Skip the store-bought boba and long boiling times—try my homemade tapioca pearls! They take just 5 minutes to cook and can be easily customized with any flavor you like.
What’s Inside
What are Boba Pearls?
Tapioca comes from the cassava root, a vegetable loved in South America and Southeast Asia.
Asians have a soft spot for “QQ” chewy textures, which is why tapioca starch and glutinous rice flour show up in so many treats—think pandan honeycomb cake, Vietnamese cassava cake, and, of course, boba pearls.
There are two popular types of tapioca pearls in Asian desserts.
- Boba pearls—the ones in Taiwanese-style bubble tea—are small, round, and about 0.2–0.4 inches (5–10 mm).
- Sago pearls are tinier, around 0.08 inch (2 mm), and usually pop up in dessert soups like mango sago.
Both bring that signature “QQ” chew—soft, bouncy, and just plain fun to eat.
What is “QQ” texture in Asian cuisine?
“QQ” (pronounced cue-cue) is a Taiwanese term that describes that perfect chewy, bouncy texture—soft yet springy, with a little resistance when you bite into it.
Think of it as the “al dente” of Asian cooking. You’ll find this addictive chew in many foods like boba pearls, grass jelly, mochi, fish balls, rice noodles…—the kind of texture that makes every bite just a bit more satisfying.
Why my recipe is different
Regular boba usually takes at least 40 minutes to cook, and even then, the chewy texture can be tricky because tapioca starch hardens quickly as it cools. My method? Just 5 minutes.
You can make a big batch, divide it into portions, and freeze them. Whenever you’re craving boba, just drop the frozen pearls into boiling water for a quick 5-minute cook.
I use a gelatinization method, similar to Tangzhong or Yudane in bread making. The idea is simple: cook the tapioca starch with water first to pre-cook the dough, so the pearls only need a few minutes to finish later.
The dough can be sticky and heavy to stir, so making a very large batch can be a bit tricky.
And these pearls won’t be perfectly round like store-bought boba—the gelatinized starch is just too soft to shape.
Ingredients
- Tapioca starch – the beloved ingredient found in so many Asian treats
- Cacao powder – for that classic deep boba color
- Granulated sugar or brown sugar – brown sugar adds a lovely golden hue
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients: In a small nonstick saucepan, combine tapioca starch, water, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk well and strain to remove any lumps—this ensures a smooth dough later.
- Gelatinize the dough: Heat the mixture over medium-low, stirring constantly until it thickens into a sticky, stretchy dough. This is the gelatinization step—think mochi texture.
- Cool and knead: Transfer the hot dough onto a surface dusted generously with tapioca starch. Once it’s cool enough to handle, knead until smooth and no longer overly sticky.
- Roll and cut: Roll the dough flat with a rolling pin. Cut into strips according to your desired boba size, then slice into small, rustic chunks. Dust with tapioca starch if pieces start sticking.
- Prevent sticking: Toss all pearls in dry tapioca starch and shake off the excess using a sieve. This keeps them from clumping together.
- Cook or store: Cook the pearls right away, or divide into portions and freeze for later. Ready to enjoy whenever you want chewy boba!
- Cook the pearls: Bring a pot of water to a full, rolling boil and add the pearls. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Drain the boba and toss them with a spoonful of sugar or honey while still warm to keep them soft and flavorful.
Mix the ingredients
Gelatinize the dough
Cut into strips
Toss boba in tapioca starch
How to customize the flavor of your boba
- Switch up the liquid: Use fruit juice like passion fruit or mango for a fruity twist, or brew jasmine or oolong tea for a subtle tea flavor. For golden boba pearls, mix a bit of caramelized sugar syrup into the water.
- Play with the powder: Swap the cocoa powder for matcha to make matcha boba, or leave it out completely for classic white tapioca pearls.
Enjoy your boba pearls with:
More delicious Asian drinks to fall in love with
How To Make Boba Pearls / Tapioca Pearls (5-minute Boiled)
Ingredients
- 100 g tapioca starch ¾ cup
- 30 g brown sugar (or granulated sugar) 2 tbsps
- 20 g cacao powder ⅕ cup
- 1 pinch salt
- 180 g water ¾ cup
- 1 tbsp sugar or honey to mix with the boba after cooking
Instructions
- In a small nonstick saucepan, combine tapioca starch, water, sugar, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth, then strain to remove any lumps.
- Set the pan over medium-low heat and stir continuously until the mixture thickens into a sticky, mochi-like dough.
- Transfer the hot dough onto a surface well-dusted with tapioca starch. Once it’s cool enough to handle, knead until smooth and pliable. When the dough feels elastic and no longer sticky, roll it out flat with a rolling pin.
- Cut the dough into thin strips, then slice into small pieces—roughly the size you want your boba to be. If they start sticking together, dust them with a little more tapioca starch and toss to separate.
- Use a sieve to shake off any excess starch. You can cook the pearls right away or portion and freeze them for later.
- To cook, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the boba and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain well, then toss the warm pearls with a spoonful of sugar or honey to keep them soft and slightly sweet.
