Thai Iced Tea, also known as Cha Yen, is one of the most popular drinks in Thailand and one of my favorites. This orange-colored drink is sweet and creamy, crafted from a blend of black tea leaves or Thai tea mix. Typically, it is mixed in boiled water with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and sugar.
Beyond its delicious taste, this iconic beverage has a uniquely robust tea flavor and a signature sweet, creamy profile, that you can often find in Thai desserts.
Serving as the ideal complement after you've enjoyed a spicy Thai meal, it also stands out as a refreshing drink when it's hot outside or fatigue sets in. What creates Thai Iced Tea's unique flavor is the combination of sugar, evaporated milk, and condensed milk.
Furthermore, for an extra creamy touch, consider adding coffee creamer such as Coffee Mate, topped with a drizzle of evaporated milk. The fact that you can find Thai Iced Tea in most street food stalls around every corner of Bangkok goes to show just how popular it is.
In this recipe, we are going to use one of the most popular Thai tea brands that you can often find in Asian markets called 'Cha Tra Mue.' It is one of the original Thai tea brands founded way back in 1945, and every drink stall in Thailand uses this brand.
Cha Tra Mue's Thai tea is crafted from Thai tea leaves harvested at peak times and hand-selected to produce the signature flavor profile that has been cherished by many Thai people for decades, which is why I highly recommend you use it for this recipe. If you can not find this Thai tea brand, you can use any black tea available in your supermarkets.
Something to note is that if you happen to find 'Cha Tra Mue' in your Asian supermarkets, you might not get the iconic orange color you would in Thailand, as the food coloring has been removed during export to comply with that country’s laws.
But don’t worry! While it may not have the signature orange color that Thai Iced tea typically has, the taste remains fine and delightfully creamy if you follow this recipe.
Without further ado, let’s start making Thai Iced Tea!
For more dessert recipes, explore these dishes: Thai Butter Sweet Corn And Coconut Flesh Recipe, Nutella Chewy Brownies Recipe, Chocolate Toast With Milo Lava Sauce Recipe, Good Morning Sunshine French Toast Recipe
To make this recipe, you are going to need:
- 1 tablespoon Thai tea mixed “Cha Tra Mue” brand
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
- ½-1 tablespoon sugar to taste
- 200 ml. hot water
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make Authentic Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen) Recipe in 5 Easy Steps
1 Begin by gathering all the essential ingredients.
2 Use a tea filter to brew the tea by adding the Thai tea mix into the filter and pouring hot water over it. Let it steep for a few minutes. If you don’t have a tea bag filter, you can steep the tea in hot water for 3-5 minutes and then strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer.
3 After steeping, add sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and sugar to taste.
4 Stir all the ingredients to dissolve. The Thai tea will change to an orange color.
5 Fill the glass with ice, pour the Thai tea into the glass, then drizzle evaporated milk over the top. Enjoy!
Other Thai Recipes You Might Like
Here are some of my favorite Thai that I think you might like. For more Thai cuisine, check out my Thai recipe page.
Authentic Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen) Recipe in 5 Easy Steps
Longing for the refreshing Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen) you sipped under the warm sun in Thailand and eager to recreate it in your kitchen? Check out our 5-easy-step recipe on how to make an authentic Thai Iced Tea!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Thai tea mixed “Cha Tra Mue” brand
- 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
- ½-1 tablespoon sugar to taste
- 200 ml. hot water
Directions
- Begin by gathering all the essential ingredients.
- Use a tea filter to brew the tea by adding the Thai tea mix into the filter and pouring hot water over it. Let it steep for a few minutes. If you don’t have a tea bag filter, you can steep the tea in hot water for 3-5 minutes and then strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer.
- After steeping, add sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and sugar to taste.
- Stir all the ingredients to dissolve. The Thai tea will change to an orange color.
- Fill the glass with ice, pour the Thai tea into the glass, then drizzle evaporated milk over the top. Enjoy!
