A sweet, creamy, chilled beverage with bouncy grass jelly and brown sugar syrup. This quick and easy grass jelly brown sugar milk is made with simple ingredients and it's delicious! This is a non-caffeinated drink and it's dairy-free adaptable.
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Grass Jelly Brown Sugar Milk is a sweet chilled beverage made of milk, brown sugar and jiggly grass jelly. There is no caffeine in this beverage and you can also use any milk of your choice!
What is grass jelly? It's a jello made of boiled Chinese mesona plant, starch and potassium carbonate. It's usually black in color and mostly tasteless but it has a slight herbal aftertaste. Commonly used in South-East Asian desserts and drinks.
I love this cold drink recipe as it's so easy to make at home with a few ingredients! It's often enjoyed as a dessert. If you're not a fan of grass jelly or can't find it, you can easily substitute with bobas.
This grass jelly pairs well with anything sweet, like in sweetened dessert soups. You can usually purchase this jello in cans at the Asian market and sometimes at Western markets in the international aisle.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Canned grass jelly: you can find this as most Asian Grocery Stores in the canned aisle. There are two kinds: the black kind or the green kind which is usually pandan flavored. Go for the black one for this version.
- Milk of choice: like dairy milk or any plant-based milk
- Brown sugar: or substitute with white sugar, cane sugar or coconut sugar
- Cold Water
- Ice cubes
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Do not overcook the syrup. Once it starts to thicken, remove off heat immediately as it can easily burn.
- Cut the grass jelly into two different cube sizes for best texture.
- Spoon the grass jelly first before garnishing the glass with syrup. This will make it easier for you.
- Enjoy the beverage while it's fresh and cold.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Grass Jelly Brown Sugar Milk:
- First open the canned grass jelly and pop the jelly out onto a cutting board. Warning: it's very slippery! Slice the jelly into half. Slice one half of the portion into little cubes and the other half into medium size cubes. This is optional but it gives you a variety of texture. Place the grass jelly cubes into two separate bowls.
- Then in a small sauce pan, add brown sugar and whisk in your water.
- Next bring this is a boil and then lower to a simmer to allow this to reduce to a thick syrup stirring consistently.
- Then take half of the brown sugar syrup and save the remaining half to garnish the glasses later. Divide the half portion of syrup between the two bowls of grass jelly cubes. Gently mix syrup into the grass jelly with a spatula.
- Next gently mix syrup into the grass jelly with a spatula.
- Then in a tall glass, spoon a variety of the grass jelly cubes into the base.
- Next layer with 3-5 ice cubes and add more grass jelly cubes on top.
- Then spoon and pour the reserved syrup along the walls of the glass to create a marble effect.
- Next layer with more grass jelly.
- Finally pour 1 cup milk per glass over the grass jelly and ice and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 1-2 days in an airtight container. I would suggest storing each component in separate containers and when ready to serve, assemble the glasses on the day of serving.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing this beverage because the freezer will change the texture of the grass jelly.
Pairing Suggestions
Grass Jelly Brown Sugar Milk pairs well with:
- exotic fresh fruits like lychee, dragon fruit, longan, rambutan, star fruit, guava, passion fruit, durian and more
- cakes, cookies, pastries or other sweet baked goods
- ice cream, frozen yogurt or any creamy desserts
- shaven ice
- mango sago, strawberry sago, dragon fruit sago
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I recommend storing the individual components in separate containers and you would need to reheat in a small pot on the stove top until it's runny again.
Yes, just make sure to prepare bobas according to package instructions.
Other recipes you may like
📖 Recipe
Easy 10-min. Grass Jelly Brown Sugar Milk
Ingredients
- 19 oz canned grass jelly
- 4 cups milk or plant-based milk
- ½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ½ cup water cold
- ice cubes
Instructions
- Open your canned grass jelly and pop the jelly out onto a cutting board. Warning: it's very slippery! Slice the jelly into half. Slice one half of the portion into little cubes and the other half into medium size cubes. This is optional but it gives you a variety of texture. Place the grass jelly cubes into two separate bowls.
- In a small sauce pan, add brown sugar and whisk in your water. Bring this is a boil and then lower to a simmer to allow this to reduce to a thick syrup stirring consistently.
- Take half of the brown sugar syrup and save the remaining half to garnish the glasses later. Divide the half portion of syrup between the two bowls of grass jelly cubes. Gently mix syrup into the grass jelly with a spatula.
- Prepare four tall drink glasses. Spoon a variety of the grass jelly cubes into each glass.
- Then add ice cubes to each glass and more grass jelly cubes on top.
- Next, spoon and pour the reserved syrup along the walls of each glass to create a marble effect. Add more grass jelly.
- Pour 1 cup milk per glass over the grass jelly and ice. Enjoy cold!
Lila
I bought a can out of curiosity from a Chinese supermarket. When I got home, I thought to just open the can and pour it into a big bowl and dive in. Surprise! It tasted nasty. Since I only took 2 bites, I decided to put the chunk into a smaller container and kept it refrigerated.
Oh, a month or so past by and I decided to research a recipe on the internet and found you. Lucky me.
I tried your recipe but with a twist; I substituted the brown sugar with an organic pure honey. I only used a couple of teaspoons of water and heated with the honey for a couple of moments in the microwave. Then I added the cut jelly and then the goat milk to my tall glass. Boy, was it delicious.
christieathome
Amazing! Happy it worked out for you and glad you enjoyed it with a twist! Thanks for making my recipe, Lila!
gf
nice
christieathome
So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for making my recipe!
Rosemary
And here I thought that I had to go into the mall to get some jelly tea! I am definitely trying this (also because my brother is obsessed with Asian food!)
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Those bouncy grass jelly cubes are so visually stunning. They make your beautiful 3 ingredient brown sugar milk so totally tempting! ❤️
Sherri
Wow! I've never heard of grass jelly before...it looks amazing! And love that it's vegan too...yay! This drink is a stunner for sure! 🙂
christieathome
Thanks so much Sherri!
Talia
I made this the other day and was blown away by how tasty and simple it was.