Thai Iced Tea Recipe

Brew the tea

Bring 1000 ml water to a rolling boil. Place the 6 tablespoons of tea leaves (or Thai tea mix) into a heatproof teapot or heatproof jug. Add the boiled water over the tea, then add the optional star anise and crushed cardamom pods if using. Stir briefly.

Steep the tea for 5–7 minutes for a strong brew (longer if you prefer very bold flavor). Taste after 5 minutes; the tea should be deep amber to reddish-orange in color.

Strain the tea through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container to remove leaves and spices. If using orange blossom water or vanilla, stir it into the hot strained tea now. Set aside 120 ml of this hot brewed tea for the condensed milk syrup (see next section). Allow the rest to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold (about 30–45 minutes) or place an ice bath to speed cooling.

Make the sweetened syrup

Combine 120 ml sweetened condensed milk and 50 g granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Add 120 ml hot brewed tea reserved from the Tea Base so the condensed milk mixes smoothly.

Warm the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and the mixture is homogeneous and slightly thinner (about 2–3 minutes). Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. This creates a pourable sweet tea-milk syrup that will sweeten the iced tea evenly.

Combine 120 ml evaporated milk with 60 ml half-and-half or whole milk in a small pitcher. Chill until ready to serve. For a richer topping, use only evaporated milk; for lighter, use more half-and-half or milk. Keep refrigerated.

Prepare ice: have crushed ice or ice cubes ready (about 1 cup per glass).

Fill each serving glass with crushed ice or ice cubes (about 1 cup per glass).

Pour chilled brewed tea into the glass, leaving space at the top for the syrup and creamy topping (about 300–350 ml tea per glass depending on glass size).

Add 2–3 tablespoons (approximately 30–45 ml) of the sweetened condensed milk syrup to each glass. Stir gently to combine to your desired sweetness. Add more syrup to taste if you prefer sweeter tea.

Slowly pour about 30–60 ml of the chilled evaporated milk mixture over the top of each glass to create the characteristic layered look. Do not stir if you want visible layers—stir before drinking.

Garnish with an orange slice or a star anise if desired and serve with a straw. Stir before drinking to incorporate the creamy topping fully.