Matcha ice cream is a thick and luscious dessert that we believe is the best refreshing treat on a hot day. In addition to its soothing pastel green colour, this dessert has a subtle earthy and pleasant aroma. The cold treat also contains antioxidants, making it a healthy option for an enjoyable dessert.
This frozen treat has a fantastic blend of sweet, grassy, and refreshing flavours. It is a slightly bitter but delightfully sweet Japanese-inspired dessert that is excellent for any occasion.
Due to the ingredients used, our recipe is naturally richer than other versions. Our matcha ice cream is made of heavy whipping cream, condensed milk, and matcha powder.
If you're looking for a plant-based version, check out our vegan green tea ice cream recipe. There are many other ways to make this delicious dessert, but we're sure our 3-ingredient recipe will become your go-to.
After lots of trial and error, we have found the perfect recipe to make this dessert at home while maintaining its true quality and taste. With just three simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, our green tea ice cream recipe is simple and easy to make.
It is so easy that it only takes 10 minutes to prepare. Did we mention that it's also cheaper than buying store-bought matcha ice cream and tastes even better?
The best part is that you don't need a machine or fancy equipment to follow our no-churn recipe. This means you won't have to spend hours churning in the kitchen. However, if you still want to learn how to make this matcha ice cream with a machine, we've included some simple instructions for that too.
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Matcha Ice Cream Ingredients (3 ingredients)
To make matcha ice cream, you will need matcha powder, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy whipping cream.
Matcha
Because this dessert only uses 3 ingredients, it is critical to use high-quality ingredients to ensure it tastes nice. Therefore, we recommend using high-quality culinary-grade green tea powder.
Although ceremonial-grade matcha powder is considered higher quality, we will be using the culinary-grade version. The culinary-grade powder is less expensive than its ceremonial-grade alternative and is mainly used in cooking and baking. The culinary version has a grassy flavour and a darker khaki tint to the latter.
Although the culinary-grade powder is less aromatic and bitter than ceremonial-grade powder, the condensed milk's sweetness helps disguise the bitterness. The final result is a luscious and thick matcha ice cream with a superbly robust and powerful matcha flavour.
However, you can still opt for ceremonial matcha powder. Ceremonial grade has a higher quality powder distinguished by its vivid green colour. Therefore, if you use it, not only will the cold dessert taste more vivid and floral, but it will also be a lot brighter in colour rather than a muddy green. But, it is more expensive and is intended to be drunk during tea ceremonies.
Heavy Whipping Cream
One of the critical components in this green tea ice cream is air bubbles, followed by fat and sugar. So, you must use whipping cream with high-fat content. The fat content contributes to the dessert's thick, glossy, and rich texture.
Alternatively, you can substitute it with light whipping cream, but the texture will differ. The lighter version would produce a less indulgent texture because there isn't quite enough fat to produce a velvety, fluffy dessert. Ultimately, it would be best to use a high-fat content whipping cream.
How to Make Matcha Ice Cream (no machine)
This dessert recipe is relatively easy to make. The thick base of the dessert is made from sweetened condensed milk, while the heavy cream is whipped to produce a light, airy texture to even out the viscosity. The condensed milk's extra sweetness also compliments this frozen treat perfectly. With the fluffiness of the whipped cream and the sweetness of condensed milk, you can make this no-churn dessert in no time!
Making the ice cream
Here’s how to make matcha ice cream recipe without a machine:
- Firstly, sift the matcha powder through a tea strainer. The tea leaves are ground so finely that they easily form clumps that can be difficult to dissolve. Therefore, you must sift them before using them.
- Then, using a spatula or whisk, combine the sweetened condensed milk and stir until there are no visible lumps.
- Next, add heavy cream to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Begin whipping at a moderate speed and progressively raise the pace until stiff peaks develop. The trails in the cream will stiffen further, and it will begin to take on volume and create stiff peaks with slightly softened tips. Once this consistency is achieved, turn off the stand mixer so that you don't overwhip the whipping cream. This is to ensure that the green tea ice cream is nice and fluffy.
- Then, fold the condensed milk paste and whisk on medium speed until thoroughly blended. With a spatula, scrape along the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Place your mixture in a freezer-safe airtight container with a lid or in a loaf pan tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer overnight. Let it freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.
- Remove the container from the freezer about five minutes before serving so that it will be soft enough to scoop. This will make scooping easier. And with just three ingredients, this delicious dessert is ready.
Add toppings
You can serve your matcha ice cream plain or with any preferred toppings. For example, our favourite addition to it is chopped pistachios. Or even better, why not have it with some Thai tea ice cream for some flavour-bursting fun?
Make Green Tea Ice Cream (with ice cream maker)
Churn or no-churn
If you want to attempt this recipe with an ice cream maker, we've got you covered. Although our no-churn method can produce an excellent cool dessert, we must admit that a churning machine will result in a better end product due to the gradual addition of air into the mixture.
The method is slightly different in this variation because you don't need to beat the cream. All you have to do is simply add all the ingredients and let the machine do the rest.
Both no-churn and churned desserts have the expected silky smooth texture. However, the churned variety is closer to the classic version, although the difference is minimal. The only significant difference is that churning incorporates more air into the dessert than the no-churn method. Because of the extra air, the churned variety usually tastes lighter.
With a machine
Now let's look at how to make green tea ice cream with an ice cream maker:
- Firstly, you need to refrigerate the machine overnight. This is a crucial step that you should take. If the equipment is not cool enough, even after 30 minutes of churning, you may end up with a liquid base.
- In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients in the recipe and chill in the refrigerator until cool.
- Then, pour the matcha ice cream ingredients into the cold machine and churn till soft serve consistency. You should begin at a low speed and gradually increase to medium speed as the mixture thickens and can handle more splashing.
- Once the cold mixture has reached a soft-serve consistency, transfer the matcha ice cream to a cooled, freezable container. Before serving, let the cold treat freeze for at least 1 to 2 hours.
Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Cooking Tips
Now that you know how to make green tea ice cream, here are some cooking tips to help your attempt at home.
Not sweet
The sweetness from the condensed milk is sufficient, but if you want your dessert to taste sweeter and more like a store-bought version, you can add up to ¼ cup of powdered sugar to the mixture. Non-flavoured sweeteners like sugar and agave syrup will preserve the strong natural flavour of the fine tea powder, whereas sweeteners like honey and chocolate can effectively disguise it. Adding any chocolate will significantly alter the original taste of the dessert.
Can't taste the matcha
Because matcha is significantly more concentrated than most tea powders, you only need a little to enjoy its complete flavour profile. You can simply adjust the amount if you can't taste the fine powder. Just add more if you want a more robust flavour.
On the other hand, the more intense the flavour, the more important the powder's quality becomes. As a result, if you prefer a more robust green tea ice cream flavour, you can always try this recipe with ceremonial-grade matcha powder instead.
The ceremonial-grade powder is high-quality and expensive. It is fragrant, subtle, and slightly sweeter. You will get a more rich and thick dessert with a superbly robust and stronger flavour when you use ceremonial-grade powder.
Not thick
Homemade green tea ice cream will be lighter than store-bought. It will have the consistency of a soft serve. For a firmer texture, place your cool treat in the freezer for 2-4 hours until it has firmed up completely.
If you want your cool treat to be thicker, these are some tricks you can use. Firstly, you can add some cornflour. Cornflour binds water molecules and thickens the liquid, resulting in a softer, more velvety feel - especially in no-churn recipes. However, remember that you must cook it with some of the recipe's cream to work its magic.
Glucose syrup is another thickening ingredient that leads to a richer texture. What glucose syrup does is prevent the frozen treat from becoming icy. The sweetened condensed milk serves the same purpose in this recipe. However, keep in mind that you should only use glucose syrup if you want a thicker consistency - otherwise, condensed milk will be enough.
If you use an ice cream machine and your base remains liquid after 30-45 minutes of churning, your base may need to be cooled for longer, or the bowl may not have been thoroughly chilled. Make sure the mixture is cold before churning. Chill the mixture in an ice bath for four hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
How To Store Green Tea Ice Cream
Once you have made the dessert, shift it to an airtight container and leave it in the freezer for 6 hours or more. Any freezer-safe container will do, or you may store the dessert in a loaf pan with food-safe plastic wrap.
If properly stored, this dessert can be kept in the freezer for 6 to 7 weeks, but we guarantee it will be finished in a day or two! We also suggest thawing the frozen dessert at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving for easier scooping.
Remember that these treats are prepared without preservatives. So, the green tea powder will lose flavour and colour over time. Also, if you leave the frozen treat in the freezer for too long, you will notice ice crystals on the surface.
Easy Matcha Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps matcha powder
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Sift matcha powder into a bowl. Add in the condensed milk and mix into the powder until well combined. Keep the paste aside.
- In a different mixing bowl, add the heavy cream. Begin whipping at a moderate speed and progressively raise the pace until stiff peaks develop. Fold in the paste and whisk on medium speed until thoroughly blended.
- Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe airtight container or a loaf pan wrapped in plastic wrap and freeze in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving. Add your favourite toppings and enjoy your matcha ice cream!
Notes
- Although our matcha ice cream recipe calls for two tablespoons of matcha powder, you can add more if you prefer a stronger taste.
- Make sure you thaw the dessert at room temperature for at least 10 minutes for easy scooping.
- You can serve this treat plain or with your preferred toppings. For us, chopped pistachios are the go-to topping for this cool dessert. White chocolate, crushed Oreos, and fresh fruits also pair perfectly with green tea ice cream.
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.
If you loved this recipe, why not also try our taro ice cream recipe? Follow us on Instagram @honestfoodtalks for more yummy treats!
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