Soft and chewy black tea mochi filled with milk tea cream and bouncy brown sugar boba
What is boba milk tea mochi?
Boba milk tea mochi is a modern take on the traditional Japanese sweet, mochi! Instead of filling the mochi with traditional fillings like red bean paste, or fruit I've filled these with brown sugar pearls and a milk tea-flavored cream.
There have been a lot of variations of this boba milk tea mochi appearing in Asian grocery stores, and even Costco! Now you can make them at home, and even better.
Rather than the jelly-like filling most store-bought boba mochi have this one recreates the milky flavor of milk tea with whipped cream. Trust me you're gonna love this one!

Ingredients
Mochi
- Glutinous rice flour: Glutinous rice flour is what gives the mochi that chewy and bouncy texture. Make sure you use glutinous rice flour rather than regular rice flour as the texture will be completely different.
- Granulated sugar: The sugar adds a little sweetness to the dough.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to soften the dough a little
- Black tea: Instead of milk or water, we're using black tea in the dough for more tea flavor!
- Vegetable oil: Oil gives the dough a more supple texture
Brown Sugar Boba
- Store-bought instant boba: I like to use the dried, instant boba that can be found in Asian groceries. All it needs is a quick cook in boiling water for them to come to the right texture.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar gives sweetness to the boba, as they don't have any when cooked on its own.
Milk Tea Cream
- Heavy cream: Aka thickened cream, whips up the perfect consistency and goes right in the middle of the mochi.
- Instant milk tea powder: This is the easiest way to achieve a strong milk tea flavor!
- Granulated sugar: Sugar is needed to add sweetness to the cream. You can add more or less according to your taste preferences.
Assembly
- Cornstarch: Mochi dough is very sticky and hard to handle. Using cornstarch will prevent it from sticking to your work surface.

Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this last?
This mochi is best eaten immediately after it's made. When freshly made the boba inside is still soft and the mochi skin is at the perfect texture.
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a day but keep in mind that it won't be as soft and chewy.
Where can I find milk tea powder?
You can find instant milk tea powder in all Asian groceries and even some regular supermarkets.
What do I do if I can't find instant milk tea powder?
You can heat the cream up and steep 2 black tea bags in it in the fridge overnight. Then once it has chilled completely whip it up with a little more sugar than specified in the recipe. This is because milk tea powder itself has some sweetness to it, so you'll need more sugar to balance out the flavor if just using tea bags.

Let's Get Cooking
This is a fun cooking project for all boba lovers, and it tastes so so good that you won't be going to buy store-bought mochi anytime soon after this.
If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went.
Also, don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and TikTok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!
Print📖 Recipe
Boba Milk Tea Mochi
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 Large Mochi 1x
- Category: Mochi
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
MochiÂ
- 150g Glutinous rice flour (1 cup)
- 48g Granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 30g Cornstarch (¼ cup)
- 240ml Black tea (1 cup), cooled
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
Brown Sugar Boba
- â…“ cup Store bought instant boba
- 2 tbsp Brown sugar
Milk Tea Cream
- 240g Heavy cream (1 cup)
- 30g Instant milk tea powder (2 tbsp)
- 25g Granulated sugar (2 tbsp)
Assembly
- 30g Cornstarch (¼ cup)
Instructions
Mochi
- Combine the glutinous rice flour, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, and whisk to combine
- Pour the black tea into the dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth
- Cover the mochi mixture with cling wrap and microwave for 2 minutes on high
- Uncover and stir
- Then re-cover and microwave for another 2 minutes, the mochi dough should be semi-translucent
- If the mochi is still slightly liquidy/milky re-cover it and microwave at 1-minute intervals until cooked through
- Allow the mochi to cool enough to handle
- Add the vegetable oil and using gloved or oiled hands knead until smooth
Brown Sugar Boba
- Cook the boba according to the directions on the packet and drain
- Return the boba to the pot and add the brown sugar
- Cook on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and thickened
- Remove from the heat and cool
Milk Tea Cream
- Combine instant milk tea powder and boiling water in a small bowl, and stir until dissolved
- Allow the milk tea mixture to cool to room temperature
- Combine the cream and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until medium peaks
- Add the cooled milk tea mixture and whisk until completely combined, and at stiff peaks.Â
- Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip
Assembly
- Dust your work surface with cornstarchÂ
- Transfer the mochi to the dusted work surface, dust it with more cornstarch, and roll it out until it to 4 mm/0.15 inches thick
- Use a large cookie cutter to cut out 4 rounds of mochi (you may need to gather the excess dough and re-roll it to get the last round of mochi)
- Place the round of mochi in a small bowl (This helps make the dough into a cup shape for easy filling and molding of the dough)
- Add a teaspoon of boba, and a dollop of milk tea cream
- Carefully bring the sides of the mochi together over the cream, making sure the cream doesn't touch the edges of the mochi dough as it will make it difficult to seal.
- Pinch the edges together to form a perfect mochi ball
- Dust the seam with more cornstarch and serve!
Keywords: boba, brown sugar, bubble tea, milk tea, hong kong, japanese, daifuku, glutinous rice
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