sweet boba balls at the bottom.

    Can you make it in advance?

    No, I highly recommend serving this drink fresh, right after you cook the tapioca pearls. They start to harden after a few hours.

    Does chocolate boba tea have caffeine?

    This recipe has a little bit of caffeine from the dark chocolate and the cocoa powder, but not as much as if you'd add black tea.

    Is boba tea healthy for you?

    Boba is a delicious drink that pretty much tastes like dessert and should be enjoyed for pleasure, rather than for nutrition purposes.

    Variations

    • Chocolate hazelnut: You can use either hazelnut milk or add 1-2 teaspoons of Nutella or hazelnut syrup. Keep in mind that if you add Nutella you may want to scale down the sugar in the recipe to avoid making it overly sweet.
    • Caramel: You can use either caramel syrup or real caramel to add even more flavor to the chocolate boba. I suggest making a swirl in the glass and adding 1-2 more teaspoons of caramel to the milk. Same as with the Nutella, you may want to scale down the sugar in the recipe to avoid making it overly sweet.
    • Peanut butter: You can mix a teaspoon of peanut butter in the chocolate mixture to add a nutty flavor.
    • Add tea: While chocolate boba doesn't actually have tea in it, you can add some steeped black tea. Brew 1 tea bag with ½ cup water for 5 minutes. Then remove the tea bag and let the tea chill and come to room temperature before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. In this case, you'll need to use ½ cup less milk to make up for the liquid from the tea.
    • Make it dairy-free: Use plant-based milk to make this recipe vegan and dairy-free.
    • Make it refined sugar-free: Instead of granulated sugar, you can use stevia or maple syrup. Keep in mind that dark chocolate has refined sugar as well, so you may have to use dark chocolate sweetened with stevia.
    A glass of chocolate boba topped with with ice cubes and a glass straw, placed on a white marbled board.

    Storage

    I highly recommend serving this chocolate boba fresh, right after you cook the tapioca pearls.

    The only thing you can make in advance is the hot chocolate mixture, which you store in the fridge in a mason jar or an airtight container for 4-5 days.

    Similar Recipes

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      Boba Tea Smoothie Recipe (Shake) with Strawberries
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      Chocolate Boba Milk Tea (Bubble Tea)
    • Oreo bubble milk tea served in a large glass with a boba straw in it. Four Oreo cookies placed next to the glass.
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    📖 Recipe

    Two glasses of chocolate boba with glass straws on a white marbled board.

    Chocolate Boba Milk Tea (Bubble Tea)

    Rich, creamy, and chocolatey, this Chocolate Boba Milk Tea is truly irresistible! It's made with 8 simple ingredients and is ready in 10 minutes!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Beverage
    Cuisine: American, Asian-Inspired, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Author: Petra
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Saucepan
    • Whisk
    • Bowl
    • Boba straws

    Ingredients

    • 2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
    • ⅔ cup hot water
    • 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
    • Pinch of salt
    • 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
    • ½ cup tapioca pearls
    • 2-4 tablespoons brown sugar syrup (or substitute with brown sugar)
    • 2 cups milk of choice (I use soy milk, but any milk will work)
    Step-by-step imagesScroll back to find detailed recipe photos!

    Instructions

    • Make the hot chocolate mixture. To a small bowl, add chopped dark chocolate, cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar.
    • Pour a little bit of hot water (around ¼ cup) and using a whisk, mix to form a paste. When the chocolate has melted and the cocoa powder has dissolved, pour the rest of the hot water and mix.
    • Cook tapioca pearls. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the pearls to the boiling water and cook over medium heat following the packaging instructions. Then, drain and add to a bowl. Coat with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar syrup.
    • Assemble the chocolate boba. Add the tapioca balls to the bottom of a large glass, followed by plenty of ice cubes (if making this drink hot, skip the ice). Pour the milk over the ice cubes, followed by the hot chocolate mixture. Stir and give it a taste test.
    • At this point, you can add more brown sugar syrup if you like it sweeter. Serve right away and top with whipped cream if desired!

    Notes

    • Cook the tapioca pearls as per 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.
    • Once you cook the tapioca pearls, serve the milk tea right away. They taste best when they're fresh, and start to harden after just a few hours.
    • Adjust the sweetness as desired. The best part about making boba milk tea at home is that you get to decide how sweet or strong 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 boba straw to enjoy this delicious drink. Regular straws won't work in this recipe, but if you can't get your hands on boba straws, you can use a spoon.
    • To serve this drink warm, skip the ice and heat up the milk in the microwave or in a small saucepan.
     
    Storage
    I highly recommend serving this chocolate boba fresh, right after you cook the tapioca pearls.
    The only thing you can make in advance is the hot chocolate mixture, which you store in the fridge in a mason jar or an airtight container for 4-5 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 717mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 31g | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 6mg

    Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.

    Tried this recipe?Leave me a rating and a comment telling me how it went. Or tag me at @sunglowkichen and hashtag #sunglowkitchen on Instagram!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Robert says

      December 22, 2022 at 6:08 pm

      5 stars
      The bobas turned out perfectly first try. Can I freeze it it for later use?

      Reply
      • Petranka says

        December 22, 2022 at 6:29 pm

        Hi Robert! Glad you liked the recipe! And no, you can't freeze them. The boba is best fresh.

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Petra!

    I'm a professional chef and a certified nutritionist! Sunglow Kitchen is all about easy vegan and vegetarian recipes that anyone can make at home, even if you're a beginner. Learn more about me here!

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