Discover the unique flavors of lychee bubble tea, a refreshing and tropical treat that never fails to hit the spot! It showcases sweet lychees, creamy oat milk, robust black tea, and chewy boba, resulting in an ultra-satisfying combination. There is no need to buy expensive drinks when you can prepare something like this in the comfort of your own kitchen!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Refreshing: Lychee bubble tea offers the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, creamy, and refreshing flavors.
- Customizable: You can easily adjust the brown sugar syrup and oat milk ratios to suit your taste preferences. Or, try using fresh lychees in place of canned ones!
- Quick & easy: This recipe requires only 4 steps and comes together in less than 10 minutes! It’s great for hot summer days when you need to cool down quickly.
- Unique flavors: The combination of lychee and black tea creates a familiar yet exotic flavor profile you must try at least once!
What is lychee bubble tea?
Lychee bubble tea is a popular drink in Taiwan, which is essentially ground zero for bubble tea culture. Typically, it’s made with a combination of green or black tea, sweet lychees, and chewy tapioca pearls (boba) for an unbelievably thirst-quenching and refreshing drink.
In this recipe, I’ve added some creamy oat milk to make lychee milk tea. I also like to sweeten the boba with brown sugar syrup, which adds depth and richness.
While they don’t impart much flavor, one of my favorite parts about lychee bubble tea is the bubbles! They create such a fun beverage to enjoy with the whole family. For the best drinking experience, I suggest serving your tea immediately with a wide-mouthed straw.
Is lychee bubble tea vegan?
Lychee bubble tea is made with a base of vegan ingredients, but dairy-based milk is often the default at bubble tea houses if you’d like it to be creamy. However, with the rising popularity of dairy alternatives, you can easily make any bubble tea vegan!
If you’re at a tea house, remember to double-check that they carry plant-based milk (most places do nowadays). And rest assured, this recipe is vegan-friendly as it is made with oat milk instead of dairy milk.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Brown sugar syrup: Adds a rich, complex, and caramel-like sweetness. You can replace brown sugar syrup with maple syrup or simple syrup if you prefer.
- Boba: These chewy tapioca pearls provide texture and a fun element to milk tea. You can substitute them with popping boba or agar-agar jelly for a unique addition.
- Black tea: Provides a strong, bold, and aromatic base in this lychee bubble tea recipe. Feel free to try green or jasmine tea for a milder or more floral element, depending on what you like. You can also use decaf black tea.
- Lychees: I use seedless canned lychees to impart a sweet, fruity, and tropical taste. If they’re available, you can use fresh lychees as well. You will need to deseed them though.
- Oat milk: Oat milk is my preferred dairy-free milk as it brings a rich, creamy, and slightly nutty flavor. You can also experiment with almond, soy, coconut, or cashew milk to find out what you like best.
How to make lychee bubble tea
- Step 1: The first thing you need to do is steep the black tea in hot water for 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like it. I recommend loose-leaf black tea for the best flavor, but a good-quality tea bag will work as well. Once it’s steeped, let it cool completely.
- Step 2: Cook the boba by adding the tapioca pearls to a pot of boiling water and waiting until they float to the top. Drain and mix the cooked boba with brown sugar syrup.
- Step 3: Combine the oat milk and lychees in a blender and mix on high until they are combined to your liking. You can make the mixture fully smooth or leave some chunks.
- Step 4: To assemble your lychee milk tea, layer the sweetened boba, crushed ice, cooled black tea, and blended lychee milk in a glass.
What to serve with lychee bubble tea
- Diced lychees: Save one or two and chop them to add texture on top of the drink.
- Mint: Add fresh mint leaves on top as an aromatic garnish.
- Oat milk whipped cream: For an extra touch of decadence and creaminess.
- Coconut flakes: Use them as a garnish or mix the flakes right into the tea.
- Lychee syrup: Drizzle some canned lychee syrup for more sweetness and flavor.
- Vegan caramel: Add a little richness with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Storage
Although lychee bubble tea is best served right away, don’t let your leftovers go to waste by following these tips:
- Fridge: Store extra lychee milk tea in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. If possible, strain or scoop the boba out and keep them in a separate container.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing cooked tapioca pearls since the texture will turn mushy once thawed. However, you can freeze the lychee milk tea in ice cube trays to chill your next batch of bubble tea if you’d like.
- Prep ahead: Steep the tea and blend the lychee-oat milk mixture beforehand, then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Cook the boba and assemble the drink just before serving.
Variations
- Different tea: Use green tea instead of black tea for a lighter flavor. Or, replace it with jasmine tea for a floral twist.
- Coconut: Swap oat milk with coconut milk for an ultra-creamy and tropical flavor.
- Matcha: Add matcha tea to create a vibrant green version with a touch of bitterness.
- Rose: Add rose syrup or rose water for a more floral flavor.
- Iced Tea: Omit the boba pearls and milk for a simple and refreshing iced tea version.
Top tips
- Cool the tea: Make sure to cool the steeped tea completely before assembling your lychee milk tea to avoid melting the ice and diluting the drink.
- Bubble tea straw: Use a wide bubble tea straw to ensure you can slurp up all the boba pearls along with the tea.
- Serve immediately: Serve lychee bubble tea right away for the best taste and texture.
- Remove the seeds: If you opt for fresh lychees, don’t forget to remove the seeds before blending the fruit and oat milk.
FAQ
To make this lychee milk tea less sweet, reduce the amount of brown sugar syrup and rinse the canned lychees before blending them with oat milk.
Yes, you can use simple syrup, maple syrup, agave, vegan honey, or any of your favorite sweeteners instead of brown sugar syrup.
Yes, just make sure they’re fully ripened and remove the seeds before blending them.
More tea recipes
If you enjoyed making and drinking this lychee bubble tea recipe, you might also like to try some more delicious drinks like these:
- Jasmine Milk Tea: A light and refreshing tea with floral notes.
- Caramel Milk Tea: Creamy milk tea infused with sweet vegan caramel syrup.
- Oat Milk Chai Latte: A sweet, spicy, and comforting drink great for any time of the year.
- Matcha Chai Latte: Coffee shop quality chai latte paired with matcha.
Lychee Bubble Tea
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup boba pearls
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar syrup
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 bag black tea
- 4 whole lychees seedless from can
- ½ cup oat milk
- ¾ cups crushed ice
METHOD
- Steep the tea bag in hot water - 180°F for 5 minutes. Then strain the tea and cool it down completely. Note: It is best to do this ahead of time and refrigerate the tea till ready to use.
- To cook boba - In a saucepan, submerge tapioca pearls in boiling water. Cook until pearls float to the top and then cook about another 4-5 minutes. Scoop out one and taste test the texture to make sure they are ready before draining. Next drain and transfer into a bowl.
- Mix in the brown sugar syrup to the boba pearls, and set aside.
- Roughly blend the oat milk and lychees in a personal blender.
- To assemble - Add boba and brown sugar syrup to the bottom of the glass. Then add crushed ice, followed by the tea. Next pour over the blended lychee milk.
- Stir with a wide mouth bubble tea straw before slurping.
- Optional: Finely dice 1 or 2 lychees and toss them in the drink to get a more chewy texture. Make sure they are diced to go through the boba straw.Note: You can reserve some of the canned lychee syrup and add it to your drink for more lychee flavor and sweetness. If so, then adjust the amount of brown sugar syrup.
NOTES
- Cool the tea: Make sure to cool the steeped tea completely before assembling your lychee milk tea to avoid melting the ice and diluting the drink.
- Bubble tea straw: Use a wide bubble tea straw to ensure you can slurp up all the boba pearls along with the tea.
- Serve immediately: Serve lychee bubble tea right away for the best taste and texture.
- Remove the seeds: If you opt for fresh lychees, don’t forget to remove the seeds before blending the fruit and oat milk.
heenal says
where do you purchase your boba from? asking for a friend 😉
Puja Verma says
I usually get mine from Amazon - here's a direct link: https://amzn.to/3LprV9m
Let me know if your friend has any issues finding it 😊
Aster says
I tried this for myself and I recommend using jasmine tea because it compliments the flavor of lychee wonderfully, but that is also just my own personal preference.
Puja Verma says
I’m so thrilled to know you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing your ideas and wonderful feedback! I'm excited to try the lychee bubble tea using jasmine tea next time.