Matcha latte is a creamy and earthy blend that makes a great introduction to green tea.
Our hot and iced matcha latte recipe is incredibly easy to make at home. We'll show you both ways to get a well-blended, frothy matcha: without a whisk and with a milk frother.
Our healthy, mildly sweet homemade drink is arguably better than a Starbucks matcha latte. If you love latte art, watch our YouTube video tutorial to see how we made a cute cat paw for our hot drink.
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What Is A Matcha Latte?
A matcha latte contains finely ground green Japanese tea leaves (matcha powder), water, and milk. The drink is often sweetened with honey or syrup. However, since green tea powder and other ingredients are added, it's not just milk.
Matcha Latte Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for our matcha latte recipe: green tea powder, milk, water, and sweetener.
Matcha
You can choose from many different green tea brands to make your green tea latte. However, whichever brand you like, we recommend using ceremonial-grade matcha powder. The complex flavours of the ceremonial-grade powder will intensify the drink and add more subtle sweet notes.
You can also use culinary-grade powder if you're not too concerned about the subtle flavours. Both our hot and iced matcha latte recipe will use ceremonial grade powder.
Alternatively, you can use premixed matcha latte powder to save time. The only downside is it might make the drink taste slightly artificial, and you won't be able to control the sugar level if it's already pre-sweetened.
Sweetener
Adding a sweetener isn't a must for our recipe, and you can skip it entirely to preserve the raw, earthy flavour. However, we do recommend using white sugar or sugar syrup for a more neutral taste.
Honey and vanilla extract are also popular choices, but both can mask the taste of green tea if you add too much of it. For our recipe, we add sugar and then some vanilla extract on top to mimic Starbucks' green tea latte.
Tapioca syrup or brown sugar syrup are also great sweetener choices, but they can add coffee-like taste.
Milk
You can use any milk—full-fat, semi-skimmed, or unsweetened—for your green beverage. If you like it sweeter, you can also use sweetened milk. However, for a hot matcha latte recipe, we recommend you use non-dairy full-fat milk. We will use coconut milk in this recipe. It yields a creamy drink, which is delightful when you want a satiating beverage to fill you up in cold weather.
Although dairy milk froths are beautiful, plant-based alternatives are better for this beverage. The reason is that green tea leaves have a very delicate taste. Dairy milk has a strong smell and taste that can overwhelm the flavour of green tea. Therefore, alternatives like oat or almond milk would go well with the mild flavour of the beverage. The type and amount of milk you use can differ according to your preference.
Ice
Ice is required to brew an ice matcha latte recipe. The ideal ratio you can use to make an ice-cold beverage is ¼ of ice to ¾ of water. Of course, you can use more ice cubes, although this may dilute your green tea drink.
Water
Avoid mixing boiling water directly with your green tea powder. Boiling water destroys the taste and makes the drink bitter. The optimal temperature is 80 degrees Celsius or 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
How To Make an Aesthetic looking Matcha Latte
If you want to make a cold matcha latte with a white bottom layer and a green upper layer, then avoid mixing the sugar and vanilla extract with the matcha mixture. The sweetener can increase the density of the matcha mixture, making it fall to the bottom of the glass quickly when poured over the milk.
You can omit the sugar and vanilla extract from the drink recipe and easily create the layers. However, if you want to add sweeteners to the drink, we recommend doing either of these instead:
- Create a simple syrup by dissolving sugar in some boiling water. Then, allow the syrup to cool before mixing in with the milk.
- Mix milk and sugar in a saucepan and gently heat to dissolve the sugar. Then, use the sweetened milk when assembling.
When assembling, add ice and sweetened milk and then gently pour over the matcha mixture. We recommend using a jug with a spout to gently pour the matcha mixture into the glass. Otherwise, you can also pour the matcha mixture over a spoon and into the glass to soften the pouring action.
Matcha Latte Recipe With/Without Whisk
Video
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon matcha or 5g
- 3 tablespoon water or 45ml (around 80-85°C)
- 200 ml milk
- ½ tablespoon sugar or honey, optional
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ice optional
Cooking Instructions
- Sift your matcha powder into a glass or mug and add the optional sugar and vanilla extract to it.
- Pour hot water (around 80-85°C) over the matcha. Then, using a whisk, whisk the mixture in an up-and-down motion until there are no powder clumps and the top becomes foamy. If you're using a bamboo whisk, you should whisk in a W or M motion. See our notes for making it without a whisk.
- Meanwhile, heat up your milk on the stove or using a microwave until it is warm (about 50°C or 122°F). Then, whisk the milk using a clean hand whisk until it becomes frothy and silky smooth. Skip this step if you're making an iced matcha latte.
- To assemble your drink, add the milk and optional ice to the glass or mug and mix well.
Recipe Notes
- If you do not have a matcha whisk, one way is to use a regular whisk or a blender. Another way is to put the green tea mixture into a mason jar. Shake the mason jar vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Don't use boiling water to dissolve the matcha. It should be hot water with a maximum temperature of 85°C (185°F).
Nutrition
Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimate.
Cooking Tips
To make a fantastic cup of this Japanese green tea drink, you'll need to heed our cooking tips on how to make matcha latte. We've tested them to ensure you can make a wholesome beverage that you will love.
How to Whisk Matcha (Smooth And Clump-Free)
Our favourite way to make a matcha latte smooth and clump-free is to use a matcha whisk to sift the green tea powder. The Japanese invented this bamboo whisk (known as a chasen) to break up the lumps in powder while aerating it to get a lovely microfoam texture.
When whisking green tea powder with a bamboo whisk, you want to whisk using a continuous W or M motion. Don't use circular movements because that will not break up the green tea powder enough.
Alternatively you can use a regular whisk, an electric milk frother. They will give a similar result but we do notice it's not as foamy compared to a bamboo whisk.
Our last method to make a matcha latte without a whisk or milk frother is using an empty jar or tumbler.
By adding water and the powder to a jar and shaking it well, we got a foam top and no clumps. However, with the jar-shaking method, you won't get microfoam froth at the top layer of your matcha. If you like the creaminess of the froth, then opt to use a bamboo whisk or hand whisk.
We recommend checking out our YouTube video for a visual demonstration of how we did it.
Iced Green Tea Latte Recipe Tips
While we recommend still using hot water at 80 - 85 degrees celsius to make iced green tea latte, we have seen other recipes say use cold water.
Having tried both hot and cold water, we do think the hot water helps to bring out the earthy flavour and natural umami of green tea powder more. However, if you don't like this, then using cold water might be better for you.
Hot Matcha Latte Recipe Tips
If you're making a hot green tea latte, avoid heating the milk above 70 degrees Celsius or 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If the milk is boiling, the green tea drink turns bitter.
We typically will only heat the milk up to 50 degrees before we start to froth it. Usually we do this by warming it in the microwave on the lowest heat setting for 30 seconds.
For our recipe, we made a cute cat paw by ending our milk in the centre of the cup. Then, we simply scooped out four small amounts of the remaining milk foam to make cute little toe beans. It's the easiest way to make matcha latte art and adds a lovely touch to our drink.
Why is it bitter
Using boiling water to make your hot matcha latte might be intuitive, but you shouldn't. Excessive heat destroys the taste of green tea powder and makes the drink bitter. The optimal temperature is between 80-85 degrees Celsius or 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
Here's a quick way to get the desired temperature for the hot water without actually measuring it with a thermometer.
- Boil the water.
- Pour what you need for the drink into a cup.
- Pour it again into a second cup.
The re-pouring will cool the water and make a perfect cup of green tea. Alternatively pour the water into a cup and wait 20-30 seconds.
How To Store
It's best to drink green tea beverages as soon as possible. You can keep your drink in the fridge for 2-3 days and make sure to gently reheat and stir it thoroughly before drinking.
Any leftover powder will get bitter if it oxides. Therefore, to properly store this, we recommend putting it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Depending on the brand, some brands will recommend you store it in the fridge instead. Heat and humidity can cause the green powder to clump together.
Making it ahead of time
We don't recommend making matcha latte ahead of time as the water and milk will slowly separate, and you'll start to see small green particles. Although after a quick stir, there's no impact on the taste, it doesn't look aesthetically pleasing.
If you don't mind the look of it, you can certainly combine everything and give it a quick mix before serving.
Different Milk With Matcha Latte
We highly recommend that you try using plant-based alternatives for our matcha latte recipe. The taste and texture of your earthy beverage can totally change depending on the milk that you use. All are lovely and have their own appeal to us.
Oat Milk
Oat milk is naturally a little sweet, so it doesn't overwhelm the delicate taste of the green leaves. It also gives the best foam texture for lattes out of all the plant alternatives we've tried.
To make oat milk frothy, heat it for a minute at a low-medium temperature and use an electric milk frother. Although, with this option, you will likely get less foam. The foam disappears faster than you get when you froth dairy milk, but it will still result in a nice, silky finish.
Almond Milk
Almond milk pairs well with green tea and add a light nutty taste and isn't as thick compared to oat. But because of its lighter texture, it doesn't forth as well compared to oat. We love drinking matcha latte made with almond milk when we want something lighter than dairy and oat milk.
Soy Milk
Soy milk is another popular choice of ours as the nuttiness stands out more in this drink. It's a good in-between if you're debating between adding oat or almond milk to your matcha latte.
Coconut Matcha Latte
Adding coconut milk to this earthy drink will give you a very distinct coconut taste and creaminess. However, it's hard to foam up for any matcha latte art, so we recommend using it for iced drinks only.
Other Variations
This refreshing beverage is an excellent alternative to coffee for an energising drink. How about combining chai with a green tea latte? Both go wonderfully together. The steps are similar if you want to make a matcha chai latte. You'll just need to add ½ cup of chai concentrate to the green tea drink. This creates a yummy chai latte that is infused with spicy notes.
We recommend a strawberry matcha latte recipe if you want to experiment with fruits. Simply puree fresh strawberries in a food processor or use a fork. Then, add the strawberry puree to a glass before pouring your matcha latte atop the mixture.
Another sweet treat is a blueberry matcha latte. You follow the same steps but with blueberries instead.
Are Matcha Lattes Healthy?
This comforting beverage is relatively healthy when you remove artificial sweeteners or any form of sugar out of our recipe. According to Healthline green tea can help with weight loss by curbing your appetite and reducing body fat.
Other studies from Healthline have also suggested that green tea powder improves the body's fat-burning ability, increasing weight loss. It is also known to contain antioxidants that help protect the cells in your body.
Matcha latte caffeine is natural without any additives or chemicals. So, you'll get an energy boost without the uncomfortable crash associated with other caffeinated drinks like soda. In addition, matcha latte benefits are plenty, so it's OK to drink a cup or two of it daily - especially if you skip the artificial sugar and use low-fat milk. All in all, a matcha latte is good for you.
Is Matcha Latte Healthier Than Coffee?
Yes, a matcha latte is healthier than coffee. Although green tea and coffee have caffeine, green tea leaves contain an amino acid that slows the 'caffeine crash' most people experience with coffee.
The stable energy level resulting from our tea-infused drink is a consequence of a slow and gradual release of caffeine. In comparison, coffee tends to result in a quick buzz that might make some feel sick or uncomfortable. Coffee also contains a higher concentration of caffeine than the latter, which might be too much for some. For a gentle yet energy-boosting drink, this latte is the answer.
Matcha Calories
Starbucks matcha latte calories are a whopping 240 kcal. In comparison, our matcha latte recipe has a mere 170 calories. So, if you want a drink that will boost weight loss and provide a much-needed energy buzz, it's time to try our recipe.
If you enjoy brewing such drinks or want to try new recipes such as matcha milk tea or green tea chai latte, subscribe to us on YouTube. You'll find all our best drink recipes in an easy step-by-step.
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