How To Make Thai Iced Tea From Scratch (Vegan)

Vegan Thai iced tea is sweet, refreshing, and perfect for a hot summer day. It also only takes a couple of minutes to make — we'll show you how it's done.

Thai iced tea, or Cha Yen, is sweet and creamy. It is different from regular iced tea as it contains sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk instead of sugar. It’s easy to make Thai iced tea vegan by switching these ingredients for some dairy-free substitutes. In Thailand, you can buy Thai iced tea from street vendors or order it in a restaurant to go with a spicy curry.

This vegan recipe only uses five ingredients and can be made in less than ten minutes. Thai iced tea is unique in appearance as the sweetened condensed milk mixed with the black tea leaves give it a distinct orange color. Remember that black tea leaves contain caffeine, so if you’re avoiding caffeine you can go for decaf tea leaves. To avoid drinking tea leaves that have been treated with pesticides or fertilizers, opt for organic tea leaves and try to choose those which are fair trade, as this means the farmers will receive guaranteed better prices. You can also learn more about why to drink fair trade.

Vegan Thai Iced Tea Recipe

Yield: 2 glasses

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. organic, fair trade Thai tea leaves mix
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tbsp. sweetened condensed oat milk (available on Amazon**)
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 2 tbsp. vegan substitute for evaporated milk

Instructions:

1. Brew the tea leaves in a teapot by pouring boiling water over them and letting the teapot stew for about five minutes.
2. Take two glasses and put a tablespoon of condensed coconut milk into each. Then fill each glass with ice cubes.
3. Fill each glass with the black tea by placing a tea strainer on each glass to catch the loose tea leaves, and then top with a tablespoon of a vegan substitute for evaporated milk.
4. Serve with a long teaspoon or sustainable straw, to mix the layers.

 Read more:

• Plastic in Tea Bags: What You Need To Know
• 6 Important Chai Tea Benefits and How to Get Them
• Cinnamon Tea: 4 Health Benefits and How to Make Your Own

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Tags: Beverages Food Guide Recipes Tea