What Is Thai Iced Coffee & How To Make It (3 Great Recipes)

You can make this delicious coffee at home if you are a coffee lover like me! You don’t need to stop at the drive-through every time you crave a cup of good coffee. Today, we are gonna explore some yummy Thai Iced Coffee Recipes, which will give a cool and exotic twist to your everyday coffee. If you’re a coffee lover or usually enjoy sweet and refreshing drinks, Thai Iced Coffee (Gafae Yen) is worth a try. Every sip is a perfect blend of flavors!

Why I Love Thai Iced Coffee?

Thai Iced Coffee is the perfect pick-me-up on a hot afternoon, offering a refreshing blend of bold coffee flavors and creamy sweetness that energizes. An icy coffee drink that’s robust yet refreshingly different. This is not just another coffee but a unique experience. This creamy iced coffee has a rich, intense coffee flavor, yet it’s delightfully sweet and smooth!

Dark roast coffee (most often Oliang powder mix) is used to make Thai iced coffee, giving it a rich, strong flavor, with cardamom added to balance the bitterness. It is a refreshing and sweet iced coffee that combines the flavors of strong coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and optional spices – which I highly recommend adding!

Brewing Equipment for Thai Coffee

First and foremost, let’s discuss the brewing equipment you will need to make Thai iced coffee. As per Thai tradition, a cloth bag is used to make Thai coffee, like a reusable coffee filter. It is set inside the jug – which you will use to mix coffee. This filter allows for a slow drip brewing process, resulting in a strong and flavorful brew.

The key to authentic Thai coffee is the traditional cloth filter, if not available, here are some alternative options that are often used to filter Thai coffee:

• Reusable cloth coffee filter cone – put inside a mixing mug or jug
• Dripper with cone paper filter – set in a mixing mug or jug
• French press

What Does Thai Iced Coffee Taste Like?

Thai Iced Coffee is a flavorful and indulgent beverage that tantalizes the taste buds with its unique blend of rich coffee and creamy sweetness. It is made with condensed milk which adds just the right amount of sweet taste. It is not too sweet because of the deep coffee flavor. It’s a harmonious balance of sweetness and bitterness, with a refreshing twist from the ice. When you make it at home you can customize it to fit your desired levels of strength and sweetness.

How to Make Thai Iced Coffee (3 Easy & Delicious Recipes)

Thai Iced Coffee has a unique creamy, robust and sweet coffee flavor you’ll love. Whether you had it first time during your Thailand trip or at a Thai restaurant in your town or have seen it on a culinary website – the coffee lover in you wants to make it at home!

Preparing it allows you to customize the ingredients according to your taste preferences and dietary needs. Whether you want more sweetness or to increase the strong coffee flavor – you can adjust it to your liking. Moreover, preparing it at home is often more cost-effective than purchasing it from cafes or Thai restaurants. So, without any further delay let’s look at these three amazing how to make Thai Iced Coffee recipes.

Yok Lor Iced Coffee A Classic Thai Recipe

Serving: 1 person

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Double shot espresso
• One teaspoon of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 50mL) sweetened condensed milk
• Ice cubes/crushed ice

Steps to Make it

1. Use 18-20 grams of fresh, finely ground espresso beans to brew a double shot of espresso using an espresso machine. Insert the portafilter into the grinder and dispense the ground coffee directly into it. Lock the portafilter into the espresso machine’s group head. It will usually take around 25-30 seconds to brew.
2. While the coffee is brewing, add a teaspoon of brown sugar to a glass and mix it with a spoon until it is fully dissolved. Next, pour the freshly brewed double-shot espresso into the dissolved brown sugar glass. The mixture should be stirred well until it is fully incorporated.
3. Fill the glass with ice or as much as you like. Then, pour the previously measured sweetened condensed milk over the ice. Mix thoroughly until the condensed milk blends completely with the coffee. Your delightful Classic Thai Yok Lor Iced Coffee is ready. Relax and enjoy the rich and creamy taste of this traditional Thai beverage.

Easy Thai Iced Coffee

Serves: 1 person

Total time including Preparation and Cooking: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) of Thai coffee powder
• ¾ cup (180 ml) of Pre-boiled water
• 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons of sugar, or as preferred
• Salt to taste
• A lot of ice
• ⅓ cup (30-45 ml) of evaporated milk, or to taste

Steps to Make it

1. Mix the coffee in hot water. Allow it to steep for 5 minutes through a cloth filter bag set in your mixing jug. You can also use a French press or pour the mixture directly in the jug if you plan to filter it later through a dripper.
2. Then pour the measured amounts of condensed milk, sugar, and salt into a mixing glass. Stir the condensed milk and sugar until they completely dissolve together. Pour the coffee into this mixing glass once it is ready and already strained/filtered.
3. If the coffee seems a bit too dark and too sweet at this point, adjust the sweetness accordingly, but remember you will add ice later which will dilute the coffee further – so adjust the taste keeping that in mind.
4. Take a 16 oz or 475mL serving glass, fill it with ice, and pour the coffee over it. Ultimately, simply pour the evaporated milk on top and watch it cascade down beautifully. Stir a little before drinking to mix the evaporated milk. Note: You can add more evaporated milk if you prefer a creamier consistency.

Thai Iced Coffee holds a special place in the hearts of coffee enthusiasts because of its creamy flavors and unique taste. Thai iced tea is a great alternative if you are looking for a similar creamy drink with less caffeine. If you are not in the mood for strong coffee; here are my easy recipes to make Thai tea at home!

Calories in Thai Iced Coffee

If we look at the nutrition facts of this creamy Thai iced coffee, there are fats, carbs and proteins.

• Total calories: 114
• Fats: 4 grams
• Carbs: 17 grams
• Proteins: 3 grams

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Vegan-Thai Iced Coffee?

Thai iced coffee traditionally includes condensed milk, which isn’t vegan. However, you can easily change the recipe to make it vegan-friendly. Opt for a can of unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk for a vegan twist on Thai iced coffee. Its smooth texture adds creaminess to your beverage, serving as an excellent replacement for sweetened condensed milk. This dairy-free option not only caters to vegan preferences but also provides a subtle coconut flavor, enhancing the overall taste experience.

What’s the Difference Between Thai and Vietnamese coffee?

While both Thai and Vietnamese iced coffees use condensed milk, the main difference between the two is in brewing methods and the added spices. For Thai iced coffee, Thailand’s traditional sock filter is used to brew coffee. The brewed coffee is then blended with spices like cardamom and then sweetened with condensed milk. In contrast, Vietnamese iced coffee is made using a Vietnamese coffee filter called a phin. Condensed milk is then added to the brewed coffee. The Vietnamese version of iced coffee tastes much bolder than the Thailand version.

Why Is Thai Iced Coffee So Strong?

Many people find Thai iced coffee too strong. Probably the reason for this is that in Thailand and Vietnam are big producers of robusta beans and use them in local coffee specialties. Robusta coffee beans give a very intense, and bold coffee flavor. However, the strong flavor is perfectly balanced by the sweetened condensed milk used in both Vietnamese and Thai iced coffee drinks. Arabica beans on the other hand are high-quality beans with a relatively sweeter and milder flavor than robusta.

Why Do People Add Sweetened Condensed Milk in Coffee?

The condensed milk adds sweetness to the coffee and also lightens it up. The combination of sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk gives this classic Thai drink a rich, creamy texture. This is why Thai Iced Coffee is not usually garnished with whipped cream or heavy cream like many other coffee flavors. Although, if you desire extra creamy coffee you can go for a little whipped cream topping!

Is Thai Iced Coffee Too Sweet?

Many people find it perfectly sweet, however, if you feel that it is too sweet for your taste – customize it. Sweetened condensed milk adds richness, texture, and sweetness to Thai iced coffee. It balances the bitterness and is commonly used in all Thai iced coffee recipes. But if you want to lower the sugar content anyway – use unsweetened condensed milk to reduce the sweetness.

Conclusion

To sum it up, these Thai iced coffee recipes are easy and simple to prepare a refreshing cold coffee. Thai Iced Coffee can be an energy-boosting drink in the morning or a delightful choice for an after-dinner sweet treat instead of a dessert. When bold and flavorful coffee is mixed with aromatic spices and condensed milk to taste the result is deliciously sweet Thai coffee. When you try these recipes do post with pictures and share your experience with my lovely readers in the comments. Keep coming back for more cooking and health related expert tips!