How to Make Thai Tea Green Tea: Creamy & Refreshing

thai green milk tea in a glass with jasmine flowers

Love Thai tea with a twist? Thai Tea Green Tea is light, creamy, scented with jasmine and easier to make than you think!

Cool, sweet, and lightly floral, this chilled green tea with milk is the lighter cousin of Thai Milk Tea. In the 2000s when the Green Tea trend began, Thais made their own version, and now easy to make at home.

And if you’re craving another Thai Milk Tea twist, Cha Ma Nao (Thai Lime Tea) is a zingy, citrusy cousin— light, bright, and totally dairy-free!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple to make – Just brew, sweeten, pour over ice.
Fun flavor and less caffeine than Thai Milk Tea – Floral jasmine tea meets creamy sweetness, and a gentle hit of caffeine, but not as much as Thai Milk Tea.
Flexible – Make it more or less sweet, creamy, or strong.
Budget-friendly – Skip the $5 café version and DIY it.

What Is Thai Green Milk Tea?

This drink, aka Cha Khiao Yen in Thai—is made from a mix of jasmine scented assam green tea leaves, sweetened condensed milk, milk and sugar, but that’s optional in my recipe.

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It’s a newer twist of traditional Thai black tea, and has grown in popularity in the Thai food scene in the last decade or so. It has a gentler taste than the original Thai iced tea but still brings a sweet and creamy kick.

Ingredients You’ll Need

¾ cup Thai green tea mix – Look for one with jasmine aroma like ChaTraMue’s green blend, which is grown and harvested in the mountains of Thailand.
⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk – For that creamy, sweet depth.
2 cups milk of choice – Evaporated is traditionally used in Thailand, but we love whole milk, or dairy-free options work great.
Crushed ice
Sugar (optional) – Add extra sweetness to taste.

How to Make It

STEP 1: Brew the Tea
Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Remove from heat. Stir in ¾ cup of Thai tea leaves and let steep for 4 minutes. You can leave it in the pot while it steeps or put in a French press.

STEP 2: Strain
If the tea was left in the pot, pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer or tea sock into a heat-safe pitcher. Or if in a French press. press down the leaves and pour it into a heat-safe pitcher.

STEP 3: Sweeten
While the tea is still hot, stir in ⅔ cup of sweetened condensed milk, and sugar, if using, until fully mixed.

STEP 4: Add Milk
Pour in 2 cups of your preferred milk (evaporated milk, whole milk, half and half, or a dairy-free option).

STEP 5: Chill & Serve
Let it cool in the fridge. Serve over crushed ice.

Additions and Substitutions

Milk substitute – Oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk all work.
Condensed milk substitute
- Dairy version: Simmer 1 cup whole milk + ⅓ cup sugar until thick.
- Dairy-free version: Simmer 1 can coconut milk + ½ cup sugar until reduced.
Tea substitute – Can’t find the green tea mix? Try a strong jasmine green tea or gunpowder green tea.
Hot or iced – It’s traditionally served cold, but it’s cozy warm too!

Tips for the Best Flavor

Chill it in advance – Keeps well for 3–4 days in the fridge.
Strain it well – No one likes leafy bits in their drink.
Add boba – Great with chewy tapioca pearls.
Adjust ratios – Like it richer? Add more milk. Prefer stronger tea? Use less milk.

FAQ

Is Thai Tea green tea?

Traditional Thai Tea (often called Thai Milk Tea) is made from black tea, not green tea. But this is a variation that uses green tea—usually jasmine green tea—as the base.

Does Thai Tea Green Tea have caffeine?

Yes, but less than black tea or coffee.
Thai Tea Green Tea (with jasmine green tea): 20–30 mg per cup
Thai Milk Tea (with black tea): 40–60 mg per cup
Coffee: 95 mg per cup

What is the difference between green Thai tea and red Thai tea?

This one is made with Assam green tea with notes of jasmine. Red Thai Tea (aka Thai Milk Tea) is made with strong black tea and has a deeper, bolder taste with hints of spice. Both are sweet and creamy but offer totally different vibes.

Is matcha the same as Thai green tea?

Nope! Matcha is a powdered Japanese green tea made from shade-grown leaves, while Thailand’s version is typically a blend of jasmine green tea leaves—sometimes with added flavorings or coloring. They taste very different and are used in different ways.

Behind the Recipe: Sherri’s Story

In recent years when we visited Thailand, I was delighted to spot a Thai drink that didn’t exist when I lived there and is now served at every Thai drink vendor in Thailand, and my new favorite Thai drink, Thai Tea Green Tea!

I love it even more than Thai Milk Tea, or even Japanese Matcha, because it has the added floral jasmine note in it that makes the flavors more complex, and so refreshing that whenever I sip it, it feels like I’m sitting in a tropical Thai flower garden while getting a Thai massage!

But I rarely see it outside of Thailand, except for in my kitchen because I now regularly buy Thai Green Tea Mix and make it, especially in the summer when I need a refreshing afternoon drink that has some caffeine, but not too much to keep me up at night.

So if you are in Thailand, make sure you order it, just ask the street stall drink vendor for Cha Khiao Yen or put it in your Google Translate, or show them this recipe! Lol!

And if you aren’t in Thailand, use this recipe to make it at home and tell me what you think.

What to Eat with It

This drink is perfect with spicy or savory Thai dishes. Try it with:

Massaman Chicken Curry – Creamy, cozy curry with warming spices pairs beautifully with the tea’s cool, floral sweetness.
Tom Yum Fried Rice – Tangy, spicy, and bold—this fried rice balances perfectly with a smooth, milky sip of green tea.
Chicken Pad See Ew– Sweet-savory noodles and tender chicken are even better with a light, refreshing drink on the side.
Thai Beef Jerky – Salty-sweet jerky makes a perfect crunchy-satisfying contrast with a cool Thai tea.

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