Ultimate Guide For Making Earl Grey Milk Tea (Bubble Tea) At Home

If you like Earl Grey tea, you’ve got to try making an Earl Grey Milk Tea (Bubble Tea)! In this guide I show you everything you need to know to make the perfect bubble tea at home.

I drink Earl Grey several times a week, almost always unsweetened, and always with milk.

While hot tea with a splash of milk is my quick and easy go-to morning drink, once I’m more awake I love spending a few extra minutes to make hot and iced Earl Grey lattes.

Even better? Making it an Earl Grey Boba Tea by adding brown sugar boba pearls – those small tapioca balls that are delightfully chewy and soaked in simple syrup.

For even more flavor and decadence, I add a cream cheese cap – like you get in boba tea shops. So good!

I’m going to show you how to make each element of this Earl Grey Milk Tea recipe so you can make your own custom milk teas at home. No more spending tons of money at the tea shop!

How to Make Earl Grey Milk Tea (Bubble Tea)

One note before we get started – “milk tea” can refer to hot or iced tea with milk, a tea latte or a bubble tea. I’m going to show you how to make a bubble tea with boba. If you’d rather make a tea latte without boba, just skip the boba-making steps.

Here’s the general order in which to make an Iced Earl Grey Bubble Tea:

1. Steep tea in milk.
2. Make simple syrup and let cool.
3. Make boba and place in syrup.
4. Prepare cheese cap (optional).
5. Assemble your tea and enjoy!

And here’s the general order in which to make a Hot Earl Grey Bubble Tea:

1. Make simple syrup and let cool.
2. Make boba and place in syrup.
3. Steep tea in hot water.
4. Prepare cheese cap (optional).
5. Steam milk.
6. Assemble your tea and enjoy!

I’m going to show you how to make each element and then how to combine the elements to make an Earl Grey Milk Tea.

What You Need to Make an Earl Grey Milk Tea Latte (Bubble Tea )

Ingredients for a HOT Earl Grey Milk Tea Latte:

• Earl Grey tea – you can use tea bags or loose leaf tea.
• Water – for steeping the tea when making a hot tea latte.
• Steamed Milk – you can use the milk of your choice – whole milk, 2%, skim, etc. Or a milk alternative. I steam mine using the milk frother on my espresso machine but you can also heat the milk on the stove or in your microwave and froth it using a hand frother.
• Sweetener Of Choice (optional) – you can use your favorite (e.g., white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, simple syrup, vanilla syrup, brown sugar syrup, a sugar alternative, maple syrup, etc).

Ingredients for a Simple ICED Earl Grey Milk Tea Latte:

• Earl Grey tea – tea bags or loose leaf
• Cold Milk – I steep my tea in the milk when I make iced milk tea.
• Sweetener Of Choice (optional) – you can use your favorite (e.g., white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, simple syrup, vanilla syrup, brown sugar syrup, a sugar alternative, maple syrup, etc).
• Ice cubes – I make square ice cubes using this silicone ice tray

Ingredients for HOT or ICED Earl Grey Bubble Tea:

• Ingredients listed above
• Boba pearls – add these chewy tapioca pearls for added taste and texture! Make sure you get the quick-cook 5-minute kind. You’ll find them at Asian markets or you can buy them on Amazon – these are the best of what I’ve tried.

Ingredients for HOT or ICED Earl Grey Milk Tea (Bubble Tea) with Cheese Cap

• Ingredients listed above
• Cheese Cap – learn how to make a quick, easy, and delicious Cheese Cap here!

Kitchen Tools:

• Small saucepans – for heating milk and making simple syrup and boba
• Milk frother or milk steamer – for creating that delicious frothy top on a hot latte
• Kettle – for boiling water. I use my countertop kettle multiple times a day!
• Small bowls – for cooling boba in water and then adding to simple syrup
• Mug – for hot milk tea
• Tall glass – for iced milk tea
• Wide straw – for drinking iced milk tea with boba pearls (like these straws)

How to Make An Iced Earl Grey Milk Tea (Bubble Tea)

Makes 1 cup of tea (8oz / 256 ml). You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe.

Heat 1 cup milk (8oz / 256 ml) in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Place 2-3 tea bags or 2-3 teaspoons loose tea in the milk.

When the milk starts to bubble, take the saucepan off the heat. (As the milk heats it will bubble and can easily boil over so keep an eye on it.)

Let the tea steep until the milk has cooled. Stir the milk periodically so a skin doesn’t form. Remove tea bags or pour tea through a strainer if using loose leaf.

Add boba and simple syrup to a glass (see recipes and directions for making both below). Then fill glass with ice.

Pour the tea-infused milk over the ice. Add additional simple syrup if you’d like a sweeter tea.

Add a Cheese Cap (optional, click here for my recipe and tutorial).

I like to sprinkle a little Earl Grey and orange infused sugar over the top but you can leave the top plain.

Finish the drink by adding a wide straw (so you can sip the boba pearls through the straw).

Tips & Variations:

• A hands-off but slower way to steep the tea is to pour 1 cup milk (8oz / 256 ml) into a jar with a lid. Place 2-3 Earl Grey tea bags or 2-3 teaspoons loose leaf tea in the milk. Place in the fridge to steep for 24 hours.
• To make a simple Earl Grey Tea Latte, skip the boba and Cheese Cap.
• To make a London Fog, steep tea in milk until cooled. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and sweetener of choice to taste (I often use vanilla simple syrup). Pour over ice and enjoy.
• If using sugar or a sugar alternative, rather than simple syrup, add it to the milk and stir to dissolve before pouring over ice.
• To make a low sugar version of this Bubble Tea add the boba with as little simple syrup as possible.

How to Make a Hot Earl Grey Milk Tea Latte (Bubble Tea)

While iced milk tea is most popular, you can make a hot version of this delicious drink.

Makes 1 cup of milk tea (8oz / 256 ml). You can double, triple or quadruple this recipe. If making several servings, you can steep tea in a tea pot.

Boil 4oz (118 ml) water to 205F / 96C.

Place 2-3 tea bags or 2-3 teaspoons loose leaf tea in a mug. Pour hot water over tea and steep for at least 5 minutes. Remove tea bags (or strain tea into a different mug if using loose leaf tea).

Heat and froth milk using the steam wand of an espresso machine or heat milk on the stove or in the microwave and then use a hand frother.

Place boba and simple syrup in your mug of tea (see recipes and directions for making both below).

Add hot milk to the mug.

Add Cheese Cap (optional, click here for the full recipe).

I like to sprinkle a little Earl Grey and orange infused sugar over the top but you can leave the top plain.

Tips & Variations:

• To make a simple hot Earl Grey Tea Latte, skip the boba and Cheese Cap.
• To make a hot London Fog, steep tea in milk until cooled. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and sweetener of choice to taste (I often use vanilla simple syrup).
• To make a low sugar version of this bubble tea add the boba with as little simple syrup as possible.

How to Make Simple Syrup for Milk Tea (Bubble Tea)

While you can simply add sugar or your favorite sugar alternative to your tea latte, simple syrup is a great option because it dissolves instantly.

And if you add boba to your tea, you’ll place the cooked boba in the simple syrup before adding them to your tea drink.

Fortunately, making simple syrup is truly simple! Here’s what you need:

• 1 cup (236 ml) water
• 1 cup (198 g) sugar (white sugar, brown sugar or vanilla sugar)

Pour water and sugar (I typically use brown sugar) into a small saucepan over medium high heat.

Stir to dissolve sugar. When sugar has dissolved, take off heat and let cool. Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

To make Brown Sugar Simple Syrup — use brown sugar instead of white sugar.

To make Vanilla Simple Syrup — use vanilla sugar instead of white sugar. Or add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to your syrup made with white sugar after taking it off the heat. Stir to combine.

Note: As mentioned previous, I’m not a huge fan of sweetened tea drinks so unless I’m adding boba, I often skip this step. If you’re also not a fan of sugary drinks, don’t hesitate to leave it out!

How to Make Brown Sugar Boba for Bubble Tea

It takes about 10 minutes to make boba, so make a batch while your simple syrup cools and your tea is steeping.

Tip: make the boba within a few hours of adding them to your tea. After they’ve been cooked they will start to harden from the inside out, so this is not something you can prepare too far ahead of time.

Wondering where to buy boba pearls? I buy this kind here.

Here’s what you need to make boba:

• 5 cups [1250ml] water
• 1/2 cup [85g] boba
• 1/4 cup [75ml] simple syrup

Heat water over high heat until boiling. Add boba pearls and stir. When they float to the surface, reduce heat a bit, cover and let boil for about 5 minutes (try one to make sure they’re soft).

Use a slotted spoon to remove from the saucepan and transfer to a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds.

Then use the slotted spoon to place in a bowl of simple syrup. Keep the boba in the syrup until you’re ready to assemble your drink.

How to Make a Cream Cheese Cap

If you want to add a layer of creamy decadence to your milk tea, add a homemade Cheese Cap!

Made by blending cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt, this foamy topping has a creamy, salty cheesecake flavor.

Why salt? Because the idea is that the salty topping pairs well with the sweetened tea. It’s absolutely delicious and makes for a super decadent drink. If you like that sweet and salty flavor combo, you’ll love adding a Cheese Cap. It’s SO GOOD.

If you don’t plan to sweeten your milk tea, I recommend only adding a tiny pinch of salt – or leaving it out altogether – when making this topping.

Click here for my full Cheese Cap recipe and tutorial.

What Type Of Tea Should I Use?

I recommend using Earl Grey, a popular and easily recognizable British tea due to its delicious and unique bergamot flavor and scent (which comes from bergamot oil, which is extracted from the rind of a bergamot orange).

As a black tea, Earl Grey is perfect for making a hot or iced Milk Tea Latte with or without boba. That said, you really can use any black tea you want in this recipe (or any tea, really)…it just won’t have that distinct Earl Grey flavor.

You could also use Lady Grey tea, which is similar to Earl Grey but with additional flavors from lemon and orange peel.

Should I Use Loose Tea or Tea Bags?

You can use either. I typically use Earl Grey tea bags or tea sachets but you can definitely use your favorite loose tea leaves (just be sure to strain the tea as you pour it into your glass).

Can I Make Decaf Earl Grey Milk Tea?

Yes! I often make a decaf version when I make a tea latte in the afternoons. You can buy decaf Earl Grey at your local grocery store or order it online.

Where Can I Buy Boba?

You can typically find them at an Asian market or just here on Amazon. Make sure you buy the type that cooks in 5 minutes.

I tried a few different kinds of boba from my local Asian market and Amazon before I found this one, which is easy to prepare and tasted great in my tea latte. It also has English instructions on the bag, which was helpful!

Can I Make This Tea Vegan?

Milk tea is traditionally made with cow’s milk but you can use your favorite alternative, such as oat milk, coconut milk, vanilla almond milk, cashew milk, etc. Make sure the other ingredients you use are also vegan.

Can I Make This Tea Latte Recipe Without Sweetener?

Yes! I almost always make my milk tea without any added sweetener (I order it that way, too).

Milk tea with sweetener is absolutely delicious (brown sugar simple syrup is my favorite way to sweeten milk tea unless I’m making a London Fog).

BUT since I make make milk tea quite frequently, I almost always leave out the added sweetener. If I add boba I simply use a slotted spoon to scoop out the boba so I add as little simple syrup as possible.

The great thing about making milk tea at home is that you can decide the type and amount of sweetener to include.

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