Butterfly Boba Tea

Want to learn how to make butterfly boba tea? Look no further! I have to confess that, until recently, boba tea was my only weakness when it came to junk food. 

Normally, I avoid eating food coloring, artificial flavors, and chemical preservatives at all costs! I also avoid buying things in single-serving, disposable cups. 

But, boba tea is so magical, it would make me say, “fuck it.” However, that “fuck it” mentality didn’t last long before I decided to make my own organic boba tea.

Food coloring doesn’t have to be artificial and harmful! Nature offers plenty of exciting and consumable colors!

In the future, I’ll be posting more organic boba tea recipes, so be sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss out! For now, please enjoy organic butterfly boba tea.

Butterfly Boba Tea

This butterfly boba tea recipe is a “from scratch” recipe that takes about 1 to 2 hours to make. Enlist the help of your kids, spouse, or friends to make the process quicker! Or find a good movie to watch while you’re making the boba pearls!

This recipe makes 2 servings.

Butterfly Boba Tea Ingredients

To make the best and healthiest butterfly boba tea, you need to use quality ingredients!

Most other blogs I’ve seen take shortcuts by buying pre-made boba pearls. I wouldn’t have a problem with that except… I found no organic pre-made boba pearls without food coloring and artificial preservatives! 

Seen & Green is committed to providing you with the healthiest options on the planet! That’s why this recipe shows you how to make boba pearls with organic tapioca flour!

Use organic or non-GMO ingredients whenever possible.

Boba Pearls Ingredients

  • 6 tbs tapioca flour (approximately)
  • 3 tbs boiled water (approximate amount needed to mix with flour to form the pearls)
  • 2 cups of boiled water (to boil the pearls)
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • 1 tbs agave nectar (You can use a blend of sugar and agave as seen here. Or you can use one or the other. Just make sure to use at least 2 tbs of sweetener total.)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Butterfly Tea Ingredients

  • 10 dried butterfly pea tea flowers. Find them on Amazon. (Not an affiliate link.)
  • 6 tbs condensed, sweetened, coconut cream
  • You will also need a mesh tea ball strainer. (This is an affiliate link. If you purchase through the link I will earn a small comission at no extra cost to you or the seller. My commissions come directly from Etsy.)

How to Make Boba Pearls from Scratch

  1. Boil 3 tbs of water.
  2. Mix the boiling water with the tapioca flour and knead it until it becomes smooth. If it’s too sticky, mix in more tapioca flour, one tbs at a time. If it’s too dry and crumbly, boil more water to add, one tbs at a time.
  3. Roll the tapioca flour into smooth ropes and cut them into 6 sections as seen in the picture below.
  4. Dice the ropes into small segments, about 1/4 of an inch in length or less.
  5. Roll each segment into smooth balls. This is the time-consuming part, but it’s worth it to avoid the harmful artificial preservatives found in pre-made pearls.
  6. When your pearls are ready, pour 2 cups of water into a pot and set it on high to boil.
  7. While the water is heating, add the sugar, agave, and vanilla. Stir to mix well.
  8. Once the water is boiling, add the tapioca pearls. Boil them for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Boil time is based on how chewy and soft you want your pearls to be!
  9. Once the pearls are finished cooking turn off the heat and set them aside to rest in the liquid.
  10. I don’t recommend saving the pearls. I tried storing mine in agave nectar in the refrigerator one time and they went stale within 24 hours. For best results, eat the pearls fresh!
How To Make Boba Pearls From Scratch
Roll the dough into 6 ropes as seen here.
How To Make Boba Pearls From Scratch
Cut the ropes into segments about 1/4 inch long, or less.
How To Make Boba Pearls From Scratch
Roll the dough into pearls.
Butterfly Boba Tea
Boil the pearls for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the pan.

How to Make the Butterfly Tea

  1. Place the dried butterfly pea flowers in a mesh tea ball strainer. (Affiliate link)
  2. Boil 4 cups of water. 
  3. Once the water has reached a low boiling point, remove it from the heat and dip the tea strainer in the water. Let the flowers steep while occasionally re-dipping the strainer. After 4 minutes, remove the strainer. Your tea will be a beautiful blue color!
  4. Add the condensed, sweetened, coconut cream and stir it well until all of the clumps have dissolved.

Assemble the Ingredients to Make Butterfly Boba Tea

  1. Drain the tapioca pearls. (You won’t need the liquid for this recipe, but I like to save the sweetened liquid for my coffee!)
  2. Pour equal amounts of tapioca pearls into each glass. 
  3. Cover the pearls with ice (Optional.)
  4. Pour the sweetened tea in.
  5. Enjoy! (My pearls are pretty big so I eat them with a spoon, but I have also saved my old straws from back when I used to buy boba tea.)
  6. I don’t recommend saving the pearls. I tried storing mine in agave nectar in the refrigerator one time and they went stale within 24 hours. For best results, eat the pearls fresh!
Food Coloring Toxicity

Thanks for Reading!

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