Oh, what a joy that the Matcha Latte comes in all shapes and sizes! Introducing our Iced Matcha Latte for all the matcha latte lovers out there looking for a refreshing treat!
You know it! Starbucks has brought back its matcha latte and iced matcha lattes. Not that it was ever truly gone, they just didn’t have the posters advertising these green and delicious drinks for a while due to the holiday flavored drinks.
Although, they did incorporate a matcha cold foam in the Wicked-themed Elphaba’s Cold Brew, the matcha was more of a supporting character than the main star of the show.
Hence, I had to carefully craft my very own version of iced matcha latte where the matcha shines with all its green goddess glory – winning home a Golden Globe award for her best performance!
By the way, if you haven’t checked out our tried and true Matcha Latte recipe, you’re missing out! I do have to admit that there’s obviously some overlap between that recipe and this one, but read on to find out how we’ve perfected our iced matcha latte recipe after much experimenting!
Caffeine in Matcha
The caffeine content in matcha is different than your average cup of joe.
Let’s get one thing clear – yes, there is caffeine in matcha! Simply put (since I’m not a nutritionist or a scientist… just your friendly neighborhood Umamiologist ha!), there’s about a fourth of the caffeine in a cup of green tea compared to a cup of coffee. However, depending on how much matcha powder you use and the variety you choose, a cup of matcha green tea can have up-to or even more caffeine than coffee.
Unlike coffee caffeine, caffeine in matcha doesn’t give you the caffeine jitters. Matcha caffeine content has an amino acid called, L-Theanine, which makes it different than coffee. This L-Theanine, apparently, soothes anxiety & stress and even helps calm you.
Furthermore, a fascinating matcha caffeine fact is that our body absorbs it more like water. This means matcha caffeine releases slowly and gradually, so it lasts longer and doesn’t give you that caffeine crash at the end. Great to know, since coffee caffeine is known for that immediate jolt… and the crash at the end.
Now, if you’re flying on a broom like Elphaba, you’d probably prefer the matcha caffeine over coffee caffeine.
Grades of Matcha
There are 3 main grades of matcha – ceremonial, culinary, and ingredient.
The most expensive and sought after is the ceremonial grade matcha. It has the smoothest flavor of the 3 grades and is perfect for matcha tea, since it’s not bitter! They have the most vibrant shade of green comparatively. The ceremonial grade powder is made from tea leaves that are taken from the first harvest. They are then de-stemmed, de-veined, and stone grinded to a fine powder.
Next up is culinary grade. These are made from the second harvest of green tea leaves. Culinary grade matcha has a slight bitter taste along with its bold and rich flavor profile. It perfectly balances out with other ingredients used while cooking. When we tried culinary grade matcha with our lattes, we found that it paired well with the milk and sweetener too. We also use culinary grade for our Matcha Tiramisu – it’s superb!
The third and last is the ingredient grade. This powder is made from the later harvest tea leaves and have a yellowish-green tint. I’ve not tried it myself, but I’m told they have a definite bitter taste, which is why they are mostly used in food production or supplements.
Key Elements Of This Recipe
- Ceremonial Grade Matcha: We love our lattes smooth, so we use the ceremonial grade matcha. If you love the slight bitterness of matcha, culinary grade is the way to go!
- Strainer: We use the small strainer to get all the clumps out of the matcha powder.
- Bamboo Whisk: The bamboo matcha whisk, or chasen, is super easy to use. We find it so helpful and recommend it!
The Ingredients for Iced Matcha Latte
- 1/2 teaspoon Ceremonial Grade Matcha (Culinary Grade Matcha is OK too)
- 1 cup Reduced Fat Milk (or other milk of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar (or other sweetener) optional to taste
- 2 oz Filtered Water
- 1 cup Ice
The Equipment Needed
- Tea Kettle
- Matcha Bowl (or other bowl with round base)
- Bamboo Whisk
- Bamboo Scoop
- Small Sifter
Pro Tip: Try out a Matcha Starter set – it’s super convenient and easy to use!
Blooming Your Matcha Whisk
In Japanese, the matcha whisk is called chasen. It’s traditionally used for frothing matcha. I love my chasen and super glad I have one of these starter sets. It’s easy to handle, clean, and store, which is an important factor for me.
When you first purchase a bamboo matcha whisk, it’s recommended that you should soak it in warm water. This gets rid of impurities on the whisk. It also allows the bamboo prongs to open up a bit, allowing it to bloom.
Also, as you use your matcha whisk, the core and the curls of the bamboo whisk will naturally uncurl. This means it’s blooming with usage. When you find your whisk to have bloomed too much, you can consider replacing it with a new one.
How to Prepare Matcha Tea for Matcha Latte
Ready to “defy gravity” with this Oz-tastic matcha latte recipe?
Before you begin, soak your bamboo whisk in warm water.
Pro Tip: Soaking the bamboo whisk in warm water for 20 seconds will allow the bamboo prongs to soften for more flexibility while whisking.
First, place your small sifter over the matcha bowl. Then, with your bamboo scoop, add the matcha powder onto the sifter. Use the bamboo scoop to gently sift the matcha through the sifter into the bowl.
Pro Tip: Remember to sift the matcha powder through the sifter to avoid clumps.
Heat the filtered water to about 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Most electric tea kettles have a temperature setting for green tea, which is what I used. Mainly, we need hot water, not boiling water.
Pro Tip: It’s important to use hot water, not boiling water for matcha – anywhere from 140-176 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended.
Pour about 2oz of the hot water into your round matcha bowl. It should be just enough to submerge the powder for whisking. Also add the agave nectar or other sweetener of choice at this point.
Whisk the matcha powder and the agave nectar into the water in an “M” or “W” shape until fully dissolved – for about 10-20 seconds until bubbly froth forms.
Pro Tip: Try not to let the bamboo prongs on the whisk touch the bottom of the matcha bowl. This is to keep them from breaking or from additional wear and tear.
How to Make Iced Matcha Latte
Fill a tall glass (I like transparent glass so I can see the beautiful green swirl later) with ice. Then pour your milk of choice into the glass. I’ve also tried almond milk and it’s also delightful!
Pro Tip: Feel free to adjust the amount of milk to your taste! Go for a half cup or two-thirds cup of milk if you’d like the matcha flavor to be stronger.
Here’s the best part and how our matcha won the Golden Globes this year… Pour the matcha mixture from earlier into the glass of milk and watch the green liquid gracefully mix into the milky white liquid.
Gently stir with a stir stick or spoon and drink! So refreshing!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll love these too:
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp Ceremonial Grade Matcha, (Culinary Grade Matcha is OK too)
- 1 cup Reduced Fat Milk, (or other milk of your choice)
- 1 tsp Agave Nectar, (or other sweetener) optional to taste
- 2 oz Filtered Water
- 1 cup Ice
Instructions
How to Prepare Matcha Tea for Matcha Latte
- Before you begin, soak your bamboo whisk in warm water.
- Pro Tip: Soaking the bamboo whisk in warm water for 20 seconds will allow the bamboo prongs to soften for more flexibility while whisking.
- First, place your small sifter over the matcha bowl.
- Then, with your bamboo scoop, add the matcha powder onto the sifter.
- Use the bamboo scoop to gently sift the matcha through the sifter into the bowl.
- Pro Tip: Remember to sift the matcha powder through the sifter to avoid clumps.
- Heat the filtered water to about 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Most electric tea kettles have a temperature setting for green tea, which is what I used.
- Pro Tip: It’s important to use hot water, not boiling water for matcha – anywhere from 140-176 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended.
- Pour about 2oz of the hot water into your round matcha bowl. It should be just enough to submerge the powder for whisking.
- Add the agave nectar or other sweetener of choice at this point.
- Whisk the matcha powder and the agave nectar into the water in an “M” or “W” shape until fully dissolved – for about 10-20 seconds until bubbly froth forms.
- Pro Tip: Try not to let the bamboo prongs on the whisk touch the bottom of the matcha bowl. This is to keep them from breaking or from additional wear and tear.
How to Make Iced Matcha Latte
- Fill a tall glass (I like transparent glass so I can see the beautiful green swirl later) with ice.
- Then pour your milk of choice into the glass. I’ve also tried almond milk and it’s also delightful!
- Pro Tip: Feel free to adjust the amount of milk to your taste! Go for a half cup or two-thirds cup of milk if you'd like the matcha flavor to be stronger.
- Pour the matcha mixture from earlier into the glass and watch the green gracefully mix into the milky white liquid.
- Gently stir with a stir stick or spoon and drink! So refreshing!
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is just an estimate derived by an online calculation tool.
FAQ
How to make iced matcha latte?
It’s simple! First, dissolve your matcha powder in warm water along with your sweetener of choice. Then, prepare a cup of ice with your favorite choice of milk. Pour the matcha mixture into the cup of milk and stir!
Should I use ceremonial or culinary grade matcha for iced matcha latte?
I recommend ceremonial grade matcha powder because it has no bitter taste. However, the milk (and sweetener) in a matcha latte does cut the bitterness pretty well even if you use a culinary grade matcha.
Does iced matcha latte have caffeine?
Yes, since there’s caffeine in matcha itself, an iced matcha latte would have caffeine too. Keep in mind, unlike caffeine in coffee, matcha caffeine doesn’t give you the caffeine jitters, nor the crash at the end. Matcha caffeine releases slowly and gradually, lasting longer without a caffeine crash.
Angel
Yes! I’ve been wanting to make one of these ice matcha lattes myself. Very timely – thanks!
Umamiologist
Haha – nice! I hope you enjoy!
Jacob
Dudeeee so delicious!!!!!!!
Umamiologist
Lol! Glad you like it!
JJ
This article is very informative
Umamiologist
I’m so glad you think so! Visit us often for more informative recipes!
Jennifer
Didn’t realize making matcha lattes was so simple. Thanks
Umamiologist
Isn’t it? Glad we could help!