This is a simple recipe for Real Taro Milk Bubble Tea using cooked, mashed taro rather than artificial powder flavouring. It's easy to whip up and lightly sweetened with condensed milk.
My favourite bubble tea while I was in University was taro milk bubble tea.
I usually opted for the artificial powdered stuff -- the smell was so sweet! It was only later that I realized that the real deal taro tastes so much better!
So here's my quick and easy recipe for real (not the powdered stuff!) Taro Milk Bubble Tea!
What is taro?
Taro is a starchy root vegetable with a brown skin and beige/light purple interior with purple flecks.
It's used in many Asian dishes, savoury or sweet.
I use taro in my Bubur Cha Cha, and it is commonly used in taro pastries (wu gok), or steamed taro cake (wu tao goh).
You can find taro root in Asian supermarkets.
How to make it
First, cook the taro.
You'll only need 50g of cooked taro, so it's not very much.
You can save the rest of the taro for another application.
Cook the taro
You can cook taro by boiling it in water or microwaving it.
Boil:
Peel the taro, cut into small chunk and boil it in water, until fork tender.
Microwave:
Peel and cut the taro in small chunks, and place it into a small bowl with a little splash of water.
Cover with a lid and microwave for 1-2 minutes, until fork tender.
Mash the taro while it is warm. If it's dry, add a splash of water to help it along.
Make the drink
Next, blend together the mashed taro, condensed milk, vanilla extract and almond milk (or milk of choice).
To colour the drink purple, add in purple sweet potato powder (optional).
Blend together until smooth.
Add the cooked boba pearls to a drinking glass.
Fill with ice, and pour the blended taro milk over top.
Serve immediately.
Note on purple colour
Taro root does not have a vibrant purple colour.
We're "conditioned" to think that taro flavour = lilac or pale purple colour!
To achieve the purple colour naturally, I used purple sweet potato powder.
You can omit the purple sweet potato powder, and you'll have a more beige/pale chalky colour, which is perfectly fine.
How to serve & store
Enjoy the Taro Milk Bubble Tea immediately.
You can place the bubble tea in the fridge if not enjoying right away, however, it is best enjoyed on the same day it's made.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these other delicious recipes:
Homemade Bubble Tea Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
CoCo-Inspired Egg Custard Bubble Tea
Let me know if you try out this simple recipe! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Real Taro Milk Bubble Tea
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon mashed taro
- 2-3 tablespoon condensed milk or sweeten to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ - ½ C almond milk or milk of your choice
- 1 tablespoon purple sweet potato powder for colour, optional
- ice cubes
- 1 batch Homemade boba pearls
Instructions
- In a high-powered blender, add the mashed, cooked taro, condensed milk, vanilla extract and almond milk (or milk of your choice), along with the purple sweet potato powder (if using). Blend until smooth.
- Add boba pearls to a drinking glass, fill with ice, and pour the blended taro milk over top.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
David @ Spiced
Interesting! I didn't realize that taro doesn't have a natural purple color - I've never looked into it enough to know! Now I'm intrigued. Laura loves (!!) bubble tea, and I think it would be fun to make this recipe for her using real taro. The look is stunning!
Michelle
Thank you David -- it's funny how so many commercial products tout taro to have this "lilac/purple" colour!
D. Lin
This was delicious. I did increase the taro about 15g more since I like a strong taro taste.
Michelle
Thanks for your feedback! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Gail Montero Raines
I love bubble tea especially one made with taro so I'm happy to find this tasty recipe to try! YAY!
Michelle
Awesome, hope you love it Gail 🙂
Biana
I like bubble tea, and this one looks amazing! Looking forward to making it soon.
Chenée
This is such a treat! Love that I can make my own with real taro! Can't wait to try this!
Kim Guzman
It looks incredible! Thanks for the tip on adding the purple sweet potato flour. I had never heard of it and it seems like a fun ingredient.
whitney
Love sweet potato flour!! This recipe is a great use for it. I would like to know, do you eat the boba pearls after and do they have nutritional value?
Michelle
Yes, the boba pearls are edible -- unfortunately, they do not have much nutritional value as it's primarily starch. But they're fun to eat since the texture is chewy. 🙂
Beth Sachs
We just LOVED the colour of this taro milk bubble tea. It's a new favourite of my 14-year-old daughter.
Bintu | Budget Delicious
This sounds like such a delicious bubble tea and I love the colour of it too - so vibrant!
Kim at Three Olives Branch
So yummy, and just love how pretty the purple is! So fun to drink.
Toni
This is so delish!! I really love taro flavor!!
Alicia O'Brien
This is absolutely delicious but where is the 'tea'?
Michelle
This particular version doesn't contain tea. You can certainly add cooled green tea and blend it together with the taro if you like.
Wanda
Love that you make your own boba! Can't wait to try this recipe, we love bubble tea!
Momo
Hi, which brand do you use for sweet purple powder? Thanks!
Michelle
Hi Momo, I use Suncore's purple sweet potato powder.
Linsey
Beautiful taro milk bubble tea! I added extra taro as I like stronger taro taste too. Delicious!!
Mariet
So happy to find your recipe for homemade taro milk! I use it for making my favorite wintertime drink: HOT coco/taro boba tea 🙂
Add full fat coconutmilk instead of almondmilk. So far I did not use the purple powder, will try that asap as I love the color.