Bright orange and almost as popular as bubble tea, this authentic Thai recipe is a must-have at Thai restaurants. It goes great with your favorite Pad Thai dish or it is even fabulous to make your own at home and serve with a Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai straight from the garden.
What is the best way to make Thai tea? What type of ingredients are in it? Can you make Thai tea at home? And what about making it without caffeine and making a Paleo Thai tea?
Let’s dive in and get these questions answered and then learn how to mix up your own Paleo Thai tea at home!
Before we start:
This herbal information is just that, information, not medical advice. This blog post and I DO NOT INTEND to treat, cure, or diagnose any disease or illness. This is for informational, educational and entertainment purposes only. Please consult a physician before using herbs medicinally.
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Black Tea
Now there are many Thai Tea mixes out there on the market. If you hope on Amazon and look them up you will find many that are a base of powdered black tea, sugar of various kinds, dye and coloring, artificial flavors, and a whole lot of other mystery ingredients.
The best base for making a really good authentic Thai tea without all of the junk is going to be by using high-quality, organic loose leaf tea. That powdered tea dust comes from the bottom of the barrel. I don’t know about you but I’d rather have the good stuff. While traditional Thai tea is usually made with a Ceylon black tea or an Assam black tea, any dark black brewed tea will do.
Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk
There are many different varieties of Thai tea, think of it like Thailands Sangria. Everyone makes theirs differently and has their own tips and tricks. But one thing is for sure, they all have some kind of milk in them! So when it comes to the type of milk to use in your authentic Thai tea it is no wonder there are several different options.
Sweetened condensed milk is cow’s milk that is cooked down to make it thicker, oftentimes sugar is added during the process. I highly recommend you make your own sweetened condensed milk over buying one if this is the route you go.
Evaporated milk is basically sweetened condensed milk without sugar. Again homemade is always best and this recipe for evaporated milk looks fabulous.
For a paleo option and some good saturated fat, using full-fat coconut milk is a great option. This is also a great dairy-free option as well as a vegan option for making your authentic Thai tea. Full fat coconut milk still carries with it the thickness of the sweetened condensed milk as well as the evaporated milk. Today we are using almond milk to top with.
Does Thai Tea Have Caffeine
The dangers of too much caffeine are prevalent these days especially with those trying to improve digestion, autoimmune disorders, sleep disorders as well as adrenal health all while reducing stress and anxiety.
- The traditional black tea that is the base of Thai tea tastes fabulous, but it does carry with it the highest caffeine content of any form of tea and 2nd highest right there under coffee. While black tea has less caffeine than coffee it still has 47 mg of caffeine per 1 cup of black tea.
- While not as traditional as black tea there are some caffeine-free alternatives to try out when making your custom Thai tea at home!
- Red Roobios tea really brings out that traditional red Thai tea color along with being an herbal tea it is naturally caffeine free.
- Red raspberry leaf tea has been said to have a similar flavor profile to black tea and is also another naturally caffeine-free herbal tea.
- Spice things up with this herbal Chai spice mix (with star anise cardamom), brewing it up creates an amber color tea that would be another fabulous caffeine-free Thai tea alternative.
Thai Tea Recipe
All that talk about the ingredients has made me thirsty! It’s time to grab some crushed ice, some boiling water, and make this Thai tea version of milk tea!
Paleo Thai Tea
Ingredients
- 10-12 oz brewed Three Sisters Black Tea Blend, room temperature
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- Ice
- Almond Milk to Top
Instructions
- Divide the brewed black tea and maple syrup between the 2 glasses, then stir well to combine.
- Fill the glasses with ice.
- Then top with the desired amount of almond milk.
- Stir well to combine and enjoy immediately.
Our years at the local Farmer’s market right next to the Thai food booth always had me craving that yummy-looking Thai tea that everyone would get. With dietary restrictions, I could never have it though. Thankfully we have this Paleo version and now I can enjoy Thai tea with everyone else.
If you enjoyed this recipe and want to learn more about cooking with tea, different tea drink recipes, and how to enjoy herbal teas in your meals even more make sure to download our free Cooking with Tea e-book.
I’m dying to know though, what is your favorite Thai recipe when you go out for some good Thai food? Share with me your traditional Thai food order down below in the comments section!
More Drink & Cooking with Tea Recipes
- Pad Thai Zoodles
- Lemon Dill Pro-biotic Salad Dressing
- Tazo® Passion Fruit Tea Hack
- Fudgy Brownies with Dandelion Root Tea
- Green Tea Mint Julep
- Irish Coffee with Chicory Root Tea
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