Learn how to make cute pink strawberry boba pearls with fresh strawberry and tapioca starch. It will turn transparent with a lovely pink color from strawberry after cooking. If you don’t have tapioca starch, sweet potato starch and cornstarch are two good substitutions.
Have you ever tried to make boba pearls at home? Summer is coming so I am planning to share a group of milk tea and colorful boba pearls. The first idea that comes to my mind is strawberry boba, along with it, we will share with you to cook mango boba, golden boba, agar boba, lychee boba, matcha boba, and golden boba. Hopefully, I gives you a lovely colorful summer with milk tea. It is super easy and interesting because once mastered, we can make different colors of boba pearls. Pink comes to me as the first option for colored boba pearls.
This strawberry boba pearls is so dream for all types of boba milk teas. It is made with fresh strawberry, tapioca flour, water, and white sugar, with only 4 ingredients. You can use it to decorate pink desserts, pink tarts or make pink boba milk tea.
Boba pearls
Boba pearls, also known as tapioca pearls, are chewy small, round balls in the bottom of bubble milk tea drinks. You may find lots of colored boba pearls either made with fruit powder or fresh fruits.
Brown sugar boba pearls and black tapioca balls are the most classic type of boba pearls. Sometimes black coloring is added to turn it into black. A Taiwanese milk tea brand named Xing Fu Tang invented brown sugar boba pearls. Original boba pearls are white in color and many other colored types.
In addition to real tapioca pearls, popping boba, and crystal boba are another two groups. Check our types of boba pearls to explore more.
What’s tapioca starch
When you prepare to make boba at home, one of the essential ingredients you need to know is tapioca starch of cassava root. Although it looks quite similar to other starches, fine in white color with a very similar texture, it is much stronger. Because it creates a chewy and gummy-like texture, tapioca starch is believed to be the ideal ingredient for boba pearls. If you can’t find tapioca starch, it can be replaced by other starches like cornstarch. But the pearls will be much softer.
Ingredients
- strawberry cubes: use ripe strawberries for a stronger aroma and sweetness.
- water
- sugar: sugar is optional, just for increasing the sweetness.
- tapioca starch: this is the essential ingredient that creates a chewier taste for the boba pearls.
Tips for successful strawberry boba pearls
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients to guarantee the best results concerning the texture and shape of the boba pearls.
- Use Tapioca Starch: Tapioca starch is the key ingredient in boba pearls.
- Make sure the puree is hot boiling before adding the first half of the starch.
- Be quick (6 to 7 seconds) when stirring the first half batch of starch. Then remove from heat and add the remaining starch. We tested several batches, and this yields the best result.
- On summer days, the dough can be a little bit sticky when it is still hot. Don’t dust too much extra flour at this stage, it will harden after cooling down.
- Knead the dough and shape it when it is still warm. But be careful, don’t get burnt on summer days.
- Keep the Dough Covered: Tapioca starch can dry out very quickly, so it’s important to keep your dough covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap when you’re not working with it.
- Size and Shape: If you plan to use it in boba milk tea, try to keep the size smaller, around 1/4 inch in diameter. For dessert or tart decoration, you can shape it to 1/3 inch in diameter.
How to make strawberry boba pearls
Add the strawberry puree to a small pot. Heat until boiling. Stir from time to time to avoid burning. Then turn off the fire, and add the half of the starch. Mix for 5 seconds. Then add the remaining starch.
Mix the dough when it is still hot using tools like a scraper. Knead with your hand until it is warm, but not completely cooled.
Knead until the dough is almost smooth. Then cut into four pieces, and shape each piece into a long log. Pinch a small portion and roll it into a round strawberry boba pearls.
Dust with more starch to avoid sticky. Then shift the extra flour off with a strainer. If you plan to use strawberry boba pearls later, then package it in an airtight container or bag and then freeze them right now.
If you plan to use it later, then package it in an airtight container or bag and then freeze them right now.
Strawberry Boba Pearls Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g strawberry cubes
- 1 tbsp. water
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- more tapoica starch for dusting
Instructions
Strawberry Puree
- Add strawberry, sugar and water. Blend until smooth.
Make the dough
- Add the strawberry puree to a small pot. Heat until boiling. Then turn off the fire, add the half of the starch. Mix for 6-7 seconds quickly. Then add the remaining starch.
- Knead until the dough is almost smooth. Then cut into four pieces, shape each piece into a long log. Pinch a small portion and roll into a round ball.
- Dust with more starch to avoid sticky. Then shift the extra flour off with a strainer.
Cook the pearls
- You can freeze the boba pearls after dusting or cook them right now.
- On stove: bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add the boba pearls. Heat over the high-middle fire and cook for around 15 minutes until the boba peel floats on the surface. Turn off the heat, cover the lid, and let it stay for another 15 minutes. For larger boba pearls, cook 20 minutes and set aside for another 20 minutes.
- Insant pot method: Add boba peals and water to the pot. Secure the lid and close the vent. Set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure for 5 minutes.
Soak and mix with syrup
- Soak the cooked pearls in iced water and then strain. Mix with syrup or honey.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Microwave method
There is also a microwave method of preparing the dough:
- Mix well the dragon fruit mixture with half of the starch. Then place in microwave, and heat for 2 minutes.
- Take out and mix with the other half of the starch. Then continue with the following steps.
Note: We are making those pearls with a cup of fresh strawberries, it is completely ok to use strawberry flavor to achieve similar results. when strawberries are not in season.
If you use other berries, like blueberries, the pearls will get a naturally blue and purple color. So twist with the options.
What’s the taste of strawberry boba pearls
The strawberry boba pearls tastes almost the same as regular boba pearls. It is a faintly sweet taste with an aroma of fresh strawberries.
How to use strawberry pearls
- The most classic way of using strawberry boba is to make a lovely milk tea. I suggest matching it with matcha milk tea, pink and green are two best match colors. Strawberry milk tea is the most uniform in color and taste.
- You can add it to coconut milk drinks with sago and fresh strawberries.
- You can use strawberry boba pearls to replace other types of boba pearls in all desserts like tarts, pudding, and tarts.
Storage Tips
- You can store cooked strawberry boba pearls at room temperature for up to 4 hours. On hot summer days, please place them in the fridge.
- Cooked strawberry boba pearls need to be soaked in syrup to avoid sticky together. The best syrup option might be simple syrup because it has no color influence.
Is it healthy
Since we use all-natural ingredients, there are not many health concerns about strawberry boba pearls.