This quick winter melon milk tea uses only 5 simple ingredients! It's all you would want from boba - refreshing, slightly sweet, fruity & SO satisfying. Give it a try today!
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Ever tried winter melon boba tea in Gong Cha? Well, thanks to this recipe, you can now make it at home!
💌 Why I Love This Recipe
- Uses REAL winter melon fruit
- MUCH quicker than similar recipes
- Super detailed steps
- Easy enough for beginners
- MUCH better than store-bought!
- 5 ingredients only
- Serve it hot or cold
- Enjoy it with boba pearls or without
Did you know? Winter melon belongs to the same family as cucumbers & zucchini! It has a mild flavor & usually isn't eaten raw. (Source)
🥛 Ingredients
You'll need these ingredients to make a refreshing winter melon milk tea.
Ingredient Notes
Winter melon - Find it in your local Asian supermarket (in the fresh produce section). you can use fresh or frozen winter melon.
Milk - Opt for something creamy & delicious - I like oat milk so I used that.
Tapioca (boba) pearls - Make sure to use quick-cooking (sometimes called instant) tapioca balls. They take just 4 minutes or less to cook.
Tea - Any tea of your choice will do. Black, green, Oolong, matcha, fruit, herbal, etc.
Sugar - I recommend soft brown sugar because it adds a rich caramel note.
🥄 Tools
- 4 tall glasses
- Saucepan
- Blender
- Large straws - optional
⏲️ Steps
In a rush? Skip the tips & images and go straight to the recipe card at the bottom of this page. You'll find all the details there.
It's SUPER easy to make winter melon boba.
The recipe consists of two simple parts:
- Making the syrup
- Making the milk tea
To make the syrup:
1. Peel & cut winter melon into cubes. Sprinkle with sugar & let sit for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, add winter melon to a saucepan. Add water, bring to a boil & simmer for 15 minutes. By then, the winter melon should be super soft.
To make the milk tea:
3. Transfer the syrup to a blender and add milk. Blend until completely smooth. No bits should remain. Optional - pour through a sieve for extra smoothness. Let cool.
4. In a mug, make tea. Let steep & set aside to cool.
5. Cook boba pearls according to instructions on your packet. When finished cover them with sugar and 3 tablespoon of boiling hot water.
6. To serve, divide pearls between 4 glasses. Fill the glass with ice cubes. Add cooled-down tea & your winter melon milk mixture.
💡 Expert Tips
- Taste & adjust before serving.
- Add more sugar if desired (the original recipe isn't super sweet).
- Ensure the winter melon milk mixture is SUPER smooth.
- In supermarkets, winter melon is sometimes referred to as dong gua.
- Adjust the softness of boba pearls to your taste.
- Cook them for longer if you want softer pearls.
- Cook them for less long if you prefer a chewier texture.
- Serve it in a full glass of ice cubes. This will make it extra refreshing!
- Never let cooked boba pearls stand around - cover them in sugar & a big splash of boiling hot water.
🛒 Winter Melon
How to select the ripest winter melon?
- Pre-cut slices: select winter melon with a white, crisp & dense flesh.
- Whole fruit: similarly, look for dense, heavy fruit. It should sound hollow.
Wondering how to store it?
If you've bought the whole fruit, simply store it in a cool, dark place. It can last several months.
Sliced winter melon, on the other hand, deteriorates very fast.
You'll need to place it in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic foil. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
❓FAQ
The flavor is sweet, fruity & refreshing - but remember! The final taste will depend on what type of tea you're adding!
When you add black tea, it tastes strong, smoky & earthy.
If adding green tea, it tastes floral, almost oceanic.
The tea has a strong role to play so make sure you choose something you truly like.
There are roughly 270 calories (remember this is only an estimate).
Yes, it contains caffeine.
However, you can make it without caffeine if that's what you prefer. Simply use decaf tea, fruit tea, or herbal tea.
This drink is NOT super sweet!
In fact, I don't like sweet boba at all, so I add minimal amounts of sugar.
Keep this in mind if you're a lover of all things sweet. You can easily adjust the sugar levels, adding more or less according to taste.
🍫 Variations
You can serve winter melon milk tea just as described in the recipe or add various toppings and flavors.
- Toppings: Whipped cream, caramel or chocolate sauce, chocolate shavings, crushed Oreos, fresh fruit (berries work super well!).
- Flavors: Oolong tea works SUPER well. Matcha can be a nice choice too.
🍵 Serving
Remember this when serving your winter melon boba:
- Serve ice cold or piping hot, but not lukewarm.
- Large boba straws come in handy - invest in some reusable ones if you're making boba often.
- Add boba pearls to the glass first, then ice & then the liquids.
- Enjoy immediately after serving.
📦 Storage
As mentioned above, it's best to serve boba tea fresh.
If you do want to store it for later, here's what you can do:
- Omit boba pearls & ice. Pour the milk tea into an airtight container/jar. Keep it in the fridge and drink within 2 days.
If you want to store cooked boba pearls for longer, follow this method!
Mix ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to boil & let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Then pour the syrup over your cooked boba pearls. Give it a good mix.
Store this mixture in an airtight container for about 2 days.
🍹 Similar Recipes
Boba lovers are in for a treat here! Check out my:
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Still not sure about it? If you have questions about this recipe simply get in touch via the comments below or DM me on Instagram. I usually respond to comments within a day (except on weekends).
🍴Recipe
Winter Melon Bubble Milk Tea - Boba
Equipment
- Four glasses
- Saucepan
- Blender
- Large straws optional
Ingredients
Syrup
- 3 cups (400 g) winter melon
- 3 tablespoon sugar I used soft brown sugar
Milk Tea
- 1,5 cup (350 ml) milk I used oat milk
- 1,5 cup (350 ml) tea black, green, oolong, etc
- 1 cup (75 g) quick-cooking tapioca pearls
- 3 tablespoon sugar I used soft brown sugar
Optional
- plenty of ice cubes if serving cold
Instructions
Syrup
- Peel & cut winter melon into cubes. Sprinkle with sugar & let sit for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add winter melon to a saucepan. Add ½ cup water, bring to a boil & simmer for 15 minutes. By then, the winter melon should be super soft.
Milk tea
- Transfer syrup to a blender and add milk. Blend until completely smooth. No bits should remain. Optional - pour through a sieve for extra smoothness. Set aside to cool.
- In a mug, make tea. Let steep & set aside to cool.
- Cook pearls according to instructions on your packet. Reserve 3 tablespoon of boiling hot water. When pearls are cooked cover them with sugar and the reserved hot water. Mix well.
- To serve, divide pearls between 4 glasses. Then fill the glasses with ice cubes.
- Add cooled-down tea & your syrup blend. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe serves 4 small portions.
- Taste & adjust before serving.
- Add more sugar if desired (the original recipe isn't super sweet)
- Ensure the winter melon milk mixture is SUPER smooth.
- In supermarkets, winter melon is sometimes referred to as dong gua.
- Adjust the softness of boba pearls to your taste.
- Cook them for longer if you want softer pearls.
- Cook them for less long if you prefer a chewier texture.
- Serve it in a full glass of ice cubes. This will make it extra refreshing!
- Never let cooked boba pearls stand around - cover them in sugar & a big splash of boiling hot water.
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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