Black Sesame Bubble Tea (Black Sesame Boba Milk Tea)

4.50 from 2 votes

A nutty black sesame bubble tea sweetened with dark brown sugar and topped with creamy milk.

Prep Time3

Cook Time10

Total Time13

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese

Servings: serving (16 ounces)

Author: Jee Choe

Boil 2 cups 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.
(Follow directions on your tapioca ball packaging if you're using a different brand than the one I’m using.)

Mix black sesame paste, hot water, and sugar.
In a cup, add ¼ cup hot water and brown sugar to the black sesame paste. Use a handheld milk frother to whisk at low speed to combine.

Put strained, warm tapioca balls into a cup.  Add ice, sweetened black sesame, then top with milk.
Serve immediately and stir before drinking. Use an extra wide straw to drink.

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.
Tapioca balls start to harden as they cool. About 4 hours after cooking them they’ll be too hard to eat, so prepare them right before you make the drink.
Any kind of milk can be used to make this drink, including plant-based milks like oat milk or almond milk.
A milk frother is used to whisk, then blend the black sesame paste with hot water and sugar. Because the paste is fairly dense, this technique works best to create a smooth mixture that doesn’t come out chunky.
You can easily increase this recipe to make multiple drinks, but make sure not to cook more boba than needed—the tapioca balls should be enjoyed as soon as possible since they won’t .
My secret to the best bubble tea is to serve the boba while they’re still warm, but not hot. Let the tapioca balls cool slightly then make the drink.