Is Bubble Tea Dairy Free?

It depends—although traditional bubble tea is made with cow’s milk, and is therefore not dairy-free, bubble tea can be customised to be made with non-dairy milk and other vegan alternatives. You can also get flavoured fruit bubble tea, which doesn’t contain milk at all. 

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Bubble tea—in Taiwan, zhenzhu naicha (珍珠奶茶)—can be made with cow’s milk, or oat, soy, coconut or almond milk. Although the classic milk tea drink is made from frothed cow’s milk, paired with crushed ice and a few handfuls of caramelized tapioca pearls, it goes just as well with these dairy-free alternatives. Indeed, although bubble tea gets its name because of those bubble-shaped tapioca pearls, you can add basil seeds, fruit or grass and custard jelly, or our famous popping bubbles to your drink — most of which are dairy-free and vegan, depending on which bubble tea bar you visit. Keep in mind that the pudding-like custard you’ll see on lots of bubble bar menus won't be vegan because it will include eggs. If in doubt, always check the menu for dairy-free or vegan indicators, or ask who you order with what the ingredients are in each drink.

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Are Bubble Tea Pearls Vegan?

The classic milk tea with tapioca pearls will be vegan when ordered with a dairy-free milk. Despite the common misconception that tapioca pearls contain dairy or gelatine because of their texture, tapioca bubbles are just tapioca starch, which comes from a plant-based cassava root. If you opt for popping bubbles, these are often made from water, sugar, fruit juice and a plant-based Alginic acid — or a vegan jelly style skin. 

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How to Order Vegan Bubble Tea? 

To order your favourite milk tea drink with a non-dairy and vegan milk alternative, just ask for it to be made with the milk of your choice. I love both the classic and flavoured milk tea options with oat milk — it gives you that same sweet and creamy taste that bubble tea is known for, without the dairy that comes in a traditional milk tea. If you’d like to add extras, check with your friendly bubble bar staff, or the menu, to see if your chosen extra contains dairy or non-vegan ingredients. Most bubble tea extras are dairy-free and vegan. 

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If you’re a first time bubble-tea drinker, order a Classic Milk Tea (fresh milk and brown sugar) with tapioca pearls, but ask for it to be made with oat milk (or another alternative) instead. You can do the same with a Classic Assam, Jasmine and Tiger Milk Tea — just ask for it to be made vegan. Or, if you’re after a little more sweetness, I love a fruit tea with some popping bubbles. My go-to order is a passion fruit and peach fruit tea with mango popping bubbles — a delicious sweet treat for when you don't want a milk-based drink.
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