Honeydew Milk Tea | The Picky Eater

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Bubble teas have taken over, and it seems they are here to stay. This honeydew milk tea is a refreshing take on this trend. I make it with fresh honeydew melon, brewed green tea, and silky almond milk, serving it over ice and chewy tapioca pearls. You can make this yourself in just 55 minutes and enjoy it knowing there are no harmful additives.

In our house, bubble tea is one of the ways I get my kids to try new flavors and ingredients without complaint, and this honeydew milk tea went down a treat. I was even surprised at how much they enjoyed my wintermelon milk tea, which I recommend making if you prefer a milder flavor. Fresh honeydew has a naturally crisp, lightly sweet flavor that blends well to form a velvety pale green drink, interrupted by the vivid addition of tapioca pearls.

I first started making bubble tea after my kids and husband fell in love with store-bought versions. Unfortunately, those are loaded with heavy cream, artificial flavoring, and more sugar than I was comfortable with. I started with my chocolate milk tea, and the rest was history. We have since been enjoying a variety of interesting flavors. But a few weeks ago, we were out, and my husband and kids decided to buy bubble tea. It only took a few sips for them to realize how sickly sweet it was, and they did not even finish their drinks. 

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🥘 Ingredients

This honeydew milk tea uses simple ingredients, relying mostly on the natural flavors of the melon. This is what I use when I make it:

Green tea bags: These provide an earthy flavor to balance out the sweetness of the melon. You can use loose-leaf tea, too. 

Tapioca pearls: I use black tapioca boba pearls for added chewiness.

Maple syrup: This gives my tapioca pearls a sweetness and flavor to absorb after they have been cooked. You could also use my vegan honey instead of maple syrup. 

Fresh honeydew melon: Fresh melon is essential for the best flavor and nutrition. To save time, you could also use precut ripe honeydew melon from the store. 

Almond milk: I use unsweetened almond milk for a mild and creamy base that does not overpower the melon flavor.

Ice cubes: I like serving this drink cold to highlight the refreshing flavors, and I add as much ice as I need. 

🔪 How To Make

Once you have made this honeydew milk tea at home, you will never need to go out and buy bubble tea ever again. This is how I make it from start to finish:

Steep the tea: I start by bringing my water to a simmer, then remove it from the heat and add my green tea bags. I steep the tea for 5 minutes, discard the bags, and cool the liquid to room temperature.

Cook tapioca pearls: Next, I bring a large pot of water to a boil and add my tapioca pearls. I reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the pearls are tender and chewy.

Strain pearls: I drain the cooked pearls and transfer them to a small bowl. Then I stir in the maple syrup while the pearls are still warm, and set aside to cool.

Blend honeydew: Then, I add the diced honeydew and brewed green tea to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.

Strain the liquid: I pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer, keeping the liquid and discarding the pulp.

Assemble the tea: For this recipe, I like using a clear glass or cup so the layers are visible. I begin with a layer of tapioca pearls and their syrup at the bottom of each glass, and then add a generous handful of ice.

Add milk: Next, pour in the green tea and honeydew liquid, and top with almond milk.

Serve:  Finally, I stir it up and serve it immediately with a large straw.

📖 Variations

This honeydew tea may seem like it is not all that flexible, but believe me, it is. These are 3 different ways I have made this tea:

Honeydew matcha: Instead of using green tea, I whisk 1-3 teaspoons of matcha with a bit of warm water to create a paste. Then I mix it into 2 cups of water that has been heated between 160F-175F. If I want a very intense matcha flavor, I use 3 teaspoons of powder, but for this recipe, I recommend using just 1 teaspoon. This elevates the drink to a stunningly green color.

Creamier milk swap: If I want a richer base, I use full-fat oat milk instead of almond milk. This gives my tea a much more indulgent texture and a natural creaminess. My kids love this version, as it resembles the texture of store-bought bubble tea. 

Frothy top: Instead of adding the milk straight into the drink, I like frothing it up with a milk frother and spooning it on top. In my husband’s words, this makes the tea look extremely “Instagrammable.” 

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I will use any excuse to make this honeydew bubble tea, or any bubble tea for that matter. Which is why I started having bubble tea parties in the warmer months. Sometimes it is just my kids and me, but that is all the party I need. Ha! If you would like to throw one of these tea parties, I suggest making at least 2 other flavors of tea and serving them with foods that are known to complement the flavor of honeydew melon. Try it with my strawberry milk tea and a plate of freshly baked ginger snap cookies. Dunking the cookies in the tea is highly recommended.

Last August was peak honeydew season, and I took this opportunity to make this tea. Since the tea can be quite filling, I decided that it would be part of our lunch for that day. To complement the flavors, I served it with a big bowl of my watermelon feta mint salad and a few lemon blueberry cookies that I had leftover. Looking back, this definitely was one of the strangest lunches I have laid out, but there were zero complaints from the picky eaters. Do not worry, I overserved the veggies at dinner just for the sake of balance. Ha! 

🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

Refrigeration: I store leftover honeydew tea base in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Tapioca pearls should be stored separately with an extra bit of maple syrup.

Freezing: This drink is not suitable for freezing, as the texture of the honeydew and the tapioca pearls change when thawed. 

Reheating: I do not recommend reheating this drink, as it is best served cold. 

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