Thai iced tea is a bright, creamy street-drink favorite made with strong brewed tea, sugar, milk, and lots of ice.
This version steeps the tea with star anise and cardamom for warm spice, then chills it before serving with condensed milk and evaporated milk for the classic creamy finish.
Brew the tea stronger than you would drink it hot. Ice and milk dilute the flavor, so a bold tea base keeps the finished glass balanced.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Thai iced tea very cold with spicy noodles, grilled chicken, curries, or fried snacks. For a dessert-style drink, add extra condensed milk and serve it with mango or coconut sweets.
Recipe Notes
Thai tea mix gives the most familiar color and flavor, but strong black tea works in a pinch. The brewed tea base can be chilled up to 3 days ahead.
Thai Iced Tea
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Pitcher
- Tall glasses
Ingredients
Tea Base
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup Thai tea mix or strong loose black tea
- 3 whole star anise optional
- 3 pods green cardamom lightly crushed, optional
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar adjust to taste
To Serve
- 2 cups ice plus more as needed
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half
- 1 pinch fine salt optional, to round the sweetness
Instructions
Brew the tea:
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, then stir in the Thai tea mix, star anise, and cardamom.
- Steep for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher.
- Stir in the sugar while the tea is still hot, until fully dissolved.
Chill:
- Let the tea cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours.
- Taste the chilled tea. It should be strong and slightly sweeter than plain iced tea because it will be served over ice with milk.
Serve:
- Fill four tall glasses with ice.
- Pour the chilled tea over the ice, leaving room at the top of each glass.
- Stir the condensed milk with the evaporated milk and a pinch of salt if using. Pour over each glass and serve immediately, stirring before drinking.
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, use sweetened condensed coconut milk and coconut evaporated milk or oat milk.
- If using plain black tea instead of Thai tea mix, add a small splash of vanilla for a rounder flavor.
- Adjust the condensed milk to taste. Thai iced tea is usually sweet, but it does not need to be cloying.