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Writer's pictureEli Chavez

How to Make Boba (From Scratch)!

Updated: Sep 28, 2021

Boba is a lot of fun to make and it only takes 2 ingredients; tapioca flour & water! They're Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo, and 100% delicious!

Yields: ~1/2 cup boba pearls (about 2 servings)

Difficulty: Easy

 

 

Recipe Notes:

Get creative! Your boba can be any shape, size, and color you want it to be. Mini boba, large boba, heart shaped boba, anything!

  • Shapes: For fun shapes, you can try shaping them by hand or you can roll out the boba dough and cut out little shapes with a knife or cookie cutters!


  • Size: When you're choosing a size, be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. The cook time for this recipe is 15 minutes for regular sized boba pearls (approx 1 cm). For smaller ones, decrease the cook time, for larger ones, increase the cook time. Taste test them as they cook if you're not sure what amount of time yours will need. They'll be pretty translucent when they're done.

  • Color: Just add food dye when you add the water! A little goes a long way and you can even divide and dye it many different colors for rainbow boba!


 

Ingredients:

  • 6 tbsps tapioca flour (AKA tapioca starch) + 1-2 tbsps for coating the pearls

  • 3-4 tbsps hot water

  • Food dye (optional, but definitely more fun)

 

Method:

1. In a small bowl, add the hot water 1 tbsp at a time to the tapioca flour and mix until it starts coming together as a dough. Turn it out onto a clean surface and kneed, adjusting with flour or water, until forms a soft and smooth ball. It shouldn't be perfectly round, It'll have a flat bottom. If it cracks or tears anywhere, it needs a touch more water. If its having too much trouble keeping its shape, sprinkle some more flour.

2. Shape them! For pearls, roll the dough into 2 long ropes, cut them into pieces and roll them between the palms of your hands.

3. Put 1-2 tbsps more tapioca flour in a bowl and, as you shape them, coat the pearls in the flour.

4. Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil (~4 cups). Add the boba to it and boil for ~15 minutes (for standard 1 cm sized boba pearls). Watch and occasionally stir them as they cook. If they are looking translucent and ready before the 15 minute mark, run one under cool water and taste test it. If you're not making regular sized and shaped boba, you're gonna wanna keep a closer eye on yours while they cook and taste test them a couple times.

5. Drain and serve in your favorite drinks! These bobas are best enjoyed the day they were made, but you can store them in a container of water in the fridge and reboil them for a minute or two revive them.

 

Feel free to comment below or reach me on Instagram @eats.by.eli if you have any questions, if you have made this recipe, and if so, what you thoughts were! Best wishes!

- Eli

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