A refreshing drink with strawberry, lime and tapioca pearls. This strawberry and lime sparkling boba is the perfect drink to impress your loved ones this Valentines day!
This time I'm back with something a little different! I have always been a lover of fancy drinks and I thought it might be fun to share one. This strawberry and lime sparkling boba is so fun and refreshing. The perfect drink to share with your loved one on Valentines day!
At this point I think i am using the excuse of Valentine's day to make anything pink 😂 but I think it's a valid excuse.

Me and Boba
A little about me... I love boba! Aka bubble tea or pearl milk tea. The soft and chewy pearls add texture to drinks and make them so much more exciting to drink. I have always been a sucker for milk teas with pearls, matcha milk tea, earl grey milk tea, taro milk tea... I could probably drink them every single day, except my body and bank account would probably hate me for it. I mean, is it just me but are drinks are SO expensive these days 😂
I do have a solution for that though... make your own! It may be a little time consuming, but if you have time making the boba pearls yourself is a game changer. They turn out with the perfect amount of softness and chewiness that you can't achieve from store bought instant pearls. Plus you can make them whatever colour you want! If you wanted you could even make the rainbow 🌈
And honestly the process of rolling each boba pearl is so relaxing.


Tips on making boba from scratch
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when making boba from scratch!
- Don't forget the cornstarch!
- The most annoying thing when making boba is when they stick together. If you don't fix that you're going to be cooking a giant floating mass of boba.
- What I like to do is make a small mound of cornstarch on the side and put the pearl straight into the cornstarch after I've rolled it. That way they will all be covered!
- It doesn't matter if there is heaps of cornstarch as you can always dust it off.
- Storage
- Once you have cooked them place them straight into the strawberry/lime syrup. This keeps them from sticking together while allowing them to take on some flavour.
- If you don't have the syrup made, or just want the boba by itself mix a couple of tablespoons of sugar with the hot boba to create a quick sugar syrup that will keep all the boba apart
- Eat them as soon as possible!
- Boba tends to firm up over time, or when they are cold. Try to eat them as soon as possible, or just cook them as you need them. You can store uncooked boba pearls in the freezer and cook them when the craving hits!
Making a strawberry and lime boba cocktail!
Now if you want to up your game and create a fun cocktail for a night in it's an easy twist, and it tastes SO good.
Just add a shot of vodka!
Add the shot before topping up with sparkling water, and then give the drink a good stir. Your friends or significant other will love you 🥰
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 drink making!

📖 Recipe
Strawberry and Lime Sparkling Boba
A refreshing drink with strawberry, lime and tapioca pearls. This strawberry lime sparkling boba is the perfect drink to impress your loved ones this Valentines day!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
Pink Tapioca Pearls
- ½ cup Tapioca starch
- ¼ cup Boiling water
- a drop Red food colouring
- Cornstarch
Strawberry and Lime Syrup
- 1 cup Diced strawberries
- ¼ cup White sugar
- ½ Lime
- 1 l Sparkling water
- 4 Lime wedges
Instructions
Strawberry and Lime Syrup
- Add strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan
- Squeeze the juice from the lime wedges into the strawberries and place the skins in the pan too
- Heat over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring to prevent burning
- Remove from heat and set aside
Pink Tapioca Pearls
- In a medium sized bowl combine the tapioca starch and boiling water, stir until just combined then knead until smooth
- Add the food colouring and knead until colour is spread evenly (if dough is too sticky you can add a little more tapioca starch)
- Roll the dough into small balls, dusting with cornstarch as you go to prevent sticking
- To cook place balls in a large pot of boiling water, cook until they float to the surface, then turn off heat and leave for 5 minutes (if you like them softer you can cook them for longer)
- Drain and place in the strawberry/lime syrup
Assembly
- In a glass place 3 heaped tablespoons of tapioca pearl/syrup mixture and ice
- Squeeze in a wedge of lime, top with sparkling water
- Serve! (mix well before drinking)
KStep
Hey Catherine!!!
It’s been a while, so I just wanted to stop by and wish you well and say you’re awesome!!! Your creativity never ceases to amaze! I can’t wait to see the day you have your own bakery filled with all these incredible desserts, recipes and more (including drinks)!!! Keep up the hard work we love you!!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
As always,
Kindest regards,
KStep
Catherine
Hi KStep,
Thank you as always for stopping by again, your comments never fail to make my day! Hopefully the day where I open my own place isn't too far off!
Catherine 🥰
Clara
Hi Catherine!
I'm a super big fan of yours and I have my own blog, I'm 11 years old and I live in Paris. I would love to be a baker like you when I grow up. Would you be OK if I made this recipe and put it on my blog?
Clara
Catherine
Hi Clara,
Of course you can! Just link my site and this recipe! 😊