We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
This Boba Smoothie Recipe makes a thick, fruity smoothie with sweet, chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom. You can choose from three flavors, Honeydew, Strawberry, or Mango, using the same simple coconut milk base. It’s a fun way to make your favorite boba shop drink at home.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I can’t believe how easy it was to make at home. It tasted so light and refreshing, too.” – April
“Delicious! I never thought to try making these at home, but now that I have we’ll be snacking on boba smoothies all summer!” – Dana
“It made a boba smoothie as delicious as any I’ve ever ordered in a shop!” – Wilhelmina
Why I Started Making Boba Smoothies at Home
I was craving boba smoothies all summer, but buying them regularly was getting expensive. I decided to figure out how to make them myself, and I was happy to discover I could make the same kind of fruity drink at home and adjust it to my taste.
Honeydew is my favorite flavor, especially with coconut milk. Strawberry and Mango are close behind, which is why I included all three options. The smoothie is cold and creamy, and the sweetened tapioca pearls give it that chewy boba texture I love.
🩷 Kelsey
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Black tapioca pearls: Look for the larger pearls used in boba drinks, not the tiny tapioca used for pudding. You’ll find them at Asian grocery stores or online. The cooking instructions below are for dried pearls.
- Water: Used to cook the dried tapioca pearls.
- Brown sugar and honey: Stir these into the cooked pearls to sweeten them and keep them from sticking together.
- Coconut milk: This is the smoothie base. Add a little more if your blender needs help moving the frozen fruit.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the fruit mixture. You can adjust it to taste depending on how sweet your fruit is.
- Frozen fruit: Choose Honeydew, Strawberry, or Mango for each batch. Frozen fruit makes the smoothie thick without needing ice.
Three Boba Smoothie Flavors
The recipe makes four servings of one flavor. Use 4 cups of whichever frozen fruit you choose with the coconut milk and sugar in the recipe card.
- Honeydew: Use frozen honeydew melon cut into small pieces. This is my favorite, and I especially like it with coconut milk.
- Strawberry: Use frozen strawberries for a bright, fruity smoothie. The same boba and coconut milk base works with this flavor.
- Mango: Use frozen mango chunks for a sweet, tropical smoothie with the same creamy base.
Want to make all three flavors? Make a separate full batch for each, or divide the base ingredients proportionately if you’d like smaller amounts of each.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Different milk: I’ve also made these with oat milk, almond milk, and whole milk. Each changes the flavor and creaminess a little. Milk tea is another option if you want a tea-flavored version.
- Other fruit: Frozen banana, raspberry, or a strawberry-banana combination also work if you’d like to change things up.
- Other sweeteners: Agave, maple syrup, or stevia can replace some of the sugar or honey, but start with a little and taste before adding more.
- Quick-cooking or frozen boba: These are convenient alternatives to dried pearls. Prepare them according to the package directions since cooking times vary.
How to Make a Boba Smoothie
- Cook the tapioca pearls. Bring the water to a boil, stir in the dried pearls, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and leave undisturbed for 25 minutes.
- Rinse and sweeten the boba. Drain the pearls and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch. Stir them with brown sugar and honey so they’re coated and sweet.
- Blend your chosen fruit. Add the frozen Honeydew, Strawberry, or Mango to a blender with coconut milk and sugar. Blend until completely smooth, adding a little more milk only if needed.
- Assemble and serve. Divide the sweetened pearls among four glasses, then pour the smoothie over the top. Add wide boba straws and enjoy right away.
Recipe Tips
- Stir the tapioca pearls every 2 to 3 minutes while they cook. Otherwise they can clump together in the pot.
- Check the instructions on your package of boba. Quick-cooking pearls and prepared frozen pearls may need much less time than the dried pearls in this recipe.
- Keep the pearls out of the blender. They belong at the bottom of the glass so they stay chewy.
- Cut the honeydew into small pieces before freezing it. Smaller pieces are easier for the blender to handle.
- Use a wide boba straw. Regular drinking straws are usually too narrow for the tapioca pearls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bubble tea usually has a brewed tea base, often with milk and flavorings, while a boba smoothie blends fruit with a creamy liquid and adds tapioca pearls. These three smoothie options don’t contain tea unless you choose milk tea as a substitution.
Yes. Popping boba has a thin coating that bursts when you bite it, so the texture is different from chewy tapioca pearls. Add it to the glass after blending, rather than cooking it with the tapioca pearls.
Tapioca itself is naturally gluten-free, and the basic smoothie ingredients are too. Check the label on your boba pearls, milk, and any flavored toppings if you need the entire drink to be gluten-free.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead and freezing boba: Since cooking tapioca pearls takes some time, I like to make a bigger batch and freeze the extras. Boba doesn’t keep its chewy texture very well in the refrigerator. Use a large pot with 6 cups of water for every 1 cup of dried tapioca pearls. Once the boba is cooked and cooled, place it in a freezer-safe bag, squeeze out as much air as possible, and lay it flat in the freezer.
Reheating frozen boba: When you’re ready to use the frozen pearls, bring a few cups of water to a boil and add the amount of boba you need. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for another 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and stir in brown sugar and honey if desired. Add to your smoothie or boba tea and enjoy!
Storing boba smoothies: Boba smoothies are best enjoyed right after blending. You can refrigerate leftover smoothie in an airtight container for up to 24 hours, but the texture may change as it sits. If possible, store the smoothie separately from the tapioca pearls.
Pairing Ideas
These boba smoothies are great on their own, but they’re also fun to serve with a pastry for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat. Try them with our Lemon Blueberry Scones, Cherry Danish, or flaky Apple Turnovers. For something a little more indulgent, our Homemade Orange Rolls or Malasadas would be delicious with any of the three smoothie flavors!
More Smoothie Recipes
Have you tried one of these boba smoothies? I’d love to hear whether Honeydew, Strawberry, or Mango is your favorite. Leave a comment and star rating below! 💛
Boba Smoothie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried tapioca pearls
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 cups coconut milk, plus more if needed for blending
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 cups frozen fruit, (strawberry, mango, or honeydew)
Instructions
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the dried tapioca pearls, stirring until they float. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the pearls stand for 25 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Drain the tapioca pearls in a strainer and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch.
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in the brown sugar and honey.
- Blend your choice of frozen fruit with the coconut milk and granulated sugar until smooth. Add more coconut milk only if needed to blend.
- Divide the sweetened boba evenly among four glasses. Pour the blended smoothie over the pearls and serve immediately with wide boba straws.
Equipment
- Blender
Notes
- The base quantities make one flavor, not all three at once. To make three full batches, triple the base ingredients and use 4 cups of each fruit.
- Cooking times are for the dried tapioca pearls used in the original recipe. Follow package instructions for quick-cooking or prepared frozen boba.
- Stir the pearls regularly as they cook to prevent clumping, and do not blend the pearls into the smoothie.
- Serve fresh for the best texture. Refrigerate leftover smoothie for up to 24 hours, preferably apart from the pearls.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe?
We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.
You use black tapioca pearls, right? Do you have a brand you recommend?
Yes black tapioca, you can use any brand. I just used the E-FA brand on Amazon.
This is such a great recipe! It made a boba smoothie as delicious as any I’ve ever ordered in a shop!
Delicious! I never thought to try making these at home, but now that I have we’ll be snacking on boba smoothies all summer!
We love boba drinks! I can’t believe how easy it was to make at home. It tasted so light and refreshing, too. Will definitely be making more of this!