Thai Iced Coffee Recipe

Brew strong coffee

Place 0.5 cups coarsely ground dark roast coffee in a heatproof French press or large heatproof jar. Add the crushed cardamom pods and star anise if using. Pour 4 cups boiling water over the grounds, stir gently to ensure all grounds are wet, and cover. Let steep for 4–6 minutes for a strong brew (6 minutes yields bolder flavor). If using a French press, press down slowly after steeping. If using a jar, strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a clean container to remove grounds and spices.

Cool the coffee

Allow the brewed coffee to come to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes) then refrigerate until chilled, about 30–60 minutes. You can speed this by transferring to a shallow container and placing in the fridge or an ice bath (avoid diluting the coffee).

Combine milks

Whisk together 0.5 cups sweetened condensed milk and 0.5 cups evaporated milk in a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness — if you prefer sweeter coffee, add up to 1–2 additional tablespoons sweetened condensed milk. Reserve 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk for optional topping drizzle.

If you prefer a lighter, creamier texture, stir in 0.25 cups whole milk or additional evaporated milk to the condensed-evaporated mixture before serving.

Assemble the drink

Fill each serving glass with about 3/4 cup ice (roughly 3/4 of a tall glass). Pour 1/4 cup chilled strong coffee into each glass (you should get about 4 glasses from the batch). Add 2 tablespoons of the sweetened condensed/evaporated milk mixture to each glass (adjust to taste). Stir gently to combine so the coffee turns creamy and evenly sweetened. If using reserved sweetened condensed milk for presentation, drizzle 1/2 teaspoon over the top of each glass.

Garnish and serve

Optionally top with a light sprinkle of ground cardamom or a mint sprig. Serve immediately with a straw. Stir again before drinking to reincorporate any separated condensed milk.