Thai Tea Recipe (Thai Iced Tea)
This post may contain affiliate links.This Thai tea recipe shows you how to make creamy Thai iced tea at home with its classic fragrant tea flavor and sweet, milky finish. It’s quick and easy to prepare, making it a refreshing drink you can enjoy anytime.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
🏷️ Recipe Name: Thai Tea Recipe (Thai Iced Tea)
⏱️ Ready In: ~ 10 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 6 glasses
🔥 Calories: 102 kcal per serving (estimate)
🧾 Main Ingredients: Thai tea (chatramue brand), water, condensed milk, fresh milk, ice, coconut milk, salt.
🥗 Dietary Info: Contains dairy
🧠 Difficulty: Very easy
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Thai iced tea is one of those drinks I almost always want whenever I’m having Thai food. Its fragrant tea flavor combined with sweet, creamy milk is so refreshing, especially alongside something savory or spicy.
The good news is that making Thai tea at home is surprisingly simple. You only need a few ingredients, and once the tea is brewed, the rest comes together in just a few minutes. You can also adjust the sweetness and creaminess to suit your taste.
I love serving this homemade Thai tea with some of my favorite Thai dishes, especially Chicken Pad Thai or Pad Kra Pao. The cold, creamy drink is such a nice contrast to the bold, savory flavors of Thai food.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Thai tea – I recommend using ChaTraMue Thai Tea Mix if you can find it. It gives the drink that distinctive fragrant Thai tea flavor and characteristic orange color.
Condensed milk – Sweetens the tea while also adding creaminess. You can adjust the amount depending on how sweet you like your Thai tea.
Evaporated milk – Gives the drink a rich, creamy texture without making it overly sweet.
Fresh milk – Helps balance the richness of the condensed and evaporated milk. I use regular whole milk, but you can adjust according to your preference.
Coconut milk (optional) – I like adding a little coconut milk because it gives the Thai tea a subtle coconut flavor and extra creaminess. Feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
Salt (optional) – A small pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the tea and milk.
How to Make Thai Iced Tea
STEP 1. Brew the Thai tea. Add the Thai tea leaves to a pot, then pour in the hot water (Images 1, 2). Let the tea brew for about 5 minutes (Image 3). Strain the tea through a coffee filter or tofu cloth to remove the tea leaves (Image 4).
STEP 2. Mix the milk mixture and tea. Combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, salt, and coconut milk, if using, in a jug (Image 5). Stir until well combined. Fill a serving glass with ice cubes, then pour in the strained Thai tea (Image 6). Add the milk mixture and stir well. You can also use a handheld milk frother to mix everything thoroughly (Image 7). Top with frothed milk, if desired (Image 8).
Alternatively, pour the brewed Thai tea over the ice first, then slowly add the milk mixture afterward for a pretty layered look before stirring.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overbrew the tea. Let the Thai tea steep for about 5 minutes. Brewing it much longer can make the tea taste overly strong or bitter.
- Strain the tea well. Thai tea leaves are quite fine, so use a coffee filter, tofu cloth, or another fine filter to keep small tea particles out of the drink.
- Adjust the sweetness to your taste. Condensed milk provides most of the sweetness, so you can easily add a little more or less depending on how sweet you like your Thai iced tea.
- Coconut milk is optional. I like adding a little coconut milk for extra creaminess and a subtle coconut flavor, but you can leave it out for a more classic Thai tea flavor.
- Add only a small pinch of salt. Salt is optional, but a little helps balance the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the tea and milk.
- Let the tea cool before adding plenty of ice. This keeps the ice from melting too quickly and diluting your Thai tea.
- Make the tea ahead. You can brew and strain the Thai tea in advance, then store it separately in a covered bottle in the refrigerator. Add the milk mixture only when you’re ready to serve. This keeps the brewed tea fresh longer and makes it easy to prepare a glass whenever you want one.
- For a layered Thai iced tea, pour the chilled tea over ice first, then slowly pour the milk mixture on top. Stir it just before drinking.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Thai tea with Thai butter cake or Thai egg cake, Kuih Kosui, or Mini Pandan Bika Ambon for a lovely afternoon tea companion.tea treat.
It’s also a refreshing drink to enjoy with spicy dishes. Try it with Chicken Pad Thai, Szechuan Chicken, or Kung Pao Chicken. The cold, creamy tea helps balance the heat and bold flavors of the meal.
Thai Tea Recipe FAQs
For the most authentic Thai tea flavor, I recommend using ChaTraMue Thai Tea Mix if you can find it. It has the distinctive fragrant flavor and orange color commonly associated with Thai iced tea. Regular black tea can be used in a pinch, but the flavor will be noticeably different.
Yes, but it will not taste quite the same. You can use a strong black tea as a substitute, although you may miss the characteristic aroma and flavor of traditional Thai tea mix.
Thai tea mix is known for its distinctive orange color. When combined with condensed milk and other milk, the brewed tea becomes the creamy orange color commonly seen in Thai iced tea.
Absolutely. Simply reduce the amount of condensed milk. You can taste the milk mixture first and adjust it before combining it with the tea.
No. Coconut milk is optional in this recipe. I like adding a little because it gives the drink extra creaminess and a subtle coconut flavor, but you can leave it out.
Yes. Brew and strain the tea, then store it in a covered bottle in the refrigerator. Keep the milk mixture separate and combine them with ice just before serving for the best flavor and freshness.
Storage
For the best freshness, store the brewed Thai tea separately from the milk mixture in a covered bottle or container in the refrigerator. The brewed tea can be kept this way for up to 3 days.
If you store only the brewed tea without adding any milk, it may stay fresh a little longer. Keep the milk mixture separate and combine it with the tea and ice just before serving for the best flavor and texture.
More Milk Tea Recipes
Thai Tea Recipe (Thai Iced Tea)
Ingredients
Basic Tea
- 100 gr black tea Chatramue Thai brand
- 1 litre water hot
Thai Milk Tea
- 100 gr condensed milk
- 150 gr evaporated milk
- 50 gr milk
- 30 gr coconut milk optional
- 1 gr salt optional
Instructions
- Add the Thai tea leaves to a pot, then pour in the hot water. Let the tea brew for about 5 minutes. Strain the tea through a coffee filter or tofu cloth to remove the tea leaves.
- Mix the milk mixture and tea. Combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, salt, and coconut milk, if using, in a jug. Stir until well combined.
- Fill a serving glass with ice cubes, then pour in the strained Thai tea. Add the milk mixture and stir well. You can also use a handheld milk frother to mix everything thoroughly. Top with frothed milk, if desired.
- Alternatively, pour the brewed Thai tea over the ice first, then slowly add the milk mixture afterward for a pretty layered look before stirring.
Notes
- Don’t overbrew the tea. Let the Thai tea steep for about 5 minutes. Brewing it much longer can make the tea taste overly strong or bitter.
- Strain the tea well. Thai tea leaves are quite fine, so use a coffee filter, tofu cloth, or another fine filter to keep small tea particles out of the drink.
- Adjust the sweetness to your taste. Condensed milk provides most of the sweetness, so you can easily add a little more or less depending on how sweet you like your Thai iced tea.
- Coconut milk is optional. I like adding a little coconut milk for extra creaminess and a subtle coconut flavor, but you can leave it out for a more classic Thai tea flavor.
- Add only a small pinch of salt. Salt is optional, but a little helps balance the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the tea and milk.
- Let the tea cool before adding plenty of ice. This keeps the ice from melting too quickly and diluting your Thai tea.
- Make the tea ahead. You can brew and strain the Thai tea in advance, then store it separately in a covered bottle in the refrigerator. Add the milk mixture only when you’re ready to serve. This keeps the brewed tea fresh longer and makes it easy to prepare a glass whenever you want one.
- For a layered Thai iced tea, pour the chilled tea over ice first, then slowly pour the milk mixture on top. Stir it just before drinking.
This Thai tea is one of my favorite refreshing drinks. I like mine creamy with a little coconut milk, but you can easily adjust it to your taste.