How to Make Popping Boba at Home: Watermelon, Mango, and Coffee Flavors Recipe
Learn how to make delicious popping boba at home with three refreshing flavors: watermelon, mango, and coffee. This fun recipe uses sodium alginate and calcium lactate to create bursting spheres filled with flavorful juices, perfect for topping desserts or drinks. With easy-to-follow steps and simple ingredients, enjoy fresh, homemade popping boba anytime.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 40-50 popping boba spheres per flavor, depending on drop size
- Category: Dessert Topping
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Fusion
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Watermelon Popping Boba
- 200 ml watermelon juice (freshly blended and strained)
- 3 g sodium alginate powder
Mango Popping Boba
- 2 tbsp mango cubes
- 200 ml water
- 3 g sodium alginate powder
Coffee Popping Boba
- 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
- 30 ml hot water
- 180 ml water
- 3 g sodium alginate powder
Calcium Lactate Water Base
- 1 L water (cold)
- 30 g calcium lactate powder
Instructions
- Prepare Watermelon Popping Boba: Place fresh watermelon pieces in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a strainer into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract the juice. Return the juice to the blender, add sodium alginate, and blend until smooth. Remove any froth from the surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Prepare Calcium Lactate Solution: In a separate bowl, whisk the calcium lactate powder into cold water until dissolved and the solution becomes transparent. This will be used to form the boba spheres.
- Create Watermelon Boba Spheres: Using a dropper, carefully drip the watermelon and sodium alginate mixture into the calcium lactate solution. The drops will instantly form into spheres. After 1 minute, use a strainer to remove the boba and transfer them into a bowl of fresh water to rinse. Repeat until all mixture is used.
- Prepare Mango Popping Boba: Blend mango cubes, water, and sodium alginate together until smooth. Pour into a bowl, remove bubbles from the surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Create Mango Boba Spheres: Using a dropper, drip the mango sodium mixture into the calcium lactate solution. The drops will form spheres instantly. After 1 minute, strain and rinse the boba in fresh water. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Prepare Coffee Popping Boba: Mix instant coffee powder with hot water until dissolved. Add this coffee mixture to the blender with sodium alginate and blend until smooth. Strain into a bowl and remove foam from the surface. Cover and let rest.
- Create Coffee Boba Spheres: Drop the coffee sodium mixture into the calcium lactate solution using a dropper. After 1 minute, strain and rinse the boba with fresh water. Repeat until all coffee mixture is used.
- Serve and Enjoy: Use the fresh popping boba as a topping for bubble tea, desserts, or enjoy them as a fun snack.
Notes
- Resting the sodium alginate mixtures for several hours is essential to allow the sodium alginate to fully hydrate and create better texture for the boba.
- The calcium lactate bath must be well mixed and transparent to ensure proper formation of the popping boba spheres.
- Handle the boba gently when removing from the calcium solution to avoid bursting.
- Store popping boba in cold water until ready to use to maintain freshness and texture.
- Use fresh fruit juices for best flavor and vibrant color in the popping boba.
- Ensure all utensils and containers are clean to avoid contamination and spoilage.
