Bubble tea is one of the easier drinks to make dairy-free, because the pearls are already vegan and the milk is the only dairy component in a standard milk tea. Coconut milk is the richest swap and the closest in body to the evaporated milk used in the classic Taiwanese version; soya, almond, oat, rice and hemp all work but are thinner and give the drink less body. If you would rather sidestep milk entirely, a fruit tea made with green tea and juice is dairy-free from the start and does not feel like a compromise.
What is normally in the milk in bubble tea?
Classic Taiwanese milk tea uses evaporated milk, which is why shop-bought versions have that particular thick, slightly sweet, almost creamy body. It is not just dairy, it is concentrated dairy, and that is doing a lot of structural work in the glass.
Understanding that makes the swaps make sense. When people try oat milk for the first time and find the result a bit thin and tea-forward, it is not that the oat milk is wrong; it is that they are comparing it with something considerably richer than ordinary milk. Choose the plant milk that gets closest to that body, or lean into a lighter drink on purpose.
The tapioca pearls themselves are not an issue. The pearls in our kits are vegan, made from tapioca starch, so nothing needs to change there.
Which plant milk works best?
Coconut milk is the richest, and it is the one to reach for if you want a glass that feels like the real thing. It brings its own flavour, which suits black tea very well and goes particularly happily with a caramelly brown sugar syrup. Full-fat tinned coconut milk gives the most body; a carton drink is lighter.
Soya milk is the most neutral of the rest and holds up reasonably in hot tea, which matters if you are making the hot version rather than an iced one. Oat milk is the current favourite for good reason: it is mildly sweet, blends smoothly and does not fight the tea.
Almond, rice and hemp milks are all thinner again. They make a perfectly pleasant drink, closer to a sweetened iced tea with bubbles than to a rich milk tea, and if that is what you like then they are the right answer rather than a lesser one. Barista-style versions of any of these tend to have more body and behave better against hot tea.
How do you make a dairy-free milk tea?
The method does not change at all, which is the good news.
- Brew the tea strong. Milk tea is built on a concentrated brew, because milk and ice are both about to dilute it. A weak brew tastes of milk rather than tea.
- Sweeten the tea while it is hot. Sugar dissolves properly in hot tea and barely at all in cold, so add syrup or sugar before it cools.
- Cool it before the milk goes in. Hot tea straight onto a plant milk is the main cause of curdling and splitting, particularly with soya and almond.
- Boil and soak the pearls last. Cooked pearls keep about four hours covered in syrup in the fridge and are much better fresh, so they should be the final job.
- Build the glass. Pearls first, then ice, then tea, then the milk poured over the top for the layered look.
Our Bubble Tea Kit, Boba Milk Tea makes four large glasses of Taiwanese style milk tea, iced or hot, and comes with loose leaf black tea, tapioca starch for making your own pearls and ready-made pearls for when you are short of time. The milk and the sugar are what you add, so the dairy-free decision is entirely yours from the start.
What if you would rather skip milk altogether?
Then make fruit tea, which is the other half of the bubble tea world and is dairy-free by design. Green tea blended with fresh juice is lovely, bright and much lighter than a milk tea, and it takes the same pearls.
Our Bubble Tea Kit, Black and Green Tea with Fruit Syrups makes about eight large glasses as milk tea or fruit tea, with loose leaf black and green tea, mango and strawberry syrups, tapioca starch and ready-made pearls. You add milk or fruit juice, ice and sugar to taste, so you can make a dairy-free mango fruit tea one evening and a coconut milk tea the next from the same box.
A Thai style is worth knowing too, and it works with any milk you like. Add two cloves and one star anise per cup to the tea as it brews. The flavour is very close to the real thing, though you will not get the bright orange colour, which comes from added colouring that we leave out.
What about allergens?
This is the part to read properly if you are making a drink for someone who avoids dairy for medical rather than dietary reasons, because vegan and allergen-free are not the same claim.
Both of our bubble tea kits carry a precautionary statement: may contain milk, peanuts, nuts, sesame, mustard, celery, soya and cereals containing gluten, arising from cross-contact in the supplier's facility rather than from anything in the recipe. That statement is there so that anyone with an allergy can make an informed decision.
Every ingredient is listed on the pack; if you have an allergy question, email hello@sandyleaffarm.com before ordering.
Dairy-free bubble tea FAQs
Are tapioca pearls dairy-free?
Yes, the pearls in our kits are made from tapioca starch and are vegan. The milk you choose is the only dairy decision in a standard milk tea.
Which plant milk is closest to evaporated milk?
Coconut milk, which is the richest of the swaps. Soya and oat come next, while almond, rice and hemp are thinner and give the drink less body.
Why has my plant milk curdled in the tea?
Usually because hot tea met cold plant milk. Let the brewed tea cool before the milk goes in, and consider a barista-style version, which handles heat better.
Can I make bubble tea with no milk at all?
Yes. Fruit tea made with green tea and juice or fruit syrup is dairy-free by design and takes the same tapioca pearls.
Are the bubble tea kits suitable for a milk allergy?
Both kits carry a may contain statement for milk and other allergens because of cross-contact in the supplier's facility. Every ingredient is listed on the pack, and you can email hello@sandyleaffarm.com before ordering.
Fancy a coconut milk tea this weekend? Browse our bubble tea kits.
