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.
Emilly says
Very easy to do. Thanks
Bebs says
Great to hear it was a success, Emily.
christine says
5 stars! This worked exactly as described and such a great presentation in recipe form and pictures! So happy! Thank you! Can it be refrigerated in the water/syrup for a few days?
Bebs says
Glad to heat it, Christine. If only for a few days, it should be fine at room temperature. Just make sure to cover or seal the container.
Emily says
Hi Bebs! Do you have a bubble tea recipe that I could pair this with? If you do could you send link?
Bebs says
Here it is, Emily, https://www.foxyfolksy.com/how-to-make-bubble-tea/
Steph says
Hi! Thank you for this recipe it’s awesome. I was wondering if I don’t want it to be so chewy, do I cook it for a shorter time?
Bebs says
They become softer if cooked a little longer. Also, they become hard or chewy when they get too cold, so if you are making the drink, add ice last.
Evangeline Coronia says
I have learned to make tapioca pearls easily through watching your video. Thank you so much.
Bebs says
That is awesome! Glad you find it helpful.
Chloe says
How long can you store the tapioca pearls?
Varsha!! says
Hey Bebs!!! I know I am gonna make it I made this around 2020 I think and lost my page now I found it!! Thank you for sharing this recipe and where can I get tapioca flour in the Bronx? can I use red or pink for my pearls?? Thank you!!!
Bebs says
Hi Varsha, you can use any color you like. As for where to get tapioca starch in your area, I am afraid I cannot help you with that. Maybe try Asian food store.
Katrina says
My daughter and her friend made this recipe with blue and pink coloring and it worked out great!! A much more interactive and cost effective way to have Bubble tea!!
Bebs says
That is true, Katrina. I am glad it worked well for them and I am sure they had fun doing it too...I usually do!😊
Fil says
Hi Bebs its great recipe you had shared to us aside to tapioca you are a great discoverer to formulate tapioca. Thanks a lot to tapioca ingredients which I love most. I give you 5 stars
Bebs says
I am happy that you find this post helpful, Fil!
Rebecca says
I got oobleck when i added the water to the tapioca flour. And then i tried to add more flour to the mixture and got more oobleck. So for me the recipe wasn’t good, sorry.
Mark says
You added cornstarch, not tapioca flour/starch
Hannah Lee says
Hello! Awesome recipe! Made it this morning before work and it took less than 25 mins, soaking in syrup included! If I want to make the night before, to immediately make them in the morning, would it be best to let them sit on a baking sheet (or bowl?) on my counter (or fridge?), uncovered or covered? And any tips on how to store/cooking them in the morning?
Thank you so much!!
Bebs says
Glad it went well for you, Hanna. You can make it the night before and just cover the tapioca pearls in syrup and leave it in your kitchen counter to use the next day.
Andi says
Hi Bebs, Can I make this an add falvouring, like for Gin and alcoholic beverages? If I can, do you have any suggestions for how to do that?
Mike says
Is the taste different when using Tapioca vs Sago? Not sure if I should try with Tapioca first, or go ahead and order Sago Beads from amazon?
Also, can you store these after making? And, how long would they be good?
Bebs says
Hi Mike there is not much difference between the two. If you will buy the beads already then no need to do this and just cook that as per package instructions.
Dr Shilpa Swar says
Thank you so much ! I was looking for it for quiet a long time . Me & my son both like pearls . In Singapore we easily get it. But in India hard to find.
I will try the recipe.
Bebs says
Hope it works for you.
Md Fathi Rahman says
And It's not available in my country Bangladesh!
Amirah Howard says
Thank you soooo much Miss Bebs. Right now my dream is to become a professional baker and I really wanted to learn how to make some boba tea but my mom and dad didn't have any Tapioca Pearls so I searched how to make homemade tapioca pearl and that's how I ended up here. Again, thank you so much! It is also about to be my older sister's birthday and she's turning 14 so I wanted to make her some boba tea that we love. And if someone asked me to rate this websites and recipe from 0-5, I will say. "1000000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Bebs says
Aaawww! You are simply awesome, Amirah!
Dawn says
Why my pearls too chewy. Dont have pearl texture 😭 should i reduce the duration when cooking? Once cooked, how long can we keep?
Anthae says
This looks amazing, can I sweeten this recipe? I know there is a brown sugar option but I really like this method
Bebs says
You can cook in brown sugar syrup to sweeten.
Marina says
Can I use something else instead of tapioca flour?
Bebs says
Sago starch will work too but may be more difficult to find.
sarah says
what can you do use if you don't have tapioca flour?
thank you
Bebs says
sago starch, maybe.
Ryn says
have to make adjustments to recipie to make it work, otherwise it's too gooey or too dry and crumbly. when done it tastes like hot water :/ Has a good boba texture though
Patrycja says
what are the adjustments?
Deanna Johnson says
This was a really nice recipe. It was so, so easy to make and easy to understand. I have never had tapioca pearls, so this was a nice easy introduction. Next time, I'll cook them a little longer. I'll also add sugar or flavoring to the pearls because they taste like nothing. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Bebs says
You are welcome, Deanna.
Kayla Leung says
Amazing! Thank you for the great recipe. I gave it a shot and it was way better than I expected!
Bebs says
That is great, Kayla! Thank you for the 5 stars.😘
Bridger says
Can I substitute the food coloring with fruit juice to make them more flavorful?
I like food says
Can u use startch instead of tapioca flour.
Bebs says
Cassava starch, yes, because that is the same as tapioca flour. Other starch, maybe, no.
Bryan says
What color will these be if I leave out the food coloring?
Bebs says
It will be opaque white.
Bob says
This is the best ever you should try!
Bebs says
Thanks, Bob!
Just a person with a question says
Hi, so i've seen other recipes that have you put the starch with water and sugar on a saucepan, then roll the mixture into a dough then do the other steps. And its always an extra mess to clean up. Would you say that your method of mixing of dough and the flour together is better then putting the water brown sugar and tapioca starch together on the stove?
Bebs says
I also have that version in our brown sugar milk tea post. Yes I find this way easier and less of a mess to clean but the other one gives you sweeter pearls.
Shay says
Does the food coloring do anything for flavor or is it just aesthetic?
Bebs says
The second.
Selena says
Can I leave out the food coloring in the recipe?
Bebs says
Sure you can, Selena.
Shantyl says
Everytime i try to make this it turn into that obleck stuff (the solid liquid) IT WONT TURN TO DOUGH HELP
Bebs says
I have another recipe where I cook it instead, Brown Sugar Milk Tea. The usual culprit as others mentioned here is the brand of tapioca flour you are using though.
Sarah says
I used Bob's Red Mill Tapioca flour. If you add some xantham gum (1 tsp) to the tapioca flour, then add the water and food coloring, dough will form.
Julia says
try putting some flour and mess with the amount that is what I did.
Bebs says
Julia is correct, you have to adjust the amount of tapioca flour because they have different absorption levels.
Krithicka Narayan says
Mine turned out like oplex when I was mixing it was solid then turns to a liquid in the process. Very frustrating !
Tried twice now, any reasons why it’s failing ?
Bebs says
From what I gathered from our readers, it has to do with the tapioca starch they are using. Make sure that the water is boiling hot too.
Carmel says
Hi. My kids and I tried making this. We skipped the black food coloring since we don’t have any. Somehow we couldn’t make the mixture smooth enough to roll. It’s crumbly after kneading for so long.
Any ideas where we made a mistake and how to remedy it? Thank you!!!
Bebs says
When you knead it too long then it will start too dry out, thus, it becomes crumbly. You just knead until it comes together and becomes a smooth dough. Try to add a bit more boiling water, as some batch of starch tends to absorb more than others.
Chloe says
I tried this recipe, and followed it carefully, but it still didn't work. It was crumbly and wouldn't come together after kneading it for about an hour. I probably did something wrong though, maybe because I used icing coloring. Will the kind of food coloring I use affect the dough? Please tell me if this was my mistake!!
Bebs says
The coloring might not be the culprit but the tapioca flour used maybe is. I got some people here saying the same thing as you and some who made it successfully without a problem. If it is still crumbly, it means it needs more boiling water. And it has to be boiling hot.
Ash says
my attempt ended up just going into a dusty texture and then i added a bit more water and it became an oobleck texture and wouldnt stay together
film izle says
“Say, you got a nice blog article.Much thanks again. Awesome.” Lee Simcheck
Jana says
What should I do if it starts crumbling? I used starch.
Lisa H. says
Hi!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I am really excited to try it out! 🙂
I just have some questions:
Since I don't have tapioca flour:
- I have read that normal flour is not going to work out, so this one is out
- can I use normal corn starch?
- or is there anything else I can use instead of tapioca flour? (I live in a more rural area in Germany so there is no possibility for me to buy it real quick :/)
- will it probably taste different then?
- Or can I add some kind of extra aroma (like vanilla extract or sth like that)?
I would be very happy if you could help me :)❤️
Thank you and greetings,
Lisa🥰
Bebs says
Hi Lisa, it has to be tapioca flour or the other name is cassava starch. Try looking in Asienladen. It is not about the taste at all but about the texture. I think sago starch can be used. I also read that potato starch is also an alternative but I have not tried it personally.
Marina O. says
Hello! Let's say I want to have boba tea throughout the course of the week. Can I do everything up to step 3 (rolling the balls) and then store them in the fridge (boiling a couple each day). Thank you !
Miglua says
Can i use any other color of food dye?
Bebs says
Why not..
Gabriela says
Sadly this did not work for me! The dough was crumbly and no matter how long I kneaded, it wouldn't stick together. Not sure what I was doing wrong.
Bebs says
Maybe your tapioca starch absorbs more water so you might need to add more until it reach that sticky dough texture.
cheese man says
THANK YOU I NEEDED THISSS
Susa says
It’s amazing
Holly Stoddart says
Hi - I'm worried that the black food colouring may stain our teeth? Have you noticed this? Also, do you have to cook and use these immediately or can you make a bulk amount and store them? Thank you 🙂
Bebs says
They did not color our teeth at all. You can store them by letting them dry out then cook them as needed. But it usually takes longer to boil then.
Jolie says
Thank you. I think I made them too chewy though... I’ll have to try and fix that next time. Also, for some reason I couldn’t get the right texture to roll the mixture to cut them... so I just broke pieces off and shaped them into balls lol. I wonder why it didn’t work! I didn’t have black food coloring, so I used blue haha
Bebs says
Maybe it needs a bit more boiling water...
Shannon says
What's the best way to store it once made?? And how long can it be stored for ??
Georgia says
Um hi you can store them in an air tight container in the freezer for how ever long you want, but only when the are not cooked then, after that you just boil them when you need them 🙂
Amirah Howard says
*agrees* How long can you store it for?
Bebs says
If you plan to consume it within three days, I would recommend cooking the batch, drain and place it is a ziplock and refrigerate it, it will become opaque in color, but if you dip it in some hot water it will darken again. If you are to store a lot then do not cook it but let it dry out on your counter for a day or two then store that in a cool dry place it can last for months. But like I said, dry boba takes longer to cook.
Jet Sagoco says
My cousin ordered us Milk Tea and we are drinking it as I am writing this review. I was really wondering how Tapioca pearls made of, so I searched in the internet. That's how I came up here. Thank you for this article, and for the recipe , now I know how to make them for future purposes.
Bebs says
These things are good to know, right! 😉
Mia says
Can u plzzz help make boba really want to know how I love boba a lot
Liz says
Hey gathered! I was just wondering if you had any recipes for Thai tea to use the tapioca pearls with? I’m obsessed with the bubble tea but I can’t spend $7 every time I want it haha
Bebs says
We do and it was linked in this post or look for bubble tea or tiger sugar in our search button at the menu.
Becca says
I have tried a few recipes for tapioca pearls and this is the only one that comes out perfect every time .. thank you so much! I used the swerve sugar free brown sugar. SO GOOD!! Nice to have a sugar free boba ice coffee .. ;).
Bebs says
This is great, Becca. Glad it works for you, I do not know why but some are having difficulty making this successfully but I never had the problem. Except when I used a different brand of tapioca starch, but it still worked with a few adjustments in amount of water and cooking time.
Steph K says
It is so easy and fun to make and much better than using the dried one.
Katy says
That was good idea. I really like your recipe. Thank you for sharing! Wish you all the best
Bebs says
Thanks, Katy!
JhazRhyl says
It really an easy recuoe but can I use All Purpose Flour as a replacement for Tapioca flour?😅
Bebs says
Sorry, but no, it is not going to work.
Bolu says
Thanks a lot for this recipe. It worked out perfectly! It is so chewy. I could not find black food coloring, so I melted coconut sugar and it made it brown. I have tried so many store-bought tapioca pearls that have failed me (partially hard and not chewy at all) for years. All this took was 40 minutes max. Never going back. Good bye boba shops unless I am in Taipei again 🙂
Bebs says
That is great to hear,Bolu! And ditto! 😊
Pavani says
Thank you for sharing this recipe, will give it a try. My daughter would be excited to try this out 🙂
Lexi says
This recipe did not work for me in did not turn in the dough like it should on the pictures please tell me what I am doing wrong. Thank you
Bebs says
It could be that the water is not boiling hot. Others are also complaining that the brand of tapioca flour/starch they used is not working like this. I suggest cooking it instead like in our other recipe for brown sugar boba pearls.