Chia-Bubble Tea

Chia-bubble tea

Bubble tea was all the rage a few years ago. It’s essentially iced tea, milk, sugar and large tapioca pearls. I was always a bit hesistant about the drink because what if you choke on a large tapioca pearl? Here’s a low carb recipe for it that I’ve developed. I kept the iced tea, but used heavy cream, a sugar substitute and chia seeds.

Chia seeds are the new "superfood". It’s high fiber, low carb, high protein and loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids. Unlike flax oils, chia oils are stable and do not become rancid. When soaked in water, the chia seeds absorb it and swell up, forming a gel around the seed. This gel gives it that tapioca-like mouth feel. An added bonus is that chia is pretty tasteless. The chia 'pearls' are small, so my choking phobia is a little diminished.

The recipe is simple. However, the chia seeds need to soak in the tea for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator in order for them to gel. The longer the seeds are soaked the softer the seeds will be.

You may use a black tea or green tea. In fact, herbal teas offer a nice flavor change.

Chia- Bubble Tea
8 fluid ounces water (0 net carbs)
1 tea bag--black tea, green tea, white tea, herbal tea (1 net carb)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (1 net carb)
sweetener to taste (varies)
1 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (1 net carbs)

Put the water in a pot and bring to a boil. Put the tea bag into a heat-proof container. Pour water over the tea bag and allow to steep for 2-5 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea. Remove tea bag and discard it. Add the chia seeds to the hot tea. Stir and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate over night. Remove from refrigerator. Stir. Add the heavy cream and sweetener. Drink up!

Total net carbs= 3 net carbs not counting the sweetener you use