Thai Iced Tea, Lightened Up
Strong-brewed Thai tea poured over ice with light coconut milk and a touch of honey, dairy-free and less sweet than the classic.
Classic Thai iced tea usually means a heavy pour of sweetened condensed milk over strongly brewed spiced black tea. This version keeps the deep, spiced tea flavor from star anise and vanilla, but swaps the condensed milk for a light coconut milk sweetened gently with honey, so it's dairy-free without losing that signature creamy swirl.
Because it leans on light coconut milk and a modest amount of honey rather than condensed milk's concentrated sugar, this comes out noticeably less sweet than the original while still feeling like a treat. It works well as an afternoon pick-me-up when you want something more interesting than plain iced tea.
Brew the tea extra strong — it needs to hold its own once it's poured over ice and mixed with the coconut milk, or the flavor gets lost.
Ingredients
- 4 Thai tea bags or 4 tbsp loose Thai tea
- 3 cups hot water
- 1 star anise
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp honey — or to taste
- 0.75 cup light coconut milk
- 4 cups ice
These ingredients are common at South Asian grocers; a well-stocked international supermarket usually carries them too.
Instructions
- 1Steep the tea bags or loose tea with the star anise in hot water for 8-10 minutes to brew it strong.
- 2Strain out the tea leaves and star anise, then stir in the vanilla and honey while the tea is still warm.
- 3Let the tea cool to room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator.
- 4Fill glasses with ice, pour the tea over, and top each glass with a splash of light coconut milk. Stir gently before drinking.