Hong Kong Bubble Tea
Updated Apr 10, 2025
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A super caffeinated bubble tea made with black tea, sweetened condensed milk, and perfectly chewy boba. It’s easy to make this rich and creamy drink at home.
Hong Kong Bubble Tea
Hong Kong bubble tea is an iced milk tea made with black tea, tapioca balls, and sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk instead of regular milk. It’s a refreshing drink that’s sweet and creamy.
The boba, or the tapioca balls in the drink makes this beverage a bubble tea. Take out the boba and it’s a Hong Kong-style milk tea. Hong Kong-style milk tea is made very strong so it’s almost as caffeinated as a cup of coffee.
RELATED: 17 Bubble Tea Recipes
Note from Jee
What I like about my homemade bubble tea recipes is that they’re made with real brewed tea instead of powdered tea which results in a better tasting drink.
Hong Kong-style milk tea is usually made on the stovetop, heating the sweetened condensed milk with the tea, but my version is quicker and easier since it’s prepared in a teapot. I always like to include shortcuts whenever possible without sacrificing taste.
Recipe Summary
- A Hong Kong-style milk tea that’s made with strong brewed black tea, store-bought tapioca balls, and sweetened condensed milk.
- Tea bags are used to make strong black tea.
- This recipe cooks store-bought boba (tapioca balls) in a brown sugar syrup so it’s even more delicious.
RELATED: Brown Sugar Bubble Tea
Ingredient Notes
- Black tea: Any black tea will work and I recommend using tea bags since the clean up is easier and you don’t need a high quality tea for this recipe.
- Tapioca balls: Dried, store-bought tapioca balls are an easy way to make bubble tea at home. Just cook them in water and they’ll plump and soften.
- Brown sugar: The caramel notes of brown sugar pairs nicely with bold black teas, but use white granulated sugar if that’s what you have.
- Sweetened condensed milk: A concentrated dairy milk with sugar, it is much creamier and sweeter than milk and sugar on their own. This is what makes the drink Hong Kong-style rather than regular bubble tea.
- Water: Better tasting tea comes from using filtered water when possible.
- Ice: Use filtered water to make ice if you can.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Steep tea in hot water. Discard tea bags. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Cook tapioca balls in brown sugar and water. Boil water and brown sugar together then add tapioca balls.
Step 3: Put tapioca balls and brown sugar syrup into a glass. Add ice.
Step 4: Pour in cooled sweetened tea. Serve immediately. Stir before drinking and use an extra wide straw.
Recipe Notes
Warm tapioca balls means they’ll be soft and perfectly chewy.
My trick to making the best bubble tea is to serve the boba while it’s still quite warm, which gives it the best soft and chewy texture. Just make sure they’re not too hot, since they can burn your mouth.
Use tea bags.
The sweetened condensed milk will overpower any delicate teas so it’s a waste to use high quality loose tea to make this drink. Go with tea bags which will be easier to use and clean up.
Adjust tea bags as needed.
Hong Kong-style milk tea is made strong with more black tea than other milk teas so use 1 less tea bag if you don’t want it to be so caffeinated.
Cook the tapioca balls in brown sugar and water.
This recipe cooks the boba in a brown sugar syrup which will make the drink extra delicious. The brown sugar sweetens the drink and the boba.
Expert Tips
- Since the tea needs to be cooled, you can make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. It’ll keep for up to 4 days. Don’t add the sweetened condensed milk to the tea until you’re ready to make the drink.
- Cook the tapioca balls right before you’re ready to assemble the drink since they’ll start to harden after about 3-4 hours. Tapioca balls can’t be stored or made ahead of time.
- Bubble teas are served with a wide straw, that’s so you can get tapioca balls with each sip of the tea. Tapioca balls are meant to be chewed, not swallowed whole.
Related
- Jasmine Bubble Tea
- Strawberry Matcha Latte Bubble Tea
- Iced Coffee Boba
- Strawberry Bubble Tea
- Matcha Bubble Tea
- Black Sesame Bubble Tea
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Hong Kong Bubble Tea
Ingredients
Hong Kong Milk Tea
- 1 cup water
- 3 black tea bags
- 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup ice
Tapioca Balls
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup tapioca balls
Instructions
- Make tea by steeping tea bags in 1 cup of hot water for 5 minutes. Set the temperature to 195°F if you're using an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Use filtered water if possible.
- Discard tea bags and stir in sweetened condensed milk. Stir the sweetened condensed milk until it dissolves into the tea. 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. Cool slightly, until tapioca balls aren't too hot to eat. They should still be pretty warm.
- Assemble the drink. Put warm tapioca balls in brown sugar syrup into a cup. Add ice, then the cooled down sweetened tea.Serve immediately and stir before drinking. Use an extra wide straw to drink.
Notes
- Tapioca balls have the perfect texture when they are still quite warm, almost hot. Just make sure they’re not too hot, since they can burn your mouth.
- The sweetened condensed milk will overpower any delicate teas so it’s a waste to use high quality loose tea to make this drink. Go with tea bags which will be easier to use and clean up.
- Hong Kong-style milk tea is made strong with more black tea than other milk teas so use 1 less tea bag if you don’t want it to be so caffeinated.
- Since the tea needs to be cooled, you can make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. It’ll keep for up to 4 days. Don’t add the sweetened condensed milk to the tea until you’re ready to make the drink.
- Cook the tapioca balls right before you’re ready to assemble the drink since they’ll start to harden after about 3-4 hours. Tapioca balls can’t be stored or made ahead of time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
