How Many Calories in Boba Tea?
How many calories are in boba? If you wanted to know about the calorie density of the boba pearls themselves, that comes out to about 35 calories per 10 grams of tapioca pearls. However, the average boba tea boasts around 400 to 500 calories, though that number can vary greatly. After all, with so many wonderfully delicious boba tea variations, ingredients, toppings, and everything in between available out there, you can't narrow the answer down to a single value. Therefore, to get the full picture of how many calories boba has, read the rest of the article below.
How Many Calories Does Boba Have?
To answer this question truthfully and accurately, it really depends on how you like your boba. With so many variations, seasonal drinks, topping choices, and more items available on the Sharetea menu, narrowing it down to just a single number isn't a simple task.
So, let's return to the basics instead! Typically, the tapioca pearl base contains around 35 calories per 10 grams. A typical serving will have somewhere between 60 grams or about ¼ cup, meaning the boba part of your boba tea nets you some 200 calories. Different boba varieties, like the popping boba, may yield different numbers, too.
However, the total calorie count can mount quickly once you start adding sweeteners and other calorically-dense ingredients into the mix. To give you a general idea, though, most boba tea drinks come out to around 400 to 500 calories all told. For those of you who can't satisfy your curiosity enough or are diligent calorie counters, we invite you to head on over to our nutrition facts page, where you'll find all the info you could possibly need!
Boba Tea Detailed Calorie Breakdown
We already know that a serving of tapioca pearls can equal over 200 calories, but what about the other things? Let's see exactly how many calories in boba are being contributed by individual ingredients people often enjoy in their favorite drinks.
Milk: Regular dairy milk in a boba tea can contribute about 100 calories per serving. However, when opting for plant-based alternatives, the number typically goes down. For example, almond milk nets you about 50 calories per serving.
Toppings: Your toppings of choice can vary from low-calorie options like jelly or aloe vera to the more caloric ice cream. The variability here, alongside the next ingredient, is what will largely determine the total calorie count of your boba drink.
Sweeteners: Sugar is the main driver of calories in almost any meal or beverage - that much goes without saying. Brown sugar syrup, for example, is often used in boba tea for its caramelly flavor. If you'd like to cut down on the calories, though, you can substitute with artificial sweeteners, too.
Added Flavors: Some flavoring powders used to make absolutely captivating drinks, like matcha powder for matcha milk tea or taro powder for a slightly nutty purple boba tea drink, can also increase the overall calorie count. But hey, who doesn't want to indulge their sweet tooth in a while?
The Takeaway
How many calories are there in boba tea? Typically, it is around 400–500, but the final count will always depend on what you added to the final composition. As mentioned, you can always head to our Nutrition Facts page to find detailed information and enjoy the boba tea of your choice guilt-free!
