This panda milk tea boba recipe is based on green or black tea and resembles the Gong Cha taste using just a few easy ingredients. Quick, refreshing & topped off with gorgeous black and white pearls.
Panda milk tea originated in Taiwan but has swept across the world. It's now offered by Gong Cha, Chatime, Presotea, CoCo tea and other vendors depending on location.
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💌 Why I Love This Drink
- Extremely tasty!
- Much cheaper than store-bought
- Endless options for customization
- Uses only 5 ingredients (plus ice cubes)
- Can be served hot or cold
- Super-versatile
To make sure you have no trouble making this, I also prepared expert tips & step-by-step photos below.
Did you know? Panda Milk Tea gets its name from the black & white tapioca pearls sprinkled on top. Its flavor varies per shop & can be customized to taste.
🥛 Ingredients
These are the simple ingredients you'll need to make your own panda boba!
Hint: I provide the notes below to make this recipe as easy & understandable as possible. However, I fully understand if you're not bothered to read the whole thing. Simply scroll to the bottom & get the full recipe there.
Ingredient Details
Tea - I like using black or Oolong tea, but the choice is entirely yours. You could use green, herbal, or even fruit tea. Stick to brown or beige-colored tea - for example, matcha wouldn't work well, because of its bright color.
Milk - I'm vegan so I used oat milk which I hugely recommend. I realize that not everyone visiting this blog post is vegan, so feel free to use whatever milk you prefer - it's crucial that you choose the type of milk you enjoy drinking on its own. This will improve your overall panda tea experience!
Sugar - When making boba, you just can't beat soft brown sugar (okay, Okinawa sugar is even better, but can be tricky to find). Having said that, you can replace it with white, coconut, or other types of sugar.
White & black tapioca pearls - These are crucial for achieving the panda-like appearance.
🥄 Equipment
- 2 tall glasses
- 2 saucepans
- Mug
- Boba straws (optional!)
⏲️ Steps
Follow these easy steps to make your DIY panda boba.
1 - Make the tea, steep for 3-5 minutes & let it cool.
2 & 3 - In a medium-sized saucepan cook your black & white boba pearls (separately). Drain & cover with sugar & water.
4 - Reserve two-thirds of the pearls for later. Divide the rest between 2 tall glasses. Fill each glass with ice cubes.
5 - Pour tea on top.
6 - Finish off with cold milk.
When the glass is full, place the white pearls on one half and the black pearls on the other half.
💡 Pro Tips
- You'll need to fill the entire glass with ice cubes otherwise boba pearls will sink to the bottom.
- Always adjust boba to taste!
- You can add more sugar, milk, or tea depending on your preference.
- The same goes for boba pearls.
- Cook them for longer if you prefer a softer texture.
- If you prefer chewier pearls, cook them for less long.
GREEN TIP! If you're making boba more often, consider investing in reusable boba straws. They're usually available in soft plastic, aluminum, or even glass. They're also brilliant for other drinks, not just boba.
❓FAQ
It tastes like a combination of whatever milk and tea you are using!
I usually describe it as refreshing, creamy, and slightly sweet, with a hint of herbal flavors (from the tea).
But the only way to know for sure is to make the recipe and try it out yourself!
There are roughly 382 calories per 1 large glass in this boba (estimate only).
Most likely, yes.
Panda tea is often made with either black or green tea. They both contain caffeine.
However, it is possible to make a caffeine-free version. You'll need to use herbal or fruit teas. Or you could use a decaf version of black/green tea.
It's a variation of panda milk tea usually sold by Gong Cha.
Panda milk foam has a green tea base and is topped off with a foamy layer of cream/mousse.
It then has a mixture of black and white pearls sprinkled on top.
🍫 Variations
You can add flavors or toppings to this drink:
- Coconut milk is great for adding another layer of flavors.
- Flavoured teas are a great if you're someone that enjoys stronger flavours. I like to use mango green tea or Earl Grey when I'm feeling experimental.
- Syrups are perfect if you have a sweet tooth. Vanilla, caramel, or chocolate syrups work well. Simply drizzle them on top.
Did you know? Kids LOVE this recipe! If you're making this for your little one's birthday party, why not serve it in panda-themed cups or add panda straws.
🍵 Serving
Panda boba is best when served ice cold!
You'll need two large glasses and possibly a large boba straw.
If you don't have a large straw, just use a regular straw and scoop out the balls using a long spoon.
Don't forget to fill up the glass with ice ALL the way to the top. This will help hold up the boba pearls.
📦 Storage
There's nothing quite like drinking fresh boba!
However, you can store it for later.
Simply transfer it to an airtight jar and keep it in the fridge for a maximum of 2 days.
Remember to store tapioca pearls separately and to only add ice cubes just before serving.
🍹 Other Boba Recipes
Can't get enough of boba & want to try more delicious flavors?
Explore these recipes!
Or try out other flavors in my boba section.
Tried this boba? I would appreciate it MASSIVELY if you could leave a review below!
Got a question? Ask it in the comments section below and I'll help you out!
🍴Recipe
Panda Milk Tea - Gong Cha Boba Copycat
Equipment
- 2 Tall glasses
- 2 Saucepans
- Scoop or spoon
- Large straw optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup (235 ml) tea black or green
- ½ cup (75 g) black tapioca pearls
- ½ cup (75 g) white tapioca pearls
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cup (235 ml) milk I used unsweetened oat milk
Optional
- 1 handful ice cubes for serving
Instructions
- Add 1 tea bag (or 2 teaspoon of loose leaf tea) to 1 cup (235ml) of boiled water.
- Steep for 2-3 minutes. Then let cool down completely.
- Add black pearls to a pan full of boiling hot water and white pearls to another pan.
- Let both pans simmer for approx. 5-6 minutes. Tip - Cooking time vary per brand. Follow the instructions given on your boba pearls packaging.
- Reserve 3 tablespoon of boiling water from each pan. Then remove pearls from heat and strain separately.
- Cover both types of pearls with the reserved water & sugar. Stir well & set aside.
- To serve, add a third of the pearls to a large glass. Then fill the glass with ice cubes.
- Add cold tea and milk.
- Stir well & adjust to taste. Then top off with the remaining pearls as seen in the image.
Notes
- Fill the entire glass with ice cubes otherwise boba pearls will sink to the bottom.
- Always adjust boba to taste!
- You can add more sugar, milk, or tea depending on your preference.
- The same goes for boba pearls.
- Cook them for longer if you prefer a softer texture.
- If you prefer chewier pearls, cook them for less long.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information above is calculated automatically. The author of this post cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of this data.
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