This classic Taiwanese treat is deliciously chewy and only needs a couple of ingredients. If you love boba, you'll love these colorful "relatives" of boba.
Taro ball is a classic Taiwanese dessert that originates from Jiufen (九份), a popular tourist destination in Taiwan. Taro balls have the QQ texture that Taiwanese people love, along with the flavors of taro and sweet potato. Traditionally, there are only two flavors - taro and sweet potato, but these days you can also find other flavors like purple sweet potato, matcha, chestnut, etc.
Taro balls can be served in many different ways, hot or cold. In summer time, I like to eat it cold with grass jelly, boba pearl and cream (like Meet Fresh!). In the winter, I like to serve it with Tangyuan in a brown sugar ginger broth. It also goes very well with taro sago.
Ingredients You'll Need
notes
- Taro - you can find this in Asian grocery stores either fresh or frozen. Check out my taro sago post for how to prepare fresh taro.
- Sweet Potato - You can use any kind of sweet potato you like, the amount of tapioca starch that goes into it will need to be adjusted accordingly.
- Tapioca starch - also called tapioca flour. It's an essential ingredient for making taro balls and cannot be replaced with other types of starch.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It's a classic Taiwanese dessert that's loved by many people.
- I provide step by step picture with easy to follow instructions.
- It's vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
- It freezes very well, so you can make it in advance and enjoy it anytime you want.
Step by Step Instructions
In this recipe I will show you how to make three different colors of taro/sweet potato balls. However, if it's your first time making these, I will recommend you to just pick two colors to try, to make the whole process a bit easier.
Step 1 - Steam and mash the taro and sweet potato while still hot.
Step 2 - For the regular sweet potato, add in tapioca starch, knead and shape into a ball, cover and set it aside.
For taro and purple sweet potato, add tapioca starch and 2 teaspoon of sugar, toss and mix it with your hands until clumpy.
Step 3 - Pour about 2-3 tablespoon of boiling water into both taro and purple sweet potato mixture, let it sit for 30 seconds before kneading into a ball.
Step 4 - Cut the dough into small squares.
For the regular sweet potato dough, cut the dough into half before rolling it into a log (about ⅔" or 1.5cm diameter). Cut the log into small pieces, coat with more tapioca starch to keep the pieces from sticking together. Repeat to finish the rest of the dough.
For taro and purple sweet potato dough, since it's dryer and not as easy to roll into logs, I prefer to cut the dough into half, shape it into a ball and then flatten with the dough cutter to ⅔" or 1.5cm thick. Finally, cut the dough into small squares, smooth out the edges with hands and then toss with tapioca starch to prevent them from sticking.
And that's it! You have your homemade taro and sweet potato balls!
Step 5 - To cook, bring a pot of water (about 6 times the amount of taro/sweet potato balls you plan to cook) to boil over medium heat. Once it boils, add taro/sweet potato balls, give it a quick stir and cook until they all float to the surface.
Once they are floating, cook two more minutes before draining. Stir in sugar (about 1 tablespoon per cup of taro/sweet potato ball) to prevent them from sticking.
Now it's ready to serve! This time I serve it with grass jelly, honey and cream. It's so yummy and satisfying, hope you all can give it a try!
Tips and Tricks
- If this is your first time making this recipe, I would recommend that you start with just making two kinds, to make the whole process a bit easier.
- It's important to mix in tapioca starch while the mashed taro/sweet potato is still hot.
- Depending on the kind of sweet potato you use, the amount of tapioca starch you need can range from 30% to 50% of the weight of sweet potato. If you use more tapioca starch, the balls will be chewier. But if you use too much, the balls won't have much flavor.
- Remember to cover the dough you are not working on to prevent them from drying out.
- When cooking the taro/sweet potato balls, it's important to (1) use enough water (at least 6 times) and (2) add the balls into the water when it's boiling (not just simmering), otherwise they will melt or clump together.
- The taro/sweet potato balls will become chewier once they cool.
- Only cook the amount of taro/sweet potato balls you are eating each time. It can stay fresh and chewy for a couple of hours in room temperature, but if you store it in the fridge, it will start hardening after an hour.
Recipe FAQs
No, it's important to use tapioca starch in order to achieve the QQ texture.
No, we want to minimize the water absorption, especially for sweet potato, otherwise you will need to add a lot of tapioca starch, which will result in flavorless taro/sweet potato balls.
The best way is to freeze the uncooked taro/sweet potato balls right after you make them. Only cook the amount you plan on eating each time. I usually put them into Ziploc bags, arrange the balls into a single layer, and freeze horizontally to prevent them from sticking together. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Don't Forget to Try
I would like to hear from you! If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment in the section further down the page. Stay in touch by following my Instagram and Pinterest!
Best Taro Balls and Sweet Potato Balls (芋圓/地瓜圓)
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Balls
- 150 g orange sweet potato , or other kinds of your choice, sliced
- 80 g tapioca starch (flour), or enough to form a dough, plus more for dusting.
Taro Balls
- 150 g taro root, cut into 1" cubes
- 60 g tapioca starch (flour), plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon boiling water, around 30-40g if using a scale
Purple Sweet Potato Balls
- 150 g purple sweet potato , sliced
- 60 g tapioca starch (flour), plus more for dusting
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2-3 tbsp boiling water, around 30-40g if using a scale
Other
- sugar
Instructions
- Steam taro, sweet potato and purple sweet potato for 20 minutes or until softened. Take the sweet potato out to work with while keeping the taro and purple sweet potato warm in the pot/steamer until you're ready to work with them.
Make Sweet Potato Balls
- Place sweet potato slices in a bowl (drain any extra liquid from steaming) and mash with fork while it's still hot.
- Add in tapioca starch, knead and shape into a ball (Cover and set it aside if your are not shaping it right away). Depending on the type of sweet potato you use, you might not need all the tapioca starch. Just add tapioca starch until it can be shaped into a dough ball and it doesn't stick to your hand.
- Cut the dough into half before rolling it into a log (about ⅔" or 1.5cm diameter). Cut the log into small pieces, coat with more tapioca starch to keep the pieces from sticking together. Repeat to finish the rest of the dough.
Make Taro Balls
- Place taro chunks in a bowl and mash with fork while it's still hot, add sugar and tapioca starch (flour) and mix with your hands until clumpy.
- Pour 2-3 tablespoon (or 30-40g if using a scale) of hot boiling water into the middle of the mixture, let it sit for 30 seconds before kneading into a ball.
- Cut the dough into half, shape it into a ball and then flatten with the dough cutter to ⅔" or 1.5cm thick.
- Cut the dough into small squares, smooth out the edges with hands and then toss with tapioca starch to prevent them from sticking.
Make Purple Sweet Potato Balls
- Place purple sweet potato slices in a bowl and mash with fork while it's still hot, add sugar and tapioca starch (flour) and mix with your hands until clumpy.
- Pour 2-3 tablespoon of hot boiling water (or 30-40g if using a scale) into the middle of the mixture, let it sit for 30 seconds before kneading into a ball.
- cut the dough into half, shape it into a ball and then flatten with the dough cutter to ⅔" or 1.5cm thick.
- Cut the dough into small squares, smooth out the edges with hands and then toss with tapioca starch to prevent them from sticking.
Cooking
- To cook, bring a pot of water (about 6 times the amount of taro/sweet potato balls you plan to cook) to boil over medium heat. Once it boils, add taro/sweet potato balls, give it a quick stir and cook until they all float to the surface.
- Once they are floating, cook two more minutes before draining. Stir in sugar (about 1 tablespoon per cup of taro/sweet potato ball) to prevent them from sticking.
- Let it cool down a little before serving. It will be chewier when it's cool and will stay chewy for a couple of hours in room temperature.
Storing
- Freeze the uncooked taro/sweet potato balls right after you make them. Only cook the amount you plan on eating each time. Put them into Ziploc bags, arrange the balls into a single layer, and freeze horizontally to prevent them from sticking together. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If this is your first time making this recipe, I would recommend that you start with just making two kinds, to make the whole process a bit easier.
- It's important to mix in tapioca starch while the mashed taro/sweet potato is still hot.
- Depending on the kind of sweet potato you use, the amount of tapioca starch you need can range from 30% to 50% of the weight of sweet potato. If you use more tapioca starch, the balls will be chewier. But if you use too much, the balls won't have much flavor.
- Remember to cover the dough you are not working on to prevent them from drying out.
- When cooking the taro/sweet potato balls, it's important to (1) use enough water (at least 6 times) and (2) add the balls into the water when it's boiling (not just simmering), otherwise they will melt or clump together.
Can you share what you use for your honey and cream? 🙂
Hi Mei, I usually get the raw honey from Costco or farmer's market, and for cream I either get the local brands or from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.
🙂 Is your cream heavy whipping cream or light cream?
I use a bit of heavy whipping cream, but you can also use half and half or just whole milk.
Hello,
Would love to try this recipe. Can you tell me what the black pieces are in the photo?! Thanks!
SA
Hi Shannon, those are grass jelly :).
Hi, is it possible to dehydrate the uncooked ones instead of freeze them? I have made them one time with both Okinawa purple yam (I didn't have ube) and American orange sweet potatoes and the end cooked result was squishier but similar to Boba. I know ube can be dehydrated.
Hi Rhene,
That's an interesting idea! However, I haven't tried it so I'm not sure if that would work..