Matcha Green Tea Latte

This Matcha Green Tea Latte is the perfect energizing drink. It's smooth and creamy, light and rejuvenating. Packed with many benefits and antioxidants from matcha green tea powder. It's tasty, sweet, and super easy to make with just 3 ingredients. A great alternative to your regular coffee.

Matcha is in one word amazing! Seriously. Ever since I tried matcha latte a few years ago, I’ve never turned back to my regular coffee in the morning. Matcha latte became my favorite hot caffeinated drink. For many reasons.

It’s smooth, creamy, rejuvenating, and tastes like no other hot drink. It wakes me up nicely and keeps my brain sharp and focused for hours. No sudden crushes of energy later in the day, like with coffee. It doesn't give me that "nervous energy" that caffeine sometimes does. Plus, it's easy on a tummy as well.

This homemade matcha latte tastes so much better than Starbucks and costs really nothing competing with the price you pay there. And when you crave a more refreshing drink during Summer, you can just pop the ice and make Iced Matcha Latte. How cool is that?!

What is matcha green tea?

Originated from Japan, matcha is a powdered green tea containing 137 times more antioxidants than classic brewed green tea. Both come from the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis), but with matcha powder, the entire leaf is consumed.

During the last few weeks of their growth, the tea leaves are shaded from the sun to increase their chlorophyll content and produce a vibrant green color. The leaves are then ground to produce a fine powder which is known as matcha green tea powder.

Matcha powder has been used in Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries but has become more widely known and popular in recent years. Matcha latte is one of the many ways it's consumed now. Matcha green tea powder can be used in smoothies, cookies, and more! You can learn more about the history of matcha here.

Best matcha powder for lattes

There are two main grades of matcha: culinary and ceremonial. The culinary grade matcha is best for cooking and baking while ceremonial matcha is best for lattes.

Ceremonial grade matcha green tea leaves are picked by hand and tend to be more sweet-tasting. They are stone-grounded to reduce heat and friction, which prevents bitterness. As a result of this care and craftsmanship, ceremonial matcha is more expensive than culinary grade but also more flavorful.

Starbucks uses Tazo matcha powder that has two ingredients: sugar and green tea powder. I use ceremonial grade matcha green tea powder that has pure matcha green tea taste.

Ingredients used

To make Matcha Green Tea Latte at home, you will need only 3 simple ingredients:

• matcha powder
• hot water
• milk
• sweetener (optional)

As I said, I like to use pure ceremonial grade matcha powder for lattes. It's worth investing a few more dollars in quality matcha.

If you tried making matcha latte at home and you ended up being completely disappointed with its taste (bitter, leafy flavor), well the secret is not only in the quality of matcha powder but also in the choice of MILK.

I've tried many milk combinations, and it turned out that the perfect milk for the perfect Matcha Green Tea Latte is dairy-free milk. My favorites are organic soy milk or oat milk. They both have a smooth and somewhat sweet flavor. They also have a creamier consistency, which makes them a good coffee creamer and great for making frothy drinks like matcha latte.

If you like you can add some sweetener to your matcha latte. Pure maple syrup or mild-tasting honey is the best. But you can easily skip added sugars if you got the right milk and top-quality matcha green tea powder. I encourage you to try without added sugars and experience the true matcha unbelievable taste.

How to make Matcha Green Tea Latte

• Prepare all the ingredients. (1)
• Add a teaspoon of matcha powder into a small bowl. (2)
• Add in a small amount of hot (but not boiling) water (to help preserve the nutrients and avoid bitterness), around ¼ cup. (3)
• Take the bamboo whisk and whisk until completely dissolved. Whisking in an “m” motion can help achieve a nice foam texture. (4-5)
• Transfer the matcha mixture into a mug. (6)
• Heat the milk until steaming, then make the froth using a whisk or milk frother. If you have an automatic milk frother, add the milk to the frother, heat, and froth the milk.
• Pour the milk into a mug over the matcha. (7)
• Add sweetener if desired and to taste.
• Enjoy!

Recipe tips

• If you don’t have a bamboo whisk, you can use a spoon, metal whisk, handheld frother, or blend the matcha in the blender. Bamboo whisks are gentle on the matcha and also help it dissolve more completely. I highly recommend investing in a matcha set!
• When whisking matcha, make sure there are no lumps.
• Matcha green tea latte tastes best lightly sweetened. So don't go wild with adding sweeteners. I like to use liquid, light sweetener, like honey or maple syrup. Stevia works fine too. Coconut sugar and date syrup are not good here.
• The quality of matcha green tea powder is crucial for the overall taste of this drink, so don't go cheap when choosing the right matcha powder. I always use the highest ceremonial grade matcha because I love my matcha strong and powerful but also sweet tasting. Not bitter and leafy.
• I tested oat, almond, coconut, and cashew milk, and the first two stood out as real winners. Cow's milk tastes the worst so please, just don't even try.

FAQ about matcha

Matcha green tea latte benefits

• Matcha latte is a drink packed with L-Theanine, an amino acid that reduces mental stress, enhances mood and performance, and creates a calm-yet-alert state of mind.
• It's full of powerful antioxidants that promote good health.
• It's made without added sugars and low in calories, great for weight loss.
• It's full of wonderful pure matcha flavor.
• It's vegan, easy to make, and in one word - incredible!

This matcha drink is truly amazing. It's smooth and creamy, mildly sweet, full of flavor and so cozy. The perfect drink for cold mornings and lazy afternoons.

It's the perfect replacement for the usual cup of coffee. It helps keeping your brain boosted and super-charged for everyday mental work. Plus, it's vivid green and looks pretty awesome. Enjoy!

📖 Recipe

Matcha Green Tea Latte

By Natalie

This Matcha Green Tea Latte is the perfect morning drink. It's smooth and creamy, light and rejuvenating. It's tasty, sweet, and super easy to make at home with just 3 ingredients. A great alternative to your regular coffee.

4.9 from 80 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine American, International

Servings 1 cup

Calories 76 kcal

Equipment

• Bamboo whisk
• Milk frother

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder pure ceremonial
• ¼ cup hot water
• ½ cup oat milk
• Sweetener: maple syrup or honey (optional and to taste)

Instructions

 

• Add a teaspoon of matcha powder into a small bowl.
• Add in a small amount of hot (but not boiling) water (to help preserve the nutrients and avoid bitterness). I usually add around ¼ cup.
• Take the bamboo whisk and whisk until completely dissolved. Whisking in an “m” motion can help achieve a nice foam texture.
• Transfer the matcha mixture into a mug.
• Heat the milk until steaming, then make the froth using a whisk or milk frother. If you have an automatic milk frother, add the milk to the frother, heat, and froth the milk.
• Pour the milk into a mug over the matcha.
• Add sweetener if desired and to taste.
• Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe tips:

• If you don't have a bamboo whisk, you can use a spoon, metal whisk, handheld frother, or blend the matcha in the blender.
• Matcha green tea latte tastes best lightly sweetened. I like to use pure maple syrup.
• The quality of matcha green tea powder is crucial for the overall taste of this drink, so don't go cheap when choosing the right matcha powder. I always use the highest ceremonial grade matcha.
• You can substitute oat milk with almond, coconut, organic soy, or cashew milk, Cow's milk doesn't work well with matcha.

As a measure, I used a US cup (240ml). Nutritional values are calculated without added sweetener.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 446IU | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 2mg

Keyword how to make matcha latte, matcha green tea, matcha green tea latte, matcha latte, matcha tea latte

Tried this recipe?Pease take a moment and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!

DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but I have endeavored to be as accurate as possible.

This post is originally published in January 2019. It's updated with new information and republished in February 2021. The recipe stayed the same.

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