Jun 09 2026
Restaurants›Go Dim Sum›Thai Milk Tea Recipe

Thai Milk Tea Recipe

Inspired by Go Dim Sum
Time30m
Serves2

Sweet and creamy tea infused with a rich, velvety flavor.

Jump to Recipe

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Tea Base

Sweetening & Dairy

Assembly

Method

Tea Base

  1. 1

    Heat water and spices

    Pour 3 cups water into a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the star anise, crushed cardamom pods, and dried orange peel. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes to bloom the spices.

  2. 2

    Brew tea

    Add 3 tablespoons of strong black tea leaves to the simmering spiced water. Turn off the heat, cover the saucepan, and let the tea steep for 8–10 minutes for a very strong, concentrated brew (this is key to the bold Thai milk tea flavor).

  3. 3

    Strain

    Strain the brewed tea through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof bowl or pitcher to remove tea leaves and spices. Press gently on the solids to extract flavor, then discard solids.

Sweetening & Dairy

  1. 4

    Sweeten while hot

    While the strained tea is still hot, stir in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until fully dissolved. Then whisk in 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk until homogenous. If using orange food coloring for color, add 2 drops now and stir to incorporate.

  2. 5

    Cool the tea

    Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature (about 10–15 minutes). For faster cooling, set the pitcher in an ice bath or place it uncovered in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes until cool but not completely set. Cooling prevents excessive dilution when poured over ice.

Assembly

  1. 6

    Prepare glasses

    Fill two tall glasses with 1 cup ice each (about 2 cups total ice as listed).

  2. 7

    Add tea

    Divide the cooled sweetened tea between the two glasses, filling each about three-quarters full. Leave room on top for the milk float.

  3. 8

    Top with evaporated milk

    Gently pour evaporated milk (about 1/4 cup per glass; total 1/2 cup) over the back of a spoon onto each glass so it forms a creamy float on top. This creates the classic layered look. Stir briefly before drinking if you prefer a uniform color and flavor.

  4. 9

    Serve

    Serve immediately with a straw. Taste and, if desired, add a small splash more evaporated milk or a little extra condensed milk to sweeten. Stir to combine when ready to drink.

More from Go Dim Sum