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Thai iced tea is one of those drinks I crave the second I see it on a menu. The strongly brewed black tea with hints of cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise, then finished with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Sweet, creamy, refreshing… perfection.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Thai Tea Mix – Gives Thai iced tea its signature color, flavor, and aroma. ChaTraMue and Pantai are two popular options. My favorite one to use is ChaTraMue. I like to get it from H-mart or any Asian grocery store should have it.
- Sugar – Sweetens the tea base while it is still warm so it dissolves evenly.
- Evaporated Milk or Half and Half – Adds creaminess and gives the drink that smooth, rich finish.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – Brings sweetness and body, making the drink taste creamy without needing a bunch of extra ingredients. When buying condensed milk, look at the ingredients list, it should only have milk and sugar listed. Some brands will have additional additives and those are no good. Use leftover sweetened condensed milk to make Orange Creamsicle or add to Watermelon Shaved Ice.
Make Ahead & Storage
I love making Thai iced tea in batches. I make the tea base ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, then mix each glass with ice, milk and sweetened condensed milk.
The plain tea base lasts up to 1 week in the fridge. Once you add milk, it lasts about 3 days. Store in an airtight container. I like to use deli cups for storage.
Thai Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- ¾ cup Thai tea mix, ChaTraMue or Pantai are the most popular
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp Evaporated milk, or half & half, per glass
- 1 tbsp Sweetened condensed milk, per glass
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a small pot.
- Add the Thai tea mix to the small pot, remove the pot from the burner, and give it a few stirs. Let it steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain the tea through a strainer or cheesecloth. Thai tea has a lot of fine particles, so I strain twice, first with a regular strainer, then through cheesecloth to get it extra smooth. If you have a french press use this for ease. (Be careful, it stains!)
- Once strained, stir in the sugar immediately so it dissolves in the warm tea.
- Serve over ice and add sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk or half & half. Adjust to your preferred sweetness. I like to keep the tea base separate and mix each glass fresh. The tea base lasts up to a week in the fridge, but once you add milk, it only lasts about three days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
