Matcha Smoothie Recipe

Matcha smoothie is a lush, sweet drink with a hint of earthiness. This delicious beverage is an excellent alternative to simply drinking tea or coffee. It gives an energy boost without the anxiety jitters coffee gives.

As the name suggests, this delicious mix is made of green tea powder and fruit. You might think matcha or Japanese green tea taste strange when mixed with fruit. However, it helps to neutralise the sweetness and gives a nice, earthy contrast. 

We concocted our recipe after trying many different fruit and milk types. We also got our green tea-drinking friends to taste-test the final product. So, you can trust us and make this great drink! Our recipe is highly customisable with different ingredients. It is so easy to create and, best of all, won’t result in a clumpy mix.

We’ll show you how to make it with bananas, but jump ahead to the sections for alternative fruits if you prefer no bananas in your drink. 

For those who don’t have time to eat breakfast, try this healthy substitute as a quick meal in the morning. It also makes a handy snack for those always on the go. Try our sweet matcha smoothie recipe and experience the green tea deliciousness now.  

Jump to:

• Matcha smoothie benefits and calories
• Matcha smoothie ingredients
• How to make Matcha smoothie 
• How to make Matcha smoothie with No Banana
• What fruit goes well with Matcha smoothie?
• Variations
• Matcha smoothie bowl ideas
• Can I blend matcha in a blender?
• Plain Matcha Smoothie Recipe (Optional Banana)

Matcha smoothie benefits and calories

According to Healthline, matcha smoothie benefits are aplenty, with high amounts of antioxidants that help heart and brain health. 

If you consider substituting coffee with a matcha smoothie for weight loss, that’s also a good idea. Green tea has more caffeine than coffee. In addition, the low-calorie, high-fibre mix of tea and fruit will keep you full, which you need for weight loss. Our recipe in this article has 203 calories per serving. 

Matcha smoothie ingredients

To create this delicious Japanese beverage, you need the following ingredients:

• Matcha
• Bananas
• Milk
• Spinach
• Flax seed 
• Vanilla extract 

Matcha

There are many different brands that you can opt for when you are buying green tea to make your matcha smoothie. However, we recommend that you purchase ceremonial-grade matcha powder. It tastes stronger, with more nuanced flavour layers than culinary-grade matcha. The colour is usually a vibrant dark green.

However, if you are unsure what to use, try matcha smoothie powder instead. The powder is pre-sweetened, so you can skip the vanilla extract. However, you must still add milk and other ingredients to your drink. You can also use culinary-grade green tea powder, which is slightly more bitter but easier to use for blended drinks. 

Banana

Bananas are an excellent addition to your green tea shake. They add natural sweetness and a rich creaminess to your drink. But if you like, you can always experiment with other fruit instead. Avocado, for instance, is a good substitute. 

Milk

We recommend using unsweetened almond milk as a base liquid when making this drink. Almond milk pairs well with green tea or any fruit that you want to add. 

For those who like a richer and thicker beverage, try dairy milk. For a plant-based alternative to this, use coconut milk. 

How to make Matcha smoothie 

Let’s find out how to make matcha smoothies. It’s easy. 

First, use a matcha whisk to stir your green tea with warm water to dissolve the powder and easily get rid of lumps. Alternatively, you can just skip the whisk and pour the green tea powder directly into a blender. 

For the blender, start with your liquids as a base. Add milk and green tea first. After that, place all the other ingredients in a blender, starting with your green vegetables, if any. 

Then, add your hard fruit, and finally, your soft fruit and any sweeteners. If you prefer a chunkier texture, freeze the fruit first. Otherwise, you can use unfrozen fruit for a smoother drink. 

Blender tips

Blend for 30 seconds to test your blender at 30% strength. Then blend for 10 minutes at full speed until smooth. Avoid filling your blender more than ¾ of the way up, or your drink might explode! 

Another tip to keep your blender functional is to ensure that your fruit-to-liquid ratio stays at 1:1 or 1:2. That means adding one cup of fruit to two cups of liquid. You want more fluid than solids in the blender so that the blades are lubricated enough to swirl your mix. 

An excellent way to check is to turn it on and see if the blender is struggling to work. If so, add more liquid before you continue blending your matcha smoothie. 

Storage

You can make this drink anytime and store it in the refrigerator to consume later. Store your matcha smoothie in the fridge for up to 2 days before drinking it. 

If you need to prepare your ingredients first, store them in the freezer for up to three weeks. Your drink can also stay fresh in the freezer for up to three weeks.

When exposed to air, green tea powder quickly loses its colour and quality. Therefore, store your green tea in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator until you want to use it. You can store green tea in an airtight container in a fridge, which stays fresh for up to six months. 

How to make Matcha smoothie with No Banana

If you are allergic to bananas, you will want to make a matcha smoothie with no bananas. You can use frozen chopped pineapples instead of bananas. 

Make sure your fruit and liquids are in a 1:2 ratio. That’s 1 cup of fruit to two cups of liquid. We recommend that you freeze the pineapples for at least a day because it will result in a thicker texture when you blend. 

For other steps, you can carry them out as usual. Similarly to bananas, frozen pineapples will add the sweetness you desire to your green tea beverage.

What fruit goes well with Matcha smoothie?

Different kinds of berries and tropical fruits, such as pineapples, go well in this thick blended beverage. Here are a few options to consider: 

Berries

Adding strawberries to make a strawberry matcha smoothie gives the drink a slightly more acidic, sharp taste. If you like sour more than sweet, strawberries are the perfect fruit to add. You can also try blueberries, which will yield a much sweeter drink. The texture will not be affected. 

Tropical fruits

Adding tropical fruits like pineapples or mangos will give you a sharper, fruitier flavour than within a banana-flavoured matcha smoothie. Additionally, the texture will not be affected. 

Variations

You can always add different ingredients to your smoothie for more variety. Let’s look at some substitutions: 

Greens

Spinach will give your matcha smoothie a mild taste. You can also use kale, chard, and collard greens, but they taste bitter and must be paired with sweet fruits (e.g., blueberries or strawberries). Adding greens (about 2 cups) will add more body to the drink, so you may need to increase your liquid level to get your blender to work. 

Sweetness 

Adding chocolate to a matcha smoothie will give the drink a sweet flavour and creamy texture. However, sweeteners such as maple syrup and chocolate will mask the natural flavour of green tea. So if you prefer to taste the earthiness of your green tea, try the vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is also keto-friendly.

Thicker consistency

Add crushed chia seeds, protein powder, or ripe avocado to your green tea shake if you want a thicker consistency. It will add richness to the texture without masking the taste of green tea. Avocados, in particular, will be good if you want to make your matcha smoothie keto-friendly. It’s a low-carb, high-fat food perfect for those on a keto diet. 

Matcha smoothie bowl ideas

If you are wondering how to make matcha smoothie into a meal, here’s what you can do. You can use the same recipe in our article, but add less milk (at least 180ml) to your blender.

Aim for a milky texture between drinkable and scoopable, then pour it into a bowl after blending everything. Add toppings such as fresh berries, coconut flakes, banana slices, chia seeds, or almonds for a fun twist.

Can I blend matcha in a blender?

Yes, you can put your green tea in a blender when you make a matcha smoothie. It’s much easier as it requires less effort to get rid of large clumps in the powder.

However, you might be unable to completely blend the green tea powder evenly since the blades may not lift and suspend the powder sufficiently.

Traditional method (recommended)

However, we recommend using the traditional way to blend green tea powder, which is by using a wooden matcha whisk, also known as a chasen. Using a wooden whisk is preferred by the Japanese because it helps to separate and suspend the powder quickly in the water. If you use it right, you can coax the green tea powder into a uniform consistency. 

This method is needed because the powder clumps quickly once it touches water. It also gives a more full-bodied and aromatic taste to green tea. Better still, it helps to froth your green tea without scratching the bottom of your mixing bowl.

If you want to use a chasen, the whisk comes in various thicknesses and string counts. The thicker whisks can make your green tea mixture more bubbly, but it’s mostly a matter of preference which one you choose. 

While using the bamboo whisk might take more time, traditional tea drinkers recommend using it. That’s because it’s supposed to bring out the green tea flavour more than merely blending the powder with fruit. We also think using a chasen elevates the tea-drinking experience, making the process more authentic.

Other methods

You can also try an electric milk frother if you do not have a chasen. However, you might not get an even layer of foam, which might be less enjoyable to drink for some. 

Still, using the blender for a drinkable matcha smoothie is perfectly alright. Additionally, experts recommend using culinary-grade green tea if you want to use a blender since culinary-grade green tea does not clump as easily. 

If you liked this sweet matcha smoothie recipe, you could also make a blueberry green tea latte. These green tea-flavoured drinks work as a standalone beverage, or you can enjoy them as a post-meal dessert. Both low-calorie drinks are perfect for a pre-workout boost or a post-gym reward, and you can easily adjust their ingredients to fit any diet. 

For more drink inspiration, follow us on Instagram @honestfoodstalks!