This 5-ingredient Earl Grey Milk Tea is sweet, creamy, and is both refreshing and relaxing! A flavorful beverage which is simple to make in the comfort of your own home.
I have always loved Earl Grey Tea, and milk tea happens to be one of my favourite drinks too! So I thought of coming up with something that combines the two. This Earl Grey Milk Tea is loaded with the bergamot orange flavor profile of this popular tea. But this boba tea goes beyond that. It's creamy, sweet, and can be served hot or cold.
So what's so special about this Earl Grey Bubble Tea? It's simple to make, requires just 5 ingredients (with optional Tapioca pearls/Boba), and contains much less sugar than store-bought stuff, for a fraction of the price!
You can easily make this tea in the comfort of your own home in under 15 minutes - your guests will love you for it!
This recipe is quite flexible and can also be adapted into a vegan-friendly milk tea.
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Ingredients and Variations
This Earl Grey Milk Tea recipe yields two servings. Feel free to adjust the amounts accordingly to suit your needs!
For the earl grey tea, you will need:
- Half a cup of brewed Earl Grey Tea (in boiling water). You can use Earl Grey tea bags or Earl Grey Tea leaves, whichever you prefer.
For the simple syrup, you will need:
- Water and granulated sugar.
The simple syrup is optional - it provides sweetness to this bubble tea, but I highly suggest making it if you're making this as bubble tea with Tapioca pearls. You will need to soak tapioca pearls in simple syrup.
Alternatively, you can also use other flavored syrup, agave syrup, maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, or other sweetener of choice.
- Tapioca pearls (or Boba pearls) are optional. They're basically gooey balls of starch and make a great addition to milk tea. You can find these at Asian supermarkets or food stores. If using, I highly suggest you get the "quick-cook" tapioca pearls, which require just 5 minutes of cooking time. You can get flavoured tapioca pearls if you like too. I like using black tapioca pearls.
If using tapioca balls, just make sure to cook just the amount you need as they don't keep well when stored.
- The last ingredient you will need for this milk tea, is obviously milk. You can use any type of milk here including dairy milk (semi skimmed or whole) or any neutral-flavored plant-based milk (such as oat milk, soy milk, or nut milk such as cashew milk).
How to Make Earl Grey Milk Tea
- Steep Earl Grey Tea
Steep earl grey tea bags or leaves in boiling water. For the best Earl Grey flavor, let the tea steep until the water cools down completely. Then, strain and discard the tea leaves or teabags. - Make the Simple Syrup
To make simple syrup, place water in a small saucepan and add sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Then, remove from heat and transfer to a medium-sized glass bowl. - Cook Tapioca Pearls (if using)
To cook tapioca pearls (using quick-cooking pearls), place 2 cups of water in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, carefully add the tapioca pearls. Once the pearls start o float to the top, decrease heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes (covered).
Drain tapioca pearls (or take them out of the saucepan using a slotted spoon) and transfer them to a bowl with cold water. Let sit for 30 seconds, drain, and transfer cooked tapioca pearls to the bowl with the simple syrup. - Make the Tea!
Prepare your serving glasses (a tall glass works best!). First, divide the tapioca pearls with syrup between two large glasses. Top each glass with ¼ cup of Earl Grey tea, then stir in the desired amount of milk.
Tips for the Best Milk Tea
- Use good quality Earl Grey Tea bags or tea leaves - this will ensure the best Earl Grey flavor!
- Use quick-cooking tapioca pearls - these require only 5 minutes of cooking time.
- Cook the tapioca pearls right before using. Tapioca pearls stiffen as they cool and do not store well, so make sure to cook them right before serving your tea.
- If want to serve hot earl grey milk tea, rewarm the tea and warm the milk in a saucepan/microwave before adding.
If serving cold tea, serve over ice cubes.
Making Ahead and Storing
If you would like to prepare this recipe ahead, I suggest making the simple syrup and steeping the tea up to 2 days ahead and storing them in a refrigerator.
Cooked tapioca pearls do not store well, and I highly recommend making these right before serving.
Can I Make this Vegan-Friendly?
To make this creamy bubble tea vegan-friendly, use a neutral flavored plant-based milk. For sweeteners, use simple syrup or agave syrup (or any other plant-based sweetener).
Tapioca pearls are completely plant-based - just make sure to double-check the label to check for any additivies.
Other Earl Grey Recipes
Earl Grey Cream Puffs
Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
Earl Grey Yogurt Cake
Earl Grey Milk Tea
Ingredients
Earl Grey Tea
- 125 mL freshly boiled water (½ cup)
- 2 Earl Grey Teabags or 2 tsp. loose Earl Grey tea leaves
Simple Syrup
- 50 g granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 50 mL water (4 tbsp.)
Tapioca/Boba Pearls (Optional)
- 40-80 g quick-cooking tapioca/boba pearls (¼ to ½ cup)
- 500 mL water (2 cups) + extra cold water
Milk Tea
- 60 mL milk semi-skimmed, whole, or plant-based (¼ cup) + extra as needed
Instructions
- Earl grey tea: Place earl grey teabags (or tea leaves) in ½ cup freshly boiled water and allow to steep until water cools down completely. Strain and discard teabags or leaves.
- Simple syrup: Place water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and transfer to a glass bowl.
- Tapioca Pearls (if using): Place 2 cups of water in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, carefully add tapioca pearls. Once pearls float to the top, decrease heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes (covered).Drain tapioca pearls (or remove using a slotted spoon) and transfer to a bowl with cold water. Let sit for 30 seconds, drain, and transfer cooked tapioca to bowl containing simple syrup.
- Assembly: Divide tapioca pearls with syrup between two large glasses. Top each glass with ¼ cup of tea, then stir in desired amount of milk.
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