Thai tea ice cream is the perfect combination of sweet, rich, and creamy, with a hint of tea flavour and a beautiful orange colour. Because of its unique taste, many people have been searching for how to make Thai tea ice cream at home. Fortunately, we’ve found a way to make this treat at home while ensuring its authentic quality and taste.
The best part is that you can make this Thai tea ice cream recipe without an ice cream maker! Our fantastic Thai milk tea ice cream recipe is also no-churn. This means you won't have to spend hours in the kitchen churning away.
You only need a few ingredients to make this cold treat, and you probably already have them in your pantry. Even better, you can customise our recipe to make it non-dairy or vegan for everyone to enjoy.
If you want to learn how to make this easy Asian dessert recipe, keep reading. Our full recipe is at the end, but we’ll also provide some helpful tips and variations.
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What is Thai ice cream made of?
We traditionally make Thai tea ice cream from Thai tea, milk, cream, sugar, and eggs. This unique tea blend flavour is what gives it its characteristic orange colour. If you're worried about your diet, don't be. Thai tea ice cream calories are only about 200kcal per serving.
What does Thai tea ice cream taste like?
Our no churn Thai tea ice cream tastes like a delicate balance of sweet and rich, with a floral undertone from the tea blend. The tea used in Thai milk tea ice cream is usually a mix of different spices, including cardamom, cloves, and aniseed. These spices all contribute to its unique flavour.
We can also brew the Siamese spiced tea with milk, which adds to the richness of the overall dessert. If you're interested to learn more, you can check out our Thai milk tea recipe.
All in all, the combination of these ingredients results in a smooth and creamy texture that is simply irresistible.
Thai tea ice cream ingredients
All you need for our no-churn dessert recipe is sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, sugar, and Thailand's spiced tea mix. Apart from Thai spiced tea, you can find most of the Thai iced tea ice cream ingredients in any grocery store.
Thai Tea
We will use Thai tea powder mix for this recipe, but you are welcome to use Thai tea bags or make the tea from scratch.
Today, Thailand's spiced tea powder is readily available in most grocery stores. It is a key ingredient in this delicious recipe. Thai tea powder is made from black tea leaves and usually contains other spices like cloves, cardamom, and aniseed. These spices give the drink blend its characteristic flavour.
All three options are great, but we strive for convenience. Thus, Thai tea powder mix serves our purpose in creating this Thai iced tea ice cream as quickly as possible.
Sweet condensed milk
Sweet condensed milk is used in this recipe to add sweetness and body to the overall dessert. This means that you don't need to add as much sugar to your dessert. So, it's great for people who are watching their sugar intake.
Heavy cream
However, heavy cream is used in this recipe to add richness and creaminess to Thai tea ice cream. This ingredient is essential in this Thai milk tea ice cream recipe as it gives the soft serve its smooth and velvety texture.
Sugar
Lastly, sugar is essential to this recipe as it not only adds sweetness but also helps to bind the ingredients together.
Sugar also helps to prevent icy crystals from forming, which makes for a smoother and more scoopable final product. Of course, you can always adjust the sugar in this recipe to suit your taste.
Beware of using sugar alternatives, though, e.g. brown sugar syrup, vanilla syrup or corn syrup. This is because it might change the consistency of the Asian dessert.
How to make Thai tea ice cream vegan
If you are looking for a dairy-free or vegan alternative, here are some tips. You can easily craft an alternative non-dairy Thai tea ice cream recipe.
You can find vegan condensed milk in most grocery stores or make your own by boiling coconut milk and sugar until it thickens. There are also plenty of substitute plant-based creams in place of the heavy cream in the recipe.
We recommend using coconut or cashew cream as they work well in this recipe. They will also still give you the same rich and creamy texture. There are also sugar alternatives like coconut sugar or maple syrup.
The great thing about our recipe is that you can still make a delicious vegan Thai tea ice cream recipe without an ice cream maker. The vegan version might even be richer and creamier than the dairy version.
Mixing it thoroughly and frequently is the key to preventing a grainy, soft-serve texture. If you want to save the work, you can use an ice cream machine to churn the mix.
However, remember that using these substitutes might change the taste and texture of the final no churn dessert slightly. Despite that, the non-dairy version is sure to be still delicious. You can also add whole spices like cardamom, cloves, and aniseed to give the cold dessert a more authentic flavour.
Thai Tea Ice Cream Cooking Tips
Before you head down to our recipe below, here are some cooking tips to help you get the best results from this no churn Thai tea ice cream recipe.
Use less water
When you follow our recipe, it is essential to use less water than indicated on the tea powder mix packet. This is because using more water than necessary will dilute the brew and produce less flavourful dessert.
If you want a richer and more flavourful cold dessert, use more milk in the tea mix. This is especially the case if you make the vegan version of this cold treat. Using more milk will make the vegan condensed milk richer and less icy.
Food colouring
While it is not necessary to use food colouring, adding a bit to the Thai tea ice cream will give it a more authentic look. As they say, we eat with our eyes first.
Add boba
Who doesn't love boba? Adding boba to your milk tea ice cream will take it up a notch. If you want to add boba, cook them according to package instructions and add them to the mix. For sure, you'll find yourself with a decadent treat.
Boba pearls are a great addition as they add a chewy texture to the Asian dessert. They are also a great visual element. Tried and tested, Thai tea boba and boba ice cream are definitely among our favourites.
Thai Tea Ice Cream Recipe (No Churn)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps Thai Tea Powder Mix
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups heavy cream or vegan alternative
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk or vegan alternative
- 2 tbsps brown sugar
- ½ cup cooked boba pearls (optional)
- 1 tablespoon orange food colouring (optional)
Instructions
- Add Thai Tea Powder Mix and sugar to water and bring it to a boil before steeping for about 3-4 minutes.
- Strain the liquid after boiling it and put it into a separate container to cool.
- Whip heavy cream until peaks form. For non dairy Thai tea ice cream, you may use any vegan heavy cream, such as coconut or cashew cream.
- Lightly fold in the brewed tea, sweetened condensed milk (or vegan alternative), boba pearls, and food colouring to the mixture. Set aside in a loaf pan and let cool in the freezer for about 4 hours to overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.
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