Cream Milk Tea Recipe

Boil water

Bring 720 ml water to a rolling boil in a kettle or saucepan.

Steep tea

Place 3 tsp loose black tea (or 3 strong tea bags) in a heatproof container. Pour the boiling water over the tea, cover, and steep 4 to 5 minutes for a strong, robust brew. For very strong cream milk tea, steep up to 6 minutes but avoid oversteeping to prevent bitterness.

Strain

Strain out the leaves (or remove tea bags) and reserve the hot tea. You should have about 650–700 ml of brewed tea.

Warm milk and cream

In a small saucepan, combine 240 ml whole milk and 60 ml heavy cream. Warm gently over low-medium heat until just below simmer (small bubbles at edge), about 3–4 minutes. Do not boil—this scalds the milk and flattens flavor.

Dissolve sugar

Add 3 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp honey (if using) to the warm milk/cream mixture and whisk until fully dissolved. Add a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract if using. Taste and adjust sweetness — add up to 1 tbsp more sugar if you prefer sweeter milk tea.

Combine tea and milk

Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the brewed tea. Stir thoroughly to combine. The ratio here yields a rich, creamy tea: roughly 2:1 tea to milk by volume (after mixing) depending on how much tea was lost during straining.

Serve hot

For hot cream milk tea, ladle into warmed cups and serve immediately. Optionally top with a small splash (5–10 ml) extra heavy cream for a richer mouthfeel.

Serve iced (optional)

To serve iced, allow the combined tea to cool 10–15 minutes at room temperature, then pour over 1 cup ice per serving. Alternatively, make an ice bath to cool faster: place the tea container in a larger bowl with ice water and stir until cooled. Stir before serving because milk may separate slightly on standing.

Storage

Store any leftover milk tea in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Rewarm gently on the stove, stirring; do not boil. For iced servings, shake or stir before pouring over ice.