Instant Pot Boba Pearls Recipe + Bubble Milk Tea

July 23, 2020Van

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2 minutes

Serves: 4

Simple way to cook Boba Pearls using the the Instant Pot to get them perfectly soft and chewy – I’ve also included an easy recipe for Classic Bubble Milk Tea. Check out my recipes for Matcha Bubble Tea here & Strawberry Milk Boba here (caffeine free)

You can find vacuum sealed bags of uncooked tapioca boba pearls at almost any Asian market. If you can’t find them locally, you can purchase them on Amazon here. Don’t forget the boba straws as well
Instant Pot Boba Pearls Recipe + Bubble Milk Tea

Boba Pearls are best when consumed within 2 hours – after that they start to harden – make just enough servings to use right away. Place the uncooked boba pearls in a sealed container, freeze & use by the expiration date on the package.

Instant Pot Boba Pearls Recipe + Bubble Milk Tea

Be sure to click on the accessories list below to get the most out of your Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Boba Pearls Recipe + Bubble Milk Tea

July 23, 2020 Van

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2 minutes

Serves: 4

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Ingredients

1½ Cups Boba Pearls
5¼ Cups Filtered Water, (divided)
½ Cup Brown Sugar

Classic Boba Milk Tea / Bubble Milk Tea

8 Black Tea Bags
4 Cups Boiling Hot Water
1 Cup Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

Method

1)
Pour 5 Cups of Filtered Water into the Instant Pot. Choose Sauté on High, once the water starts to boil. Add 1½ Cup Boba Pearls and give it a quick stir. Seal the Instant Pot lid and hit cancel to turn off Sauté mode. Choose High Pressure for 2 Minutes and when the timer is up, wait 5 Minutes before switching the knob to venting. Once the pin has dropped open the lid. Pour the boba pearls into a strainer and rinse off quickly with cold water.
2)
While the boba pearls are cooking, put ½ Cup Brown Sugar and ¼ Cup Filtered Water into a small sauce pan, heat on low until the sugar is dissolved and pour the syrup into a large bowl. After rinsing off the cooked boba pearls, place the boba into the syrup and stir well. Let the boba sit in the syrup for 10 minutes before using. It’s best to use the boba within 2 hours.
3)
Here’s an easy recipe for Classic Boba Milk Tea / Bubble Milk Tea (makes 4 servings). Steep 8 Black Tea Bags in 4 Cups of Boiling Hot Water for 10 Minutes. Remove the tea bags, stir in 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar and let the tea cool to room temp. You can use more or less sugar depending on your preference, when you add the boba, it will also sweetened the drink a little more. Add 1 Cup Whole Milk and stir well. Scoop the boba pearls into 4 drinking glasses, add ice and pour in the Milk Tea. Enjoy!

↓ Supplies to make this recipe ↓

4 Comments

Esther

January 2, 2021 at 3:56 pm

Cool! I didn’t know you could make boba in the instant pot. Have you ever tried making them from frozen? I noticed those packages of boba don’t last very long after opening.

Also which method do you prefer, the traditional method or instant pot?

Reply
1. Van
  
  January 2, 2021 at 5:58 pm
  
  Hi Esther, you could make them from frozen, I do it all the time. Just make sure the water is at a rolling boil before you add the boba and stir them well before sealing the lid. I do prefer the Instant Pot method, it seems to get the boba pears softer.
  
  Reply
Marni

April 19, 2021 at 3:47 pm

I used YI FENG Dry Starch Balls. The directions are missing from the bag and unfortunately, I don’t read Mandarin or Chinese so I have been “Googling”. I have been struggling trying to find a cooking method to get a fully cooked BOBA. This is my third method googled. I had hoped I had found the secret to getting the proper cook on the tapioca using the instant pot, cook 2 minute, depressurize for 5 min. Sadly no. Strange as it is… when I do a taste test, they seem fine, but after soaking in the sugar syrup for 10 min, and placing in cold tea beverage, I still end up with a dry hard centre. Any suggestions? I assume perhaps cooking longer, but not sure how much longer using the pressure cooker method.

Reply
1. Van
  
  April 20, 2021 at 3:04 pm
  
  Hi Marni, the boba I use has a stovetop cooking time of 20 mins, sounds like the ones you have need a longer cooking time. I would try 10 minutes high pressure.
  
  Reply