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.

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.

Notes

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.