How to Make Thai Iced Tea at Home

Thai iced tea is creamy, sweet, and surprisingly easy to make at home. Using Thai tea mix as the base, I'll walk you through two methods so you can have it ready on demand or whip up a single glass whenever the craving hits.

A tall glass of Thai iced tea is hard to resist, especially with a spicy Thai meal. It’s one of those drinks that feels special but is actually super simple, thanks to Thai Tea mix, as it already contains the tea and spice blend needed to create that distinctive flavor and color.

If you've ever found Thai iced tea at a restaurant a little too sweet, you’re not alone! That's actually one of the reasons I love making it at home. You get to decide how sweet you want it to be.

When I first started making Thai iced tea at home, I picked up a bag of Pantai Thai Tea Mix from my local Asian supermarket, based on the store owner's recommendation. She told me that most Thai restaurants in that area use that brand.

This is what the tea mix looks like:

If Pantai brand isn’t available in your area, ChaTraMue is another popular Thai brand. It’s widely used in Thailand and produces the same bold flavor and vibrant orange color that Thai iced tea is known for.

Thai tea is brewed strong and then combined with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. I prefer a mixture of evaporated and fresh milk, with just a touch of condensed milk for sweetness, but you can easily adjust it to suit how sweet or creamy you like it.

You can make a single glass as needed, or brew a larger amount to keep in the refrigerator for a few days so you can have Thai iced tea on demand whenever the craving hits!

Either way, I’ve got you covered, and please be sure also to check out my THAI TEA ICE CREAM recipe!

Method 1: Thai Tea Concentrate for On-Demand Thai Iced Tea

This is the method I use because everyone in my family absolutely loves this tea. Having a batch of concentrate ready in the fridge means Thai iced tea is just a pour away whenever the craving hits. 

Pros:

• Flexible serving size: pour as little or as much as you like per glass; perfect for when you want just a small taste to satisfy a craving.
• The concentrate is already cold, so you won't have to wait for it to cool down or risk diluting your tea with too much ice
• Makes multiple servings at once, perfect for families or for entertaining
• Stays fresh in the fridge for up to a week

Cons:

• Requires a bit more prep time upfront
• Takes up some space in the fridge
• Must be used within a week
• Needs to be made ahead of time, so not ideal if you want Thai iced tea right this minute

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot, then add ⅔ cup Thai Tea Mix and ½ cup of sugar to the boiling water. Gently stir the mix, then turn off the heat.

The tea pulp will contain quite a bit of liquid, so you can use the back of a spoon to gently press as much liquid as possible from the pulp.

Transfer the concentrate to a sealed jar or bottle to keep in the fridge. It must be sealed so that it doesn’t pick up any flavors from your fridge.

This recipe yields approximately 3 cups of concentrate, making between 5 and 6 glasses depending on the strength of the tea and the size of your cup.

To Assemble:

Once your tea concentrate is ready, putting it all together is quick and easy. Here's what you'll need for each glass:

• A tall glass generously filled with ice
• Tea to fill about three-quarters of the glass
• Fresh milk and/or evaporated milk to fill the remaining quarter
• Optional: a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk drizzled on top for extra creaminess

Give it a good stir before drinking. Condensed milk doesn't dissolve easily in cold liquid, so make sure it's fully mixed in before taking that first sip!

Method 2: Single-Serve Thai Iced Tea

Not ready for a full batch? Sometimes you want just one glass and that’s perfectly fine! This single-serve method is great for when you want Thai iced tea right now.

Pros:

• Quick and simple, no planning needed
• Perfect for when you want just one glass right now
• No leftover concentrate taking up fridge space
• Great for experimenting with the recipe before committing to a big batch

Cons:

• You'll need to wait for the tea to cool down before serving, or use extra ice, which could dilute the tea
• You'll need to brew a fresh batch every time you want a glass
• Each batch makes one full glass, so you can’t easily adjust the serving size.

Add 2 tablespoons of Thai Tea Mix to a tea infuser, then place the infuser in your teapot or mug. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the infuser, then stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar while the tea is still hot to ensure it dissolves completely.

Allow the tea to steep for 15 minutes, then remove the infuser.

Let the tea cool to room temperature before assembling your glass.

A few helpful tips:

• Make sure your tea infuser has fine enough holes to keep the tea mix from seeping through. A fine mesh infuser works best for this.
• It's very important to let the tea cool completely before pouring it over ice. Pouring hot tea directly over ice will melt it quickly, diluting your drink and weakening that bold Thai tea flavor.
• No tea infuser? Simply bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small pot, add the Thai Tea Mix and sugar, and stir well. Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into your cup.

To Assemble:

Once your tea is ready, putting it all together is quick and easy. Here's what you'll need for each glass:

• A tall glass generously filled with ice
• Tea to fill about three-quarters of the glass
• Fresh milk or evaporated milk to fill the remaining quarter
• Optional: a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk drizzled on top for extra creaminess

Give it a good stir before drinking. Condensed milk doesn't dissolve easily in cold liquid, so make sure it's fully mixed in before taking that first sip!

💡 Pro Tips for the Best Thai Iced Tea

• Use large ice cubes or ice balls instead of small ones. They melt more slowly and won't dilute your tea as quickly.
• If your tea turns out too strong, just add a little more milk.
• If you’d like to turn it into Thai tea bubble tea, just cook black tapioca pearls and add them to your glass before serving.
• Pour the concentrate into an ice cube tray and freeze for longer storage. Just pop a few cubes into your glass whenever you want Thai iced tea!

Frequently Asked Questions