Thai Tea Ice Cream with Toasted Coconut Flakes Recipe
This Thai Tea Ice Cream recipe offers a rich and creamy frozen treat infused with the bold, aromatic flavors of traditional Thai tea. Made with a blend of steeped Thai tea, whole milk, heavy cream, and sweetened condensed milk, this dessert is both vibrant in color and deeply flavorful. Finished with toasted coconut flakes for a delightful crunch, it’s a perfect homemade ice cream that doesn’t require an ice cream maker.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Tea Base
- ½ cup Thai tea mix
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Ice Cream Mixture
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream (for whipping)
Garnish
- ½ cup coconut flakes (unsweetened, toasted)
Instructions
- Steep the Tea: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the Thai tea mix, whole milk, and ½ cup heavy whipping cream. Heat until the mixture just starts to steam, stirring occasionally to prevent milk solids from burning. Remove from heat once the liquid turns a bright orange color.
- Strain the Tea: Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing the tea leaves gently to extract as much liquid as possible. Alternatively, use cheesecloth to squeeze out the liquid, ensuring all tea flavors are captured.
- Combine Ingredients: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla paste or extract into the strained tea liquid until fully combined.
- Prepare Whipped Cream: Chill the bowl and whisk attachment of a stand mixer in the freezer for 15 minutes. Then, whip the remaining 1½ cups of heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold Mixture: Gently fold the whipped cream into the tea mixture in two batches, maintaining a light and fluffy texture.
- Freeze the Ice Cream: Transfer the combined ice cream mixture to a loaf or cake pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm.
- Toast Coconut Flakes: In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut flakes while stirring frequently until they turn lightly golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Serve: Scoop the Thai tea ice cream into bowls or cones, and sprinkle with the toasted coconut flakes for garnish and added texture.
Notes
- Be careful not to boil the tea-milk mixture; it should be heated gently to avoid burning the milk solids.
- It’s okay if small flecks of tea remain in the ice cream; they add texture and authenticity.
- Using vanilla paste instead of extract adds a richer vanilla flavor but either works well.
- For best results, ensure the whipped cream forms stiff peaks before folding to maintain a fluffy texture.
- Store the ice cream covered tightly in the freezer to prevent ice crystals from forming.
Keywords: Thai tea ice cream, homemade ice cream, no churn ice cream, Thai dessert, toasted coconut topping
