Thai Iced Tea / Thai Ice Coffee Recipe

Prepare the brew

Bring 1000 ml (about 4 cups) of water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. If making Thai iced tea: add 6 tbs Thai tea mix (or 6 tbs strong black tea plus optional whole spices: 2 star anise and 2 crushed cardamom pods) to a heatproof container or directly into the boiling water. If making Thai iced coffee: dissolve 4 tbs instant coffee into the boiling water. Reduce heat to low, simmer gently for 3–5 minutes to extract deep color and flavor (if using loose tea or Thai tea mix).

Steep and strain

Remove from heat and let the tea/coffee steep off the heat for an additional 10 minutes for robust flavor. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof pitcher to remove leaves and spices. If using instant coffee, ensure all granules are dissolved and skip the straining step.

If using orange or red food coloring (traditional for Thai tea), stir in 1/4 tsp now until evenly distributed. Taste the brewed tea/coffee to ensure it is strong and aromatic; it should be more concentrated than a typical hot tea/coffee since it will be diluted by ice and milk.

Sweeten hot

While the brew is still hot, add 6 tbs sweetened condensed milk and 3 tbs granulated sugar to the warm liquid. Stir vigorously until sugar and condensed milk are fully dissolved and incorporated. Taste and adjust sweetness — add more condensed milk or sugar if you prefer a sweeter drink (authentic Thai iced tea is quite sweet).

Allow the sweetened brew to cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Chilling helps prevent excessive dilution when poured over ice.

Assemble the drink

Fill each serving glass about three-quarters full with ice cubes (approximately 3/4 cup ice per 12 oz glass). For a 4-serving batch, divide the chilled sweetened tea/coffee evenly among the glasses (about 200–230 ml per glass).

Gently pour or float 1/4 cup (about 60 ml) chilled evaporated milk, whole milk, or half-and-half over the back of a spoon onto each glass so it creates a layered look. Stir before drinking if you prefer a uniform color and creaminess.

Serve immediately with a straw and spoon for mixing.

If you brewed plain black tea and used whole spices, you can garnish each glass with a star anise or a lightly crushed cardamom pod for aroma. Adjust food coloring amount earlier if you want the classic bright orange color.

For a lighter, less sweet variation, reduce condensed milk to 4 tbs and add more plain milk to taste. For a vegan version, swap condensed and evaporated milk for sweetened condensed coconut milk and coconut milk or oat creamer.