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Chocolate is always a good idea, especially when paired with tea. But here’s the best part – you can have it at the same time. And here’s an even better part – there are several ways to do it. Meet chocolate milk tea, the ultimate tea dessert drink.

What is chocolate milk tea?

Chocolate milk tea is a drink made with chocolate tea powder, milk and tapioca pearls. However, in homemade versions, chocolate tea powder is often replaced with black tea and hot cocoa powder. There are no strict requirements on how to make a proper chocolate milk tea. In fact, you can do it in several ways, all delicious, all indulgent, and all easy to make.

Which tea should you use?

Chocolate is a strong flavor, and not all tea types will be strong enough to make this drink. In fact, some chocolate milk teas don’t contain any tea at all. They are called tea only because they include boba pearls. However, there’s a really good reason to add tea – it will add all the potential benefits, caffeine and a complex, rich flavor. Black tea is the best choice, preferably strong Assam or even better – Yunnan black tea which has a natural cocoa notes. Other great options are blends with creamy and nutty notes like Almond Butter tea.

Should you even be adding chocolate to tea?

Adding chocolate to tea will add not only a sweet flavor but creaminess too. It’s not as thick as a proper hot chocolate, yet it’s more indulgent than a regular milk tea. Boba is all about customization – there are hundreds of ways to make it so experiment with different ratios until you find your perfect match. You can even turn it into a proper dinner dessert.

Here’s how to do it.

Recipe 1 – Chocolate Milk Tea with cocoa powder

The most indulgent way to make a chocolate milk tea is by using a hot chocolate or a cocoa powder. Hot chocolate powders are already sweetened, so no sweetener is required, while the cocoa powder is pure, and you will need to add some sweetness.

You will need:

• 2 teaspoons of black tea leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon of simple syrup
• 3.5 oz of hot water
• 3.5 oz whole milk
• 1-2 tablespoons of condensed milk
• 1 oz tapioca pearls
• Ice

Steps:

1. Bring water to a boil and steep tea for 3 minutes. Strain. Stir in cocoa powder
2. Cook tapioca pearl following instructions on the packaging, strain them and coat them in simple syrup.
3. Pour the tea into a serving glass filled with ice. Add whole milk and condensed milk and stir.
4. Add coated tapioca pearls.

Pros of this method: super indulgent, creamy, tastes like hot chocolate

Recipe 2 – Chocolate Milk Tea with chocolate syrup

If you want a super-fast recipe, you can use chocolate syrup instead. Syrup won’t add as much texture as the cocoa powder, so increase the amount of condensed milk instead. This option is great if you want a drink with a lower calorie content – simply use a skinny chocolate syrup instead.

You will need:

• 2 teaspoons of black tea leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup + more for serving
• 3 oz of hot water
• 3 oz whole milk
• 3 tablespoons of condensed milk
• 1 oz tapioca pearl
• Ice

Steps:

1. Bring water to a boil and steep tea for 3 minutes. Strain.
2. Coat cooked tapioca pearls in chocolate syrup.
3. Pour the tea into a serving glass filled with ice. Add whole milk and condensed milk and stir.
4. Add coated tapioca pearls.

Pros of this method: easy and you can make it very low in calories.

Recipe 3 – Melt some real chocolate

If you ever tried a proper chai, you know it tastes silkier and creamier than other milk teas. That’s because chai is simmered and pulled, rather than steeped. Heating the milk will add much more texture than simply using cold milk. For a super delicious proper milk tea, you can try a simmering method and melt in milk or white chocolate.

You will need:

• 2 teaspoons of black tea leaves
• 1-1.5 oz of chocolate
• 3 oz of water
• 7 oz of whole milk
• 1 oz of cooked boba pearls
• Lots of ice

Steps:

1. Add water and tea leaves to a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil.
2. Simmer for a few minutes. Add milk, bring it to a boil again and reduce the heat. Continue simmering for 5-10 minutes.
3. Break chocolate into small pieces.
4. Strain the tea into a clean saucepan, add chocolate and stir until melted.
5. Fill a large glass with ice, add tea and tapioca pearls.

Pros of this method: tastes like real chocolate, rich, suitable with white chocolate too, very easy to make.