Cha Yen (Thai Iced Tea Recipe)

A plastic cup filled with iced Thai tea, showing a gradient of red tea and milk, sits on a wooden surface with ice cubes scattered around—a delightful snapshot of the perfect Thai tea recipe.

4.50 from 2 votes

Cha Yen (Thai Iced Tea Recipe)

This Vegan Thai Tea recipe is made from just 4 ingredients (heck, one is even water!), and taking less than half an hour to brew and ready to drink. Chilled and poured over ice, it's a vibrant orange Thai culinary tradition, made JUST sweet enough.

Prep Time0

Cook Time6

Chilling time20

Total Time26

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Thai

Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 160kcal

Author: Adam Sobel

Cost: $4.50

Equipment

▢
saucepan
▢
Wire mesh strainer
▢
Pitcher

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup Ceylon tea loose leaf
▢ 4 cups water
▢ ⅔ cup sugar coconut sugar, or palm sugar (or to taste)
▢ 1 cup coconut milk unsweetened soy milk, or unsweetened oat milk

Instructions

In a saucepan, combine ½ cup of Thai tea mix with 4 cups of water. You can optionally add a cardamom pod and a small piece of star anise here. Bring to a boil.
As soon as the pot starts to boil, place a lid on it and let the tea simmer for 4 minutes.
Strain the tea mixture into a pitcher through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the tea leaves.
While the tea is still hot, add your preferred sweetener and stir until completely dissolved. Feel free to adjust the sweetness to your taste.
Let the Thai tea cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice, pour the chilled Thai tea over the ice, leaving some space at the top.
Top each glass with your preferred unsweetened milk.

Notes

🍵 Tea Excellence:

Opt for high-quality Ceylon tea for authentic Thai flavors. Loose-leaf tea provides accurate measurement and a robust taste.

⏳ Precise Steeping:

Use a timer for accurate simmering; 4 minutes is the sweet spot for a perfect Thai tea, free from bitter tannin notes.

❄️ Chill Right:

Cool Thai tea to room temperature or use the fridge/freezer. Rapid cooling locks in flavors, preventing dilution when poured over ice.

🧋 Boba Thai Tea Variation:

Prepare boba pearls according to the package instructions. Typically, this involves boiling the pearls and then allowing them to soak in a sweet syrup.
Once your Thai tea is chilled and ready to serve, scoop a desired amount of prepared boba pearls into each glass. A few pieces of grass jelly are nice here, too.
Carefully pour the chilled Thai tea over the boba-filled glasses, leaving some space at the top.
Top each glass with 1 cup of your preferred unsweetened milk – coconut milk, soy milk, or oat milk. Stir gently to combine, allowing the boba to mix with the Thai tea.
Serve with a large straw, big enough for the boba pearls to go up.

Nutrition