TikTok Is Obsessed With Cold-Brewing Milk Tea — We Asked Experts How To Make Your Drink Even Better
Plus, what to keep in mind before you try this out.
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TikTok’s culinary tips have changed lives over the years. From the decadence of baked feta pasta to the practicality of Dense Bean Salads, creators on the platform have a knack for finding easy, efficient and playful tricks in the kitchen. And the trend of this week has the potential to be another game-changer: cold-brewed milk tea. Stick a few tea bags directly into a container of milk, let it steep in the fridge overnight, and voilà — in the morning, you’ll have an infused beverage to pour over ice or mix into your morning drinks.
“I could scream,” a TikToker says after tasting matcha with cold-brewed jasmine milk tea. “This is actually a ten out of ten.”
“Oh, dude, you’ve got to try this,” another creator says after a sip of coffee with the jasmine milk tea. “Do this yourself. I’m convinced. I’m doing this every single week, now.”
This method sounded too good to be true, so we asked a tea expert and a Food Network recipe developer whether it’s legit. They vouched for it.
“You can definitely brew tea directly in milk,” Elena Liao, owner of Té Company, a Taiwanese-style tea shop in New York, tells Food Network. “For stronger tea flavor, I would recommend simmering the milk on the stove with teas in there for fuller extraction. For someone who is caffeine sensitive and prefers milder flavor, cold brewing is great — it's also easier and more convenient.”
Jasmine is the popular tea choice on TikTok, but you have to use six to eight tea bags per half gallon of milk for the delicate flavor and aroma to come through. Black teas will give you a bolder result.
“The types of tea we recommend would be strong black teas, either loose or tea bags are great. Dark roasted oolong teas are also great options — it will give the milk a bit of a smoky flavor,” Liao says.
You can experiment with the type of milk you use, too. Plant-based options may be quicker to infuse, but the technique works with dairy as well.
“I do think almond or oat milk would be a stronger infusion since they are thinner and closely related to water in consistency,” Food Network recipe developer Andy Liang says. “I think cream and whole milk will work but will probably take longer due to the higher fat content.”
This cold-brewing method is so simple that you can really get creative with the applications. Liang wants to try freezing the milk tea and using it as ice cubes for extra oomph in a drink, adding it to pastry cream and pouring it into cereal. And a tip from the pro: This method works with juice, too!
“We cold brew our roasted Iron Goddess in watermelon juice in the summer to give the fruit juice extra depth of flavor — it's our most popular drink at the tearoom!” Liao says.
And if you really want to take your milk tea to the next level? Use this trick to make boba at home.
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