Iced Matcha Latte

Here’s how to make a killer Iced Matcha Latte! This recipe tastes like coffee shop, except it’s homemade in minutes.

A matcha latte is one thing, but an iced matcha latte? This green drink is like a whole new category: perfectly fresh, deliciously creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness. If you like a good Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte, fear not! You can recreate it in the comfort of your own home. It’s even quicker and easier than the hot latte version. Here’s how!

Ingredients in an Iced Matcha Latte

Iced Matcha Latte mixes up in the comfort of your own home in just minutes. It’s easier than the heated version because you don’t have to steam (or heat and froth) the milk. And something about the frozen version is particularly refreshing: the bitterness of matcha blends more seamlessly with the chilled milk. Here’s what you need:

• matcha (green tea powder)
• Honey (or maple syrup or agave syrup)
• Water
• Milk: skimmed milk, oat milk or almond milk

The only important thing to consider: the quality of matcha you use! Read on to find out more.

Matcha categories

Matcha is a fine powder made from ground green tea leaves that originated in East Asia. It is consumed in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies and is an integral part of Japanese culture. There are three matcha grades corresponding to quality:

• Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest quality and suitable for tea ceremonies; it has the lightest green color and the sweetest taste (buy it!)
• Latte quality matcha is a little less light green and has a more bitter taste (buy it!)
• Culinary quality matcha has a greenish-brown color and is quite bitter

For this iced matcha latte, we prefer ceremonial grade matcha or latte. It has the lightest color and the best mild taste. We took advantage of the ceremony here and it was fantastic! It’s worth the price difference and you only use one teaspoon at a time.

Best milk to use: dairy and non-dairy

Interestingly, the best milk for an iced matcha latte is different from a hot latte. For a hot latte, whole milk is key. But here it’s the other way around:

• skimmed milk: The best cow’s milk? skim milk. For some reason, cold matcha just doesn’t work with whole milk. Skim milk has just the right body to accompany cold matcha. (Trust us!) o
• Oat Milk or Almond Milk: Plant-free milk shines in an ice-cold matcha latte! Something about lower milk fat works here. Our favorite is oat milk, but almond milk is also excellent.

How to make a frozen matcha latte

As soon as you hold the ingredients in your hands, we conjure up an ice-cold Matcha Latte! In fact, you can probably do it faster than reading this article. Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe):

• Prepare matcha: Whisk matcha with water to form a paste, then add more water and beat until fluffy. You can use a classic bamboo whisk for a cup of matcha or a regular whisk. (Here’s more on how to make matcha.)
• Add sweetener: Honey goes great with matcha or maple syrup. You can also try vanilla syrup!
• froth milk: Simply pour into a jar, cover and shake for 30 seconds. Simply! You can also skip this step if you wish.
• Mix and add ice: Add matcha, milk froth and ice. You’re ready for the latte!

And that’s it! Let us know what you think of your latte in the comments below. Or tag us on Instagram if you do!

Step it up: Add cold foam!

Just one thing. Want to spice up your Iced Matcha Latte Starbucks style? Add cold foam! cold foam is frothed skim milk that makes a frothy topping for cold coffee beverages like iced coffee, cold brew and more. It simulates the frothy topping of frothed milk in a latte, but at a cold temperature so it doesn’t melt when it hits the drink. Of course it was a Starbucks invention (brilliant, really).

When you order an Iced Matcha Latte from Starbucks, you can order it with a cold foam topping. So why not try it at home? It’s quick and easy with a milk frother. Here’s how to make cold foam.

More iced coffee and tea

There’s something so refreshing about an iced latte… it’s one of our favorite coffee and tea drinks to really burn with! Here are some delicious Iced Lattes: