Low-carb boba—does such a blessed thing exist? To cut it short, yes, it does! If you want to indulge in bubble tea without worrying about gaining a few pounds, we'll lay down all of our top tricks on making a homemade low-carb boba tea.
This low-carb boba tea recipe is built without the use of traditional boba and uses stevia instead of the typical sweetener. It retains the sweet creaminess of your average cup of iced bubble tea, minus the sugar and carbs.
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Low-Carb Boba Tea
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 Serving 1x
Description
This low-carb recipe will fulfill your bubble tea needs without blowing your diet. Keto boba pearls, stevia, and heavy cream combine to create a delicious and customizable drink.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 black tea teabag
- 1 tbsp stevia or sugar-free honey
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/4 cup ice cubes
- 1/4 cup keto boba pearls
Instructions
- Boil 1 cup of water. Remove it from the heat and add the tea bag.
- Steep the tea bag for 5 minutes and mix in the stevia.
- Pour the heavy cream and stir. Cool the mixture to room temperature.
- Add the low-carb bubble tea pearls in a serving cup, followed by ice and the milk tea mixture. Enjoy!
Notes
Use fruit, herbal, jasmine, or green tea for a milder flavor. Matcha tea is also an option but has one carb per cup.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
Is Boba Tea Usually High in Carbs?
Most teas generally contain zero carbohydrates. However, sugar, milk, and tapioca starch—three key ingredients in a standard cup of boba tea—have high levels of carbohydrates. All in all, the average 12-ounce bubble tea has approximately 70 grams of carbohydrates.
The recipe above is modified to avoid high amounts of carbs and calories. By replacing sugar with stevia, using keto-friendly pearls instead of traditional tapioca balls, and using cream instead of milk, this recipe brings the total carb count of the boba drink to under two grams!
Can You Have Boba Tea on a Keto Diet?
If you are refering to your typical glass of bubble tea—milk, sugar, tapioca pearls, and all—then no. Boba tea goes against the keto diet.
However, if you want to enjoy bubble tea on a keto diet, you can make use of this low-carb boba tea recipe above as a delicious and familiar substitute.
What Are Keto Boba Pearls Made From?
Keto boba pearls are made from gelatin and healthy oil. These products are carbohydrate-free and are delicious alternatives to the beloved chewy tapioca balls. They are typically gluten-free but not vegan. Many varieties are made with beef gelatin.
Regular tapioca pearls are coated in brown sugar or honey, which aren’t keto-friendly. However, keto boba pearls are coated with stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit sugar, which are all low-carb, low-calorie sugar alternatives.
What Bubble Milk Tea Toppings Are Low-Carb?
You can enjoy a few low-carb bubble tea toppings alongside your keto boba tea.
These include the following:
- Chia seeds
- Low-sugar aloe jelly
- Unsweetened grass jelly
- Watermelon cubes
- Strawberry slices
While the toppings above are low in carbs, they’re not entirely carb-free. The safest option for a strict keto diet would be to skip the toppings altogether.
5 High-Carb Boba Tea Ingredients to Avoid on a Low-Carb Diet
Choosing low-carb, sugar-free boba tea toppings is akin to navigating a minefield.
Here are some boba tea ingredients that you should avoid at all costs if you want to lessen your carbohydrates intake:
- Whole milk (11.8g carbs per cup)
- Oat milk (15g carbs per cup)
- Tapioca pearls (89 g per 100g serving)
- Brown sugar sweeteners (98g per 100g serving)
- Honey (82g per 100g serving)