These milk tea shortbread cookies don’t come with boba, but you can always have one on the side! These tea shortbread cookies are built on a buttery shortbread base, infused with instant Assam black tea powder and condensed milk. The glaze is also made with black tea powder and condensed milk to further enhance the flavor. The recipe makes 2 dozen cookies and takes about 30 minutes of hands-on time plus an hour or two of chill time.
As an Asian American, I am totally obsessed with boba. The original drink typically consists of black tea, milk, sweetener and chewy black tapioca pearls. I really thought it would be fun to recreate this flavor – sans boba, because it would be very difficult to keep those chewy in a cookie.
Trang’s Recipe Highlights
- FLAVOR: Rich and buttery with a hint of bitterness from instant black tea powder. Taking a page out of my Vietnamese coffee shortbread recipe, I used sweetened condensed milk to add the “milk” flavor.
- TEXTURE: Crispy, especially around the edges.
- EASE: Sure, this recipe is a bit more involved than classic shortbread due to the addition of extra ingredients like condensed milk and black tea powder, as well as the milk tea glaze, but it is still fairly easy!
Key ingredients
You’ll need 9 ingredients (not including water) to make these milk tea shortbread cookies. As always, for the full list of ingredients with quantities and step-by-step instructions, skip straight to the recipe card.
The instant tea powder
I used Civilized Coffee Instant Assam Black Tea Powder in this recipe. I chose this simply because that’s what I could find. Especially since the original milk tea is made with either Assam or Ceylon tea, or a mix of the two. You can certainly use a different black tea powder, I think it will turn out just fine.
Now if you don’t want to purchase instant black tea powder just for this recipe and you typically drink black tea at home, you could potentially crush the tea leaves very finely and use that instead. This would be akin to adding ground spices or ground coffee directly to cookies, which I would do sometimes if I’m out of instant espresso powder.
The testing process
I originally tested this recipe with instant royal milk tea, it was good but the flavor wasn’t too “tea” like. Some of my taste testers thought it was ginger but all agreed it was a very good cookie.
Then I proceeded to test it with black tea powder and milk powder, which didn’t quite hit either until I swapped out the milk powder for condensed milk. And the glaze really enhances the whole recipe.
I agonized over which version to finalize on – instant royal milk tea or instant black tea + condensed milk. I settled on the latter but if you want to try the other version, send me a note and I might post it too if enough people are interested. I think this is a super fun shortbread flavor, I hope you’ll enjoy it!!
Hungry for more?
Milk Tea Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Milk tea cookie dough
- 8 oz (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon (40 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt
- 2 ¼ cup (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon (18 g) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon (12 g) instant black tea powder
- Extra granulated sugar for topping
Milk tea glaze
- 2 teaspoon (4 g) instant black tea powder
- 2 teaspoon (40 g) hot water
- 2 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- A few pinches of kosher salt
Instructions
- Cream the butter – Add softened butter, vanilla, condensed milk, sugar and salt to a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated and creamy.8 oz unsalted butter, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Incorporate dry ingredients – Sift the flour, cornstarch and instant black tea powder directly into the creamed butter using a fine mesh sieve, stir to combine. Increase the mixer speed and beat until no trace of flour remains and the dough is formed.2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoon instant black tea powder
- Form the logs – Place a long piece of plastic wrap flat on the countertop. Divide cookie dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each portion on top of the plastic wrap into a log about 6” in length. Wrap it up with the plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. You don’t need additional flour for rolling but you can use some flour if necessary. I usually refrigerate shortbread dough overnight to prep ahead.
- Slice the cookies – Use a sharp knife to slice each cookie dough log into 12 cookies about ½” thick. Rewrap in the same plastic and place them into the freezer while the oven preheats (about 15 minutes). Or you can freeze for longer storage at this point.
- Preheat the oven – Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Bake – Place 12 cookies on a large lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle granulated sugar on top. Bake 1 batch at a time for 20 minutes, until the outer edges of the cookies are golden.Extra granulated sugar for topping
- Cool – Remove the baking sheet from the oven, but allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet to finish baking from the residual heat for 5-10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze – When the cookies are completely cool and you’re ready to decorate, make the glaze by adding hot water to instant black tea powder and mix to dissolve. Then add condensed milk, powdered sugar and salt and whisk until smooth.2 teaspoon instant black tea powder, 2 teaspoon hot water, 2 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup powdered sugar, A few pinches of kosher salt
- Glaze the cookies – Transfer the glaze to a piping bag or a ziploc back and snip the corner to create a small opening. Drizzle milk tea glaze on top of the cooled cookies. Let the glaze dry completely before storage.
Notes
- Storing baked cookies: store your milk tea cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week.
- Storing cookie dough: cookie dough can be kept refrigerated for 3-4 days before baking to prep ahead. Or slice and freeze for 3-6 months.
- Baking frozen dough: no need to thaw frozen cookie dough, you can bake directly from the freezer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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