Here’s how to make a matcha latte! This recipe comes out bright green and rivals the one at your local coffeeshop.
Love a great tea latte? Here’s one for you: try this homemade Matcha Latte! This coffeehouse standard is perfect for a morning pick me up. Each sip is herbal, lightly sweet and subtly bitter from the matcha, contrasted by the rich and creamy milk. You can make a good matcha latte at home, but want to make a great one? Here’s what you need to know to make a drink with the best brilliant green color and smooth, calming flavor.
What is a matcha latte?
A matcha latte is a tea latte made with green tea powder and steamed milk. Matcha replaces the espresso in a traditional cafe latte, giving it a brilliant green color and lightly bitter flavor. Most coffeeshops offer a hot and iced version of this drink.
Matcha flavored drinks have ballooned in popularity in the US in the last 10 years, but it’s no new trend. Green tea originated in China in the 8th Century, and was brought to Japan in around the 12 Century. Talk about history!
Types of matcha
Matcha is a fine powder made of ground green tea leaves that originated in East Asia. It’s consumed as part of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, and an integral part of Japanese culture. There are three grades of matcha that correspond to quality:
- Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest grade and fit for tea ceremonies; it has the brightest green color and smoothest flavor (buy it!)
- Latte grade matcha is slightly less bright green and has more bitter flavor (buy it!)
- Cooking grade matcha is greenish brown in color and fairly bitter
For a matcha latte, you’ll want to use ceremonial grade or latte grade (we used ceremonial). Why? We tested this latte recipe with all three, and the difference in color and flavor is very noticeable! The ceremonial grade makes the most brilliant color and tastes much better than the other grades.
Best milk to use: dairy and non-dairy
You can make a matcha latte with any type of milk you like! However, there are a few front runners when it comes to milk:
- Whole milk: The best dairy milk? Whole milk. It steams and froths the best, making the most textured latte.
- Oat milk: The best non-dairy milk? Oat milk froths up the best of any of the non-dairy milk options.
How to make a matcha latte
While you can easily order a Starbucks matcha latte, why not try making one at home? The flavor is incomparable, especially when it’s made with ceremonial grade matcha! Here are the basic steps (or go right to the recipe):
- Make the matcha: Whisk the matcha with water to make a paste, then add more water and whisk until it’s frothy. You can use a classic bamboo whisk that’s used for a cup of matcha (sans milk), or a regular whisk.
- Add honey and hot water: Use maple syrup if you prefer an alternate sweetener. It’s just enough to balance the bitter matcha.
- Froth or steam the milk: If you have an espresso machine, steam the milk following How to Steam Milk. Or, froth the milk following How to Froth Milk: use a milk frother, French press, or whisk.
- Combine: Pour the frothed or steamed milk into the matcha and enjoy!
Variation: iced matcha latte
The most popular variation on a matcha latte? The iced matcha latte! It’s very similar to this recipe, but even easier because you don’t need to worry about the frothed milk texture. Here’s what to do:
- Use the same instructions in Step 1 below to whisk the matcha, but use 1 teaspoon matcha with 2 ounces water.
- Whisk in 1 tablespoon honey.
- Add ¾ cup skim or oat milk. Lowfat or dairy-free milk is best for an iced latte.
- Add ice and serve!
And that’s it! Let us know if you try the matcha latte or iced matcha latte in the comments below: and let us know what you think!
More tea lattes
Tea lattes are some of the most delicious around, coffee included! (That’s a big statement coming from us coffee aficionados.) Here are some top tea lattes to try:
- Go classic with the Perfect Tea Latte
- Grab a deliciously cozy London Fog
- Add spices for a Chai Latte, Vegan Chai Latte or Iced Chai Latte
Matcha Latte
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
Description
Here’s how to make a matcha latte! This recipe comes out bright green and rivals the one at your local coffeeshop. For iced, go to Iced Matcha Latte.
Ingredients
- ¾ teaspoon matcha green tea powder*
- 2 ounces (¼ cup) cool filtered water
- ½ tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
- 2 ounces (¼ cup) hot water (175 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit)
- 4 ounces (½ cup) steamed or frothed whole milk (or oat milk for vegan)
Instructions
- Whisk the matcha: Add the matcha to a spouted bowl or glass liquid measuring cup. Add a drizzle of the cool water and whisk the matcha with a bamboo whisk or regular whisk to form it into a paste. Add the remaining cool water and whisk vigorously back and forth until a thick foamy layer appears, about 20 to 30 seconds. Or, you can simply shake the matcha powder and cool water in a jar until frothy.
- Combine with water and honey: Stir the hot water and honey in a mug. Pour the foamy matcha into the mug and stir gently.
- Steam or froth the milk: Steam the milk with an espresso machine or froth the milk using your method of choice (milk frother, French press, or whisk).
- Serve: Pour the steamed or frothed milk into the center of the matcha and serve.
Notes
*For the brightest green color and best flavor, we recommend this Ceremonial Grade Matcha. This Latte Grade Matcha also works, but has a more muted color and bitter flavor. Avoid Cooking Grade Matcha here; the flavor isn’t up to snuff.
- Category: Drink
- Method: Latte
- Cuisine: Tea
- Diet: Vegetarian
Keywords: Matcha latte, how to make matcha latte, matcha latte recipe
Let us know if you have any questions!
★★★★★
Splendid. After trying so many times following so many recipes to get it right, this is it. Idk if it’s science or magic or both, but the cold water step is what makes it 🤌🏾
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed!
My first time to make my own matcha latte. Excellent recipe! I appreciated the overview about the matcha and types of milk to use. I agree that oat milk is the way to go. It froths up really well and stayed frothy until the last sip.
★★★★★
Hi! I love a good matcha latte, but I’ve never attempted to make one myself. I’ve been perusing recipes…some recommend sifting the matcha powder through a sieve before using. Did you do that? Do you think that’s a necessary step? Your thoughts please, thanks! :)
We’ve found making a paste first works better for us than sifting.
GREAT. One less step works for me. Thank you!