Lychee Bubble Milk Tea - Boba

Refreshing lychee milk tea served with tapioca pearls! So much cheaper than store-bought, ULTRA easy & packed with lychee flavor.

Hot summer days are so much more pleasant when you drink boba, right?

After much success with my mango, honeydew, and strawberry milk tea, I'm bringing you another fruity bubble tea I think you'll love!

This one uses canned lychee to create a fresh tea base you simply HAVE to taste.

Jump to:

• 💌 Why I Love This Recipe
• 🥛 Ingredients
• 🥄 Equipment
• ⏲️ Steps
• 💡 Expert Tips
• ⚫ Cooking Boba 
• ❓FAQ
• 👩‍🍳 Serving
• 📦 Storing 
• 🍹More Boba Recipes
• 🍴Recipe

💌 Why I Love This Recipe

• Uses REAL lychee
• Just 5 ingredients needed
• Way cheaper than lychee drinks at boba shops
• A great way to refresh
• Serve with or without tapioca pearls
• Super low in sugar

Don't worry if you've never made your own boba before - I'll walk you through the simple process with step-by-step photos!

🥛 Ingredients

You'll need just 5 ingredients for this fresh lychee bubble tea recipe.

Ingredient Details

Milk - Use any milk you want. Oat, almond, and soy are great options. Coconut milk (from a carton - not from a can) works super well.

Canned lychee - You'll blend the fruit to make a delicious lychee puree and use the leftover lychee syrup too when serving the drink.

Boba / tapioca balls - Find them in your local Asian supermarkets (Amazon has them too but they're way more expensive online).

Sugar - I used brown sugar to make a simple syrup. You can replace it with white sugar.

Tea - Black tea or green tea work best, but you can also use oolong tea, white tea, or fruit tea.

🥄 Equipment

• A small pan - for cooking boba pearls
• A blender or food processor - for making the lychee puree
• A spoon or scoop
• 2 large glasses - for serving
• 2 large straws - optional

⏲️ Steps

Hint - This is just a super quick visual overview! For detailed steps & quantities scroll down to the recipe card.

• 1 - In a small pan, cook the tapioca pearls. When cooked, reserve 2 tablespoon of water and drain the rest.
• 2 - Immediately add sugar and the reserved water. Stir well and set aside.

• 3 - Make tea in a mug. Set it aside to let it cool.
• 4 - Open a can of lychees (peel & remove pit if needed). Reserve 2 tablespoon of the leftover syrup.

• 5 - Add lychee to the blender and blend until a smooth puree is formed.
• 6 - Add ice cubes to a glass. Pour lychee puree & lychee syrup over them.

• 7 - Then pour tea on top.
• 8 - Finish off with milk. Stir well & enjoy!

Serve it with tapioca pearls & more sugar/sweetener if desired.

💡 Expert Tips

• Always STIR this drink well before serving.
• Boba is all about personal preference. Adjust the tea flavor before serving - add more sugar, milk, or tea if desired.
• You can serve this drink hot too! Simply leave out the ice cubes and serve with piping hot tea & milk.
• Serve it with or without chewy tapioca pearls!
• Pour the lychee puree through a fine mesh sieve to avoid any leftover lychee bits (optional).
• Use loose tea leaves or tea bags - they both work.
• Boba pearls will usually sink to the bottom of the cup.
• If you want the pearls to stay on top, fill the glass with plenty of ice cubes and then place the pearls on top.

Green tip - Use reusable boba straws if you can! They're easily available online and come in all sorts of fun colors.

⚫ Cooking Boba 

Here's how you can make cooking boba pearls SUPER easy.

• Always use quick-cooking boba pearls. They're ready in just 3-5 minutes.
• Adjust the consistency to your taste.
• Cook them for longer if you prefer a softer consistency.
• If you prefer chewy tapioca balls cook them for less long.
• If you have leftover boba that you haven't cooked, just store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Once the water is drained, you NEED to cover the pearls with sugar straight away

❓FAQ

👩‍🍳 Serving

This lychee milk tea is best served in tall glasses. Make sure you filled the glass with ice cubes all the way to the top. Only then pour the rest of the ingredients on top.

I used black sugar flavor tapioca pearls but any pearls will work.

I recommend dark-colored pearls because they are more visible in the drink. You can also use lychee jelly or lychee boba pearls.

Remember to enjoy this drink fresh! It doesn't keep well at room temperature.

📦 Storing 

If you do want to store it for later, simply leave out the ice cubes and store the drink in an airtight container. If refrigerated, it will keep for approx. 2-3 days.

You'll need to store tapioca pearls separately. The best way to store them is in an airtight container - soaked in simple syrup.

Make sure they're completely covered in syrup.

🍹More Boba Recipes

I have tons of boba recipes waiting for you!

• Chocolate or Oreo boba for lovers of all things sweet
• Okinawa or Oolong milk tea for those that want a truly authentic experience
• Honeydew or Winter melon milk tea for lovers of fruit
• Rose or Jasmine boba for those that want something extra special

If you're considering making this lychee milk tea but have questions please don't hesitate to reach out.

The comments section below is always open and waiting for your questions!

And if you made this lychee milk tea, I would SO love to hear from you. A star review, comment, or rating are always MUCH appreciated.

🍴Recipe