10 Boba Desserts to Incorporate in a Bubbly Lifestyle

BY TAMARA PALMER

Boba aren’t just for straws — spoons love ‘em, too. As we know, boba is a lifestyle, and this lifestyle includes experimenting with them in desserts. After selecting these California-made boba desserts that I’ve tried over the past five years as personal favorites, I found myself longing to try them all again immediately. At least we can all fantasize here.

Note: a few selections are technically boba-adjacent, with clever takes on tapioca pearls that I thought were worth including here.

Milk tea entremet (black tea sponge, milk tea mousse, brown sugar mochi, white chocolate mirror glaze and crunchy pearls and salted cheese whip) by MackBox Desserts and Confections, Oakland

Taro cheesecake donut with boba at Magic Donuts, San Francisco

Carrot balls with golden lava and boba at Lunasia Dim Sum House, Pasadena

Strawberry passion fruit shave ice and vanilla bean ice cream with popping boba and mochi by Chichi Dango, Los Angeles

Earl Grey boba cake at Daydream Cake Shop, San Francisco

Thai tea bingsoo with boba, grass jelly, condensed milk, crispy toast and almond at U Dessert Story, San Francisco

Hojicha kakigori with boba and brownies at U Dessert Story, San Francisco

Mango pudding with berries and popping boba at Palette Tea House, San Francisco

Forbidden Orchard blueberries with young coconut yogurt, tapioca pearls, candied beets, vanilla-almond oil and black currants at Destroyer, Culver City

Tres leches carrot cake with purple carrot sponge cake, cream cheese Bavarian, carrot top tapioca and Thai iced tea sorbet at Poltergeist, Los Angeles

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