If you’re craving for a spicy-sweet beverage, then this AIP masala chai mini bubble tea is right up your alley. Ready in 30 minutes with only 8 readily available ingredients. Can’t get any better, right?
Did you know?
- Although ‘chai’ means ‘tea,’ people often call this beverage ‘chai tea’ or ‘chai tea latte’ which basically means ‘tea tea.’ That’s why in India they call it ‘masala chai.’ Now you know 😉.
- Regular chai is made of tea and milk while masala chai consists of tea, milk, and any spices of your choice.
To make AIP chai, you need 4 primary ingredients:
- Black tea or vanilla black tea
- Dairy-free milk such as tigernut milk or coconut milk
- A sweetener such as coconut sugar or raw honey
- Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and ginger
And to spice things up a little, this recipe also features some mini bubble tea. Some of you may know it as ‘tapioca pearls.’ These small white pearls add some chewiness to an otherwise normal chai. Ready to give it a try?
Good to know: This AIP masala chai mini bubble tea can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Have you ever tried chai or bubble tea before? Let us know in the comments below.
This recipe was created by Sooraya (from The Strategic RD) for A Squirrel in the Kitchen.
AIP Masala Chai Bubble Tea (Paleo, Dairy Free)
Ingredients
For the bubble tea:
- ⅛ cup raw, small white tapioca pearls
- 2 cups water
For the masala chai:
- ½ -inch knob fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 4 teaspoons vanilla black tea
- 1⅔ cups water
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- Ice cubes (optional)
Instructions
To make the bubble tea:
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.
- Gently add the tapioca pearls to the boiling water and stir.
- Cook on medium heat for 15-25 minutes. Using a spatula, stir every 5 minutes to prevent the pearls from sticking to one another. If all the water has evaporated and the pearls are still white, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time and stir. Repeat if needed until they’re cooked and have absorbed all the water.
- Once the pearls become translucent with no white dots in the center, remove them from the heat. Note: Not adding liquid to the cooked tapioca pearls as soon as you remove them from the heat will cause them to stick to one another.
To make the masala chai:
- When the tapioca pearls are nearly cooked, take out a second saucepan.
- Place the slices of ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, tea, and water in the saucepan. Bring them to a boil on medium heat.
- Let the chai steep for bout 5 minutes.
- Using a sieve, drain the chai and let it cool down.
To assemble the masala cahi mini bubble tea:
- Place the cooked tapioca pearls into a drinking mason jar/serving glass.
- Add some honey (and ice cubes if using) followed by the brewed vanilla black tea.
- Pour coconut milk on top of the tea.
- Stir well and enjoy with a straw!
Notes
1. Tapioca pearls are also known as ‘sago seeds’ and ‘granulated tapioca.’
2. Some brands of tapioca pearls cook faster than others. So, if there are cooking instructions on your packet of tapioca pearls, it’s better to follow them.
3. Tapioca pearls quickly absorb water. Not using enough water will cause them to be super sticky.
4. Tapioca pearls become slightly bigger when cooked.
5. The strength of your chai depends hugely on what tea you use. So, adjust the quantities as needed.
6. Feel free to adjust the ratio of the vanilla black tea to the coconut milk depending on how strong or milky you like your chai.
7. Adjust the amount of honey depending on how sweet you like your chai.
8. Looking for a super spicy tea? Use 3 small cinnamon sticks, 10 whole cloves, and about 2-inch cube fresh ginger root.
9. For a cold chai, you can:
- use ice cubes, or
- cold coconut milk, or
- refrigerate your drink for about 2 hours before serving it
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Can you please give a source or 2 for the small white tapioca pearls? Are you talking about the ones used to make tapioca pudding? I am confused at the array of pearls out there! Thank you!
I use these >>> https://amzn.to/3dcFt61
Thank you!
I believe the tapioca that is linked above is too small. The granules make a tapioca pudding. The small pearls is what is needed for this recipe, otherwise it’s not bubble tea.
Looking forward to trying this recipe! I can imagine all the flavors really coming together well.
Is there a product recommendation for the tapioca pearls?? I found some on Amazon, but would prefer to purchase on tried and true by you 🙂
I use these >>> https://amzn.to/3dcFt61