You can hardly go anywhere in Thailand without bumping into someone with a Thai iced coffee or someone selling them. Thai coffee is extremely prevalent in Thailand, but its popularity is growing worldwide as more people discover the delicious treat. In this article, we’re going to teach you how to make your own Thai iced coffee at home. It is very easy and only requires a few ingredients.
Be warned: Thai coffee is craving-inducing. It has a high sugar content, which makes it so tasty, but it also means it should be an every-once-in-a-while treat rather than an everyday habit. All right, let’s learn how to make it!
Authentic Thai Iced Coffee Recipe:
There are only two main ingredients in Thai iced coffee: coffee and sweetened condensed milk. You can substitute unsweetened condensed milk, but the traditional drink uses the sweetened variety. Condensed milk has a thick texture and gives Thai coffee an almost smoothie-like consistency.
- 12-16 ounces of freshly brewed coffee
- 4 to 6 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk
- Ice
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
- Heat-resistant container or glass
- Spoon
1. Pour in the coffee.
Pour the freshly brewed coffee into a heat-resistant container.
2. Add sweetened condensed milk.
Add the sweetened condensed milk and stir until it completely dissolves in the coffee.
3. Add ice.
Thailand is hot, so this drink is usually served over ice. Pour the mixture into another glass filled with ice.
4. Add heavy cream.
Add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream on top if preferred.
How Can You Tweak This Recipe?
Condensed milk is the only sweetener in Thai coffee, so feel free to adjust the amount to suit your taste. The heavy cream is optional but is a nice touch and adds to the thin milkshake quality Thai iced coffee is known for. We like to keep things simple for the most part, but there are a few simple variations that we like to have occasionally.
Spice things up
A common addition to Thai iced coffee is a spice like cardamon or allspice. The spice’s heat gives Thai coffee a different kick that is a nice change of pace if you’re looking to switch things up. We like to add spice to our Thai coffee and serve it hot for something even more unusual. A hot, spiced Thai coffee is the perfect sweet treat for a cold winter’s day.
How much spice you need is entirely up to you. If you don’t want the spice to overpower the rest of the coffee, start with only a small amount and add more after you taste it. About a 1/4 teaspoon seems to be what most people gravitate to.
We prefer cardamom to allspice, but both are good. Feel free to experiment with whatever you think will work. Cinnamon isn’t something we’ve added to our Thai coffee, but we’ve heard good things.
Add vanilla
Vanilla extract is also right at home in Thai coffee. If Thai coffee somehow isn’t sweet enough for you, try adding a little vanilla. Tread lightly here since vanilla extract has an extremely powerful taste. A ¼ teaspoon should be more than enough.
Add almond
You don’t have to painstakingly sliver almonds to get some delicious almond flavor into your Thai coffee. The easiest way is to add a splash of almond milk to the mix. You could also add about a ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to get even more flavor without diluting the coffee as much. We prefer to add almond extract to preserve the strength of the coffee flavor, but either option winds up tasting great.
Make it an after-dinner drink
Thai coffee – iced or hot – is the perfect base for an after-dinner adult beverage. Kahlua or similar coffee liqueurs are the obvious choice but don’t be afraid to get creative. We like to add some Bourbon or rye and turn our Thai coffee into a variation on Irish coffee.
Everyone we serve our spiced Thai coffee with rye comments about how good it is, and you’ll get bonus points for introducing most people to a drink they’ve never had before.
Thai Iced Coffee
Equipment
- Heat-resistant container
- Tall glass
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 12 ounces freshly brewed coffee
- 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- Ice
- ¼ cup heavy cream optional
Instructions
- Pour the freshly brewed coffee into a heat resistant container.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and stir until it completely dissolves in the coffee.
- Thailand is hot, so this drink is typically served over ice. Pour the mixture into another glass filled with ice.
- Add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream on top if desired.
Nutrition
Thai Coffee: Conclusion
Thai iced coffee is the perfect treat when your sweet tooth won’t leave you alone. It’s got a satisfying thickness from the condensed milk and heavy cream and will leave you energized and content. It’s so easy to make that whipping up a cup of Thai coffee barely takes any longer than making a regular cup of coffee. Give it a try, and thank us later. Whether you try regular Thai iced coffee or one of our variations, we guarantee that you won’t be disappointed!
More delicious coffee recipes:
- Simple & Tasty Coffee Jelly Recipe (With Pictures)
- Cafezinho Recipe: How to Make Brazilian Coffee
- How to Make Japanese Iced Coffee: Recipe & Pictures
Featured Image: WichitS, Shutterstock
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