Give lemonade iced tea a boba twist and make an Arnold Palmer iced tea bubble tea! This hole-in-one Arnold Palmer recipe is made with homemade lemonade!
8gramsloose black teasuch as Early Grey, English Breakfast, or Darjeeling (2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoons). See notes below if using bagged tea.
3cupsboiling waterideally, 208°F
For the lemonade
1cupgranulated sugar
1cupwater
1cupfresh lemon juicefrom about 5 lemons
3/4cupwateror up to 1 cup, to taste
For the boba
2cupslarge tapioca pearls (boba)
3tablespoonsagave syrupor maple syrup
For serving
ice
lemon slices
fresh mint leaves
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Instructions
Brew the tea
Place the loose tea leaves in an infuser and insert into a teapot or heatproof pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea and let it steep for 2-3 minutes, to taste.
Remove the infuser and cool the hot tea to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use. The tea can be made a couple of days in advance.
Make the lemonade
Make the simple syrup: combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Cool completely. This can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Combine the lemon juice and simple syrup in a pitcher. Add 3/4 cup of water, or up to a cup of water to taste, depending on the tartness of your lemons. Remember, you will be adding ice to the drink, so it is best not to dilute the lemonade at this point.
Make the boba
Bring a saucepan with water to a rolling boil. Drop in the boba pearls and cook according to your package directions. If you use the quick cook variety, it should take about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and stir in the agave or maple syrup to sweeten the tapioca pearls.
Assemble the Arnold Palmer
Combine the tea and lemonade in a large pitcher.
Assemble the drink by spooning the boba into a tall glass. Add some ice, pour in the lemonade iced tea (Arnold Palmer), and garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint.
Notes
If using tea bags:Steep 6 tea bags in 3 cups of boiling water (208°F) for 4 minutes. Discard the tea bags and allow the tea to cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until ready to use.Cold brew tea method:Steep 6 black tea bags or 8 grams loose tea in 3 cups of cold water in the refrigerator for 5 hours. Discard the tea bags/loose tea and keep the brewed tea in the refrigerator until ready to use.Where to find boba pearls:You can find tapioca pearls (boba) at your local Asian market (like 99 Ranch) or on Amazon. The brand I use cooks in just 5 minutes.