Inspired by traditional Thai iced coffee, this indulgent drink is made with sweetened condensed milk, cream, and cardamom. Enjoy it as a refreshing beverage served over ice in the summer, although it is also delicious hot.
Cardamom is one of my favorite spices, and when I enjoyed a cardamom-flavored Thai coffee at my local farmers market, I was excited to make my own at home.
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Thai iced coffee, known as Oliang, is made with coffee grounds combined with grains or seeds like corn, soybeans, rice, or sesame seeds to create a unique flavored blend. You can buy a traditional blend of Oliang coffee powder, such as this variety, or your favorite strongly brewed coffee roast instead. The cardamom and sweetened condensed milk create a perfectly balanced coffee that's worth trying.
☕ Why you'll love this coffee
- This Thai coffee is a quick way to liven up your typical coffee and make it more interesting and flavorful.
- You don't need any special equipment or brewing methods. You can use your preferred coffee roast and brewing method. (Here's a good resource if you want to use the traditional Thai method and ingredients.)
- It only takes an additional minute to prepare than your typical cup of coffee.
Are you looking for more coffee or tea drinks? Try these:
🥛 Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this Thai iced coffee recipe.
- Coffee - To prepare the two large iced coffees in the recipe, you'll need 32 ounces of freshly brewed coffee. Use whatever coffee and brewing method you prefer. My everyday coffee is Vermont Coffee Company's medium roast Dos Carribean. Thai coffee is made with strong coffee, so consider brewing your coffee with more coffee grounds than usual.
- Ground Cardamom - Sweet and spicy with hints of citrus, ground cardamom is easy to find in stores with other spices. A little goes a long way, so you don't need much. Adding cardamom is not necessarily traditional, but I enjoy the added spice.
- Sweetened condensed milk - Rich, sweet, and creamy with a caramel-like flavor, this kind of milk is shelf-stable and found in cans with baking supplies in the grocery store. Sweetened condensed milk is a common part of Thai coffee, and since you don't need much for the recipe, refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.
- Cream - A bit of cream or half-and-half lightens the coffee and allows the condensed milk to be incorporated into the coffee. Use your preferred cream or half-and-half. Traditional recipes often use evaporated milk, but I prefer fresh cream.
🥥 Variations and Substitutions
- Make it sweeter by using more sweetened condensed milk, or adding a splash of maple syrup to your coffee.
- Make a coconut variation by using sweetened condensed coconut milk.
- Try other flavors in place or in addition to the cardamom. Add a bit of ground cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, or almond extract.
- Use espresso instead of coffee. Brew your espresso normally and add water until you have an equivalent amount. The stronger flavor of espresso is a good substitute for coffee here.
🥄 Instructions
- Step 1: Brew your coffee using your preferred method.
- Step 2: Whisk the cream, cardamom, and sweetened condensed milk in a bowl.
- Step 3: Fill a glass with ice and add your coffee.
- Step 4: Pour the sweetened cardamom cream mixture into the coffee and stir to combine.
🌟 Top Tip
Don't skip whisking the cream and sweetened condensed milk together before adding them to the coffee. This allows the sweetened condensed milk to easily incorporate into the coffee and not just sit at the bottom of the glass.
🙋🏼 FAQ
You make Thai coffee with strongly brewed coffee, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk or fresh cream. Some people, such as myself, like to add cardamom for extra flavor.
Thai coffee has a similar amount of caffeine to a typical strong coffee. However, the specific amount depends on the roast, bean, and brewing process. If you're looking for less caffeine, you can use a decaf dark roast.
No. It's a nice balance of bitter, sweet, and spice. Without the sweetened condensed milk, cream, and cardamom, yes, this recipe would be as bitter as a strong black coffee.
🍰 Pairing
These recipes would go great with this Thai coffee:
📖 Recipe
Thai Coffee
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Inspired by traditional Thai Iced Coffee, this recipe is prepared with sweetened condensed milk and flavored with cardamom. It makes an indulgent and refreshing coffee served over ice in the summer, though it's also delicious hot.
Ingredients
- 32 ounces strong coffee, cooled
- 3 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 ounces half-and-half or light cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ice
Instructions
- Brew 32 ounces of coffee using your preferred method and strength. Cool briefly.
- While the coffee brews, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, cream, and cardamom.
- For iced coffee, fill two large glasses with ice. Pour the cooled coffee over the ice, then stir in the sweet cardamom cream.
Notes
Make it a hot coffee. Skip cooling the coffee, divide it into mugs, and stir in the sweet cardamom cream.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Brewing
- Cuisine: Thai
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