Easy Ube Milk Tea

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Need a unique and eye-catching drink idea? This Ube Milk Tea is easy and quick to make and you can make this in the comfort of your own home. In under 15 minutes. Ube Milk Tea provides a unique flavor experience, visual appeal, creamy texture, and the is the perfect drink to experiment with various toppings. Whether you’re an avid tea drinker or simply looking to try something new, Ube Milk Tea is definitely worth trying out. Let’s learn more about this recipe and e how to make this refreshing drink!

I have been craving milk tea lately since it has been super-hot where I am. Thanks to climate change it will just keep getting hotter and hotter. What is better to kick that heat than a nice cold Ube Milk Tea. My love for boba and ube combined in a glass can’t be beat! I wanted to make a drink in under 10 minutes. This recipe can be easily made with a handful of ingredients and its easily customizable to use your favorite teas and milk. 

Why make this?

Unique Tea Experience: If you are a fan of bubble tea or boba tea, Ube Milk Tea offers a unique twist on this popular drink. Adding tapioca pearls to the drink gives you a delightful chewy texture and a fun experience of sipping through a straw. It’s a great way to enjoy a beverage that combines the best of both worlds.

Visual Appeal: Ube Milk Tea stands out with its vibrant purple color. The visually appealing drink is not only enjoyable to taste but also a treat for the eyes. It adds a pop of color to your beverage selection, making it a fun and Instagram-worthy choice.

Why we love this recipe

Creamy and Refreshing: The combination of milk and tea creates a creamy and smooth texture in Ube Milk Tea. The richness of the milk complements the earthy flavor of ube, resulting in a refreshing and satisfying drink. It’s a great option for those who prefer a creamier alternative to traditional tea or coffee.

Unique Flavor: Ube, also known as purple yam, has a distinct and delightful flavor. It offers a sweet and nutty taste with a hint of earthiness. When combined with the creamy goodness of milk tea, it creates a harmonious blend of flavors that is truly delightful.

Ingredients, Substitution and Variations

ube extract. Ube extract some in small little bottle but packs a lot of flavor. I buy mines at my local Asian supermarket. If you are unable to find it nearby check it out here for a bottle. 

black tea. Tea bags or loose leaf with work equally well. With the loose leaf be sure to use a tea infuser so you don’t have loose leaf floating around in the milk tea. I find the tea at any supermarket in the tea aisle. I would suggest for this recipe to use black tea. Ceylon is the most common.

brown sugar or brown sugar syrup. Make you own brown sugar syrup by melting it with a little bit of water over the stove top. It can be made in under 5 minutes. If you are low on time you can even use honey to sweeten up the drink.

milk or non-dairy alternative. Use whole milk to give it a thick consistency. If you have a cow milk intorance, I would use any non-dairy milk alternative and it will work just as well. It will also give the drink a nutty flavor if you use almond milk. It taste really nice.

tapioca pearls. Or also known as boba can be added to give the drink a chewy texture and make you feel full. I love these like chewy and soft chewy tapioca pearls. Add some of the brown sugar syrup or honey to sweeten it up. It also keeps its from sticking together.

ice cubes. Add ice to keep the drink really cold. This is optional. 

How to make the Ube Milk Tea

Brewing the tea

1. Boil water. Steep the black tea for 3 – 5 minutes. Depending on how strong you like the tea. If you prefer a light tea flavor steep for about 3 minutes, if you like a strong tea flavor steep it longer.

Prepare the brown sugar syrup

1. Take a small sauce pan and add the dark brown sugar or muscovado sugar and a splash of water. Stir until the sugar melts and you get a thick and sticky consistency. 

Prepare the boba/tapioca pearls

1. Take a medium pot and bring water to a rolling boil. 
2. Add the boba/tapioca pearls and let it boil for 5-7 minutes. Adjust the time to you preference. If you like them softer and chewier go for approximately 7 minutes.
3. Rinse in cold water and drain the boba/tapioca pearls.
4. Optional: I like to add some of the brown sugar syrup or honey to coat the boba. Just add 1 tsp and mix it until its well covered.

Combine Ube extract with milk

1. Take the milk or non-diary alterntive and combine the the ube extract. Mix until well combined.

Assemble the drink.

1. Add the desired amount of boba to the bottom of a glass cup.
2. Add ice cubes if you want the drink to be cold.
3. Take the syrup and add it to the glass.
4. Pour the tea and add the milk.
5. Enjoy!

Success tips on making the best Ube Milk Tea

Ube extract. There are many different ways to make the Ube Milk Tea, this is the easiest and fastest way to get flavor and the bright purple color. You can also use ube halaya, frozen ube puree or fresh ube.

Add Ice. Using ice really brings out the true flavor of the drink. I like my milk teas really cold and I think the flavor stands out much more when it is cold.

Steeping tea. To get the tea flavor steeping it to get all the flavor out is important. Otherwise the milk tea will only taste like ube. The balance between tea and ube is important to get the flavor. Use a tea infuser if you are using loose leaf tea so you avoid having tea leaves in your milk tea.

If you like this recipe, you may also like,

Tiger Milk Tea

Pandan Milk

Ube Horchata

FAQ

Can I substitute ube extract?

Yes, this recipe is meant to be an EASY and Quick recipe to make the best flavor ube milk tea. But if you want to use realy ube and make your very own Ube puree it can be used instead. However, Ube is hard to find where I am from so using ube extract or frozen puree is the most convenient way for me to make this drink

How to store

Ube Milk Tea is best enjoyed fresh, but if you have any leftovers, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. However, the texture and flavor may change slightly over time.

Brewed tea can be stored in the fridge and when you are ready to drink it combine the milk, tea and syrup. Tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Syrup can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Boba should be consumed with in 2 hours after being made. Boba will lose its chewy texture if store in the refrigerator overnight.

If you make this recipe, and like it, please give it a rating in the recipe card below and let us know in the comments at the end of the post.

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