Made with 100% natural purple yam powder from Ube Nolia
July 29, 2026 · Drink Recipe
Ube Bubble Tea Recipe (Ube Boba)
Real ube bubble tea at home: chewy black tapioca pearls, brown sugar syrup and a naturally purple ube milk made with 100% pure ube powder.
A creamy, caffeine-free (by default) Filipino-Taiwanese drink ready in 20 minutes. Deep natural purple from real ube (purple yam): no artificial dye, no candy syrup, no ube extract.
Easy to make vegan and lactose-free with oat milk, and endlessly customisable - with tea, without tea, iced or blended.
Quick answer
Key facts
- Prep: 5 min · Cook: 15 min · Yield: 1 large glass (500 ml)
- Naturally purple from 100% pure Ube Nolia ube powder – no dye, no extract
- Vegan- and lactose-free-friendly with oat milk
- Caffeine-free by default (add tea for a real ube milk tea)
- Only 6 core ingredients, no bubble tea shop required
Less than a coffee. Better than a matcha.
With the 5-pack subscription, you get 165 ube lattes at home. Cheaper than a café - and delivered to your door.
What Is Ube Bubble Tea (Ube Boba)?
Ube bubble tea, also called ube boba or ube milk tea, is a cold drink built like a classic Taiwanese boba but coloured and flavoured with real Ube Nolia ube powder. Chewy black tapioca pearls sit at the bottom of the glass in brown sugar syrup, ice goes on top, and creamy purple ube milk is poured over - the syrup streaks up the walls for the signature brown-and-purple look.
Ube brings a natural vanilla and toasted hazelnut flavour that pairs perfectly with the caramelised brown sugar and the chewy pearls. Because the colour comes from the powder itself, there is no need for artificial dye or ube extract.
Ube boba is often confused with taro milk tea - they look similar but taste very different. See our full comparison: ube vs taro.
Ingredients for Ube Bubble Tea (1 Large Glass)
Ube Bubble Tea – 1 large glass (500 ml)
- • 50g black tapioca pearls (boba)
- • 3 tbsp dark brown sugar (for the syrup)
- • 3 tbsp water (for the syrup)
- • 250 ml oat milk (or any milk of choice)
- • 1 heaped tsp Ube Nolia ube powder (about 3g)
- • 1 tsp maple syrup or sugar, to taste
- • Ice cubes, to serve
A 100g pouch of Ube Nolia ube powder makes around 33 ube bubble teas – or 33 lattes.
Key Ingredient Notes: Ube, Boba & Brown Sugar
- Ube powder: real Ube Nolia purple yam powder from Dagupan and Urdaneta in the Philippines. 100% pure, no dye, no added sugar.
- Black tapioca pearls (boba): classic dried pearls, cooked from raw (12-15 min) or the quick-cook variety (5 min). Cook fresh for best chew.
- Dark brown sugar: muscovado or dark brown sugar gives the deep caramel notes of a « tiger sugar » style boba.
- Milk: oat milk is our #1 pick – creamy and neutral, it lets the ube shine. Coconut, soy or whole dairy also work great.
How to Make Ube Bubble Tea: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Cook the Tapioca Pearls
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the black tapioca pearls, stir once so nothing sticks to the bottom, and cook 12-15 minutes (or per your pack). Drain and rinse briefly under cold water.
Pro Tip: use plenty of water – at least 6 times the volume of the pearls – so they cook evenly and stay bouncy, never gummy.
Step 2: Make the Brown Sugar Syrup
In a small pan over medium heat, dissolve 3 tbsp of dark brown sugar in 3 tbsp of water until you get a shiny syrup (about 2 minutes). Off the heat, tumble the cooked pearls into the syrup and leave them to soak while you prepare the ube milk.
Step 3: Whisk the Ube Milk
Warm 50 ml of the oat milk. Whisk in 1 heaped tsp of Ube Nolia ube powder until fully dissolved into a smooth deep-purple paste, then whisk in the remaining cold oat milk and 1 tsp of maple syrup (or sugar) to taste.
Pro Tip: for a real ube milk tea version, steep 1 bag of black or oolong tea in the warm milk for 3 minutes before whisking in the ube powder.
Step 4: Assemble the Glass
Spoon the syrup-soaked pearls into a tall glass. Using the back of a spoon, streak some of the leftover syrup up the inside walls of the glass to get the signature brown sugar « tiger » lines. Add ice cubes on top of the pearls.
Step 5: Pour the Purple Ube Milk
Slowly pour the ube milk over the ice so it layers over the dark pearls. Add a wide boba straw, stir once and drink straight away while the pearls are still warm and chewy and the milk is ice-cold.
Pro Tips for the Perfect Ube Bubble Tea
- Cook pearls fresh: cooked tapioca hardens in the fridge. Cook a small batch each time.
- Whisk the ube powder into warm milk first to avoid any lumps.
- Use dark brown sugar or muscovado for the caramel « tiger sugar » effect on the glass walls.
- Pour over ice slowly to get clean purple-over-brown-over-black layers.
- Wide boba straw: essential to actually sip the tapioca pearls.
Vegan, Caffeine & Sweetness Swaps
- Vegan & lactose-free: use oat, soy, coconut or almond milk. Tapioca and brown sugar are naturally vegan.
- With caffeine (real ube milk tea): steep 1 bag of black or oolong tea in the warm milk before whisking in the ube.
- Less sweet: use only 1 tbsp of brown sugar for the syrup and skip the maple syrup in the ube milk.
- No cook / speed version: use quick-cook tapioca (5 min) or ready-to-use popping boba.
- Blended ube boba slushie: blend the ube milk with a big handful of ice, then pour over the syrupy pearls.
Ube Bubble Tea vs Taro Milk Tea
Ube boba and taro milk tea look similar but taste and feel very different. Taro milk tea is beige-lilac, starchy and neutral. Ube bubble tea is a deep natural purple, creamier and sweeter, with vanilla and toasted hazelnut notes. Ube is a purple yam from the Philippines; taro is a totally different root.
Full breakdown: ube vs taro. Curious about the taste? Read what does ube taste like.
Why Use Real Ube Powder (Not Extract or Colouring)
Most viral ube boba drinks in coffee shops rely on artificial colouring or ube extract. Ube Nolia ube powder is 100% pure, single-origin purple yam from Dagupan and Urdaneta in the Philippines – nothing added:
- Natural deep purple colour from anthocyanins, plant-based antioxidants
- Authentic flavour with natural vanilla and toasted hazelnut notes
- Clean label: no artificial dye, no flavouring, no added sugar
- Consistent colour and taste in every glass – ideal for photo-perfect boba
Read more about the nutritional benefits of ube powder.
