Instant Pot Mango Bubble Tea

Bubble tea, also known as pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea, or Boba, is a tea based drink. It is commonly made of tea accompanied by chewy tapioca balls (Boba /pearls/ sabudana), and other toppings. This yummy and super refreshing Iced Bubble Tea is flavored with the most popular Mango fruit. It’s super easy to make this bubble tea at home, and you’re going to love it! The best part, mango bubble tea is perfect for the hot summer days. It’s definitely one of the best flavor in bubble tea. Recipe includes detailed recipe instructions for making the mango bubble tea using the Instant Pot with stepwise pictures, a video guide, instructions to make the bubble tea with many other variations, and how to cook the tapioca pearls on the stove top.

Without a doubt, mangoes are one of the most popular fruits, It has an amazingly sweet taste with each bite. What better idea than to make it into a very refreshing mango bubble tea? The recipe below is made with fresh mangoes puree mixed with the right amount of milk and tea.

What is bubble tea ?

What is tapioca pearls ?

What other variations can be made apart from what is given in the recipe ( Mango bubble /boba milk tea recipe given below)?

Tea flavors – In this recipe I have used black tea, other varieties teas you can substitute are green tea, Jasmine white tea,  oolong tea or feel free to try with your favorite flavored teas. Make sure to use tea bags because in this recipe I pressure cooked the tea bags, and later discard it ( it’s easier if using tea bags). Add the mentioned quantity of tea bags in the recipe, else the drink will taste slightly bitter ( overpowering tea flavor) and the color of the mango bubble milk tea will change.

Notes – If making tea separately, and later adding it to the milk and boba , the process of making the bubble tea is different from the given recipe. You need make the tea separately, cook the boba separately and then stir in milk and sweetener to the tea and serve the milk tea with cooked boba.

Ice and sweetness level – Adding the amount of ice and sugar in the drink is completely based on ones preference ( drink tastes best with normal or extra ice).  In this recipe I used honey and sweetened condensed milk to sweeten the tea and did not add any sugar. Make sure to add the specified quantity of sweetener mentioned in the recipe, taste and add more if required.

Milk variations – In this recipe I used condensed milk which I personally feel gave the best and same bubble tea taste like the once they sell. Others options you can substitute the condensed milk with is powdered milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, 2% milk, skim milk, or evaporated milk.

Fruits and flavors variations – I used fresh ripe mangoes ( super sweet Indian variety mango from Indian market in USA). I made a smooth puree without any fiber and used it in the recipe. When fresh mangoes are not available, a lot of times I use store-bought mango pulp ( puree consistency is perfect with store brought pulp) which is readily available in the market or Amazon online, which is perfect to make fruit bubble tea for any season. Feel free to try with your favorite fruit flavors, either with fresh fruit puree or canned fruit puree. If making fresh fruit puree, make sure to puree well without any fiber ( some mangoes do have fiber, make sure to strain well) or use a strainer to get smooth puree consistency.

Notes – If using fresh fruit puree and if the puree is thick, then slightly dilute the consistency by adding water, else the fruit flavor will be overpowering in the drink. 

Tapioca pearls – I used black tapioca pearls – black sugar flavor ( ready in 5 minutes , sold in Amazon online). You can buy other tapioca black pearls too, or what ever is available / currently in stock in Amazon online. Few suggestions available in Amazon online – Wufuyuan – colorful tapioca pearls , Wufuyuan – tapioca pearl black. Make sure to buy large black tapioca pearls , which is bright in color when added in the teas and the texture is better felt when drinking the tea, when compared to the smaller variety pearls.

Notes – I do not recommend small tapioca pearls for making the bubble tea, as the beauty of this drink is the boba /pearls . 

How to make Black bubble Milk tea or other flavor milk tea without adding fruit flavor / puree?

How to make Black bubble tea or other flavor bubble tea without milk and fruit flavors ?

Serving Suggestions 

• For Spoon about three tablespoons ( or add to your preference) of refrigerated tapioca pearls (soaked in honey) in a glass. Add ice cubes and pour in the mango milk tea / black milk tea / black tea mixture , use the straws specially made for Boba teas. Serve immediately for best taste.
• Bubble tea can be served hot or cold beverage.

Storing Suggestions

Package instructions suggests to eat tapioca pearls within 4 hours after cooking it.  If you are planning to serve it later, then refrigerate the pressure cooked boba and honey mixed to the boba in the fridge for up to 4 hours. And the prepared mango milk tea separately in the refrigerator.  When serving, remove from the fridge and serve according to the serving suggestions.

What straws to use to drink the bubble tea?

You need a jumbo bubble tea straws which are wide enough to easily sip the bobas (tapioca pearls) with your drink. When you buy tapioca pearls in Amazon online, they sell the boba straws with them as a package. If you are buying them separately, buy the wide fat boba straws specially made for bubble teas and milkshakes.

Yield from the recipe

This recipe yields 1 quart of mango milk tea and serves 2 to 3.

How to cook the tapioca pearls on the stove top ? ( Please scroll down for the Instant Pot version)

• Boil 10 cups of water for every 1 cup of tapioca pearls in a large pot. Add tapioca slowly into boiling water pot and stir lightly.
• Wait until tapioca floats to water surface. Cover pot. Cook in medium heat for 2 – 3 minutes . Turn off heat and simmer another 2 – 3 minutes ( adjust time to soften tapioca to personal tastes).
• Scoop out tapioca and let it rest in cold water for 20 seconds. Scoop out tapioca into dry bowl and mix in sugar or honey.
• Add the prepared tapioca on hot or cold beverages like milk tea or coffee or into desserts.
• Note – After opening package, please refrigerate unused portion. For other variety tapioca pearls, please follow cooking instructions given behind the package before cooking them.

Other Drinks Recipe from the blog,

• Instant Pot Mulled Pomegranate – Apple Cider

Instant Pot recipe, I’ve listed few below. For the complete list of recipes, check the link here – Instant Pot

• Instant Pot Beetroot Halwa – Dessert Recipe
• Wow Bao Spicy Kung Pao Chicken Bao – Instant Pot – A complete guide
• Best Instant Pot Chicken Biryani Recipe
• Chipotle Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice Instant Pot
• Easy Pizza Dough Recipe Instant Pot – A complete guide
• Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe

Find below the video of how to make the Mango Bubble Tea Using the Instant Pot

Step by step pictures of how to make the mango bubble (Boba) milk tea using the Instant Pot?

Ingredients required – water, Boba pearls , black tea bags , condensed milk , honey, mango puree and ice cubes as required.

Pressure Cook using the Instant Pot

I used Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus 8 Quart for pressure cooking. Place the inner pot into the Instant Pot. Add mentioned amount of water , Boba pearls and tea bags to the inner pot and stir. Close the LID of the Instant Pot .

Press the PRESSURE COOK mode on HIGH power, and SET CUSTOM time to “FIVE” minutes. SEAL the Pressure Valve ( this model IP automatically seals the vent). Switch off the KEEP WARM MODE ( light should not be on in the keep warm mode). Now press START. After the pressure cooking is done. Press CANCEL . Wait for NPR (natural pressure release) leave the quick release switch in the SEAL position for “THREE” minutes. Then do QPR (quick pressure release) by moving quick release switch from SEAL TO VENT to release any remaining pressure.

After the steam is released, open the lid of the instant pot. Remove the tea bags and discard them. SCOOP OUT THE BOBA PEARLS in a bowl

Mix the Boba pearls with the mentioned quantity of honey and refrigerate ( Boba – honey mixture) it for “TEN” minutes ( this allows the Boba pearls to absorb the honey).

Now add condensed milk to the pressure cooked tea and stir well ( If you want to have black bubble milk tea without flavoring it with fruit puree , then stop here and serve it as Boba milk tea with refrigerated Boba pearls and ice cubes).

For flavored mango milk tea, proceed adding the mango puree to the tea and condensed milk mixture, stir well , mango flavored milk tea is ready now.

How to serve mango bubble milk tea ?

Spoon about three tablespoons ( or add to your preference) of refrigerated tapioca pearls (soaked in honey) in a glass. Add ice cubes and pour in the mango milk tea mixture , use the straws specially made for Boba teas. Serve immediately for best taste.