Lavender Bubble Tea
Updated Feb 28, 2025
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A floral drink with black tea and boba, lavender bubble tea is a refreshing beverage that’s easy to make at home.
Lavender Bubble Tea
Lavender bubble tea is an iced milk tea with boba (tapioca balls). Food-safe dried lavender flavors the drink. The tapioca balls at the bottom of the glass make this drink a bubble tea.
The drink tastes like a sweet, creamy black tea with floral notes from the lavender.
Note from Jee
Whenever I use lavender in drinks, I ALWAYS measure it since a little goes a long way. The lavender buds are so tiny it’s easy to add more than I really need.
And let me tell you, adding more than what’s in the recipe is going to make the drink taste like potpourri. Don’t ask me how I know.
Even if 1 teaspoon in the recipe seems like it’s not enough, it’s enough.
Recipe Summary
- This lavender bubble tea is made with black tea, dried lavender, milk, sugar, tapioca balls, and ice.
- It’s a caffeinated tea since it’s made with black tea.
- Store-bought tapioca balls is key to making bubble tea at home. They’re packaged dry, but soften to chewy pearls in a few minutes when cooked in boiling water.
RELATED: 10+ Easy Bubble Tea Recipes
Ingredient Notes
- Black tea: Any unflavored black tea can be used and this drink was made with English breakfast tea, which is a blend of black teas. Don’t use Earl Grey, which is a black tea flavored with citrus.
- Dried lavender: Only use food-grade dried lavender.
- Tapioca balls: Store-bought dried tapioca balls is the way to go with making bubble tea at home in minutes.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar adds a sweetness that doesn’t overpower the lavender.
- Milk: Whole milk makes a creamier drink, but you can also use plant-based options like oat milk or almond milk.
- Water: I always use filtered water for a better tasting bubble tea.
- Ice: I also make ice from filtered water.
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 dried lavender and tea bag in hot water.
Strain out lavender and tea bag, stir in sugar, and let cool.
Step 2: Cook tapioca balls. Follow directions on package but all that’s involved is boiling tapioca balls in water for a few minutes.
Step 3: Put warm tapioca balls into a cup.
Step 4: Add ice.
Step 5: Pour in lavender tea.
Step 6: Top with milk. Serve immediately. Stir before drinking and use an extra wide straw so you can sip the tea and get a few tapioca balls each time.
Recipe Notes
Use tea bags instead of loose tea.
Since this drink contains sugar and milk, you don’t need to use more expensive loose tea and tea sachets. The subtle differences you find with high quality tea will be lost in the drink.
Boba should not be made ahead of time.
Cook the tapioca balls right before you make the drink as boba quickly starts to harden as they cool.
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 or they’ll burn your mouth.
Expert Tips
- The dried lavender and black tea can be steeped and made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Hold off on adding the sugar and milk until you’re ready to make the bubble tea.
- Top this bubble tea with lavender cold foam for an extra decadent drink.
- Make sure to chew the tapioca balls instead of swallowing them whole.
RELATED: Purple Sweet Potato Bubble Tea
Related
- Lavender Lemonade
- Hojicha Bubble Tea
- Butterfly Pea Flower Bubble Tea
- Black Sesame Bubble Tea
- Jasmine Bubble Tea
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Lavender Bubble Tea
Ingredients
Iced Lavender Milk Tea
- 1 tea bag black tea
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender
- ¾ cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ cup ice
- ⅓ cup milk
Tapioca Balls
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup tapioca balls
Instructions
- Steep dried lavender buds and tea bag in hot water for 5 minutes. Set the temperature to 195°F if you're using an electric kettle with a temperature setting.
- Strain the lavender and discard tea bag. Stir in sugar.Stir until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.
- Cook tapioca balls. Boil ¾ cup of water in a saucepan and add tapioca balls.Boil water in a saucepan on the stovetop then add tapioca balls. Cook on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Tapioca balls should be soft all the way through. Turn off heat and cool slightly, until tapioca balls are quite warm, but aren't too hot to eat. (Follow directions on your tapioca ball packaging if you're using a different brand than the one I’m using.)
- Drain tapioca balls.
- Assemble the drink. Put warm tapioca balls into a cup. Add ice, cooled down tea, and milk.Serve immediately and stir before drinking. Use an extra wide straw to drink. It allows you to sip the tea and get a few tapioca balls each time. Make sure to chew the tapioca balls instead of swallowing them whole.
Notes
- Any unflavored black tea can be used. I used English breakfast tea. Avoid using Earl Grey which is a black tea flavored with citrus.
- Whole milk makes a creamier drink, but you can also use plant-based options like oat milk or almond milk.
- Use tea bags instead of loose tea. Since this drink contains sugar and milk, you don’t need to use more expensive loose tea and tea sachets. The subtle differences you find with high quality tea will be lost in the drink.
- Cook the tapioca balls right before you make the drink as boba quickly starts to harden as they cool.
- For the ideal boba texture, serve tapioca balls when they’re very warm. Just make sure they’re not too hot or they’ll burn your mouth!
- The dried lavender and black tea can be steeped and made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Hold off on adding the sugar and milk until you’re ready to make the bubble tea.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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