Ingredients
Scale
For the Thai Tea Base:
- 4 cups water
- 4-5 tablespoons Thai tea mix (loose leaf)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
For Serving:
- Ice cubes (preferably crushed)
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk (or to taste)
- ½ cup evaporated milk or half-and-half (optional, for extra creaminess)
Instructions
- Boil the Water: Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. This usually takes 5-7 minutes depending on your stove.
- Add Thai Tea Mix: Once the water reaches a full boil, remove from heat and immediately add 4-5 tablespoons of Thai tea mix. The amount depends on how strong you like your tea—use 4 tablespoons for medium strength or 5 tablespoons for that authentic, robust flavor. Stir briefly to make sure all the tea leaves are submerged.
- Steep the Tea: Let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Do not stir during this time—just let it sit undisturbed. The tea will turn a deep reddish-orange color and smell wonderfully fragrant. For even stronger tea (which I prefer!), you can steep up to 8-10 minutes.
- Strain the Tea: Place a fine-mesh strainer over a heat-safe pitcher or bowl. Carefully pour the brewed tea through the strainer to remove all the tea leaves and spices. Press down on the leaves with a spoon to extract every drop of flavorful liquid. You should have about 3½ cups of beautiful orange tea concentrate.
- Sweeten While Hot: While the tea is still hot, add ⅓ cup of granulated sugar. Stir vigorously with a long spoon until the sugar completely dissolves—this takes about 30 seconds of stirring. Taste and add more sugar if you prefer sweeter tea. Remember, Thai tea is traditionally quite sweet! The tea will seem very sweet at this point, but the ice and milk will balance it perfectly.
- Cool the Tea Completely: Let the sweetened tea cool to room temperature (about 30-45 minutes). For faster cooling, you can place the container in an ice bath (a larger bowl filled with ice water). Never pour hot tea directly over ice as it will melt the ice immediately and water down your drink. Once at room temperature, refrigerate the tea concentrate for at least 2 hours, or until completely cold.
- Prepare the Cream Mixture: In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk (or half-and-half). Stir well to mix. This creates the perfect creamy topping for your Thai tea. You can adjust the ratio—more condensed milk makes it sweeter, more evaporated milk makes it creamier but less sweet.
- Fill Glasses with Ice: Fill tall glasses to the brim with ice cubes. Crushed ice is more traditional and creates a better texture, but regular cubes work perfectly. The more ice, the better—you want your drink icy cold!
- Pour the Tea: Fill each glass about three-quarters full with the chilled Thai tea concentrate, leaving room at the top for the cream.
- Add the Cream: This is the fun part! Slowly pour 2-3 tablespoons of the cream mixture over the tea in each glass. Don’t stir—the beautiful layered effect with orange tea on the bottom and white cream on top is classic Thai tea presentation! Some will naturally swirl and marble, creating gorgeous patterns.
- Serve with a Straw: Add a straw to each glass. Traditionally, you sip the creamy top first, then stir everything together as you drink, but you can stir immediately if you prefer. Either way is delicious!
- Enjoy Immediately: Thai tea is best enjoyed fresh and ice-cold. Sip slowly and savor that perfect balance of sweet, spiced tea and rich cream!
Notes
- Tea Strength: Thai tea should be quite strong and robust. If your tea tastes weak, increase the amount of tea mix or steep longer next time.
- Sugar Adjustments: Thai tea is traditionally very sweet (comparable to Southern sweet tea). Start with ⅓ cup sugar and adjust to taste. You can always add more sugar while the tea is hot.
- Milk Variations: For dairy-free, use coconut condensed milk and coconut cream. For lighter versions, reduce the condensed milk and use more evaporated milk or regular milk.
- That Orange Color: Authentic Thai tea mix contains food coloring, which creates the signature bright orange hue. If your tea looks more brown than orange, your tea mix may not contain coloring (some brands skip it), or you may need a fresher batch.
- Storage: The unsweetened tea concentrate can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Mix with cream just before serving.
- Hot Thai Tea: Skip the ice and add hot milk instead for a comforting cold-weather version!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Steeping
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 glass (12 oz, with cream)
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 34g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 18mg