How to make aloe jelly (a healthier boba alternative)

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If you’ve ever set foot in a boba shop, you’ve likely heard of this delightfully chewy treat.

Aloe vera is widely used for its long list of health benefits, such as treating acne, burns, and helping with digestion [1]. In recent years, aloe jelly for drinks has also gained popularity as a refreshing and healthier alternative to boba.

Aloe jelly vs boba nutrition

Bubble tea chain Kung Fu Tea lists its tapioca pearls as having 199 calories per serving, while their aloe jelly topping has 42 calories [2]. Similarly, a serving of pearls at Gong Cha is 148 calories and aloe jelly is just 16 calories [3].

What’s more, the wholesale aloe jelly that bubble tea shops usually use is typically just a few ingredients: aloe, sugar, and citric acid as a preservative. Definitely beats the artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives found in commercial boba [4]!

Aloe jelly specially made for boba tea drinks isn’t easy to come by, but luckily aloe is. If you’re looking to recreate this refreshingly splendid bubble tea topping at home with a fruity iced tea, here’s a simple aloe jelly recipe to follow.

What you’ll need to make aloe jelly for boba drinks:

2-3 large aloe leaves
Cutting board
Sharpened knife
Cool water
Bowl
Honey, sugar, or syrup

1. Cut or buy large aloe leaves

Because I live in an arid climate, aloe grows like a (very slow) weed outside without much care. To harvest leaves, simply snip them off near the base and the cut will heal on its own.

If you don’t happen to have an aloe vera jungle in your backyard, you can look for a plant at a local plant nursery. Another option is to simply buy aloe leaves from the grocery store. I’ve found that health food stores are much more likely to have them.

Making aloe jelly will be much easier with large aloe leaves. This is because you’ll have to peel the skin off later and the larger surface area is easier to handle.

2. Wash the aloe leaves

Once you have your aloe vera leaves, its time to wash all the grimy outdoor germs off.

In addition, it’s very important to wash off the oozing yellow liquid in this step and in the next steps. This is called aloe latex and not only does it taste very bitter, but it can also have adverse health effects when consumed, such as causing abdominal pain and cramps [1].

3. Cut off the spikey edges and soak

With squeaky clean leaves and no aloe latex left, it’s time to prime these guys for handling. Depending on the type of aloe you’re using, the leaves might have spikes all along the edges like mine. Cut off the edges, then chop the leaves up into small pieces as pictured above.

Let the aloe soak in a bowl with cool water for a few minutes. This further helps to remove any residual latex while also removing some of the slime that makes aloe hard to work with, especially with a knife.

4. Peel off the remaining skin

The most time consuming part of this aloe jelly recipe is removing the aloe’s skin. Make sure the leaves are as slime free as possible before moving them to a cutting board. With a sharpened knife, start peeling away the skin without cutting off much jelly. You want to make sure you have as clean a cut as possible and do not leave any skin which will make the jelly bitter and look unappetizing.

Tip:

Always cut with the knife away from you. The aloe jelly is slimy and it's easy for the knife to slip. Keeping the aloe on the cutting board gives the most secure grip.

5. Soak again

With all the skin off, the aloe is once again slimy and tough to work with.

Let the aloe jelly soak in a bowl of clean, cool water for a few more minutes.

6. Dice gel into boba straw sized bits

If you’re planning on drinking with a wide boba straw—I’m not sure if there’s an alternative—then make sure to dice the aloe jelly topping small enough to fit through.

On a road trip back from Las Vegas this summer, I impulsively decided I needed reusable boba straws and discovered the zero waste company The Zeroish Co. online after a quick search on my phone. I’ve never been a fan of metal after-taste in kitchenware, so I’m thrilled to have found a glass boba straw alternative.

7. Give it a final bath

You’re almost done! With a strainer, rinse the chopped up aloe jelly under the faucet until the final traces of goo are gone. You should be left with pristine little aloe cubes that look almost like ice cubes.

8.(Optional) Sweeten with honey or sugar

Aloe jelly from bubble tea shops has a subtlety sweet and refreshing taste. This is why it’s often used in fruity tea drinks. Without sweetener, aloe jelly tastes almost like nothing. So if you’re in it just to add a bit of texture to your tea, then you are ready to stop here and enjoy!

If you prefer a touch of sweet, add a bit of honey or syrup to your jelly. Alternatively, you can boil the aloe in a small pot of water with sugar to taste for about 15 minutes. Drain the water. The aloe will absorb some of the sweetness.

9. Store or enjoy!

And you’re done! Fruity iced teas and green teas pair best with aloe jelly’s subtle taste. Checking out your favorite boba shop’s menu could give you some inspiration of what kind of tea to make to accompany your jelly.

I’d recommend eating the aloe jelly right away to conserve its texture and size. If you do want to save it for a few days, keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, you might notice that the jelly gradually starts to turn to liquid and lose its shape.

Let me know what your experience is down below!

[1] “Aloe Vera.” National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nccih.nih.gov/health/aloe-vera.
[2] “Nutrition Information - Kung Fu Tea: Fresh - Innovative - Fearless Leading Tea Brand.” Kung Fu Tea | Fresh - Innovative - Fearless Leading Tea Brand, www.kungfutea.com/nutrition.
[3] “Bubble Tea Selection.” Gong Cha USA, www.gongchausa.com/bubble-tea.
[4] “Tapioca Pearls - Large Boba (3kg): Case of 6 Bags: New.” BossenStore.com, www.bossenstore.com/collections/tapioca-pearls-crystal-bobas/products/tapioca-pearls-large-boba-new.

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about the author

Hello, is it tea you’re looking for? Raquel is an Arizona-based tea drinker who writes about tea as a side hobby. Her current favorites are Earl Grey with a splash of milk and any Japanese green tea.