Change up your drink routine with a hojicha bubble tea that gets its sweet, nutty flavor from Japanese roasted green tea.
What Is Hojicha Bubble Tea?
Hojicha bubble tea is a delicious iced drink made with hojicha, brown sugar, milk, ice, and boba, also called tapioca balls.
Hojicha is a roasted green tea from Japan and the drink is toasty and nutty in flavor (and not at all bitter).
Because hojicha is a roasted tea, it contains less caffeine than regular green tea and it has a reddish-brown color.
This drink is a bubble tea because it has tapioca balls. Without boba, it’d simply be an iced hojicha tea latte or iced hojicha milk tea.
RELATED: 10+ Easy Bubble Tea Recipes
Recipe Highlights
- It only takes a few ingredients to make hojicha bubble tea at home, including hojicha tea, brown sugar, milk, and boba.
- The roasting process imparts a distinctly nutty and lightly sweet flavor to hojicha that makes it stand out from other green teas.
- When cooked in boiling water, store-bought tapioca balls soften to chewy, bouncy pearls in a few minutes.
RELATED: Earl Grey Bubble Tea
Ingredient Notes
- Hojicha tea
Use hojicha loose tea, tea sachets, or tea bags. There’s no need to use the highest quality or the most expensive hojicha to make bubble tea since it’s mixed with milk and sugar. - Tapioca balls
Store-bought boba is bouncy and chewy in minutes when cooked in boiling water. It’s an easy way to make bubble tea at home. - Brown sugar
The rich molasses flavor of brown sugar pairs nicely with roasted flavors of hojicha. You can also use white sugar if that’s what you have. - Milk
Any milk can be used for this recipe, including plant-based options, but whole milk makes a creamier drink. - Water
Use filtered water for a better tasting bubble tea. - Ice
Make ice from filtered water if possible.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
For full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to see the recipe.
- Steep tea in hot water.
Strain out tea, stir in brown sugar, and let cool. - Cook tapioca balls in brown sugar and water.
Boil brown sugar in water, then add tapioca balls.
- Put tapioca balls and brown sugar syrup into a cup.
- Add ice.
- Pour in tea.
- Top with milk.
Serve immediately. Stir before drinking and use an extra wide straw.
RELATED: Hojicha Latte
Recipe Notes
Warm tapioca balls will be soft and perfectly chewy.
For the ideal boba texture, serve tapioca balls when they’re very warm. Just make sure they’re not too hot, since they can burn your mouth.
Make boba right before you prepare the drink.
Tapioca balls shouldn’t be made ahead since they start to harden as they cool.
Cook tapioca balls in a brown sugar and water.
The boba in this recipe is prepared in a brown sugar syrup that sweetens the tapioca balls and the drink.
Expert Tips
- Hojicha tea can be steeped and made ahead of time. It can be stored (without sugar or milk added) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Allow boba to cool slightly after cooking, but serve while they’re still warm for the best bubble tea.
- Use a wide straw to drink boba so you can get a few tapioca balls and tea with each sip.
RELATED: Matcha Bubble Tea
Questions You May Have
Hojicha has a smoky and sweet flavor, while milk adds a creamy texture to hojicha milk tea.
Yes, since hojicha comes from the tea plant, it does contain caffeine. However, it loses some of its caffeine content during roasting, so there’s a lower amount than regular green teas.
Starbucks does not offer hojicha in the U.S., but does have it available in some Asian countries.
Related
- Lavender Bubble Tea
- Oolong Bubble Tea
- Black Sesame Bubble Tea
- Jasmine Bubble Tea
- Thai Bubble Tea
- Hong Kong Bubble Tea
- Bubble Tea with Cold Foam
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Hojicha Bubble Tea (Hojicha Boba Milk Tea)
INGREDIENTS
Iced Hojicha Milk Tea
- ¾ cup water
- 3 tablespoons hojicha tea
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¾ cup ice
- ⅓ cup milk (any kind)
Tapioca Balls
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup tapioca balls
INSTRUCTIONS
- MAKE TEA
- Steep hojicha tea in ¾ cup of hot water for 3 minutes. Boil water on the stovetop or use electric kettle with a temperature setting. Set water temperature to 195°F. For best results, make tea ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator. Use filtered water if possible.
- Strain the tea and stir in brown sugar.Set aside to cool.
COOK TAPIOCA BALLS
- Boil ¾ cup of water and brown sugar in a saucepan. Add tapioca balls.Combine water and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once you see big bubbles (2-4 minutes), add tapioca balls. Keep boiling for 8 more minutes on medium-high heat. Turn off heat and cool slightly, until tapioca balls are quite warm, but aren't too hot to eat.
ASSEMBLE DRINK
- Put warm tapioca balls and brown sugar syrup into a cup. Add ice, cooled down hojicha tea, and milk.Serve immediately and stir before drinking. Use an extra wide straw to drink.
NOTES
- Hojicha tea can be steeped and made ahead of time. It can be stored (without sugar or milk added) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Allow boba to cool slightly after cooking, but serve while they’re still warm for the best bubble tea.
- Use a wide straw to drink boba so you can get a few tapioca balls and tea with each sip.
- For the ideal boba texture, serve tapioca balls when they’re very warm. Just make sure they’re not too hot, since they can burn your mouth.
- Store-bought boba is bouncy and chewy in minutes when cooked in boiling water. Tapioca balls shouldn’t be made ahead since they start to harden as they cool.
- The boba in this recipe is prepared in a brown sugar syrup that makes the drink extra delicious. The brown sugar sweetens the drink and the boba.
- You can use any milk for this recipe, including plant-based options, but whole milk makes a creamier drink.