Step 1

Make the hot chocolate mixture. To a small bowl, add chopped dark chocolate, cocoa powder, salt, and granulated sugar.

Step 2

Pour a little bit of hot water (around ¼ cup) and using a whisk, mix to form a paste. When the chocolate has melted and the cocoa powder has dissolved, pour the rest of the hot water and mix.

Step 3

Cook tapioca pearls. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the pearls to the boiling water and cook over medium heat following the packaging instructions. Then, drain and add to a bowl. Coat with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar syrup.

Step 4

Assemble the chocolate boba. Add the tapioca balls to the bottom of a large glass, followed by plenty of ice cubes (if making this drink hot, skip the ice). Pour the milk over the ice cubes, followed by the hot chocolate mixture. Stir and give it a taste test.

Step 5

At this point, you can add more brown sugar syrup if you like it sweeter. Serve right away and top with whipped cream if desired!