Keto Boba Tea Pearls
Think you can’t have boba tea on the keto diet? Think again! This sugar free, homemade substitute is cheaper and better for you.
If boba tea is a treat that you miss having on keto, try this sugar free bubble tea version. While most boba tea is not keto friendly because of the large amount of sugar put in the drink, this is a great no sugar added alternative. Not to mention this is a low calorie option to boba tea, since most at a milk tea shop tend to be very high in calories.
Using our sugar free honey, you can make a keto pearl that’s just like a tapioca ball that is sweet and full of flavor without all the carbs. You can even customize the flavor using our other delicious sugar free syrups. A sugar free maple boba tea sounds very good, doesn't it?
To make this a keto-friendly bubble tea, we’ve replaced the tapioca (from the cassava root) with gelatin. That’s because they are made of starch which is high in carbohydrates and not good for a keto diet. Reducing the carbs also helps bring down the calorie content, which makes this a very nice keto drink (that’s also kind of a snack).
Also, it is so much fun to make keto boba pearls at home. We promise you’ve never made anything like this and you’ll feel like a scientist in the kitchen creating it.
Jump to recipe sections:
- What is boba tea?
- What’s the difference between bubble tea and boba tea?
- What kinds of boba pearls are there?
- How is this boba tea keto friendly?
- Is it cheaper to make your own boba?
- What makes this boba tea sugar free?
- A gelatin-free bubble tea alternative.
- How do I change the color of boba pearls?
- What are some of the benefits of sugar free boba tea?
- Customize your boba drink.
- How do I serve bubble tea?
What is boba tea?
Boba tea, or bubble tea, originated in Taiwan when some culinary masters realized that they could take their tapioca dessert and put it into a drink. Originally served with iced-tea, they would create soft balls of tapioca and place them at the bottom of the glass and cover with cold tea. The boba is also usually served with a large straw so you can get a little tea and a little boba in one happy slurp. Needless to say, this beautiful drink became a hit worldwide and shops started popping up everywhere.
Now there’s a bunch of different variations of the boba tea drink. You can get it in jelly form, in tiny boba balls, or even served in iced coffee. How did boba tea become so popular so fast? It’s totally perfect for social media. These unique drinks look like works of art, so why wouldn’t you want to put it on Instagram?
What’s the difference between bubble tea and boba tea?
Boba tea and bubble tea are two names for the same delicious drink! Depending on where you live, it might be called something different. What do they call boba tea from where you’re from?
What kinds of boba pearls are there?
The kinds of boba pearls that are the most common are black, clear, flavored/colored, popping and mini. The most common type of boba is black boba, which is made from the cassava root. Brown sugar and caramel coloring helps to create the dark color that you see in the pearls at the bottom of drinks. Clear boba is just the starch from the root. The most common types of flavored boba are mango and strawberry, where you coat and cook boba in a flavored syrup. Popping boba is not tapioca. In fact, it is made using molecular gastronomy. Flavored fruit juices are mixed with powdered sodium alginate to create these delicate boba balls. When you bite into them, real fruit juice comes out! Mini boba is a smaller version of these boba types! It’s a lot easier to chew, so it’s a great option if you are struggling with the size of regular boba balls.
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How is this boba tea keto friendly?
Traditional boba tea is created from the cassava root, which is turned into a starch to create tapioca. As you can imagine, starch usually means it’s not keto friendly. Tapioca is full of carbs and low in fats, which isn’t beneficial for a low carb diet. Not to mention, most bubble teas are served with added sugar and often have lychee juice which would get in the way of hitting your daily macros.
To make these boba pearls keto friendly, we’ve swapped out tapioca for gelatin and added in avocado oil. This healthy fat is chilled in the freezer, then we drop the boba pearls into the chilled oil to quickly form the boba pearls. Once the pearls are ready to go, you add them to the bottom of the glass, pour on your iced-tea and add a keto-friendly cream.
Is it cheaper to make your own boba?
Yes, it is way cheaper to make boba at home! Plus, you can customize your sugar free bubble tea to use ingredients that you love.
What makes this boba tea sugar free?
To make this bubble tea sugar free, we use our sugar free honey. It’s sweetened with monk fruit instead of sugar and contains no erythritol or other artificial sweeteners. We also add healthy dietary fiber that will help make you feel full for longer.
A gelatin-free bubble tea alternative.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you may not want to include gelatin in your diet. If that’s the case, you can substitute natural agar agar powder, which is derived from seaweed and full of healthy fiber.
How do I change the color of boba pearls?
Maybe you want some dark, traditional boba pearls. Or maybe you want to try a lighter, more easy going version. In order to change the color of your boba, you simply change up the strength of your tea. Since these boba pearls are made in black tea, you can let the tea leaves steep for longer in the hot water. Or you can even use more. If you would like the boba pearls to be a light color so you can add food coloring, use a more neutral color tea such as oolong.
Please note: This will also change the taste of the boba balls, but if you like the taste of the tea flavor, you will like the taste in boba form as well!
What are some of the benefits of sugar free boba tea?
Having sugar free tea means you get to enjoy a treat without any sugar crashes. The tea becomes a nice energy boost instead of creating jitters or falling asleep at your desk around 3pm. Tea itself is also very beneficial for the body. Studies show that tea containing antioxidants can boost heart health and improve metabolism.
Customize your boba drink.
If you’ve ever been to a bubble tea shop, you might have noticed all the different varieties of drinks they serve. There’s plenty of ways to customize your tea, such as changing up the type of tea you serve your boba in or adding different types of creamer to your drink. We also suggest checking out our different flavors of sugar free syrup like strawberry or caramel.
You can also add berries, fruit-flavored electrolytes, or pour on some keto coffee. The keto boba tea options are endless.
How do I serve bubble tea?
Arguably the most important part of bubble tea is the presentation. We suggest serving in a clear glass so you can see the boba tea pearls in your drink. Another great tip is to buy colorful smoothie straws so that you can fashionably suck up the bubble pearls.
