You can make a good matcha latte at home, but want to make a great one? Try this homemade matcha latte recipe! As part of our Barista series, we challenged ourselves to make all the coffeehouse standard drinks at home, and of course the matcha latte reigns supreme. Each sip is herbal, lightly sweet and subtly bitter from the matcha, contrasted by the rich and creamy milk. Here’s how to make a latte with the brightest green color and smooth, calming flavor. Or, go to Iced Matcha Latte, a version that’s even easier for making at home!
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 become extremely popular 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 (find it here). Latte grade matcha is slightly less bright green and has more bitter flavor (find it here). Cooking grade matcha is greenish brown in color and fairly bitter in flavor.
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 for a latte: 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 for a latte:
The best dairy milk for a latte is whole milk. It steams and froths the best, making the most textured latte. The best non-dairy milk for a latte is oat milk. Oat milk froths up the best of any of the non-dairy milk options, like almond milk and soy milk.
How to make a matcha latte
You can easily order a Starbucks matcha latte, but 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 the instructions in How to Steam Milk. Or, froth the milk using a milk frother, French press, or whisk with the insturctions in How to Froth Milk. Combine: Pour the frothed or steamed milk into the matcha and enjoy!
Caffeine in a matcha latte
Tea lattes do have caffeine, though much less than their coffee latte counterparts. This matcha latte has ¾ teaspoon matcha powder, which contains 51 milligrams of caffeine. This is about half the amount in a cup of black coffee, which has about 100 milligrams. Compare this to a double shot espresso, the amount typically in coffee lattes, which weighs in at 128 milligrams of caffeine.
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
This matcha latte recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan and dairy-free, use oat milk. 5 from 3 reviews
