Leche flan, the Filipino crème caramel, makes a rich, jiggly dessert out of eggs, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.
You know what else is made with condensed milk and evaporated milk? Cha yen, or Thai iced tea.
This recipe is what happens when you combine the two: a luxurious, caramel-crowned flan laced with the mellow, earthy, vanilla-rich flavors of Thai tea.
What is Thai tea?
Thai tea, known as cha yen (“cold tea”) in Thailand, is a creamy, sweet, and aromatic beverage made with Thai tea mix, evaporated milk, and condensed milk or sugar.
Thai tea mix combines strong black tea, usually Ceylon or Assam, and spices like star anise, cardamom, tamarind, and vanilla. It’s dark red when freshly brewed. Once milk is added, the tea turns bright orange.
The most popular brand of Thai tea in Thailand is ChaTraMue. Their instant Thai tea mix comes in an iconic red-orange pack (plus a premium, stronger blend in "extra gold"). Both will work great in this recipe, and get you pitchers of quality Thai iced tea at home!
How to make Thai iced tea leche flan
We used our Best Filipino Leche Flan recipe as our base. It makes a creamy and dense flan, thanks to the 10 egg yolks—no whites!—that form the custard. You can, of course, use a flan recipe you like. What's more important is infusing the custard with tea.
