This milk tea flavored milk pudding is inspired by the super popular Japanese version — smooth, creamy, and nostalgic, just like classic childhood bubble milk tea. The recipe is divided into two parts: making the milk tea base first, then mixing and setting the pudding.

The base of this pudding is royal milk tea, a style developed in Japan in the 1960s that reverses the usual order of things: instead of brewing tea in water and adding milk afterward, the leaves are simmered directly in milk. The result is a rounder, more fully integrated flavor — less like tea with milk in it, and more like a single, creamy drink. It became a staple of Japanese cafés and convenience stores, and it is the version most people in Japan picture when they think of milk tea.

Assam is the classic leaf for it. Its bold, malty character is strong enough to come through a full measure of dairy without tasting washed out, and its natural honey-like sweetness suits the gentle, nostalgic flavor this pudding is after — the same flavor as the bottled milk teas and bubble tea of childhood, in spoonable form.

💡 Tips

Tips for an ultra smooth surface: As soon as the pudding is poured into the cups, immediately cover the surface directly with plastic wrap. Because the pudding is still warm, condensation droplets may form on the plastic wrap — try not to move the wrap too much, otherwise the water droplets may fall back onto the pudding surface. After chilling, carefully and quickly peel off the plastic wrap without letting the droplets drip down. This creates that perfectly smooth Japanese-style pudding surface.

Why Infuse the Tea in the Refrigerator Overnight?

The gentle simmer starts the extraction, but the long, cold overnight steep is where the depth comes from. As the milk sits with the leaves, its fat slowly captures the tea’s aromatic compounds, building a fuller, more rounded flavor. Crucially, cold infusion does this without pulling out the harsh, bitter tannins that prolonged heat would extract — so the finished tea tastes strong and malty, never astringent. The next day, you simply strain out the leaves.

Why Heat the Pudding Base Only to 60°C?

Sixty degrees is comfortably above gelatin’s melting point, so the softened sheets dissolve completely and evenly. But staying well below a simmer protects everything else: boiling would dull the carefully infused tea aroma, risk scalding the milk, and can even weaken the gelatin itself. Low, gentle heat is all this pudding ever needs.

Ingredients

Part 1 — Milk Tea Base:

• 8g Assam tea leaves
• 210g whole milk

Part 2 — Pudding Base:

• 6g milk powder
• 160g strained milk tea (from Part 1)
• 70g heavy cream
• 22g condensed milk
• A tiny pinch of salt
• 2.2g gelatin sheets

Instructions

1. Brew the milk tea. Combine the Assam tea leaves and whole milk in a saucepan. Heat gently over low heat until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edges.

2. Cold infusion. Pour the milk tea mixture into a container. Cover directly on the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to fully extract the tea flavor. The next day, strain out the tea leaves.

3. Prepare the gelatin. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water until softened.

4. Mix the pudding base. Combine the strained milk tea, heavy cream, condensed milk, milk powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth.

5. Dissolve the gelatin. Add the softened gelatin sheets to the mixture, then gently heat over very low heat until it reaches about 60°C (140°F). Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

6. Strain and pour. Strain the pudding mixture once to remove any lumps or bubbles. Pour into serving cups.

7. Chill. Cover directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Flavor Profile

Malty Assam, soft cream, and the gentle sweetness of bottled milk tea.

The tea flavor arrives first — deep, warm, and unmistakably Assam — followed by the richness of cream and the caramel-tinged sweetness of condensed milk. The set is silky and delicate, just firm enough to hold a spoon’s edge before melting. It tastes like the best version of the milk tea you grew up drinking, turned into a cool, quiet dessert.