Delicious Chocolate Milk Tea – How To Make Cocoa Boba Recipe
This chocolate milk tea recipe was first published on July 5, 2023.
I am enjoying making bubble tea recipes way too much right now and this must be close to the first place in the list of my favourite drinks! Especially of the drinks we have been making recently, of course. This chocolate milk tea is all you can ask for if you love chocolate flavor and love a scrumptious drink. The chewy texture of the cooked tapioca pearls adds another level of texture to it, making it a refreshing and delicious drink with plenty of ice, the perfect choice for this hot hot summer.
I remember trying my first bubble tea in London, thanks to Simona, and I was not impressed at all. The texture in food is one thing I really struggle with, so my method is usually to try and get used to a certain texture before completely falling in love with it.
And of course, this is the case with boba. Tapioca is something you either love or hate, but in my case is something you can grow to love, eventually. And then it’s all a downhill slippery slope to never having enough in your life, of course. But as I said, I am now fully addicted and can’t get enough, so I am hoping to be able to convince you as well with this chocolate milk tea, unless you’re a fanatic already!
After our delicious strawberry milk tea and boba smoothie, I couldn’t miss sharing boba chocolate milk tea, as chocolate milk has been one of my favourites since I was a kid, and still to this day admittedly. Next up on my list to try are sesame boba tea and taro milk tea, but that’s a story for a different day, of course. I have also set my eyes on Ube bubble tea, so look at this space because it might be coming sooner rather than later! And if you are still after some delicious drinks, you should check out our iced hojicha latte, blueberry gin or tequila spritzer.
Anyway, going back to the main star of the show, the chocolate milk tea and the many versions of this drink you can make. Because yes, plenty of different ways to be drinking this drink.
What is milk tea?
Milk tea is a tea-based drink with tapioca pearls that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s and is now extremely popular with plenty of milk tea shops dotted around everywhere. The main ingredients of this drink are tapioca pearls, also known as boba pearls, steeped tea and milk. Nowadays, you can find it made with pretty much anything from juice to chocolate and anything else in between.
Boba pearls are made from the tapioca starch part of the cassava root and were originally used to substitute sago – a spongy tissue that came from pals – in South Asian’s cuisine. The tapioca pearls, after being cooked, have a chewy texture and get soaked most of the time in sugar syrups to add flavour to them (Wikipedia).
What is chocolate milk tea made of?
This chocolate milk tea boba drink requires very few ingredients. First and foremost, the main ingredient is cocoa powder from which you will make a delicious simple syrup. Whatever is left of this will make a beautiful glass or two of iced (hot) chocolate, just so you know. Then you will need chewy boba pearls, we used black ones and then soaked them in the brown sugar syrup we had made.
Also, you will need milk, black tea, sugar, water and ice. The simple ingredients are easily found in any grocery shop or even your pantry, while boba pearls are available at any Asian supermarket or bigger grocery shops. Making them is a bit of a mammoth task, but not impossible: you’ll need to be patient and read the recipe carefully a couple of times before tackling them!
Can I substitute anything in this homemade chocolate milk tea recipe?
You absolutely can! We used regular cocoa powder, but you could also use white chocolate powder, unsweetened cocoa powder or dark chocolate powder too. Some recipes call for hot chocolate mix, real chocolate in bars or mini chocolate chips, but it’s really up to you. The recipe calls for oat milk, so it’s vegan, but it can easily be done with skim milk, dairy milk or any plant-based milk you prefer. Almond milk or coconut milk could work well, as well as soy milk. Just anything you choose to use will be a brilliant option here.
Instead of black tea, you could steep different types of tea like green tea or oolong. This recipe calls also for brown sugar boba, but you could also use white pearls or popping boba, depending on what you prefer or have on hand. You could also add whipping cream on top or a non-dairy creamer. The world is your oyster with this chocolate milk tea recipe!
What equipment do I need for this chocolate milk bubble tea?
This chocolate milk tea requires only a few things and items you will most probably have at home already. You will need a pot to make the chocolate simple syrup, then another pot to cook your boba pearls, a glass and a boba straw to finish it off. In case you don’t have a boba straw, you can just use a spoon.
How do I make the chocolate syrup?
The chocolate syrup itself is so easy and quick to make. You will need only three ingredients, a pan, a whisk and a spoon or spatula. You will start off by adding all the ingredients in the pan, cocoa powder, water and sugar. Then you will gently simmer it over medium heat and whisk it so that the ingredients combine well.
Continue to simmer it for around ten minutes. Sieve the syrup and place it in an airtight container so that you can keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks. You can use the remaining syrup for more boba tea or use it on yoghurt or ice cream for a delicious treat. And as I mentioned before, makes a brilliant cold chocolate drink too!
How is chocolate boba tea made?
Start off by making the chocolate syrup. In a small pot, add the cocoa powder, sugar and water. Whisk it together and let it simmer for around ten minutes. When it’s done, you should have a rich syrup, sieve it and put it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
Cook tapioca pearls in a pot of boiling water following the instructions on the packet. When ready, soak the chewy tapioca pearls in the chocolate mixture. You could also soak them in brown sugar syrup, make sure you just don’t add too much of this syrup in the final drink.
In the meantime, steep the black tea in hot water for five minutes. When done, discard the tea bag and let it cool to room temperature. When everything is ready to assemble, grab a glass and add the chocolate syrup, the soaked boba pearls and the ice cubes. Lastly, add your milk of choice, the steeped tea and pop a boba straw in the glass. Enjoy your homemade chocolate milk tea!
Does chocolate milk tea boba have caffeine?
It does indeed! Black tea still contains caffeine, but much less than coffee itself. If you are looking for a caffeine-free version, you could avoid adding tea and having a chocolate bubble drink. Also, you could use caffeine-free tea or one that contains less than most teas. The options, as you might know, with tea are endless.
What can I have with chocolate milk tea?
This cocoa milk tea recipe is perfect with something sweet like these biscoff blondies, those Nutella muffins with strawberries, the 3 ingredient Nutella cookies, the oat flour pancakes and even with the no-bake cookie dough bites.
You could also have it with some onigirazu, crispy rice with spicy salmon, tofu nigiri or a delicious vegan egg mayo sandwich. You can wash down the savoury feeling of those dishes easily with this chocolate milk tea! It’s the perfect drink to have even on the go and for a quick picnic, prepped ahead minus the ice.
Do you have more milk tea recipes to suggest?
We got plenty of drinks on the blog like our strawberry milk or banana milk, and a wide selection of milk tea recipes like:
Easy Chocolate Milk Tea
Ingredients
Chocolate simple syrup
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
Chocolate milk tea
- ⅛ cup tapioca pearls
- ½ cup oat milk
- 2 tbsp chocolate simple syrup 1 tsp to soak the tapioca pearls
- 1 bag black tea
- ice
Instructions
- Make the chocolate syrup. In a small pot, add the cocoa powder, sugar and water. Whisk it together and let it simmer for ten minutes. Sieve the syrup and pour it into an airtight container.
- Cook the tapioca pearls. Following the instructions on the packet, cook your tapioca pearls and soak them in the chocolate syrup when they are done.
- Steep the tea. In a cup, steep one bag of black tea with hot water. Let it steep for five minutes and discard the bag. Let the tea cool down to room temperature.
- Assemble your drink. In a tall glass, add the chocolate syrup, the soaked boba pearls and the ice cubes. Top everything off with oat milk and add a wide straw. Turn your drink and enjoy your homemade chocolate milk tea!
SHOP THE CHOCOLATE MILK TEA POST
Have you ever tried chocolate milk tea? Do you like boba tea drinks? What is your favourite milk tea recipe? Let me know in the comments!
PIN THE CHOCOLATE MILK TEA RECIPE FOR LATER!
Thanks so much for this recipe. I would’ve never thought to make a chocolate simple syrup but it takes it up a notch ever so slightly. I used whole milk instead of oat and I really enjoyed this recipe!! And you’ll have plenty syrup leftover for more batches.
Thank you so much for leaving a comment! We’re so happy you loved this chocolate simple syrup as much as we did – and you’re so right, plenty of leftover means plenty more drinks!!