Learn how to make black tapioca pearls or boba pearls from scratch with this simple tutorial. You'll only need 3 main ingredients. It is so easy and fun to make and much better than using the store-bought dried ones.
Making your own boba pearls is really easy and it could be a fun and rewarding project for the family. Plus you can have bubble teas anytime the cravings hits and save some bucks too. I also find that fresh tapioca pearls are much better than the dried ones. They cook faster, for one and you know exactly what's in it. They are just like the ones we had in bubble teas when we were in Taipei.
Actually, I get mixed reviews with this tapioca pearls recipe. There are a lot who were able to make it successfully without any problem, there those who were able to work it out and there are those who are not so lucky. I collected some tips and advices from our readers who tried making it and I did some more trials to find out what works and what doesn't so please read the whole post.
What are tapioca pearls?
Tapioca pearls or balls are small, edible orbs, slightly smaller than marbles that are typically used for desserts and drinks in Southeast Asian cuisine. They are made from the starch or cassava roots that gives them their chewy, transluscent characteristics. They also have neutral flavors and are sometimes soaked in sugar syrup to sweeten them.
Black tapioca pearls or boba are colored tapioca balls used for milk or 'bubble' teas that are very popular nowadays.
What are they made of?
There are just two main ingredients for making tapioca pearls, tapioca starch and water. The tapioca starch is the starch extracted from the cassava roots. Sometimes also called cassava starch, but do not confuse it with cassava flour as the latter is typically powdered cassava roots. The other ingredient is water that binds the starch together to form a dough. For it to work it must be boiling hot.
Dark brown sugar can be added to give them a darker shade and make them sweet. But for the real black color, you have to use food coloring.
How to make tapioca pearls or boba?
- Place tapioca flour or starch in a bowl.
- Place black food color in a separate bowl and add a tablespoon of boiling hot water to the food color.
- Add the rest of the water directly to the tapioca flour and immediately pour the colored water to the bowl as well.
- Let it sit for a few seconds then fold-in the tapioca flour with a fork until they start to stick together.
- Transfer to a flat surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth.
- Cut them into small pieces. Try to make them as even in size as possible and should be small enough to pass through your straw.
- Roll each piece in between your palms to make them round.
How to cook tapioca pearls?
Cooking freshly made tapioca pearls is much simpler than using dried ones.
- Bring enough water to a rolling boil (4 cups of water for every 1 cup tapioca pearls).
- Add the fresh tapioca pearls to the boiling water and let it cook for 15 minutes or longer until the desired consistency (soft or chewy) is achieved. They will turn opaque to translucent and become darker as they cook.
- Remove from heat and let it rest for a few minutes. They will shrink back to the original size and will turn black at this point.
- Transfer tapioca pearls into a sugar syrup or a bowl with a little water to prevent them from sticking together.
If using dried boba pearls, add the balls in a pot of boiling water. Cover and cook for several minutes depending on the size of the balls, 15 minutes for the tiny ones and 30 minutes or up to an hour for the bigger ones. Just cook them until there is no longer a white or solid core visible. You may need to add more water if it starts to get too thick and slimy.
How to store?
This recipe will make about a cup of tapioca balls or about 2-3 servings. You can make a bigger batch, but I will not really recommend it. First, because fresh ones cooks faster and has better texture and they are not that difficult to make anyway. Second, working in smaller scale is easier and more manageable. Bigger scale means bigger dough and if you have nobody helping you to roll them into those tiny balls, the dough will start to dry up and will no longer be as pliable and you might have difficulty forming the balls.
But in case you like to make them ahead or was not able to use them all up at once, here are my tips for storage:
To store fresh uncooked tapioca pearls, place the balls on a plate and just leave them on the kitchen counter for a day or two to dry up completely. Then transfer them to a container or jar for future use.
To store cooked tapioca pearls, place them on a container with lid and add sugar syrup or water to cover. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place them in a Ziplock bag and remove as much air as you can, then freeze.
Just add them to boiling water and reheat for 5 minutes when ready to use.
FAQs
Use only tapioca starch/flour or sometimes called cassava starch, but not cassava flour, cornstarch, nor regular flour.
Using room temperature water will not work! It has to be boiling hot, directly from the pot/kettle of boiling water would be best. Once the hot water is added to the tapioca starch, it will cook the part it touches that will turn into transparent slime in seconds. This will act as a paste while you fold in the rest of the starch to make the dough.
If you get a oobleck, it means the water was not boiling hot.
If the dough is too crumbly and won't form, then water was not enough. Like I said it could be that the starch you got absorbs more liquid than others. Do this instead: Initially use only 2:1 ratio to make the dough, it might be too soft and sticky then just add a bit more of tapioca starch until you get a play-dough consistency.
You can skip the food color and have plain transparent balls instead. You can also add dark brown sugar to the water and boil them together and use that to make brown balls.
Recipe Video
Printable Recipe
How to make Black Tapioca Pearls (Boba) from scratch.
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 3 tablespoons boiling water
- ¼ teaspoon liquid black food color
Instructions
- Place tapioca flour or starch in a bowl. Place black food color in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of boiling water to the food color. Add the rest of the boiling water directly to the tapioca flour and immediately pour the colored water to the bowl of starch as well.
- Give it a few seconds for the slimy paste to form. Fold in tapioca starch with a fork until they start to stick together. Transfer to a flat surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth.
- Divide the dough into 2 and roll each forming thin sticks. Cut them into small pieces. Try to make them as even in size as possible and should be small enough to pass through your straw. Roll each piece in between your palms to turn them into small balls.
- Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in a small pot or saucepan. Add the tapioca pearls to the boiling water and let it cook for 15 minutes or longer until the desired consistency (soft or chewy) is achieved. They will also become darker as they cook.
- Remove from heat and let it rest for a few minutes. They will shrink back to the original size and will turn black at this point.
- Transfer tapioca pearls into a sugar syrup or a bowl with a little water to prevent them from sticking together.
Notes
- The amount of black food color may vary depending on the brand you are using.
- Using a glass bowl or metal bowl is better especially when using food color.
- If making a larger batch, just follow the 3:1 ratio of tapioca starch to boiling water.
- Different brands of tapioca starch has varying texture and fineness so they may have varying results. I have some people commented that they are having difficulty using the Bob's Red Mill and I had a success using the same but adding a teaspoon of xanthan gum. This recipe was tested using Polar Bear brand.
- Using room temperature water will not work! It has to be boiling hot, directly from the pot/kettle of boiling water would be best. Once the hot water is added to the tapioca starch, it will cook the part it touches that will turn into transparent slime in seconds. This will act as a paste while you fold in the rest of the starch to make the dough.
- If you get a oobleck, it means the water was not boiling hot.
- The ratio of starch to water is 3:1. This generally works and I have tried it in 3 different brands and had success but I had to adjust the ratio in one of them.
- If the dough is too crumbly and won't form, then water was not enough. Like I said it could be that the starch you got absorbs more liquid than others. Do this instead: Initially use only 2:1 ratio to make the dough, it might be too soft and sticky then just add a bit more of tapioca starch until you get a play-dough consistency.
Chris says
Hi,
What is the shelf life on this? Like if I make these boba pearls how long do they last before you need to cook them? Can they be frozen and for how long? I want to make a diy project and send them to a friend. Is that possible to last during priority shipping? And could it last longer if she refrigerates them Or freezes them. Just wondering. And great little recipe!
Emily says
Can you use normal flour? thank you.
Bebs says
No, you can't. It will not work.
savannah says
do u have to use food coloring?
Bebs says
Only if you want it in black. Check out our Brown Sugar Lik Tea with recipe for brown sugar boba pearls too.
MC says
A tip for forming the balls! Once you’ve cut up about ten, you can gently roll all of them with the palm of your hand against the cutting board. Most of them will form into balls, occasionally some will stick together, but overall it was much faster than when I was doing them one at a time.
Bebs says
Great tip, MC, this is exactly what we did with our brown sugar boba pearls. Check it out too..
Diya says
Just a question would you put them in the fridge for 1-2 days or just in room-temperature for 1-2 days?
Bebs says
Room temperature to dry them and to store. But if they are cooked already you can refrigerate them.
Ben says
Hi, I made these a while ago and on the second batch they worked with a little recipe tweak, but today I’m trying again, and no matter how much water I add, when rolling out it crumbles. Any tips?
Bebs says
Hi Ben, I suggest adding a little water but make sure that it is boiling hot when you add it.
Lucy says
Hi is it possible to make a big batch and keep them to use in the future?
Bebs says
You can but have to dry them which takes longer to cook than the fresh ones...or vacuum seal the fresh ones and freeze them.
Mj says
Boba Tapioca pearls are not made like this. They do not add fake ingredients. Real bobba contains healthy ingredients.
Bebs says
Yeah?! Like boba teas are so healthy?
sofia says
i am guessing you are being sarcastic lol u mean i have never tasted on tho so why would i know right
Bebs says
Hi Sofia 😉. Well, some people think boba are healthy, they are not, but I still share this recipe for those who like it and would like to make it at home for their boba teas or other desserts. The boba or tapioca pearls are mainly starchy carbs and has no vitamins or minerals. This recipe actually has no sugar so it is healthier than the ones sold commercially for sure. Having boba tea from time to time should be fine but I myself would not drink it regularly.
Kate says
I tried to make these kind of boba, but mine are crumbly and an ooblek texture. What can I do to make it better?
Bebs says
If it is crumbly then you added too little water. If it turned oobleck then the water was not hot enough.
Kasandra says
If we can't get tapioca flour what can we use as a substitute
Bebs says
Can only use tapioca flour, but other brands label it as cassava starch.
Erika says
I love drinking bubble tea, it’s such a horrible addiction. I’ve always wanted to learn to make my own to save money but never got around to learning how to prepare the pearls. Definite thanks for the lesson!
Bebs says
Yes, Armin loves it too! It was handy knowing how to make it while we were in lockdown and everything was closed. Hope you like it too!
Adil says
Can you use sabudana powder instead of tapioca flour?
ROBYN says
Not really good look at the first time but its taste is so ok. Thanks so much!
Bebs says
Hi Robyn, it only needs a bit of practice...which means more bubble teas to make...
Kelly says
Made first batch today - texture etc a success. Is there a way to get a little more flavor into them? Vanilla extract? Honey? Thank you!!
Bebs says
Hi Kelly, check our brown sugar milk tea with recipe for brown sugar tapioca pearls...
Aryana says
I used this recipe and they turned out perfectly. I too used the bob miller’s tapioca flower and it was extremely crumbly but I added more water and they worked phenomenally. I highly recommend!
Bebs says
That is perfect, Aryana!
Trixie says
Hi I'm wondering about the shelf life of fresh tapioca pearls? Can I make a batch and keep it in storage for a few days and boil it only when I need it? Should I freeze them if I want to use later on?
Bebs says
You can let them dry out and then store them until ready to use. It will take longer to cook though than freshly made ones.
Gabriella Salimone says
Didn’t really work for me sadly I don’t know it was because I used tapioca starch instead of flour?
Bebs says
It is the same. Was it crumbly or oobleck?
Ella says
Yes!! That's what happened to me
Lauren says
Hey so I did the recipe with bob miller’s tapioca flour and it’s like a really weird texture. Hard at impact but I can slowly sink my hand in and it’s like liquid. What should I do?
Bebs says
Hi Lauren, that is called oobleck. One of the readers here shared that she had success with Bob's Red Mill by adding more water. But it should be boiling water or else it will not work.
Susheila says
Hi there. I was wondering is it the longer you boil the chequer or the shorter boil time? Does that make sense lol
Thanks 😊
Bebs says
The longer you boil them the lesser chewy they become..
Katt says
For those having trouble with Bob's Red Mill flour- I had to use a lot more water to get a workable texture with this tapioca flour, I think about 8 tablespoons or so. They turned out perfectly this way!
Bebs says
That is perfect, thanks so much for this tip, Katt!
Ella says
I'm going to try this.
Also, did you still use 6 tbsps of the flour?
Roberta says
If you don't have food coloring, how much water should you put?
Bebs says
No change in amount of water.
essa says
how about adding sugar?
Bebs says
Hi Essa, I will be writing about brown sugar tapioca pearls soon.
Megan says
Hi!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I was craving boba tea and decided to make it myself and save some money.
Mine turned out great! I actually used Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour and it worked fine. Next time I’ll have to do the sugar syrup for a little sweetness to the boba.
In any case, thanks again!
Bebs says
Hi Megan, thanks for you wonderful comment. Now I am wondering why others are having a problem with theirs using Bob's Red Mill brand. I will write about brown sugar tapioca and milk tea soon...watch out for it...
Erika Nicole McDonald-Duncan says
I tried the recipe but my pearls turned translucent with an opaque center. What did I do wrong?
Bebs says
Totally normal with tapioca pearls. Just cook it a little longer.
Madeline says
Hi, Babs! I Love your recipe! Thank you so much! I was wondering how I should store the pearls. Should I dehydrate them and re-boil them when I need to ue them again?
Bebs says
If they are already boiled, you can refrigerate and use them for another 2-3 days. Just reboil them to get them back to darker color. You can also let the uncooked pearl dry out and store in a jar. Or the newly made ones sealed in a vacuum plastic bag.
Sara says
Hello I was just wondering what tapioca flour you recommend. Also are these bobas like the ones you get a bubble tea stores?
Bebs says
Hi Sarah...unfortunately I cannot say for sure which brands would work. I got some messages here saying that Bob's Red Mill does not work for them. I got mine from our local supermarket packed in a clear plastic that says tapioca flour.
Jocette says
Hi Bebs,
Glad I stumbled upon your website. I am excited to try your version of tapioca pearls as I love making teas!
I'm also pretty excited to try to make taho and sweetened bananas, I love plantains too. Thanks again. Faith.
Bebs says
You are welcome and I hope you enjoy making them as I did.
Alli says
Most of the time, boba are made with very dark brown sugar, and stored in brown sugar syrup. Which is what gives them the dark color.
But, I think the white ones are prettier and go with more drinks, so thank you for the recipe.
Christine Johnson says
Did you make the sugar syrup? And if so, how did you do it? Thanks!
Bebs says
Just mix 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Cook until it becomes thicker.
Carrie Rakestraw says
Is the black food dye necessary? Is it just for color & can be omitted?
Bebs says
Totally just for the color. You can omit it and have transparent ones.
Nakoua says
The first time i did this it was a success, but the second time it was extremely chewy, and i didn't add food coloring is that why is was chewy?
Bebs says
It is supposed to be chewy. Try cooking it longer then let them sit in the water or in syrup for 20-30 minutes before using.
Anna says
this was a huge success! it made the chewiest most delightful boba pearls I’v ever had! Recipe was super simple and fun to do. I made mine into brown sugar milk tea by tossing them in brown sugar water over light heat til it got syrupy. Soo good!! Homemade is the way to go, especially if its this easy and so much cheaper.
Armin says
Hi Anna, you are right, it`s so fun to do them and like you said, homemade is the way to go 👍 Thanks for your feedback and stay safe 🤗
Mana says
Could I ask which brand of Tapioca Flour you used?
Selvi says
I tried making them yesterday. It was not a 100% success. The dough was sticky, couldn't roll out but I pinched the dough a little at time and made into small balls. Cooked it but it was chewy but a little hard. I would want to try again today. I did not put the mixture on a flat surface to knead, could that be a problem? Any advise?
Bebs says
You can knead it in a bowl. Were you adding boiling hot water directly yo the tapioca starch?
Casey says
Hello!!
I've been making bubble tea at home during covid times but the one I ordered is pretty expensive (40 bucks for 10 servings and some tea). The ingredients in the boba itself is just tapioca flour, water and caramel. I was wondering if you've ever made a recipe with caramel instead of food colouring? Also would you suggest actual caramel sauce or the extract, or maybe another variety of it?
Take care 🙂
Bebs says
I will try it soon and give it as an alternative here. The food color is really just to get that very black color but we will see. Thanks for your tip.
Ariella says
Somehow missed the boiling step and accidentally made non Newtonian fluid. I tried it a second time and it worked perfectly. I was wondering if I keep these in the fridge for a couple days will they get too soft?
Bebs says
Hi Ariella, glad to hear your success with making tapioca pearls. In my experience, when I place them in the fridge soak in water they tend to expand, turn opaque and become softer. But they somehow turn back to normal when I add hot water or boil them again. I guess puting them in a vacuum bag will work better just like the ones sold commercially.
Rob says
My attempt was an abysmal failure. When I used the ratio of 3:1 it was too crumbly. If I added a bit of water it would go from too crumbly to a liquid. I never got a workable texture. I used Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour which states also known as tapioca starch. Could that be the issue? Is there a difference between flour and starch?
Bebs says
Hi Rob, the thing is I got a lot of people who did it successfully following the recipe. Just want to make sure that you are using boiling hot water. I also got the same complain and mentioned that she also used Bob's redmill tapioca flour.
Rob says
Hi Bebs
Thank you for replying.
I will try another brand of tapioca starch and make sure the water is boiling. I transferred the boiling water to a bowl so it may have cooled too much.
Rob
Bebs says
That could also be a reason, Rob. The boiling water will cook some of the tapioca flour at contact and will form a sticky paste.
Patricia says
Amazing! My son and I made it together and it turned out so good! We cooked it for about 8mins and it was soft and chewy🙂
Bebs says
Really happy to hear that Patricia! Stay safe..
AL says
thanks for your simple recipe...works~
Bebs says
Thanks so much, Al!
Tessie Barwicke says
Do you have a new e- cookbook printable,
all the recipes you been cooking in Facebook
Bebs says
Will make and release the next soon.
Bee says
so far I've completely failed my first attempt at these (I see what you mean about the dough being powdery and watery!) but I was just wondering for my next attempt, how much black dye should I use? Thank you very much!
Bebs says
Hi Bee, it really depends on how dark you like it. But with liquid food color, a few drops is normally enough.
Shaista says
Hi there ,
I wanted to ask if there is a substitute for black food color as I can’t find it anywhere
I was thinking , black tea water like soaking the tea bag for color OR dark brown sugar ?
Suggestions ?
Bebs says
Hi Shaista, I tried soaking them in brown sugar syrup. They turned light brown but not black. You can also try adding brown suagr to the boiling water you will add to the tapioca flour.
Patrick says
Hi.... simple recipe but this is not boba pearls. For boba pearls you need to add the tapioca flour to boiled thick black sugar and knead it.
Bebs says
Hi Patrick, the boba pearls we had in Taipei was not sweet at all. The process may not be the same but the result is.
ayla says
This ratio and technique worked out great! As some others online suggested, I rinsed the pearls after cooking, before soaking them in syrup. Thanks for the guidance!
Brianna says
Wow this work so good recommend this so much
Bebs says
Thank you Brianna.😘
Mariana says
Oi sou do Brasil essa receita e maravilhosa, gostei muito nunca tinha provado boba e sempre tive muita curiosidade.
Lim says
Hi! Thanks for the recipe !! Do you know how and how long we can keep these homemade boba ? Can I store them in a vacuum bag and freeze them?
Bebs says
Hi Lim, I am not sure if freezing them uncooked would be a great idea, but I might be wrong, you can try. What I do is just let them dry out in the counter then place them in a jar. Just like store-bought dried tapioca pearls.
Fabrizio says
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I really appreciate it. It's much more easier and fun to do it on our own without depending on someone or something. I will do it also for my daily teas. Salamat and Ingat ka!
Bebs says
Great to hear that, Fabrizio...you ae so welcome and ingat din...
Maya Lorenzini says
I was wondering how Manet cups of pearls does this recipe make?
Claudia says
Hi! I followed the steps but my pearls tasted a little hard-chewy as opposed to the usual soft-chewy type. It’s definitely cooked but the texture is hard than usual. Is there something I’m doing wrong?
Normally I drink bubble tea from the stores in Singapore or buy those ready-made pearls to cook so this is my first time making it from scratch :”)
Bebs says
Hi Claudia, the longer they cook the softer they become. Try also soaking them in water or syrup for some hours and they will expand and become softer.
Charissa says
I just tried this recipe and it's amazing! It's just like store bought boba and I love that it's only one serving for me and I have no need to find a way to store it. Thank you!!
Bebs says
Great to hear that you like our tutorial Charissa.