Thai iced tea (Cha Yen)
Sweet, creamy Thai iced tea with the signature orange hue — chilled, milky and perfect for warm afternoons.
Cha Yen — better known to most as Thai iced tea — is the guilty-pleasure cold drink that somehow balances full-on sweet creaminess with strong, spicy tea. It’s brilliant when you want something indulgent but easy: make a jug, chill it and you’re ready for hot days or an after-dinner treat.
This version uses a ready-made Thai tea mix for the authentic spice and colour, with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk for the lush, layered finish. Make it exactly as written for the familiar café effect, or dial back sugar and condensed milk if you want a lighter sip.
Ingredients
- 40 g Thai tea mix
- 800 ml boiling water
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 120 g sweetened condensed milk — 30 g per glass
- 120 ml evaporated milk — 30 ml per glass
- ice cubes — to fill glasses
- orange food colouring — optional, a few drops to intensify colour
Equipment
- fine sieve or muslin cloth
- measuring scales
- large jug
Instructions
Put the Thai tea mix and granulated sugar into a large heatproof saucepan. Pour over the boiling water and stir until the sugar begins to dissolve.
Remove from the heat, cover and leave to steep for 10 minutes so the tea releases its colour and flavour.
Strain the tea through a fine sieve or muslin into a heatproof jug. Press the solids gently with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid, then discard the leaves.
Return the strained tea to the saucepan and bring to a very gentle simmer for 1 minute to ensure all sugar has dissolved and the flavour concentrates slightly.
If you want a more vivid orange colour, stir in a few drops of orange food colouring now, then leave the tea to cool slightly.
Pour the tea into a jug, leave to come to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for 35 minutes until cold.
To serve: fill each glass with ice cubes. Pour the chilled tea into the glasses, leaving room at the top. Add 30 g sweetened condensed milk into each glass, then pour 30 ml evaporated milk over the top — serve immediately. Stir before drinking if you prefer an even sweetness.
Tips
- If you don’t have a muslin, use a fine sieve lined with a few layers of kitchen paper for the first strain to catch tiny particles.
- Make the tea a few hours ahead and keep chilled — it tastes better once the flavours have settled and it’s thoroughly cold.
- For a dairy-free version, swap evaporated milk for full-fat coconut milk and use a vegan condensed milk alternative (see substitutions).
- To get the classic marbled look, pour the evaporated milk last over the back of a spoon — don’t stir immediately.
- If the tea is too strong after chilling, dilute with a little cold water rather than adding more milk, which will change the texture.
Substitutions
evaporated milk → full-fat coconut milk, same quantity
Noticeably differentsweetened condensed milk → reduced-sugar condensed milk, same quantity
Stays closeThai tea mix → strong black tea (assam or Ceylon) plus a pinch of star anise and crushed tamarind, use 10 g tea leaves + spices
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 240
- Calories
- 4 g
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 42 g
- Sugar
- 140 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make Thai iced tea in advance?
Yes — brew and chill the tea up to 24 hours ahead, then add milk and ice when serving for best texture.
Why is my tea bitter?
Over-steeping or boiling too vigorously extracts tannins — stick to a 10-minute steep off the heat and avoid a rolling boil.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Absolutely — reduce the granulated sugar by up to half and add the condensed milk to taste. Bear in mind condensed milk is already quite sweet.
How do I get the orange colour?
Many commercial Thai tea mixes already contain colouring. If yours doesn’t, add a few drops of orange food colouring to the strained tea until you’re happy with the hue.
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