Go Back
–+ servings
Thai iced tea topped with mint leaves in a plastic cup.
Print Recipe
4.90 from 125 votes

Thai Tea from Scratch

This sweet and creamy Thai Tea Recipe from Scratch is a decadent chilly caffeinated drink recipe without the harmful dyes. Sip this beautiful beverage with a bold ombre orange color to cool off or cool down when eating spicy Thai foods.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 minutes
Total Time14 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 2 Servings
Calories: 227kcal
Author: Aimee Mars

Equipment

  • Mini Strainer or Tea Strainer
  • Tea Kettle

Ingredients

Thai Tea

  • 6 Black Tea Bags
  • 2½ cups Water
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract optional
  • 2 pieces Star Anise
  • 1 tablespoons Whole Cardamom
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 1/4 piece Vanilla Bean
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons Sugar I used coconut palm sugar

Sweetened Milk

  • 1/4 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 2 tablespoons Evaporated Milk or whole milk

Instructions

Thai Tea

  • Place the tea bags, water, vanilla extract, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, and turmeric into a medium-sized pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Pour the tea mixture through a strainer to remove the whole spices. Fill two glasses with ice and pour the tea over the ice.

Sweetened Milk

  • In a small bowl whisk the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk (or whole milk) together until smooth.
  • Pour the milk mixture over the iced Thai tea. Garnish with mint leaves.

Notes

  • Add plenty of sugar but adjust the sweetness to your liking. The best Thai iced tea is very sweet just like southern sweet tea. While it's not the most healthy ingredient, adding enough sugar is key to getting that sweet milk taste. You can adjust the sugar to how sweet you want it though.
  • Save time and cut out steps by using this teapot. Whenever I prepare tea using loose tea itself I use this teapot. It cuts down on having to use a strainer.
  • Since this healthy Thai tea recipe is made without using Thai tea mix you won't get the super orange color. The mix has food coloring, which you can add yourself using dye-free food coloring. I did NOT use dye in the version you see here in the photos.
  • To get the burnt orange color without food coloring make sure to use turmeric. Sprinkling the powder into your recipe will naturally dye the tea burnt orange without the potential health consequences. While turmeric does have a strong flavor it doesn't overpower this Thai tea mixture.
 

How to Make Evaporated Milk:

  1. Place 1 cup of whole milk into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.
  2. Bring the milk to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer the milk for 20 to 25 minutes until it's reduced by about half.
  3. Remove from heat and let cool before using. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
 

Dairy-Free Thai Tea:

Following the directions for preparing the Thai tea mix up to adding the milk. Instead of using sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk use canned coconut milk. Shake the can before opening it or blend it in a blender to mix in the coconut cream with the coconut milk for a smooth pour.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 271mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 138IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 2mg