For those who don’t already know, I love tea. I always have my mug with me wherever I go. And while I try to stay away from sugar as much as possible, there’s one drink I have a hard time resisting anytime I’m out for Thai food – Thai tea! It is made from black tea and often flavored with spices like star anise and tamarind. It is then topped with a creamy element, like coconut milk, half and half or sweetened condensed milk. Learn how to make it in this Thai Tea Recipe by the White On Rice Couple.
Thai tea looks as great as it tastes. The cream served over the tea creates a gorgeous layered look. That was the inspiration for the Thai Tea Melt and Pour Bars Tutorial. A melt and pour swirl technique is used to mimic the cream poured into the tea, which gets its signature bronzey-orange color from the Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block, the Tangerine Wow! Color Block and the Perfect Red Color Block. For a realistic Thai tea smell, Black Tea Fragrance Oil, Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil and Coconut Cream Fragrance Oil are added. It’s a perfect way to enjoy Thai tea guilt free.
What You’ll Need:
Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold
45 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
10 oz. White Melt and Pour Base
10 mL Black Tea Fragrance Oil
6 mL Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil
3 mL Coconut Cream Fragrance Oil
19 mL (.6 oz) Vanilla Color Stabilizer
Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block
Tangerine Wow! Color Block
Perfect Red Color Block
Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
ONE: Chop and melt 45 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base in a large heat safe container. Because you are melting such a large amount of soap, you can microwave for about 1 minute at first, then stir and use 30 second bursts stirring in between to slowly melt without burning. Learn more about burnt melt and pour and how to prevent it here. Once the melt and pour is melted, add shavings of the Tangerine Wow! Color Block, Shimmer Copper Sparkle Mica and Perfect Red Color Block and stir to combine. You want the color to be a bronzey-orange hue. To achieve the color shown here, the ratio was about 4 parts Shimmer Copper Sparkle Mica, 2 parts Tangerine Wow! Color Block and 1 part Perfect Red Color Block. Keep adding the shavings until you’re happy with the color.
TWO: Add the Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil, Black Tea Fragrance Oil and Coconut Cream Fragrance Oil. Then, add the Vanilla Color Stabilizer and stir to thoroughly combine. The Vanilla Color Stabilizer will help prevent the fragrances from turning the soap brown. Read more about vanilla discoloration here. If the soap begins to harden, pop it back into the microwave for 20 seconds.
THREE: Chop and melt 10 oz. of the White Melt and Pour Base in the microwave using 20 second bursts. Once fully melted, check the temperature of the orange-brown soap. Temperature is key to swirling! You want the orange-brown soap to about about 125 ° F, and the white soap to be about 120 °F. The white soap should be cooler than the orange-brown soap to ensure it makes a swirl in the soap without the colors being muddled.
FOUR: Once the temperatures of the soap are within range, pour the orange-brown soap into the mold. Quickly pour the white soap into the orange-brown soap. Holding the container of white soap several inches above while pouring helps it to break through into the orange-brown soap.
FIVE: Continue to pour down the length of the mold until all the white soap has been used. You may find that the white soap starts to cool while pouring. That’s okay, just work quickly!
SIX: Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of any bubbles. Allow the soap to fully cool for about 2-4 hours until completely cool and hard. Remove from the mold and cut into bars. To prevent glycerin dew, wrap the soap immediately with plastic wrap. Read more about glycerin dew here. Enjoy!
What is your favorite kind of tea? I’m obsessed with the Lime & Pistachio Mate tea at TeaGuys.
- Tall 12″ Silicone Loaf Mold
- 45 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Base
- 10 oz. White Melt and Pour Base
- 10 mL Black Tea Fragrance Oil
- 6 mL Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil
- 3 mL Coconut Cream Fragrance Oil
- 19 mL (.6 oz) Vanilla Color Stabilizer
- Shimmer Copper Sparkle Color Block
- Tangerine Wow! Color Block
- Perfect Red Color Block
- Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
- Chop and melt 45 oz. of Clear Melt and Pour Base in a large heat safe container. Because you are melting such a large amount of soap, you can microwave for about 1 minute at first, then stir and use 30 second bursts stirring in between to slowly melt without burning. Once the melt and pour is melted, add shavings of the Tangerine Wow! Color Block, Shimmer Copper Sparkle Mica and Perfect Red Color Block and stir to combine. You want the color to be a bronzey-orange hue. To achieve the color shown here, the ratio was about 4 parts Shimmer Copper Sparkle Mica, 2 parts Tangerine Wow! Color Block and 1 part Perfect Red Color Block. Keep adding the shavings until you’re happy with the color.
- Add the Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil, Black Tea Fragrance Oil and Coconut Cream Fragrance Oil. Then, add the Vanilla Color Stabilizer and stir to thoroughly combine. The Vanilla Color Stabilizer will help prevent the fragrances from turning the soap brown. If the soap begins to harden, pop it back into the microwave for 20 seconds.
- Chop and melt 10 oz. of the White Melt and Pour Base in the microwave using 20 second bursts. Once fully melted, check the temperature of the orange-brown soap. Temperature is key to swirling! You want the orange-brown soap to about about 125 ° F, and the white soap to be about 120 °F. The white soap should be cooler than the orange-brown soap to ensure it makes a swirl in the soap without the colors being muddled.
- Once the temperatures of the soap are within range, pour the orange-brown soap into the mold. Quickly pour the white soap into the orange-brown soap. Holding the container of white soap several inches above while pouring helps it to break through into the orange-brown soap.
- Continue to pour down the length of the mold until all the white soap has been used. You may find that the white soap starts to cool while pouring. That’s okay, just work quickly!
- Spritz the top of the soap with 99% isopropyl alcohol to get rid of any bubbles. Allow the soap to fully cool for about 2-4 hours until completely cool and hard. Remove from the mold and cut into bars. To prevent glycerin dew, wrap the soap immediately with plastic wrap. Enjoy!
Hi! Do you think I could do this project and not use the coconut scent? I am not a fan of it. What would be a good substitute fragrance? Thank you.
Hi Chelsea!
You can definitely leave out the coconut scent if you like! I would recommend increasing the Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil by 3 mL. That will give you a nice blend of sweet sugar and black tea. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I finally got to make this yesterday, and I’m in LOVE!! With Kelsey’s help, my color turned out perfect and the double boiler method was a definite win for me with so much soap to melt all at once. The scent combo is devine! My bars aren’t as swirly as Anne-Marie’s as I did have some difficulty controlling my temps, but I attribute this to my brand-noobie status and cool ambient temps (my house was at 68°). The “cream” kinda glommed together and literally rose to the top en masse, but it still very much approximates tea and un-stirred cream and I will be proud to hand these out as gifts! I’ve never used glycerine soap to bathe with before, and this was a dream to use, too!
Thank you BB for another knock-out project and thanks to Kelsey for the assist!
Yay, so glad to hear that Suzanne! It is such an amazing feeling to make a gorgeous bar of soap. I think your friends and family will love their handmade gifts. Also, if you have a picture, we’d love to see it on our Facebook page. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Bramble Berry Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrambleBerry
I am a new M&P soaper and ordered this project thinking I could manage the swirl. I had such a difficult time melting a large amount of clear base that it was impossible to get it to the right temperature. I went through almost all of the color blocks to achieve a color close to the image on line and have pieces of unmelted color block in my final product, which is unbelievable to me because I added the color block as I was melting the base. I was able to achieve a swirl by using a knife to cut through my goop mess in order for the white to pent rate through. It did swirl however my finished project reminds me of marbled steak. I realize there are going to be alot of oopppsies in the learning process, this one was an expensive learning lesson!
Hi Lisa!
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that! This technique is a bit more advanced, and it can be tricky to get the temperatures just right. We actually tried this soap a couple times to get the swirl just right!
This post has some great tips on how to swirl melt and pour: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/tips-for-swirling-melt-pour-soap/
When you’re working with a large amount of soap, a double boiler can be very helpful. It melts the soap slowly and gently, and keeps it warm the entire time you’re working with it. Then, when your soap is colored and scented, you can turn the double boiler off, wait til it cools and swirl!
If you don’t have a double boiler, you can put a large bowl on top of a pot with simmering water. Just make sure that boiling water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. You can also use this double boiler maker: https://www.brambleberry.com/Double-Boiler-Maker-Double-Boiler-Maker-P3796.aspx
With the color blocks, it helps to shave off very small shavings into the soap so they melt more easily. Then, stir, stir, stir. It can seem like you’re stirring awhile, but it gets that color broken up and mixed in nicely.
The good news is your soap is still totally fine to use! Also, melt and pour can be melted down and re-poured into the mold. It will mix the color together, but that will create a more creamy orange. 🙂
If you have any questions before getting started, don’t hesitate to ask. We are more than happy to help!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you Lisa and Kelsey… I just ordered this project this morning as my first MP project. I will definitely use the double boiler method and will be ready to stir, stir, stir!
Sounds good! Let us know how it goes 🙂
-Amanda with Bramble Berry
My order arrived, and I plan on attempting this this weekend! Yay! Question: approximately how much of the color blocks should I anticipate using on this project? I realize, it’s “to taste” but I’ve never used color blocks before and can really use an estimate 🙂
Thanks, Suzanne
Thanks so much for your order! This project is going to be a lot of fun.
For this project, I would say we used about half of the Copper Sparkle Color Block, a quarter of the Tangerine Wow! and about an eighth of the Perfect Red. The color blocks are nice and concentrated, so a little goes a long way. I would recommend starting off with a few shavings of each, mixing and going from there. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi there! Can I ask a silly question? What is this soap like to use? When the orange soap is worn down by use, does it disintegrate and you get weird jagged white bits of soap or does it just wear down evenly?
Hi Jane!
Absolutely, we are happy to help! This soap wears down evenly and smoothly. When you notice it, you won’t feel any difference between the white and orange soap. It feels great on the skin. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Love the soap. I just bought 50 lb of MP soap from you so I will be trying this. Just a comment on Thai Tea – they use coconut cream rather than cow’s cream. That’s what makes it so great.
So glad you love the soap Leland! Have fun giving it a try. Also, thanks so much for your comment. I love Thai tea, it tastes so delicious. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi, this is kind of a weird question, but I was just wondering if Thai Tea was similar to, or the same as, Chai Tea? Thanks!
Hi Bay!
The two teas are fairly similar! Both are made from black tea, spices and cream. I’ve found that chai tea is a bit more spicy, while Thai tea has more of a tea-like flavor. Both are very delicious. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I have to share what happened to me yesterday. I see you using a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. I used one yesterday for only 2 minutes to melt oils and it heated up enough to melt the handle! (I have used it many times before without a problem) But, after myself and other soapers did some internet research… Corning sold the company in 1998 and it is no longer made of the same kind of glass. You shouldn’t use it in the microwave, a toaster oven or on the stove top. It might melt or explode. I think I got off easy with the handle melting into 2 pieces with strings of glass going around it! Careful! These soap bars are gorgeous! I haven’t tried melt and pour yet and these really look like something I want to make!
Hi Lucille!
Oh no, I hope you’re OK! The glass bowls we use can definitely get pretty hot in the microwave. The key is to heat the soap in short bursts and stir well in between each burst. That will keep both the soap and the container from getting too hot. 🙂
You can also melt the soap over a double boiler if you like!
Double boiler maker: https://www.brambleberry.com/Double-Boiler-Maker-Double-Boiler-Maker-P3796.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks Kelsey… I brought it up because I had been using that Pyrex container for about a year and while it got pretty hot… it certainly never melted before! This time it must have started melting around 1 minute in to the cycle Because I set it for 2 minutes and after about 1:45 minutes I smelled something and looked at it and it was melted. So short bursts might still cause a problem if you have the newer Pyrex… ( wrong kind of glass). I just mentioned it because it was so shocking to me to have happen and find out about the difference in manufacture and I wanted to prevent others from injury. I fortunately only got a burn on one finger and it didn’t explode.
Thanks so much for letting us know Lucille! That sounds pretty scary, I’m glad you didn’t get hurt. We use Pyrex dishes frequently in our lab and haven’t noticed any melting. Using a double boiler is definitely an option to be extra careful though. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Is this the first time you used it to melt oils for that long? Oils get much hotter than water-based items when heated because water evaporates at its boiling point, whereas oils continue to heat past water’s boiling point.
The Tall 12″ Silicon Mold has a capacity of 50 oz to the brim (according to the mold description). Shouldn’t there be a lesser amount of the Melt and Pour, given as a total of 55 oz?
Hi Victor!
Because you’re pouring the soap at a cool temperature, quite a bit of it will solidify in the container. The extra soap was used to account for the soap solidified in the container. 🙂
After you pour this soap. you can put the containers back in the microwave on 5 second bursts to melt the rest of the soap and pour into an extra mold. We did that and got one extra bar!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I love Thai iced tea! It’s something I tried once when I lived on the east coast but I can have it anytime with all the Thai restaurants here in Washington. I’m going to try this technique next time I make soap!
Isn’t it so delicious? It is probably my favorite drink, and you can find it so many places in Washington! Have fun making this soap. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Oh, this is gorgeous! I love doing *different* looks with melt & pour, and I think this technique might just become the next one I try.
As for tea, my current favorite herbal infusions are Honey Vanilla Chamomile by Celestial Seasonings, and Tazo Wild Sweet Orange. Both just get better the longer you let them steep! For black tea, give me a cup of good ol’ PG Tips with milk! Or, alternately, a good, not too sweet chai can start the day out right.
Hi Robin!
So glad you like it! Have fun giving this soap a try. Also, that honey vanilla tea sounds just delicious. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I lost all impulse control when I saw this and had to immediately place an order for the fragrances! I’m so excited to try this! One question, my vanilla color stabilizer separates and I have to remember to shake it before using it. Is that normal? I keep it at room temperature, is that o.k.?
Hi Rebecca!
That is so awesome, thanks so much for your order! The fragrance blend smells so good. 🙂
Also, it is normal for the Vanilla Color Stabilizer to separate. We keep ours at room temperature and shake it well before each use!
Vanilla Color Stabilizer: https://www.brambleberry.com/Vanilla-Color-Stabilizer-P4156.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
When I was in China a few years ago I attended a tea ceremony. I don’t even know how many teas I tasted but I came home with rosebud tea and black dragon tea .. Expensive but so awesome, and I’m a total coffee person and am not fond of tea. The black tea BB fragrance is pretty awesome as well, not to drink of course 😊
Rosebud and black dragon tea sounds just delicious! I love floral teas. Also, I agree – Black Tea Fragrance Oil is one of my favorites. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Black Tea Fragrance Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Black-Tea-Fragrance-Oil-P3332.aspx
This looks SO Yummy – I want to drink it!! It would also be fun to try in CP.
Question: Why 19 ml of Vanilla Stabilizer instead of 9?
I know the Burnt Sugar & Coconut will discolor, but I haven’t had the Black Tea discolor at all (and your description says it doesn’t). My understanding of using Vanilla Stabilizer is 1:1 ratio with FO. So it would seem to me you only need 9 ml of Stabilizer for the 6 ml of Burnt Sugar & the 3 ml of Coconut cream.
Please set me straight.
Thank You SO much!!
Hi Sly!
So glad you like the soap!
You are correct, the Black Tea Fragrance Oil doesn’t discolor. We used the Vanilla Color Stabilizer at a 1:1 ratio with the fragrance oil just to be extra careful. If you like, you can use just 9 mL of stabilizer in this recipe. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I must be out of the Tea Loop! I just drink good ol’ Green tea. Looks like I might need to up my Tea time. Lol And the soap is Gorgeous! , Sincerely, Kristie
Hi Kristie!
This tea is super yummy, you should definitely give it a try sometime! Also, so glad you like the soap. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry