How to Make Thai Iced Tea

Thai iced tea is a delicious, refreshing beverage made with Thai iced tea mix (which can be loose leaf or powdered, and often contains spices, sweetener and sometimes food coloring to give it its signature orange hue) and dairy, then topped with half-and-half.

What Is Thai Iced Tea?

Although this drink has become ubiquitous at Thai restaurants across the U.S. and is a common grab at markets in Thailand, there is no one hard-and-fast way to make Thai iced tea. The only universal rules are that it contains a fair amount of sugar and that creamer is added to it immediately before serving. Even that signature orange hue, which comes from food coloring, is negotiable.

In Thailand, the refresher is typically served in a plastic bag and may be accompanied with a dramatic "pulling" performance, in which the tea is poured back and forth between containers. Here in the U.S., we drink cha yen, which denotes the tea includes a creamy milk product, but what kind of creamy product is up to the maker. Some restaurants use condensed milk; others use half-and-half, heavy cream or whole milk. Others default to a vegan option, using the heavy, thick coconut milk that's also in many Thai curries.

The tea blend itself can include the vanilla, cinnamon and star anise that hit the nose, and also tamarind, orange blossom water and other custom flavorings and spices. But most often, the shop proprietor won't even be able to tell you exactly what's in their tea recipe—whether they choose to start from powdered or loose tea leaves, the base is purchased already flavored, similar to buying hazelnut-flavored coffee.

Does Thai Iced Tea Have Caffeine?

Yes. Thai iced tea is made with strong black (or red, as they're identified in China and Taiwan) teas—ideally pricy Ceylon but most often locally grown varieties of Assam tea. Black tea has roughly 60 milligrams of caffeine per cup. However, exact levels vary depending on the strength of the brew; the brand used; if it's from a powder mix or from loose tea leaves, as is traditional; and of course, the quantity you drink, as this tea is rather hard to stop sipping!

What Makes Thai Iced Tea Orange?

The simple answer is food coloring. As to why, that's much more hazy! Some say the coloring was added to differentiate between Thai tea and Thai coffee. Others say that palace chefs in Thailand used turmeric and tamarind, which have naturally orange hues, to restore body to reused tea leaves and make the drink look more lively.

Is Thai Iced Tea Healthy?

At a restaurant, made the traditional way, Thai iced tea is a very, very sweet treat, made with rich dairy. However, you can make it with less sugar and saturated fat for a more conscious take. Our version (below) is made with less sugar and a lighter combination of almond milk with whole or reduced-fat milk, along with a drizzle of half-and-half for creaminess.

You can also make Thai iced tea without added sugar, here's how:

1. Follow Steps 1 and 2 (below) using 3 Tbsp. Purecane sugar cane-based zero-calorie sweetener (or granulated stevia) in place of the granulated sugar.

2. When ready to drink, combine 1¼ cups each whole (or reduced-fat) milk and unsweetened plain (or vanilla) almond milk and ¾ cup no-added-sugar vanilla-flavored whey protein powder in a blender or shaker cup; process or shake until combined.

3. Fill a tall glass ¾ full with ice and pour the tea over it. If you'd like to add sweetness, add a squirt (approximately ⅛ teaspoon) of Sweetleaf Caramel Sweet Drops to the tea, then stir in about ⅓ cup of the milk-blend mixture. Top each glass with 1 Tbsp. half-and-half.

Makes 8 10-ounce servings

Nutriton information: 90 calories, 4g fat (2g sat. fat), 22mg cholesterol, 8g carbohydrates, 3g total sugars, 0g added sugar, 8g protein, 0g fiber, 73mg sodium, 128mg potassium