Here’s how to make an iced matcha latte! This recipe tastes just like a coffeeshop, except it’s homemade in minutes. Creamy and frothy, it’s the perfect way to start your day or as an afternoon pick me up.
A matcha latte is one thing, but the iced matcha latte is like a whole new category of drink. It’s perfectly chilled, lusciously creamy, with just the right hint of sweetness. If you love a good Starbucks iced matcha latte, guess what? You can recreate it in the comfort of your own home. It’s even faster and easier than a matcha latte! This is the ideal afternoon drink for us
Ingredients in an iced matcha latte
An iced matcha latte is an iced spin on the matcha latte, a drink made of green tea and frothed milk. An iced latte takes only a few minutes to mix up in the comfort of your own home. It’s easier than the heated version because you don’t have to steam or froth the milk. There’s something about the iced version that’s uniquely refreshing: the bitterness of the matcha melds more seamlessly into the chilled milk. The ingredients for an iced matcha latte are:
- Matcha (green tea powder), latte grade
- Honey (or maple syrup or agave syrup)
- Water
- Milk: Skim milk, oat milk or almond milk
Grades 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 this iced matcha latte, we prefer either Ceremonial grade or Latte grade matcha for the brightest color and the best smooth flavor. We used the Ceremonial grade here, and it was fantastic! It’s worth the difference in price, and you only use a teaspoon at a time.
Best milk for an iced latte
The best milk for an iced matcha latte is different from the hot latte. For a hot latte, whole milk is key for getting the best frothy texture to the steamed or frothed milk. However, it’s the opposite for an iced latte!
- The best dairy milk for an iced latte is skim milk. For some reason, the cold matcha just doesn’t work with whole milk. The skim milk has just the right body to pair with the cold matcha. (Trust us!)
- The best non-dairy milk for an iced latte is oat milk, with a second choice of almond milk. Non-dairy milk shines in an iced matcha latte! Something about less milkfat just works here. Our favorite is oat milk, but almond milk is also great.
How to make an iced matcha latte
Once you’ve got your hands on the ingredients, let’s make an iced matcha latte! In fact, you can probably make it quicker than reading this article. Here are the basic steps (or jump 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 or a regular whisk. (Here’s more on how to make matcha.)
- Add the sweetener. Honey is a great pair flavor-wise with matcha, or use maple syrup. You could also try Vanilla Syrup for a twist!
- Froth the milk. Simply place it in a jar, cover and shake for 30 seconds. You can also skip this step if desired.
- Combine and add ice. Add the matcha, frothed milk, and ice. You’re latte ready!
Caffeine in an iced matcha latte
Contrary to what you might think, tea lattes do have caffeine. This iced matcha latte has 1 teaspoon matcha powder, which contains 68 milligrams of caffeine. This is about one third less the amount in a cup of 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.
Step it up: add cold foam!
Want to step up your iced matcha latte, Starbucks style? Add cold foam! Cold foam is frothed nonfat milk that makes a frothy topping for cold coffee drinks like iced coffee, cold brew, and more. It simulates the frothy topping of the steamed milk in a latte, but at a cold temperature so it doesn’t melt when hitting the drink.
When you order an iced matcha latte at Starbucks, you can order it with a topping of cold foam. So why not try it at home? It’s fast and easy with a milk frother. Here’s How to Make Cold Foam.
This iced matcha latte is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Iced Matcha Latte Recipe
Ingredients
1x
- 1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder*
- 2 ounces ¼ cup cool filtered water
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup or vanilla syrup
- 6 ounces ¾ cup skim milk, oat milk or almond milk
- Step it up: add Cold Foam!
2x
- 2 teaspoon matcha green tea powder*
- 4 ounce ½ cup cool filtered water
- 2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup or vanilla syrup
- 12 ounce 1 ½ cup skim milk, oat milk or almond milk
- Step it up: add Cold Foam!
3x
- 3 teaspoon matcha green tea powder*
- 6 ounce ¾ cup cool filtered water
- 3 tablespoon honey or maple syrup or vanilla syrup
- 18 ounce 2 ¼ cup skim milk, oat milk or almond milk
- Step it up: add Cold Foam!
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.
- Add honey: Add the honey and whisk a few more seconds.
- Froth the milk: Froth the milk by placing it in a jar with a lid and shaking vigorously for 30 seconds. (You can skip this step if desired and use plain milk.)
- Serve: Pour the matcha into an iced-filled glass. Pour the frothed milk over the matcha, stir, and enjoy. (To step up the drink, stir well then add Cold Foam on top!)