Made with just milk, syrup, and boba pearls, brown sugar milk tea has taken the world by storm. Also known as tiger milk or mudflip tea, this drink is known for its silky texture, aesthetically pleasing colors, and sweet caramel taste. So, can you make this special beverage at home?
In order to make brown sugar milk tea, prepare your boba and syrup, add the boba to the syrup, and then top it off with milk and ice. If you’re not a fan of store-bought boba, you can make your own using tapioca starch. You can also add teas or toppings to make variations on the classic drink.
You can also use this recipe as a base for brown sugar boba cake, boba ice cream, and much more. Let’s take a closer look at what milk tea actually is, how you can make it at home, and how tapioca differs from boba, so you can make this addictive drink whenever the mood strikes.
What Is Milk Tea?

Originally created in Taiwan, brown sugar milk tea is basically an iced tea drink that contains tapioca balls. It’s made with only three ingredients: caramelized brown sugar, milk, and tapioca pearls.
And despite its name, it doesn’t actually contain any tea and is completely caffeine-free.
As the drink gained popularity around the world, its name was shortened to just “milk tea” and more and more shops started making it with different toppings and flavor combinations. Since the syrup gives it a bit of a messy look, it’s often called “dirty brown sugar milk tea” in some places.
Alternatively, some cafes market this drink as “tiger milk tea” because the sweet brown syrup drizzled on the cup looks a lot like the stripes of a tiger.
What Is Mudflip Tea?
Mudflip tea is a very fun twist on the original brown sugar milk tea. Instead of drizzling the caramel syrup around the cup to achieve the tiger-stripe patterns, it’s simply poured in and then topped with fresh milk.
Customers are then encouraged to flip their cup upside down and watch as the different layers mix together slowly. This hands-on action and mesmerizing lava lamp effect are part of what makes this drink so incredibly popular.
How to Make Brown Sugar Milk Tea
This delightful drink is extremely easy to make at home. Here’s a list of all the ingredients you’ll need:
- Brown Sugar: A mix of molasses and white sugar, brown sugar gives a much richer flavor to a drink than white, granulated sugar.
- Tapioca Balls: While ready-made tapioca balls are available — we love these ones from WuFuYuan (on Amazon) — you can also make your own with tapioca starch (also on Amazon). If you’re opting for store-bought ones, keep in mind that you’ll have to boil them in water to achieve the soft and chewy texture.
- Milk: Although you can add any type of milk, it’s best to use whole milk for a richer and creamier drink.
- Water: As always, filtered water makes the best-tasting tea.
- Ice: If possible, use ice that’s made with filtered water.
Step 1: Make Your Boba
In a pot, add 50 g of brown sugar and 60 ml of water. Bring this mixture to boil and stir well. Then, add 50 g of tapioca starch and stir well. Take your pot off the heat and add another 50 g of tapioca starch.
Remove this dough mixture from the pot and shape it evenly into a ball. If the mixture sticks to your hand, add a bit more starch flour. Roll the ball out until it’s two to three centimeters thick, and then cut it into small squares. Next, roll these squares into ball shapes.
Boil the tapioca pearls on high heat for around six to eight minutes or until they start rising to the surface. Remove the pearls from the water, place them in an ice bath, and set them aside.
It’s important to note that different tapioca flour or starch brands might give different consistencies. If you feel the flour isn’t forming a dough, add tapioca flour in one-teaspoon increments and mix well.
On the other hand, if you’re using ready-made tapioca pearls, completely skip this step and just follow the instructions on the package. Make sure you don’t make boba too far ahead of time, as they’re going to harden after only a few hours.
Step 2: Make Your Syrup
In a pot, add 40 g of brown sugar and 30 ml of water. Let the mixture boil until its consistency becomes a thick, translucent brown.
Step 3: Add the Boba to Your Syrup
Turn the heat down to low, add in the tapioca pearls, and let them slowly simmer in the caramelized syrup for five minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool down and thicken further.
Step 4: Add Milk and Ice
Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the caramelized brown syrup on the sides of the glass. If you want to make the tiger stripes look a bit more realistic, add the sweet syrup to the bottom of your glass.
Flip the glass over and let all the excess syrup drip back into the pot.
Add the tapioca pearls to the glass and top off the drink with fresh milk. Remember that warm boba provides the best texture, so it’s best to add tapioca balls while they’re still warm. Make sure you also serve the drink with a wide straw (on Amazon), so you get a few boba with every sip.
If you want to make the mudflip version, simply serve the drink in a mason jar with a lid. Pour the brown syrup directly into the jar’s bottom and top it off with fresh milk.
The Best Recipe Variations to Try

There are several different variations you can try with this recipe. Here are some of the best ones:
Tea Blends
Add a flavorful tea to the fresh milk. It’s best to start with a black tea, such as Ceylon (on Amazon). Once you get used to the taste, go wild! Try taro bubble tea, rose milk tea, or even matcha.
However, make sure you let the hot tea mixture cool down before assembling the drink, or the caramelized syrup will melt immediately.
Toppings
Add more flavor to your brown sugar milk tea by adding a special topping. Try coffee jelly (on Amazon) or coconut jelly (also on Amazon), or simply top the drink off with a solid layer of caramel.
Consistency
You can also switch up the consistency of your sweet brown sugar. You can let it simmer for a longer time or add more water. This will make the syrup thicker or thinner, and even give you a different lava lamp effect for your mudflip tea.
What’s the Difference Between Tapioca and Boba?
It’s important to understand that tapioca is simply a starch that’s used to make boba, and the real difference lies between tapioca crystals and boba balls. Boba balls are bigger and sweeter compared to tapioca crystals.
To better understand how they differ, let’s take a deeper look into what each ingredient actually is:
Tapioca
Tapioca is a starch made from ground cassava root. It’s widely used in several South American, African, and Asian countries as a thickening agent for sauces and soups.
While it also has numerous uses in baking and works as a wonderful gluten-free substitute in dessert and bread recipes, tapioca has recently become popular all around the world thanks to its use in making boba.
Boba
Boba is basically a kind of tapioca crystal that’s made with three simple ingredients: brown sugar, water, and tapioca starch. However, the name itself can be confusing. Some people refer to tapioca balls as boba, while others use them to refer to bubble tea itself.
Boba pearls are usually added to drinks that have brewed tea, ice cubes, milk, and some other additives to give them a more unique flavor and texture.
One common misconception about boba is that it contains gelatin. While the balls do have a chewy texture, there’s no gelatin used to make them. Instead, the unique texture is from the tapioca starch.