Thai Iced Tea: What It Is and How to Make It

Thai iced tea is a sweet, creamy cold drink made from strongly brewed black tea, spices like star anise, and condensed or evaporated milk. In Thailand it's called "cha yen" when it contains milk, or "cha nu yen" without it.

What Makes Thai Iced Tea Different

The tea is brewed strong and typically spiced with star anise, and sometimes with tamarind, cardamom, vanilla, or orange blossom. Some commercial versions add orange or red food coloring for the signature bright color, though the deep amber-orange hue naturally comes from the strong black tea itself.

Three types of milk commonly appear in the recipe — evaporated, coconut, and sweetened condensed — often used together for a rich, creamy result. It's an indulgent drink; you can make a lighter version at home by cutting back on the condensed milk and sugar.

Popular Variations

• Classic cold Thai tea: Sweetened with condensed milk and sugar, served over ice with a layer of cream on top. The most common version.
• Dark Thai tea: Served cold without milk, sweetened only with sugar.
• Thai lime tea: The same base, flavored with lime and sugar, sometimes with mint.
• Thai bubble tea (cha nom yen): Thai iced tea poured over chewy tapioca pearls.

How to Make Thai Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 3½ cups water
• 6–10 g black tea (traditionally an Assam)
• Whole spices to taste: star anise, cloves, cardamom, or tamarind
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup milk (evaporated, coconut, or dairy), plus more to taste

Steps:

1. Bring the water to a boil and steep the black tea with your chosen spices for several minutes until strong.
2. Strain out the leaves and spices.
3. Stir in the sugar and condensed milk while the tea is still warm, so they dissolve completely.
4. Fill a glass with ice and pour the tea mixture to about 2/3–3/4 full.
5. Top with milk of your choice and stir before drinking.

How to Make Thai Bubble Iced Tea

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add tapioca pearls.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pearls don't stick together.
3. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for another 30 minutes.
4. Strain and rinse the pearls with cold water, then toss with a little sugar and refrigerate briefly.
5. Add the pearls to a glass, filling it about a third of the way, then pour your prepared Thai iced tea on top.

FAQ

Why is Thai iced tea orange?

The color mostly comes from the strong black tea base; some commercial blends also add orange or red food coloring on top of that natural amber-orange hue.

What's the best time to drink it?

Because it's cold, sweet, and spiced, many people treat it more like a dessert drink than an everyday tea, though there's no rule against having it any time of day.

What's the difference between sweet tea and Thai iced tea?

Southern-style sweet tea is black tea sweetened with sugar and served over ice, with no milk or spices. Thai iced tea adds warming spices like star anise and is finished with condensed or evaporated milk, giving it a creamier, more dessert-like character.

Does Thai iced tea have a lot of caffeine?

Yes — it's made from strongly brewed black tea, so a serving generally has more caffeine than a standard cup of black tea. If you're sensitive to caffeine or pregnant, keep portions modest and count it toward your daily caffeine intake; most healthy adults can have up to about 400 mg of caffeine a day, but talk to your doctor about a safe limit for you if you're pregnant or have a heart condition.

The Bottom Line

Thai iced tea is a sweet, spiced, and creamy twist on black tea that's easy to recreate at home with strong tea, a few whole spices, and condensed milk. Adjust the sugar and milk to taste, and if you want more of a dessert experience, try the bubble tea version with chewy tapioca pearls. For more cold tea ideas, see our summer iced tea recipes and iced chai tea latte.