Once unheard of in the United States, bubble tea has become incredibly popular. You can now buy it in countless stores across the nation, in both familiar and exciting flavors. There are so many different options that we need a whole list to talk about the best bubble tea flavor combinations.
After all, who wants the same drink day after day? It’s much more fun to mix things up. Some of the flavors on this list will look familiar, as they follow traditional flavor combos. But there are plenty of unexpected new options as well.
Before we dig into the flavors, let’s talk about bubble tea itself. The drink also goes by the names pearl milk tea or boba tea. It’s named for the tapioca balls that cluster at the drink’s base, giving it an unexpected chewiness.
The balls break up the texture of the drink, making it truly unique. These balls even be flavored or even made using entirely different ingredients.
Most bubble teas live up to their name and use tea as an ingredient. Still, some break from this pattern and use coffee or fruit flavors instead. We’re focusing on the traditional version of bubble tea in this list, so most entries will include some tea. Don’t worry; there’s still plenty of variety, including some truly delicious options.
P.S. For more unexpected food ideas, check out our lists of weird popcorn and gourmet cookies. These show that tasty food doesn’t need to be familiar.
Delicious Flavor Combinations For Bubble Tea
Chocolate Covered Orange
Let’s begin with a classic – chocolate and orange. These two flavors turn up in many desserts and always taste amazing.
The idea works even better in bubble tea, as you get both chocolate and fruitiness in the same drink. What could be better than that? And, like a few other bubble tea flavors, this one can be served hot. This would make it delightful during fall or winter.
Thai Spices And Tea
This is a pretty common bubble tea flavor. It focuses on a host of Thai spices that are typically paired with black tea. Some syrup might also be used for a little extra flavor.
This version takes things to the next level, with chocolate and Christmas sprinkles that make the drink stand out.
Baileys Based Potter Beer
This bubble tea flavor does things very differently. It’s based on butterbeer from Harry Potter, except that this is a boozy adult-focused version. There’s even some Baileys included – to make the flavor profile even more exciting.
If you don’t want the booze, why not make a version using alcohol free Baileys instead?
This version also shows that bubble tea doesn’t need to be boring. Seriously, why stick to a few flavoring ingredients when you can have multiple layers like this?
Mango, Jasmine, And Butterfly Pea
Here’s another layered concoction. This one uses mango and jasmine as the primary flavors, which should give you a fruity and nuanced drink.
Then there are the tapioca balls. These are colored using butterfly pea flowers. The blue color makes the bubble tea look amazing. Besides, who wants to stick with boring black or brown tapioca balls the whole time?
Mint Chocolate Chai
We’re back to the familiar combinations with this bubble tea. Who can go past chocolate and mint?
There’s also an extra feature here, as the drink includes chai tea as an ingredient. The chai gives the drink a more nuanced flavor, making it more interesting than a regular mint chocolate drink. You could even have this one hot.
Orange Blossom Honey
This is a calming and gentle version of bubble milk, featuring almond milk and orange blossom honey. Because there aren’t many ingredients, the flavor of the honey should really shine through.
There’s another fascinating feature too – the tea itself. Bubble tea normally relies on black tea or green tea, but this recipe uses chamomile tea instead. Switching to a herbal tea makes this a caffeine free drink. It would be perfect when you’re trying to wind down in the afternoon or evening, or if you need to avoid caffeine for any reason.
Blue Raspberry Punch
Doesn’t this bubble tea look stunning? The most exciting thing is the shimmer, which isn’t found in many drinks and is entirely edible.
This bubble tea comes from Andora’s Bubble Tea Shop, so it’s actually one you could order for yourself. But, because it’s from a store, there’s no recipe to follow and little indication of the ingredients.
Pumpkin Spice And Black Tea
Pumpkin spice lattes have been done to death. But, pumpkin spice bubble tea? Well, that’s an entirely new thing.
There are plenty of recipes for making this treat yourself (like the one from Pinterest linked above). Plus, if it’s fall, many bubble tea stores should feature this flavor or something similar.
Both Coffee And Tea
Most coffee bubble tea drinks use coffee instead of tea. This one is different, as it features nitro coffee and taro oat milk tea. The combination of coffee and tea ramps up the caffeine content and should give you quite a hit.
The taro is interesting too. The root has a mild flavor that has nutty and vanilla flavor tones. It is also what gives the bubble tea its slight purple color and is an excellent complement to the flavors of black tea.
Mint Chocolate
We mentioned a mint chocolate chai earlier, but not everyone enjoys chai tea. So, why not skip that and just have the mint chocolate instead? This particular version looks amazing – a little like peppermint chocolate chip ice cream.
Jasmine With Green Tea
Jasmine and green tea are often combined, so why not use them together in bubble tea too? That’s exactly what this drink does.
There aren’t many other ingredients, so you should end up with a mild tea that’s still quite tasty.
Peppermint And Cream
Here we are with mint again. This time the bubble tea was inspired by Christmas, so it features the red and white color combo of candy canes.
Take a look at the bubbles with this tea too. They’re small white squares rather than dark round tapioca balls. Bubbles like these are a great way to make your tea stand out.
Lychee, Strawberry, And Pana Cotta
Want something more complex than normal? If so, check out this bubble tea. The flavors include lychee, strawberry, and panna cotta, which should make it taste like a decadent dessert.
Then there’s the pink layer at the bottom, which surrounds red bubbles. This looks fantastic and really makes the drink stand out.
White Peach Oolong Tea
There’s some subtle layering going on with this drink, starting with brown at the top that tones down into white and the bubbles. Some of that brown color comes from brown sugar, which is complemented by the flavors of white peach and oolong tea.
Drinks like this are amazing, as they still taste like regular tea, but have some flavor elements that help them to stand out.
Pumpkin Spice Horchata
What do you think of this one? It’s like a pumpkin spice latte – on steroids.
The recipe is actually based on a Mexican drink called horchata, which is milky, creamy, and incredibly delicious. Combining this with pumpkin spice and plenty of caramel creates a drink that you won’t soon forget.
Blackberry Jam Tea
This drink doesn’t just look amazing. It is also healthy and should be delicious. The purple coloring comes from blueberry jam tea (rather than actual blueberry jam, unfortunately). This tea is sold by David’s Tea, who also posted the bubble tea recipe.
That tea isn’t your only option though. You could follow the same recipe with most other types of tea as well, including teas from other companies.
Nutmeg, Cinnamon, And Eggnog
How’s this for a seasonal treat? It brings you all the classic flavors of eggnog, in the form of a delicious bubble tea.
The whipped cream and cinnamon on top aren’t essential, but they really bring the drink together. You could even try serving it warm rather than cold.
Brown Sugar And Black Tea
This simple version of bubble tea pops up at many stores. It’s basically just a milky black tea that’s sweetened with brown sugar.
Still, simple isn’t necessarily bad. Using just a few flavors really allows the tea to shine through, giving you a drink that should taste just as good as it looks.
Passionfruit With Black Tea
This particular drink can be made with black tea or green tea. Either way, the flavor of the passion fruit should dominate, giving you a delicious summer drink.
Crème Brûlée!
Why not turn your drink into a dessert? That’s exactly what’s happening here. But, we’re not just talking about a crème brûlée flavored drink – this one actually has the traditional crème brûlée topping as well. Pretty radical, right?
Even without the topping, the swirls within the drink look fantastic. This would be a great drink to make at home and impress your guests.
Strawberry Rose
This recipe is exciting in a few ways. First, it’s vegan friendly, as it relies on plant-based milk instead of dairy milk.
Second, this is a caffeine free drink, made using rose herbal tea and strawberries. This combination should give you a mild drink that’s perfect at night.
Honeydew With Green Tea
Honeydew is an overlooked fruit, yet it can be tasty in the right context. This bubble tea uses honeydew well by pairing it with milk and green tea.
It’s a minimally processed drink as well, one that you can make at home using an actual honeydew melon as one of the main ingredients. What could be better?
Lavender And Earl Gray
Lavender isn’t a traditional drink or dessert ingredient, yet it’s becoming surprisingly popular. Its floral flavor combines particularly well with earl gray tea, providing plenty of interest and complexity.
Oreo Milk Tea
Cookies and cream AND tea? That combination might sound strange, yet it seems to work.
In fact, this is another bubble tea that would end up tasting much like dessert – making it perfect for anyone who hates the flavor of tea.
Chocolate Covered Cherry
Speaking of desserts, what about chocolate and cherry bubble tea? The drink isn’t as over-the-top as the previous entry, but it should still be sweet and tasty.
Taro Slush Bubble Tea
Taro root is often used in bubble tea, giving you a mild nutty and vanilla-like flavor and a fantastic color. This version takes the flavor to the next level by including a pile of whipped cream and some unusual sprinkles.
You could easily prepare a similar topping for any other type of bubble tea. Why not? The topping certainly makes the drink much more impressive.
Watermelon With Black Tea
Here’s a flavor you mightn’t have been expecting – watermelon (on the left in the picture above). Watermelon does actually pair well with black tea, giving you a drink that’s sweet, but not excessively so.
Notably, this is also a milk-free bubble tea. This is helpful, as some people want to avoid milk entirely (even the plant-based versions). Besides, who says that bubble tea should always be creamy?
Mango Lassi Bubble Tea
This bubble tea was clearly inspired by mango lassi. It has the same creaminess and rich flavor profile that lassi normally offers, but with bubbles too.
And, even more impressively, the bubbles themselves look like they’re mango flavored. This takes the drink to the next level.
Coquito Milk With Brown Sugar
We mentioned brown sugar bubble tea before, but this one is very different. For one thing, the milk follows a coquito style. This means it’s very creamy and features plenty of spices too.
Then there’s the bright green coloring. This is probably artificial, so it won’t be for everyone. Still, you end up with a drink that looks like it’s straight from The Grinch.
Green Apple And Pineapple
This drink is delightful in so many ways. There’s the tea itself, which is pineapple flavored. Then there are the green apple bubbles. These should perfectly complement the pineapple flavor, while also looking fantastic.
Plus, this is a slushie-style version of bubble tea. This approach gives you a completely different texture and a delicious cooling drink. Then the whole thing is topped with a mountain of whipped cream.
Japanese Milk Tea With Honey
This is a lovely and simple version of bubble tea. Much of the flavor comes from the jasmine tea. This is then complemented by some honey and brown sugar.
What else do you need? After all, sometimes simple really is best.
Lychee With Green Tea
This recipe brings lychees into the mix. You could even make it at home using fresh lychees.
Green tea is used here, as this perfectly complements the fruit. However, you could experiment with green tea or an herbal tea if you prefer. Most types of tea should work, although the flavor profile will change each time.
Dark Chocolate Milk And Black Tea
Ah chocolate. It’s a crowd-pleaser that’s difficult to beat. The bubble tea on the left is a great example of this pattern, as it uses dark chocolate as one of the primary flavors. There’s no mint in there this time, so you get to fully enjoy the chocolatey goodness.
Ginger Bubble Tea
This image actually features two different flavor combinations and they’re both exciting. One is passion fruit, which we talked about earlier, while the other is ginger. Ginger isn’t a common flavor in bubble tea, but it’s not as strange as you might imagine. You can even buy boxes of ginger black tea, so why not use the flavors together in your bubble tea as well?
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