What is ube bubble tea made of?

Black tapioca pearls in brown sugar syrup topped with creamy ube milk - milk whisked with real Ube Nolia ube powder. Add ice and drink straight away.

Is ube bubble tea vegan?

Yes, easy to make 100% vegan with oat, soy, coconut or almond milk. Tapioca pearls and brown sugar are naturally vegan.

Does ube bubble tea contain caffeine?

By default no. For a real ube milk tea, steep a bag of black or oolong tea in the warm milk before whisking in the ube powder.

Ube boba vs taro milk tea?

Taro milk tea is beige-lilac, starchy, neutral. Ube bubble tea is deep natural purple, creamier and sweeter with vanilla and toasted biscuit notes.

How much ube powder per glass?

About 1 heaped tsp (3g) per 250 ml of milk. A 100g Ube Nolia pouch makes ~33 ube bubble teas.

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.

Ube bubble tea recipe – purple yam boba milk tea with tapioca pearls | Ube Nolia

Updated on July 29, 2026

Quick answer

Ube bubble tea (also called ube boba or ube milk tea) is a cold Taiwanese-style drink made by pouring creamy ube milk - milk whisked with real Ube Nolia ube powder - over chewy black tapioca pearls soaked in brown sugar syrup. It is naturally bright purple, caffeine-free by default and easy to make vegan with oat milk.

Key Takeaways

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

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Servings: 1 large glass (500 ml)
Difficulty: Easy
Dietary: Vegan option

Ube Nolia 100% pure ube powder pouch, natural ube from the Philippines

Ube Nolia Powder

From €0.44 / ube latte

Discover Ube Powder

Less than a coffee. Better than a matcha.

With the 5-pack you get 165 ube lattes at home. Cheaper than a café, delivered to your door.

This recipe is made with ube powder from Ube Nolia, the #1 natural ube brand from the Philippines. Discover our buy ube powder, 100% pure: no coloring, no additives, no added sugar. One 100 g pouch makes 33 ube lattes.

Looking for ube powder? Ube Nolia sells 100% pure ube from the Philippines, with no coloring, no additives and no added sugar.

New to purple yam? Read our complete guide: What is ube? - origin, taste, benefits and how to use Ube Nolia ube powder.

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 biscuit 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

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 biscuit 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 biscuit notes
Clean label: no artificial dye, no flavouring, no added sugar
Consistent colour and taste in every glass - ideal for photo-perfect boba

Ube Bubble Tea: A Filipino-Taiwanese Fusion

Ube, known botanically as Dioscorea alata, is a purple yam indigenous to the Philippines. Its vibrant purple hue comes from naturally occurring anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants. Ube is celebrated for its distinctive biscuit and vanilla flavour profile, which makes it a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savoury dishes across Filipino cuisine.

The integration of ube into desserts like this bubble tea reflects a rich culinary history. Spanish colonisation introduced words like "jalea" (jam), influencing dishes like ube halaya, a foundational ube jam. The 20th century saw the widespread adoption of condensed and evaporated milk, further enriching Filipino sweets such as halo-halo and sapin-sapin. The global appreciation for ube's unique taste and colour has led to modern fusions like ube bubble tea, blending traditional Filipino flavours with contemporary beverage trends.

Botanical Name

Dioscorea alata

Origin

Dagupan, Urdaneta, Philippines

Flavour Profile

Biscuit & vanilla

Primary Pigment

Anthocyanins

Ube Bubble Tea Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Fix
Ube milk is lumpy or grainy.	Ube powder was not fully dissolved in cold milk.	Always whisk ube powder into a small amount of warm milk first until completely smooth before adding remaining cold milk.
Tapioca pearls are hard in the centre.	Pearls were undercooked or not cooked in enough water.	Ensure a large pot of boiling water is used and cook pearls for the full 12-15 minutes, or until soft and chewy throughout.
Pearls are sticking together in a clump.	Pearls were not rinsed after cooking or left too long without syrup.	Rinse cooked pearls briefly under cold water to remove excess starch, then immediately transfer to the brown sugar syrup.
Bubble tea lacks sweetness or ube flavour.	Insufficient maple syrup/sugar or ube powder was added.	Adjust maple syrup/sugar to taste in the ube milk and ensure a heaped teaspoon of Ube Nolia ube powder is used for rich flavour.

15+ Ways to Use Ube Nolia Ube Powder

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Breakfast & Snacks 🥣

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Ube Bubble Tea Recipe (Ube Boba)

Less than a coffee. Better than a matcha.

What Is Ube Bubble Tea (Ube Boba)?

Ingredients for Ube Bubble Tea (1 Large Glass)

Key Ingredient Notes: Ube, Boba & Brown Sugar