3-Ingredient Iced Matcha Latte

Say hey to this easy, Iced Matcha Latte recipe that uses three main ingredients, plus water and ice. This recipe is clutch whenever you want a quality coffee shop latte, but without those coffee shop prices. Recipe is complete with step-by-step photos and helpful instructions for the best homemade iced matcha latte, ever!

If you’ve been following me on Instagram- @butterbeready, you already know just how much I enjoy making my coffees and matchas. Real talk, I have so much fun being my own barista at the crib, and am definitely an aficionado about these drinks. For as much as I share me making my beverages on social, it never occurred to me until recently to share a recipe, ha! That is until now.

Homemade Iced Matcha Latte 🍵

Listen, if you love a good iced matcha latte like me, you’re in for a real nice treat. This recipe features my go-to, tried and true method to yield the best homemade iced matcha latte. I’m not above grabbing one at my local caffeine dealer every now and then. However, after tons of research and testing, I developed a homemade recipe that lets you skip the coffee shop prices.

For all of my matcha connoisseurs or matcha newbies out there, this one is for ya! I’ve got you covered with all things matcha including tons of helpful information + step-by-step images to guide you. Whether you’re already making matcha lattes at home or have never even had one…welcome!

Ingredient Spotlight: Matcha!

What is matcha? For starters, matcha is fine green tea powder that is the result of shade-grown, ground-up green tea leaves. Additionally, it is a tea that is Japanese in origin, and originally played a huge role in Japanese tea ceremonies. Matcha powder is typically vibrant green in color with a slightly bitter, grassy, and vegetal taste on the palate with a pop of mellow umami. It’s a very popular form of green tea in Japan and all over the world.

What You’ll Need For An Iced Matcha Latte

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Matcha powder: The main ingredient, the key ingredient! Matcha powder is widely available online, in-store, and sometimes sold at your local coffee shops. However, not all matcha is considered “high-quality” matcha, and that’s what I highly recommend. We’ll talk more on this further below.
• Water: A little hot water is what brings the matcha to life by blooming it.
• Ice: Because we’re making an iced matcha latte ya know.
• Milk: You can use your favorite milk of choice, big oat milk fan over here!
• Maple syrup/sweetener: A touch of pure maple syrup adds a little sweetness to this beverage as pure matcha can be quite bitter and earthy to taste buds. I recommended maple syrup, agave, honey, or any other coffee-crafted syrups/flavors that you enjoy (caramel, vanilla, etc.). Sweeteners are totally optional!

How To Make A Homemade Iced Matcha Latte

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. Sift matcha into a small bowl. Sifting the matcha first allows for any clumps within your batch of matcha to be broken up for the smoothest texture.
2. Then add the hot water into the bowl with the matcha.
3. Use a bamboo whisk to vigorously whisk the mixture together until the matcha develops a nice foamy top.
4. Add a handful of ice into a glass and fill with milk of choice, and add a splash of maple syrup or sweetener, to taste- optional. Then pour the matcha mixture directly on top. Stir the iced matcha latte with a straw to fully combine. Sip away and enjoy your life!

My Favorite, Matcha-Making Items ♡

• Matcha bowl– I own this small matcha bowl and love it so much. It’s the one seen in the images and it has a little pouring spout, too. Although, a specific “matcha bowl” is not needed as you can use a regular small bowl.
• Fine mesh strainer– A small sieve for sifting the matcha powder.
• Bamboo matcha ladle– This Japanese matcha scoop is designed for serving/measuring the perfect amount of matcha and for pushing the matcha through the sifter (as pictured).
• Bamboo matcha whisk– This type of tool made from natural bamboo is a traditional Japanese matcha stirrer, also known as a chasen. A matcha whisk is the best way to whisk the matcha + water together until foamy.
• Sphere ice– To me, the ice used for lattes is an experience in and of itself, ha. I have a sphere ice mold, and I use it very often. It produces little round balls of ice and I always get asked about it whenever I make my drinks.
• Milk frother– While you don’t need to froth your milk, I almost always do! I love the cold foam, creamy, frothy top on my lattes. Purchasing a Nespresso frother was one of the best things, you can also use a handheld frother, too.
• Fun glass straws– Any straw will do, but I adore a good glass straw. I have these turtle glass straws (seen in images), and they’re reusable, environmentally friendly, and s’cute!!!

Let’s Talk About Matcha Powder & Sourcing

The quality of your matcha powder is super important, y’all. Have you ever had a matcha latte at a coffee shop and the color looked kind of dingy or maybe the flavor was off? That’s likely because the matcha wasn’t high-quality. In the matcha realm, you might hear terms like “ceremonial grade” and “culinary grade” matcha. The former terminology of matcha was adopted by the Western world to refer to matcha that has been used in Japanese tea ceremonies. And the latter is a lower grade of matcha, and can be used to add matcha flavor into baked goods and other culinary applications.

⇢ The highest quality matcha is direct, premium matcha that’s been cultivated from Japan. My absolute favorite, authentic matcha is from Ippodo Tea where all of their matcha varieties are considered high quality. They’re really the best and offer a few different matcha varieties for you to try. A second favorite of mine is from Matchaful– a single origin purveyor of Japanese matcha.

Ceremonial matcha is considered top tier based on its flavor and color, the two most important factors. Because of this, ceremonial grade (or high quality matcha) is often more pricey than culinary grade matcha. Ceremonial grade matcha is vibrant, vivid green with rich flavor whereas culinary grade matcha has a more dull green/brown color with bitterness. Use “ceremonial grade.”

Is Matcha Good For You?

Green tea has long been praised for its array of health benefits. One of the main benefits of drinking matcha is that it’s rich in powerful antioxidants. Matcha may also support cognitive and metabolic health as well. It is known to help regulate hormones because of the antioxidants. When it comes to caffeine release, matcha has a stable/steady release of caffeine as opposed to the more rapid release in coffee. There’s no sudden crash with matcha.

With L-Theanine present, matcha drinkers can exhibit an alert sense of calmness and an enhanced mood as it’s a natural stress reducer. So, with these benefits in mind, some consider matcha to be healthier than coffee.

Tips + Tricks, Notes & FAQs

You may have additional questions about this iced matcha latte recipe. Here’s some extra tidbits and helpful information for ya:

• Bright green matcha: Quality matcha should be bright, vivid, and vibrant GREEN (even when you pour over milk!) because of its high concentration of chlorophyll when picked during harvest. Low quality matcha looks dull, pale, and muddy green- oof. I hate to see a sad lookin’ iced matcha latte 😭.
• Ingredients in matcha: The only ingredient in your matcha should be 100% pure Japanese matcha/green tea and nothing else!
• Best milk for a latte?: Any milk you desire is best- cow’s milk, almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, soy milk, macadamia milk, and even coconut milk! A quick note though, because cow’s milk has a strong dairy taste, matcha’s delicate flavoring does tend to pair better with alternative milks.
• Matcha to Milk ratio: When it comes to lattes, the amount of milk is all rooted in personal preference. I find 1 cup of milk to be perfect for the amount of matcha called for in this recipe. However, if you want a stronger matcha flavor (or prefer less milk) in your iced latte, you can scale the milk down to 3/4-1/2 cup if you’d like.
• Storing matcha: Since matcha is very sensitive to the sun, hot temperatures, and humidity; always keep your matcha stored in a cool, dark place.

An Iced Matcha Latte is such a refreshing beverage that’s full of flavor and feel-good vibes. I just know you will enjoy it! Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Other recipes to add into your rotation:

• Double Chocolate Bundt Cake
• Creamy Lemon Herb Butter Ravioli
• Ham and Cheese Sliders
• Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
• Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
• Lemon Cacio E Pepe

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