Easy Dalgona Matcha Recipe (Whipped Green Tea Latte)

Dalgona matcha is a frothy whipped green tea served in cold or hot milk. Our recipe takes inspiration from sweet Korean dalgona coffee and earthy green tea to make a velvety drink. 

You can make our dalgona matcha recipe with eggs, or without eggs for a vegan version. However, our recipe will focus on three different options to replace eggs. It takes less than 10 minutes, and the results taste amazing.

We'll also show you how to customise our whipped green tea latte in several ways to create unique textures.

Jump to:

• Dalgona Matcha Ingredients
• Dalgona Matcha Recipe (Whipped Matcha Latte)
• Whipped Dalgona Matcha Cooking Tips
• How to make dalgona matcha with coconut cream
• How to make dalgona matcha with aquafaba
• Variations For Whipped Matcha Latte

Dalgona Matcha Ingredients

For our dalgona matcha recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Japanese green tea powder
• Milk
• Sugar
• Whipping agent (such as egg white, heavy cream or aquafaba)

The frothy cream is typically made using eggs. However, you can make no-egg alternatives by using heavy cream or aquafaba.

Matcha Powder

Japanese green tea powder is a crucial ingredient in our whipped green tea latte recipe. Since we won't be cooking with it, it's important to use a high-quality ceremonial-grade powder.

We suggest ceremonial-grade matcha powder as it has a more vibrant colour, a finer texture, and a slightly sweeter flavour. However, if you want to use culinary-grade Japanese green tea powder, that is fine, too. Just note that the drink may turn out slightly more bitter.

Sugar

It is best to use powdered white sugar or icing sugar, as it produces a stable whipped matcha cream. But if you run out of powdered sugar or want to use granulated sugar, you can make a sugar syrup.

You can make the syrup in a pot or microwave. Take equal amounts of water and sugar. Heat them in the microwave for 1 minute or put them on the stove and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. 

We also recommend sticking to white sugar to make dalgona matcha. While brown sugar will be fine flavour-wise, the brown colour will dampen the powder's green hue.

To avoid sugar altogether, you can use honey, vanilla syrup, stevia, or maple syrup.

Milk

You can use regular cow's milk with any fat content, hot or cold, depending on your preference.

If you are going dairy-free or vegan-friendly, we recommend using coconut milk due to its thicker consistency. However, other plant-based substitutes, such as almond and oat milk, would also do fine.

Frothing Agent

When using Japanese green tea to replace coffee, you will have to incorporate either heavy cream, egg whites, or aquafaba. Instant coffee has gluten, which provides fluffiness when whipped. So here, you'll need to use these other frothing ingredients.

From our experience, heavy cream is the best alternative to make whipped matcha cream as it lends a rich and light creamy taste. Since we want to keep our dalgona matcha with no egg, we will use heavy cream. Another alternative is to use aquafaba or coconut cream, which we'll explain later.

However, if you want to use egg whites, you will need 2-3 eggs to create a fluffy and light foam texture.

Whipped Dalgona Matcha Cooking Tips

Here are some cooking tips to help you get the right texture at home.

How to whisk

Hand-held whisks take time and energy to create the desired foam. You will have to whisk by hand for almost 10 minutes continuously. We suggest using an electric-powered whisk. It is easy to use and will only take 3-5 minutes.

When you're adding the sugar, make sure to keep whisking till the froth becomes stiff.

Different textures in dalgona matcha

When you're whisking the green tea-infused cream for your dalgona matcha, the stiffness of the peaks will dictate the drink's overall texture.

If you like it soft and lighter foamy texture, then stop whisking when soft peaks form. However, if you prefer a slightly firmer texture, similar to cheese foam, then you'll want medium peaks. Similarly if you want a thicker texture that's closer to a matcha tiramisu, then whisk until stiff peaks form.

We prefer a slightly firm but still soft texture, so we recommend you whisk until medium peaks form.

Make visible layers

For ice drinks, spoon the dalgona matcha foam over the ice instead of the milk. This will help the white and green layers to be more visible in your drink. In addition, the whipped green tea-infused cream will also last longer in the drink.

How to store

If you've whipped extra green tea cream or want to make a grab-and-go beverage that will save you some morning time, that is also possible. Store it in a refrigerator in a plastic or glass bottle. When you want to use it, whisk it for a minute or so and pour it over milk. Store it for 5 days, or the cream may lose its taste and texture. 

How to make dalgona matcha with coconut cream

Coconut cream is the perfect ingredient if you are looking for a vegan dalgona matcha recipe. We prefer using coconut cream over aquafaba simply because it is much easier to find and prepare.

The first step to our vegan recipe is to refrigerate the full-fat coconut milk overnight.

The following day, you'll see that the cream has risen to the top and the coconut water has stayed behind. Scoop out the cream, whip it, and use it as an egg-white alternative.

Whip the cream along with green tea till the froth is stiff. Add sugar or its alternative according to your taste and pour over the milk.

Dalgona matcha, made from coconut cream, is creamy and rich. Its naturally sweet coconut flavour is refreshing. We recommend making it with cold milk and serving it with ice.

How to make dalgona matcha with aquafaba

If you are a vegan or are allergic to eggs, the froth can also come from aquafaba. It will work the same as egg white but will be much healthier. 

Aquafaba is the thick liquid that oozes out when you soak or boil legumes like chickpeas, lentils, and beans. So, if you brought home a can of chickpeas, the water in the can is aquafaba.

To make a dalgona matcha recipe with aquafaba, whisk aquafaba in a bowl until it forms a frothy white mixture. Aquafaba requires a lot of whisking to achieve the desired consistency. So it is best to use an electric milk frother instead of metal whisks.

Also, you can achieve firmer peaks by using the cream of tartar. Add a ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar for a stiffer peak. The content must increase to triple its original volume and not fall even when you turn the bowl upside down. This may take around 5-8 minutes, so be patient with whisking.

Add the desired amount of sugar and whisk further until stiff peaks form on your whisk. You can use granulated or powdered sugar, cane sugar, or maple syrup.

Now add green tea powder and whisk some more. Stop whisking when the powder has fully blended into the mixture. Take a cup, add milk, and pour the prepared whipped green foam.

With aquafaba dalgona matcha, you will have the same meringue texture that is obtained with egg whites. It also has a sweet and earthy taste.

You can either store aquafaba (chickpea liquid) or whipped green tea, or both in the fridge separately for 3 to 4 days. You can re-whip the whipped green tea and pour it over milk before consumption.

Variations For Whipped Matcha Latte

You can make this sweet beverage in different ways. Let's take a look at some of the most common variations.

Matcha Latte With Dalgona Matcha Foam

One popular variation is to serve the whipped green tea foam over a matcha latte. To do this, you will have to complete an additional step of preparing a cup of green tea latte. 

Combining the whipped dalgona matcha and matcha latte creates a beverage with a more intense green tea flavour. While it may be too much for some, green tea lovers will fall in love with the robust, earthy flavour of this variation. 

Dalgona Coffee With Whipped Matcha Foam 

This variation mixes the original Korean beverage with the green tea version. It results in a more complex flavour akin to a dirty matcha drink. 

To make this variation, you will have to prepare two different whipped dalgona, one made of coffee and the other made of green tea powder. Once you've made both foams, pour them over a cup of milk of your choice.

Coconut Milk

If you want to go completely vegan, we recommend using coconut cream as the frothing agent and coconut milk as the drink's base. Mix coconut cream, green tea powder, and sugar to form a stiff foam and pour it over a glass of iced coconut milk. 

The dalgona matcha prepared this way infuses the natural sweetness of coconut. This adds a nuanced flavour to the beverage and makes it more refreshing too.

Maple Syrup

As we have seen, recipes usually include a sweetener to balance the naturally bitter taste of powdered tea. While most use sugar, maple syrup is a great alternative. It has a natural fragrance and an intense sweet flavour that complements the earthiness of green tea.

To make the recipe, whip the frothing ingredient until you attain the desired consistency. Add maple syrup and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add Japanese green tea and mix further. Pour the froth over cold or hot milk and enjoy.

If you loved our Dalgona matcha latte, do not forget to follow Honest Food Talks on Instagram @honestfoodtalks for more recipes.