Can You Make Boba From Cornstarch?

Have you ever been curious to know if it is possible to make boba from cornstarch? If you have that question running through your mind and you need an answer, then you need to read this first.

This guide has the right answer to your question, “can you make boba from cornstarch?”

Making boba from scratch is not as hard as you might think; however, with patience and the right ingredients, you can create chewy boba that is perfect for topping off your cornstarch within one hour.

In this article, we will discuss the ingredients, the processes, and the tips you need to make great boba from your cornstarch.

Table of Contents

What is Boba?

Boba is the translucent, squishy bubbles usually found in one of the ingredients used in Bubble tea or “boba tea.”

Bubble tea is a tea-based sweetened drink made of flavored tea, milk, and bubble drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s.

Boba is made from tapioca starch, also known as cassava starch, and it is typically labeled as tapioca pearls.

Ingredients and Tools Needed

To make boba from cornstarch, you will need the following ingredients:

6/10 cup or 75 g of Cornstarch
1/4 cup or 50 g of Brown sugar
1/4 cup or 60 ml of Water
1 teaspoon of Light corn syrup (optional)

Note: with these ingredients sizes, you can make four boba teas with regular pearls size.

If you want to make more bobas, you can form smaller pearls or increase the quantity of the ingredients.

You will then need

2 medium cooking pots (one for making the boba and one for cooking).
1 spoon for stirring (or something similar).
2 bowls (one for making the boba and one for cooking).
A strainer (optional).

How to Make Boba From Cornstarch

Let’s look at the easy steps to make your boba tea using cornstarch.

Step 1

Using a medium pot, cook the Sugar, Starch & Water Mixture on medium heat.
Add water to the pot and add all the brown sugar.
Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved, then turn off the heat.
Add a quarter of the cornstarch and stir constantly to avoid lumps.
Turn the heat to medium when it is all mixed
Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil or starts thickening.
Once it thickens, please turn off the heat and keep stirring until it gets thicker.

Step 2

Add the remaining Starch and Light Corn Syrup
After removing the mixture from the heat, add the light corn syrup (optional) and stir it.
Add the rest of the cornstarch.
Continue stirring until the starch and mixture have mixed.
Put a bit of starch on the table and put the dough into the starched spot.
Let it cool down a bit before moving forward with the next step.

Step 3

Now it is time to form the boba. To do this, you can use:

The cube method or
The log method

The cube method:

Roll the dough out about 0.4 inches thick.
Then Cut 0.4-inch or 1-cm lines with a knife or another cutting tool.
Cut across again 0.4 inches or 1 cm.
Then start forming after you have finished the cutting process to have your cubes ready.

The log method:

Roll the dough out about 0.4 inches or 1 cm thick.
Cut 1 inch / 2.5 cm lines with a knife or another cutting tool.
Then roll each line longer until each has a diameter of 0.4 inches or 1 cm.
After the “logs” are done, line them all next to each other.
Cut them crosswise to make them 0.4 inches or 1 cm wide.
Start forming them if you have finished the cutting process to have all your cubes ready.

Step 4

Put 1 tablespoon of starch in the dry bowl to prevent the pearls fromstickingk together.
Take a cube and ball it out to pearl with your palms.
Then put it into a bowl with starch.
Repeat this process until all of the dough has been rolled up.
You can mix the pearls in a bowl to cover them with starch from time to time.

Step 5

Once all of your boba have been formed, start cooking them. (This might take up to 30 minutes)
Boil 7.5 cups / 1.8 liters of water in a pot.
Add the boba when the water starts boiling.
Stir them well to ensure they don’t stick on the bottom and to each other.
At this stage, the Pearls should start floating.
Allow them to cook for 15 minutes on medium heat.
Give them a light stir from time to time to ensure the pearls don’t stick.
Turn off the heat after 15 minutes
Cover the pot and let them stay in there for another 10 minutes.
Fill a bowl with cold water and leave enough room for the pearls
Put the boba in a bowl you just filled; the pearls are done cooking
Let them rest there for a few minutes, then strain the water.

Step 6:

To add flavor to your boba:

Heat a pan and let it warm on medium heat.
Turn the heat to medium-low when the pan is warm.
Pour 0.5 cups of your favorite syrup onto it
Stir the syrup for a minute, then add your cooked boba pearls
Turn off the heat and keep stirring until you get a good consistency.
When you achieve your desired consistency, you are done.

Nutritional information

Calories: 258.9kcal
Carbohydrates: 67.3g
Protein: 0.1g
Sodium: 8.9mg
Potassium: 26.6mg
Sugar: 25.7g
Calcium: 22mg
Iron: 0.7mg

Storage Information

Cooked boba should be consumed within 3 hours after preparation.

However, refrigerated cooked pearls last up to 3 days, while refrigerated raw boba can last up to 3 months. Although they might not retain their initial texture.

If you want to achieve a three-month lifespan for them, ensure that raw pearls are covered with starch, and use an airtight container.

Final Thoughts

We can make boba from cornstarch with patience and using the right ingredients. It is made from tapioca starch, also known as cassava starch, and is normally labeled as tapioca pearls.

However, to answer your question, “can you make boba from cornstarch?” We have made a step by guide explanation of how you can achieve that with ease.

We hope that you have fun using this recipe.