Assam Milk Tea Recipe

Assam milk tea is a popular drink brewed using leaves from the Assam region in India. Assam leaves are also a key component of many bubble tea recipes, so this is for boba tea lovers.

We’ve experimented with several different ingredient ratios to develop our easy recipe. You can choose to add or remove the boba pearls. We'll also introduce a spice-filled Assam milk tea variant, which pays homage to the Assam region and is perfect for festive or special occasions.

Try our versatile recipe for a quick fix, and it’s perfectly customisable to your liking.

Jump to:

• What Is It Made Of?
• What Does Assam Milk Tea Taste Like?
• Assam Milk Tea Ingredients
• How To Make Assam Milk Tea Boba
• Assam Milk Tea Recipe
• Cooking Tips
• Ingredient Substitutes
• Adding Spices

What Is It Made Of?

Assam milk tea is made of loose Assam black tea leaves, water, and sweetened condensed milk. You can customise our recipe to suit your preference for sweetness and cream levels. You can also add tapioca pearls to turn into a bubble tea drink. While it is optional for our recipe, it is a great way to jazz up your refreshing drink.

Due to its caffeine content, this beverage is perfect for that morning or mid-day slump. Yet, it is also an ideal soothing drink that can promote relaxation and reduce stress. 

What Does Assam Milk Tea Taste Like?

Assam tea without milk has a strong, malty, almost bitter taste. However, this strong and dark base makes it great as a base for milk tea as you add dairy and sweeteners to it. When made into a milk tea, it becomes a bittersweet and creamy drink with a great flavour range, that is satisfying to drink.

Assam black milk tea's robust flavour profile is the perfect canvas for other recipes such as taro milk tea. You can also use fresh fruits like strawberries and you're one step closer to making strawberry milk tea.

Assam Milk Tea Ingredients

To make this classic drink, Assam milk tea ingredients include:

• Assam black tea leaves
• Water
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Sweetener

Assam Tea

Assam black leaves have a bold and malty taste. If we're being particular, we recommend using loose leaves rather than tea bags. Loose leaves generally have a more complex and nuanced flavour.

They are typically higher quality, with fewer broken or crushed leaves that can release bitterness and astringency. However, to be frank, we usually opt for tea bags as they're easier to keep in our pantry and make for a quicker clean-up afterwards, too. 

Loose leaves also have more room to expand and infuse in water, allowing for a fuller and richer flavour. Additionally, it is often more environmentally friendly as it can be purchased in bulk. 

Sweetened Condensed Milk

We use sweetened condensed milk in our recipe because this makes adjusting the drink's colour more manageable. A crucial part of the recipe is getting the rich brown, reddish hue.

If you prefer whole dairy, we recommend replacing the sweetened condensed milk with ¼ cup of whole milk and one tablespoon of sugar. A similar ratio is recommended if you're using plant milk as well. However, please note that the drink will not be as creamy as when you use condensed milk.

Sweetener (Optional)

As the sweetened condensed milk is already sweet, we won't add any additional sweetener to our recipe. However, if you prefer, you can add simple syrup or brown sugar syrup.

Using a natural sweetener like honey or stevia could be a healthier option. Two to three teaspoons of honey should suffice per serving. Do refer to the conversion chart on the package for stevia, as the amount depends on the brand and type of stevia.

How To Make Assam Milk Tea Boba

To make Assam milk tea boba, add boba pearls and ice. We recommend adding regular tapioca pearls. Alternatively, add brown sugar boba, as the chewy texture and subtle flavour perfectly complement the drink. 

We recommend buying store-bought tapioca pearls because making tapioca pearls by hand can be a hassle, especially when you want a quick fix for your drink.

While popping boba adds a fun texture, it is more suitable for fruity beverages like juice and yoghurt. While it seems okay, their boba flavours clash with the bold flavour of the Assam leaves.

Cooking Tips

If your drink is too thin, it might be tempting to add more leaves, but we do not recommend it. The taste would be too strong and bitter, and the caffeine content would be too overpowering. If you want to reduce the calorie count, use a low-fat or non-dairy alternative using the prior ratio.

Ingredient Substitutes

We recommend Ceylon leaves as substitutes. They have a full-bodied flavour with a rich, robust taste similar to the Assam kind. 

Earl Grey will also be an excellent substitute if you want to make a strong and malty tea base. However, please note that bergamot oil in its leaves gives it a citrusy taste note to its bold aroma. The leaves also have similar caffeine content. You can use the same recipe as Assam milk tea but substitute Earl Grey leaves.

What to Avoid

While many types are available, not all may be suitable substitutes for Assam tea due to differences in flavour, aroma, and body. Here are some of the teas that may be better substitutes for this recipe.

• Green tea: Its flavour is lighter and more delicate compared to the bold and malty flavour of Assam. However, it may not provide the same richness and robustness that Assam tea offers.
• White tea: White tea is known for its subtle and delicate flavour. It lacks the strong, full-bodied profile of Assam tea, so it may not be a suitable substitute in terms of taste.
• Herbal teas: Chamomile, peppermint, or rooibos are not technically teas as they don't come from the Camellia sinensis plant. They also have distinct flavours and characteristics that differ from Assam, so they wouldn't provide a similar taste experience.
• Darjeeling: While Darjeeling is another black tea like Assam tea, it has a much lighter and more floral flavour profile. It may not offer the same robustness and maltiness as Assam, making it less suitable as a substitute.

Taste preferences vary from person to person, so we recommend experimenting with different leaf types. More experiments will lead you to find your perfect cup. If you prefer a more balanced milk tea, we recommend using our regular bubble tea recipe that blends Assam, Oolong and Ceylon.

Adding Spices

We recommend adding these spices if you're craving something with a spicy kick, or it's for a special occasion, or if you're feeling festive.

Adding these spices is optional, but we decided to share them as it's fun to make occasionally, especially during the cold winter and autumn months.

Spices like star anise, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and nutmeg would be a perfect kick for the drink. Here are the specific measurements for 1 cup (250 ml cup)

Spices

• ¼ teaspoon ground star anise (Or ½ whole star anise)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (Or ½ cinnamon stick)
• ¼ teaspoon ground ground cloves (Or 3 pieces whole cloves)
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla concentrate

1. Bring water to a boil with the spices. Add the tea bag. 
2. Cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Pour the brew through a strainer into a cup. Enjoy with sweetened condensed milk.

This spice blend is different from Masala chai or Karak chai, but it is closer to a Christmasy drink. You may customise your blend, creating your personalised recipe for this drink. The spices will refresh and rejuvenate your mind and body after a long, stressful day.

You may skip the spices if the flavour is too overwhelming. However, ¼ teaspoons of vanilla are just the perfect sweet spice to add a new flavour dimension to the soothing beverage. 

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