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    Bubble Tea Crème Brûlée

    Published: March 9, 2021 | Last Modified: November 15, 2022 by Gail Ng | 4 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE

    This bubble tea crème brûlée features a creamy milk tea custard under a layer of crunchy caramelized sugar and topped with tapioca pearls in brown sugar syrup.

    spoonful of bubble tea crème brûlée and tapioca pearls
    Jump to:
    • How to make bubble tea crème brûlée
    • Tips for making the best crème brûlée
    • Other crème brûlée recipes to try
    • Recipe

    Ever since I made my earl grey crème brûlée, I couldn't stop thinking about making another tea-infused custard and topping it with the tapioca pearls from bubble tea or boba. I've made this version with hojicha (roasted green tea) but you can use any kind black tea as well. Spoon some tapioca pearls on right before eating and you have yourself a bubble tea crème brûlée.

    This dessert is full of different textures that make it so delicious. You have the creaminess of the custard, the crunchiness of the caramelized sugar, and the chewiness of the tapioca pearls. Every bite is exciting and you'll want to dig into another one.

    How to make bubble tea crème brûlée

    Prep: Preheat oven to 325°F and place ramekins on top of a large baking tray. Set aside.

    Infuse cream with tea: In a small pot, heat whipping cream until just before it comes to a simmer. Add in the tea bags, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to press the tea bags against the side of the pot to squeeze out all the tea-infused liquid inside before discarding. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.

    steeping milk with tea bags

    Whisk: In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar.

    whisking eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl

    Temper eggs: Slowly pour the hot tea-infused cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. 

    Pour into ramekins: Divide this mixture into your ramekins. Use a paper towel to dab away any large air bubbles on the surface.

    pouring milk tea custard into ramekins

    Fill tray with hot water: Place the entire tray (with the ramekins on top) into the oven and then pour enough hot water into the tray until it submerges about half the height of the ramekins.

    Bake: Bake for about 28-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the crème brûlees reaches 170°F. The edges should be set but the middle should still be quite jiggly.

    Chill: Let the ramekins cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    Cook tapioca pearls: In a small pot, bring about 3" of water to a boil. Pour in the tapioca pearls and give it a stir immediately. Boil uncovered for 15 minutes. Then, remove from heat, cover, and let it sit for another 15 minutes.

    Cook in brown sugar syrup: Strain the pearls, discard the water, and stir in the brown sugar while it’s still warm until it dissolves into a syrup.

    Cooking boba tapioca pearls in a pot

    Caramelize sugar topping: Sprinkle the surface of each crème brûlée with a tablespoon of granulated sugar. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar by moving across the surface without staying in the same spot for too long. Once the sugar hardens, add a heaping spoonful of tapioca pearls on top of each crème brûlée right before serving.

    caramelizing sugar topping with a blowtorch

    Tips for making the best crème brûlée

    • Don’t overbake. Depending on the size and shape of your ramekins, this crème brûlée goes from just right to overbaked in just 1-2 minutes. Start checking the oven a few minutes before the the bake time is over. It’s better to underbake the custard since it will have time to set in the fridge and you won’t lose that creaminess that you want.
    • Caramelize the sugar topping right before serving. Torch each crème brûlée immediately after sprinkling the sugar and serve it right afterwards to maintain its crunch.
    • Likewise, add the tapioca pearls right before serving. The moisture from the brown sugar syrup will slowly start to soften the crunchy caramelized sugar topping the longer it sits on top.
    • Torched crème brûlée does not store well and should be enjoyed right away. The caramelized sugar topping will turn into syrup after a couple of hours or if stored in the fridge. To make it ahead, store the baked custard in the fridge up to 3 days in advance and make the tapioca pearls on the day you plan on serving them.
    crème brûlée in a ramekin topping with tapioca pearls

    Other crème brûlée recipes to try

    • Earl Grey Crème Brûlée

    Recipe

    spoonful of bubble tea crème brûlée and tapioca pearls

    Bubble Tea Crème Brûlée

    Author: Gail Ng
    Have your bubble tea in a different way with this bubble tea crème brûlée - creamy milk tea custard under a layer of crunchy caramelized sugar and topped with tapioca pearls in brown sugar syrup.
    5 from 3 votes
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time 35 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Chilling Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 5 hrs 35 mins
    Yield 5 ramekins
    Category Desserts
    Cuisine French

    Ingredients
      

    Milk Tea Crème Brûlée

    • 480 ml whipping cream
    • 4 hojicha or black tea bags
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 large egg yolks
    • 1 whole large egg
    • 50 g brown sugar
    • 30 g granulated sugar, for topping

    Tapioca Pearls

    • 100 g tapioca pearls
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

    Instructions
     

    Milk Tea Crème Brûlée

    • Preheat oven to 325°F and place ramekins on top of a large baking tray. Set aside.
    • In a small pot, heat whipping cream until just before it comes to a simmer. Add in the tea bags, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to press the tea bags against the side of the pot to squeeze out all the tea-infused liquid inside before discarding. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and brown sugar. Slowly pour the hot tea-infused cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. 
    • Divide this mixture into your ramekins. Use a paper towel to dab away any large air bubbles on the surface. Place the entire tray (with the ramekins on top) into the oven and then pour enough hot water into the tray until it submerges about half the height of the ramekins. Bake for about 28-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the crème brûlees reaches 170°F. The edges should be set but the middle should still be quite jiggly.
    • Let the ramekins cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    Tapioca Pearls

    • In a small pot, bring about 3" of water to a boil. Pour in the tapioca pearls and give it a stir immediately. Boil uncovered for 15 minutes. Then, remove from heat, cover, and let it sit for another 15 minutes.
    • Strain the pearls, discard the water, and stir in the brown sugar while it’s still warm until it dissolves into a syrup.
    • Sprinkle the surface of each crème brûlée with a tablespoon of granulated sugar. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar by moving across the surface without staying in the same spot for too long. Once the sugar hardens, add a heaping spoonful of tapioca pearls on top of each crème brûlée right before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1614IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 1mg
    Keywords bubble tea crème brûlée, creme brulee boba, creme brulee bubble tea, milk tea crème brûlée
    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating & comment to let us know how it was and tag your Instagram posts with @teakandthyme!

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. tonya

      March 24, 2022 at 5:07 pm

      when does the vanilla and salt come in??

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        April 12, 2022 at 9:31 pm

        Thank you for catching that! Corrected this. It gets stirred into the milk after infusing it with the tea.

        Reply
    2. Helen

      March 20, 2021 at 4:11 pm

      can I use hojicha powder instead?

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        March 21, 2021 at 9:10 am

        Yes, absolutely! You can stir it straight into the simmering cream and skip the steeping step.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Gail! I'm a Chinese-Canadian girl with a major sweet tooth. I make desserts, baked goods, and drinks inspired by French pastries, twists on classics, and flavours from my Asian background. I hope your second stomach is hungry!

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