Cold Brew Thai Iced Tea

5 from 1 vote

A cold brew version of Thai iced tea. It's sweet, refreshing, and tastes just like the ones at Thai restaurants.

Prep Time3

Cold Brew Time12

Total Time12 3

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings (16 ounces)

Author: Jee Choe, Certified Tea Sommelier

Combine all ingredients except for the ice in a container. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours.
Stir or shake the container to make sure tea leaves are touching the water and the sweetened condensed milk isn't sitting at the bottom of the container.
Use a strainer to remove all solids.
The solids should not be left in the milk for more than 24 hours. The Thai tea mix is made of a lot of small particles that may not strain out the first time, even with a fine mesh strainer. It's fine to drink though. If you want to remove any bits completely from the drink, use a strainer bag.
Pour Thai tea into a cup with ice.
The milk tea can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

The bright orange color is from food dye. There are other Thai tea mix brands sold but the one I use in this recipe gives the drink an authentic color and taste.
I tried using less sugar and less sweetened condensed milk but it just didn't taste just like the one I've had at Thai restaurants. The sweet and creamy drink pairs really well spicy food.
There's black tea in the Thai tea mix but I add a bit more to give the drink a stronger tea flavor. You don't need to use high-quality black tea. Use Lipton tea bags or any cheap black tea. Or, you can take it out completely if you want less caffeine.
Tea solids shouldn't be left in the milk for than 24 hours. Leaving any solids in the cold brew tea can accelerate bacterial growth.
Cold brew Thai iced tea is best when consumed in 2 days after straining the tea leaves since there is increased risk of bacterial growth.