Matcha Green Tea Latte Recipe – Easy Recipe for Japanese-Inspired Latte with Healthy Green Tea and Dairy or Non-Dairy Milk.
Lately I’ve been experimenting with less caffeinated replacements for my usual cup of black tea or coffee. I am addicted to my morning cup of joe; finding an alternative has been pretty tough. I’ve been drinking green matcha in iced tea form for a couple of years now.
Over the holidays I bought myself a gift– a new milk frother that can froth and steam milk at the touch of a button. Using my new frother, I have perfected the art of the matcha latte.
Matcha gives you an energy boost without the crash you often experience after a strong cup of coffee. The matcha latte is a surprisingly perfect marriage of tea and creamy milk; when lightly sweetened, it is truly a treat.
I recently found a great organic matcha, and I’ve been making lattes with it almost every morning. I can honestly say I now love matcha!
The History of Matcha Green Tea
Legend claims that Shennong, the ancient Chinese emperor and inventor of Chinese medicine, discovered the lovely flavor and medicinal powers of green tea when a few tea leaves blew into a kettle he was heating over a fire.
Powdered tea, like matcha, first appeared during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). At that time fresh tea leaves were steamed, then dried, ground, and packed into hard cakes for easy transport. Whenever anyone wanted a cup of tea, a piece of the cake was broken off and dissolved in water.
This practice eventually died off, though a slightly similar preparation reappeared during the 8th century, when Japanese Zen monks began growing their own green tea leaves and preparing powdered tea, now known as matcha.
You’ll notice the high price point on this tea– the best matcha, known as “ceremonial grade,” is quite expensive. If you have the means to buy it, it’s worth the spend, especially if you enjoy matcha tea on its own (meaning, plain matcha tea– not the latte form).
However, there are also some less expensive “culinary grade” matcha alternatives out there that are pretty good. Here is one I’d recommend; it’s not quite as flavorful as the ceremonial grade, but for mixing into lattes and baked goods, it does the trick.
You’ll get quite a bit more tea for a slightly lower price than the small tins of ceremonial grade matcha.
How to Make A Matcha Latte
A matcha latte is a unique, simple and slightly exotic treat. Many coffee shops offer matcha on their menus, but nothing beats making them to your unique specifications at home. I’ve also found that that matcha lattes taste great hot or cold.
During the warmer months I pour mine into a large glass (or mason jar if you prefer!) and simply add ice. I’ll walk you through the process here, and I’ve attached a video of the stovetop method to this post. If you have a frother, I’ve also provided instructions for that below.
While I haven’t completely been able to ditch my morning coffee, I have cut down substantially thanks to this latte alternative. Feel free to use any milk or non-dairy milk you like and adjust the amount of sweetness with sugar, agave, honey – you name it.
The types of leaves used to make matcha are grown in the shade, which aids in producing more chlorophyll – so don’t let the bright green color throw you off. Remember, greens are good for you!
Recommended Products:
Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha Powder (more expensive per ounce, higher quality)
Automatic Milk Frother (I bought myself a milk frother recently and I love it!)
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Beauty shots and styling by Bethany Nauert.
Matcha Green Tea Latte
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (when using ceremonial grade, you may need less-- adjust to taste)
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 cup whole milk, or preferred non-dairy milk (I usually use almond milk)
- Sugar or sweetener to taste (I use a few drops of stevia or 1 1/2 tsp coconut sugar)
Instructions
- Pour the matcha green tea powder into a mug along with 1/4 cup of hot water. Let the tea "bloom" for 1-2 minutes, whisking rapidly to break up any small pieces. For this you can use a wooden matcha whisk or a small metal whisk (a matcha whisk works best).
- If you have an automatic milk frother, add the milk to the frother, heat and froth the milk, pour it into the bloomed matcha and sweeten to taste.
- If you do not have a frother, add bloomed matcha to a small saucepan with the milk and sugar or sweetener. Heat until mixture bubbles around the edges, whisking constantly. If you prefer a frothy latte, use an immersion blender to carefully whip up some foam after it's done heating.
- Pour into a large mug, serve and enjoy! Adjust the sweetener to taste. This type of latte tastes best lightly sweetened.
NOTES
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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