Summery Strawberry Cheesecake Bubble Tea

We were walking through the supermarket and came across some gorgeous strawberries. We love incorporating fresh fruit into desserts so we decided to use strawberries to make bubble tea! This strawberry boba recipe was inspired by Korean strawberry milk and cheesecake-themed desserts.

Strawberry cheesecake bubble tea is a boba drink made from fresh strawberries, cheese foam, milk, and boba. This drink combines the sweetness of Korean strawberry milk with the creaminess of homemade cheese foam.

This iced beverage is a must-have item in every Korean cafe, and if you’re wondering how you can make it at home you’ve come to the right place! Read on for the recipe!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer policy for details. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Table of Contents

You Only Need 4 Components for Sweet Strawberry Cheesecake Boba!

1. Strawberry Syrup

Strawberry syrup is simply a mixture of fresh strawberries and sugar. You’ll often see this with a strawberry-to-sugar ratio of 1:1 and it’s blended into a thick or chunky mixture.

In our recipe, we simply muddled the strawberries and sugar together because we like having bits of strawberry and a syrup-like texture. This also makes the syrup fall down beautifully through the layers of ice and milk. We used a strawberry-to-sugar ratio of 1: ¹⁄₄ because we don’t like our drinks too sweet.

You can adjust the sweetness by adding more or less sugar to your liking.

2. Cheese Foam

Cheese foam is a popular add-on for milk tea drinks. It’s a thick whipped cream with cream cheese incorporated into it. The taste is not only creamy but also milky and nutty! Some people like to add a pinch of sea salt to lift up the cheesy taste over the creaminess. We didn’t add sea salt to ours, but consider doing so if you like salted cheese foam!

3. Boba

Tapioca pearls give a sweet taste and chewy texture that make bubble tea so fun to drink. If you’re not interested in making this from scratch, we recommend purchasing fast-cooking boba.

You can have lots of fun with boba because they come in different shapes and sizes! Stick to the classic black boba, go for mini-sized sago, or even try some bursting boba. Your boba has a huge impact on the taste and textural experience of your drink, so don’t be afraid to experiment or use your favorite kind of boba!

Make sure you read the package instructions before purchasing, because certain bobas are not fast cooking. (Check out Weee!’s selection of instant bobas here! Also, click here for $20 off your first 2 orders at Weee!)

4. Milk

Use any milk of your choice. Because sweet strawberries are incredibly tasty when paired with creamy fat, we recommend sticking to a milk that’s on the creamier side, such as soymilk, dairy milk, or oatmilk. In our recipe we used lactose-free dairy milk because that was what we had in the fridge.

Ingredients for Strawberry Cheesecake Bubble Tea

Cheese foam

• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream ice cold
• pinch of sea salt optional

Strawberry Bubble Tea

• 6-8 strawberries finely chopped
• ¼ cup sugar
• milk of choice
• ¼ cup boba cooked per manufacturers instructions

Toppings

• 1 strawberry
• crushed graham cracker

How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Bubble Tea

Prepare the cheese foam

1. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Mix on low for 2 min or until the sugar and cream cheese are softened and well incorporated.
2. Add a pinch of sea salt (optional)
3. Add the whipping cream. Mix on high for 2-4 min or until stiff peaks form. Do not overmix.

Prepare the Strawberry Syrup

1. Muddle strawberries and sugar in a bowl. You may add more sugar to your liking.

Assemble the drink

1. Add boba to the cup first. Then fill the cup with ice.
2. Add milk of choice. Fill the glass about 80%.
3. Add strawberry syrup.
4. Add cheese foam.
5. Top with crushed graham cracker and garnish with a strawberry.

How to Prepare and Store

This drink is best consumed within 24 hours. You can make the cheese foam and strawberry syrup ahead of time. Store them in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Use freshly made boba to assemble the drink.

Tips on Making Strawberry Cheesecake Bubble Tea

• Adjust the sweetness to your liking by altering the amount of sugar in the strawberry syrup
• Add a pinch of sea salt to the cheese foam if you prefer
• Before making cheese foam, we like to place the whipping cream in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. This will ensure that the cream is cold enough for whipping.
• If you find that your cheese foam isn’t forming any peaks, it’s highly likely that your mixture isn’t cold enough. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes then try whipping again.

Final Thoughts

Sweet, creamy, and cheesy flavors all come together to make an irresistible bubble tea drink. Use this recipe to bring the Korean cafe to your kitchen!

Check out some of our other boba drinks here! One of our faves is Homemade Rose Milk Tea with Boba.

More Boba Recipes You’ll Love:

References & Further Reading

https://www.eater.com/2018/9/21/17846630/cheese-tea-trend-explained

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavored_milk

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on January 22, 2021. It has been updated with content and images on July 31, 2023.