Thai Tea Recipe {Make this Now}

Latest note about this Thai tea recipe: we’ve updated this Thai iced tea recipe with an organic tea bag option and with coconut milk!

During one of the conference days in Chicago, we escaped out to lunch at a local Thai restaurant to explore more of the city’s culinary offerings. As always, we’ll try to order something new and different. When we’re at a Thai restaurant, it normally involves ordering our favorites. This includes a curry dish,  one noodle dish and an appetizer. On top of that, we must always have Thai iced tea. Because how can we NOT have Thai iced tea when we eat Thai food? It’s one of those decant “dessert” drinks that helps soothe the burn when we overload on too much of Thai spice.

Authentic Thai Tea Recipe

Years ago, my Auntie Chung was telling me how easy it was to make Thai iced tea. She had worked in an Asian restaurant and one of the most popular items on the entire menu was Thai iced tea. She proceeded to tell me exactly how to make it and how profitable it was for restaurants to make Thai iced tea. I didn’t care too much about the profitability of Thai iced tea. But rather, I’m more interested on how easily it was made and why we didn’t make it more often. The version we have is as authentic as what most Thai restaurants in America are making it really does taste like what we have ordered at most Thai restaurants.

Watch the video for making Thai Iced Tea:

Fast forward about 7 years later as I’m sitting in Chicago eating Thai food and sipping my Thai iced tea. My brain light bulb pops on: “We need to make Thai tea! Auntie told me how easy it was to make and why haven’t we made it before?” Here you have it. All I can say is that if you’re a fan of Thai iced tea at $3.25 a pop, then you must make this now.

Not only will you be saving a big wad of cash on a yearly basis, but you’ll also have a bottomless pitcher of Thai tea. This huge party pitcher will allow you to savor, sip and share with friends. This Thai iced tea recipe is so easy that pretty much every YouTube video you see uses the same brand and shows the same steps. As far as the creamy layer goes, many people use different ingredients such as half and half, whole milk, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and even low-fat milk. Choose your creamy poison.

How to make Restaurant Thai Iced Tea at Home

The only difference in our Thai tea recipe when compared to most restaurant versions is that we’re using a little less sugar. But really, once you get the basics down on making Thai iced tea you can customize the flavors and concentration the way you like. It’s one of those recipes that is great no matter how you make it because it’s just so decadent and satisfying.

One of the key factors in making it like the restaurants is using authentic Thai tea mixes. These Thai tea mixes are normally dyed with yellow food coloring (look on the package) and that’s what gives it it’s bright orange color. Also, Thai tea has a vanilla aroma to it. So if you want to have the brilliant orange color and flavors like most of the Thai restaurants, then this is one of the brands of thai tea to buy : Pantai.

There’s probably other brands of Thai tea mixes to buy, but this is the one we first tried it with and it was a success. Some readers enjoyed using this brand of  thai tea mix called ” The Original Thai Iced Tea Mix”.

Here’s a tea filter that can also be helpful as well. We usually make large batches, so we just simmer the tea leaves in the hot water.

How to Make Organic Thai Iced Tea

Using organic black tea bags instead of the Thai tea mix:  We also tested another version with pekong black tea bags and the flavor was still great. Only thing missing was the brilliant orange color and the subtle hint of sweet vanilla. If you want an organic Thai tea blend, here’s one we’ve found.

Either way, find your way into the kitchen to make yourself a batch of this restaurant style thai iced tea that’s homemade. Make yourself a big batch asap. We’re not joking. Make this now and let us know what you think. And remember, make it your own and play with the different levels of sweetness and creaminess.

Thanks Auntie Chung for the homemade Thai iced tea inspiration.

-diane

Our Favorite Thai Tea Ingredients and More Tea Finds:

From Thai Tea to Chai to a super delicious French Black Tea (Mariage Frères Thé à l’opéra Tea) – here’s some of the favorites:

Pantai Thai Tea Mix –
This is the mix we commonly find in Asian store around us. Just like the restaurants.

Number One The Original Thai Tea –
Another Thai tea mix which many of our readers have suggested. Number One!

X-Large Thai Tea Filter–
Go traditional with this Thai Tea Filter. Get a second one for coffee too!

Bombay Chai –
We love a good chai. Steep a bag of this goodness, add some steam or warmed milk and you’ll be in Chai heaven.

Mariage Frères Thé à l’opéra Tea –
Our absolute house favorite black tea. We found this French tea years ago at Dean & Deluca and have been hooked since.

Taste Nirvana Premium Thai Tea – 1 lb. –
Another Thai tea mix we found from an Asian grocer. They even have instructions for making it in a coffee maker. 

How to Make Easy Thai Iced Tea Photos:

Fill the glass to about 3/4 of Thai tea mix

add half & half, it makes it creamy good. give a stir.

drink up lots of it and make more.

Update! Here’s a Vietnamese Iced Coffee Recipe for all you iced coffee fans!

Love Boba Milk Tea? Here’s our popular homemade boba milk tea recipe here. 

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For more info about the book visit our Bountiful Cookbook page.

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5 from 36 votes

Thai Iced Tea Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time:

10 mins

Steeping Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

 

Please read the post about this Thai tea recipe. It discusses the brands and different methods on how to make it to get the orange color, as well as photographs to illustrate the process. When we made our Thai Tea mix from the Pantai Thai Tea Mix bag, we reduced their suggested sugar amount by about 20% to our own personal taste. For those of you who prefer an organic version with coconut milk,that option is below too. In the recipe there are two options for creating your Thai Iced Tea - Option #1 Using a purchased Pantai Thai Tea Mix and Option #2 - Making it from scratch using organic black tea bags and spices.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

option #1 - thai tea mix ingredients:

• 1 cup Pantai Thai Tea Mix
• 4 cups water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup half and half (approximately), (some folks also use coconut milk, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk)
• ice

option #2 - using organic tea bags ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 4 organic black tea bags
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 anise stars
• 1 green cardamom pod , smashed
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 cup half and half (approximately), (some folks also use coconut milk, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk)
• ice

Directions

option #1 - thai tea mix directions:

1. Bring water to boil and add the thai tea mix. Add sugar and gently stir to completely dissolve sugar. Gently boil tea for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Allow tea to steep for at least 30 minutes and allow it to cool. The more concentrated the tea flavor, the better the Thai tea tastes.
3. If you are using the Thai tea mix, strain the tea leaves. Set finished Thai tea aside to cool.
4. You can make this ahead of time and have the Thai tea chilling in the fridge. We usually like to make this tea mix one day ahead.
5. Fill glasses with ice and pour in Thai tea leaving enough room to fill in your half and half (or other creamer). For an 8 oz. glass we like to add about 2-3 tablespoons of half and half for a creamier flavor.

option #2 - using organic tea bags directions:

1. Bring water to boil and add the tea bags, sugar, anise starts, cardamom pod and cloves. Stir until all the sugar disolves. Gently boil tea for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Allow tea to steep for at least 30 minutes and allow it to cool. The more concentrated the tea flavor, the better the Thai tea tastes. We prefer to allow the tea bags to seep for about 2 hours for maximum flavor. During this time, the thai tea can cool.
3. Remove the tea bags and spoon out the anise starts, cardamom pod and cloves. If tea is still warm, we will refrigerate it so it can be chilled.
4. You can make this ahead of time and have the organic Thai tea chilling in the fridge.
5. Fill glasses with ice and pour in organic Thai tea leaving enough room to fill in your half and half (or other creamer). For an 8 oz. glass we like to add about 2-3 tablespoons of half and half for a creamier flavor.

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