Earl Grey milk tea combines Earl Grey tea and classic Taiwanese bubble tea. It tastes like black tea but has added citrusy flavour from the bergamot orange. This beverage has rich, malty flavours and subtle, floral undertones. Mixed with milk, they perfectly balance out. The result is a delicious, creamy, sweet drink that you can serve, either hot or cold.
We've created this recipe with as few ingredients and steps as possible. It also contains much less sugar and is more fragrant than store-bought ones.
Anyone can easily recreate this boba drink at home without the price tag and calories. Learn how to make Earl Grey milk tea (warm or iced) at home with our easy recipe.
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Earl Grey Milk Tea Ingredients
Our recipe uses Earl Grey tea, sugar, milk, and tapioca pearls (optional).
Earl Grey
You can use either tea leaves or teabags, depending on your preference or what you think is more convenient. We prefer to use teabags as this is convenient but if you want a stronger taste without increasing the amount of caffeine, we recommend using loose leaves.
Sugar
You can use granulated sugar if you’re making this drink to serve hot. However, if you’re serving this cold, we recommend using a simple syrup so it will dissolve and mix well.
For our recipe, we’re using simple syrup made from white sugar. You can use brown sugar syrup, but we don't recommend it. The toffee-like flavour of brown sugar syrup is quite vivid and will compete with the aroma and taste of Earl Grey. Stick to white sugar or simple syrup, which is neutral-tasting.
Alternatively, you can use natural sweeteners such as agave, maple, or honey. These are healthy alternatives to sugar, especially for older adults who want to limit their sugar intake.
Milk
Our recipe will use whole milk due to its high-fat content. It will provide a creamy and soft texture to your bubble tea, enhancing the overall drink.
However, you can also use plant-based alternatives such as almond, oat, and soy milk. These are suitable alternatives, especially for vegans and vegetarians who want to avoid any animal products.
We still prefer using dairy for Earl Grey milk tea, but if we had to choose plant-based alternative, we would go for soy or almond milk. The creaminess and nuttiness of soy or almond milk pair well with the fragrance of this beverage.
Tapioca pearls
The rich caramel flavour of tapioca pearls and sugar syrup perfectly complements the tea's taste. It is similar to Hong Kong milk tea but with less caffeine.
Tapioca pearls, also known as boba pearls, are optional. However, you can often add them to drinks for a chewy, fun texture. We recommend using quick-cook tapioca pearls, which only require 5 minutes of cooking.
However, following our boba pearls recipe, you can also make your own from scratch. Our favourite is to add brown sugar boba pearls.
Earl Grey Milk Tea Recipe (Warm or Iced)
Ingredients
For the Earl Grey tea base
- 2 teaspoon earl grey tea loose leaf or 2 tea bags
- 1 cup water temperature of 90°C or 195°F
- 3 tablespoon milk
- 3 tablespoon simple syrup
- 2-3 tablespoon tapioca pearls cooked
To make simple syrup
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Brew the Earl Grey tea leaves in hot water to 90°C (or 195°F) for 5 minutes.
- Pour the Earl grey tea into a cup while straining the leaves. If you want to serve it as a cold drink, let it cool down for 10-15 minutes.
- Prepare your simple syrup and tapioca pearls. To make the simple syrup, dissolve 1 part white sugar in 1 part water in a pot on a stove. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, your simple syrup is ready for use. Meanwhile, cook instant tapioca pearls in boiling water for 5 minutes. Then, add the cooked pearls into an ice bath for 1 minute. Your tapioca pearls are now ready for use.
- If you want to make layers of your Earl Grey milk tea, assemble them in this order: Add the tapioca pearls into your glass cup, followed by simple syrup, milk, ice and finally, the tea.
Notes
- Brew Earl Grey with hot water, but avoid boiling water. Boil water in a kettle, and once it's cooked, let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Then, pour the hot water over some Earl Grey tea leaves and brew for 5 minutes. Ideally, we want to brew Earl Grey with water at 90°C (or 195°F).
- Like other black teas like Assam, you can brew longer for a more pungent taste. If you want a vibrant and strong brew, we recommend steeping it for up to 15 minutes.
- We recommend using good quality Earl Grey teas for the best possible flavour.
- Remember to use quick-cook tapioca pearls to reduce your cooking time.
- It would be best to use the tapioca pearls immediately after cooking, as they stiffen over time and do not store well.
- To serve it hot, warm the milk in a saucepan or microwave before adding it.
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimate.
Using Earl Grey Milk Tea Powder
You can use Earl Grey milk tea powder to make this beverage with ease. It is very convenient as you do no need to add additional ingredients such as creamer or sugar.
So, skip the long lines at your local cafés and start making your favourite drink home.
You can also opt for an Earl Grey milk tea kit for a quick and easy-to-prepare beverage. Add hot or cold water (whatever you prefer) to make this drink at your convenience.
However, using a powder pack also means you can’t reduce the sweetness or increase the thickness of the drink significantly.
Cold brew without milk
Some boba shops will serve this boba drink without milk. While it’s not our favourite, without the milk allows you to really taste the cold brew and enjoy a lighter, more refreshing drink.
Other boba toppings
Other boba toppings we love to add that go great with Earl Grey milk tea are grass jelly and sea salt cream cheese foam. We’ve also seen stores add oolong or lavender-infused milk too.
How Many Calories Are In Our Drink?
Our Earl Grey milk tea recipe contains 139 calories per 250ml serving. However, depending on how much sugar syrup, milk and toppings you add, this can easily go up to 400 calories.
Try Thai tea if you prefer sweet and creamy beverages. It is similar to this type of drink but uses black tea and different spices to enhance its distinct flavour profile further.
Follow Honest Food Talks on Instagram @honestfoodtalks for more delicious and refreshing boba recipes. If it's your first time making this recipe, please share your experience with us through the comment section below.
Renee
This came out awesome!!!! I didn't put boba and I drank it cold but this was so awesome it is my new favorite way to drink tea now. Literally sooooooo good. I love it so much