Kirbie's Cravings

Matcha Green Tea Latte

Learn how to make an iced matcha green tea latte at home two ways. Depending on your tastes, you can customize it and create a drink that looks and tastes just like the ones served at cafes.

photo of two Matcha Green Tea Lattes

In Japan, we drank a lot of matcha tea. Since I love all things matcha, I was in heaven. There were matcha flavored desserts everywhere and matcha tea was often served at the end of our meals. Mr. K’s never quite embraced matcha the way I have, but even he got used to drinking it during the trip. At the end of our first meal back in the US, he asked me “where’s my matcha tea?”

I’ve always enjoyed drinking green tea lattes, but I find most versions served in coffee shops and tea cafes to be far too sweet, so I prefer making my own version at home. With a homemade version, you can control the amount of milk, sugar, and tea.

Iced Matcha green tea latte is so easy to make at home and so I’m sharing two iced green tea latte recipes.

photo of a matcha green tea latte in a short glass

Ingredients

You’ll need the same ingredients for both versions and only the amounts are adjusted depending on your tastes.

  • Matcha powder
  • Hot water
  • Milk
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • Ice

For this recipe, you will want to use a high-quality matcha powder. I prefer to use Maeda-En ceremonial grade* because it has a smoother taste and has a beautiful color.

I have a whole post about the best matcha powder to use for baking and other recipes, so be sure to check it out for more information.

For the milk, I recommend using whole milk but feel free to substitute the milk you like best.

To make the tea, make sure to use a matcha whisk* which has really fine prongs that work better to dissolve the powder in the hot water than a regular whisk.

Less Sweet Version

This version has a lot less milk and you can adjust the sweetened condensed milk to your liking. I usually prefer mine to be more tea than milk, which I know is not what a true latte is. A latte is supposed to have a lot of milk and most versions sold in cafes are milkier.

But, if you’re like me and prefer less sweet and less milky drinks, you might prefer this version.

photo of milk being poured into a matcha latte

First, add 1 ½ teaspoons of matcha powder to ¾ cup of hot water. Whisk until the powder is dissolved.

Pour the tea through a fine-mesh sieve to filter out any undissolved powder. Pour the tea into a tall glass and top with ice.

photo showing how the milk and matcha tea swirl together

Add the milk and stir. Add sweetened condensed milk to your taste.

photo of a matcha green latte

Sweeter Version

There’s been a trend of layering the matcha latte, starting with a thick layer of sweetened milk and then pouring in the concentrated green tea on top. This version is very sweet, but it makes for a nice dessert or treat.

To create a layered effect, you need a thick layer at the bottom so the tea can sit on top without seeping into the milk mixture. So, you definitely want a combination of the milk and sweetened condensed milk. Milk alone is not thick enough to create the layers.

photo showing how to layer the milk with the tea

Mix 1 teaspoon of matcha powder with ¼ of a cup of hot water, whisk until dissolved, and pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass.

Pour ¾ cup of milk and 1 to 2 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk into a glass. Stir to combine.

Add ice to the glass and then slowly pour the tea on top of the milk to create the layered effect.

photo of a layered matcha green tea latte in a short glass

It really is so easy to make your own matcha lattes at home and it’s less expensive, too. If you want to make more café-style drinks at home be sure to check out these recipes, too:

*Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).

Matcha Green Tea Latte (2 ways)

Servings: 1 glass for each recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Asian
Iced matcha green tea latte is easy to make at home. In this recipe, I share how to make it two ways.

Ingredients

green tea dominant

  • 1 1/2 tsp high quality matcha powder
  • 3/4  cup hot water
  • 1/4 cup  whole milk or milk of your choice
  • sweetened condensed milk
  • ice

milk dominant layered latte

  • 1 tsp high quality matcha powder
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 3/4 cup whole milk or milk of your choice
  • 1-2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
  • ice

Instructions

For the Green Tea Dominant Latte

  • Add matcha powder to hot water and whisk until powder is dissolved. Pour tea through a very fine mesh strainer to filter out any undissolved powder. 
  • Pour into a tall glass and top with ice. Pour and stir in the milk. Sweeten with condensed milk.

For the milk dominant latte

  • Add matcha powder to hot water and whisk until powder is dissolved. Pour tea through a very fine mesh strainer to filter out any undissolved powder.  In a tall glass, add in milk and condensed milk and stir until uniform. 
  • Fill the glass with ice. Slowly pour in the matcha tea on top to create layered effect. Please note, you need a thick milk base to get the layered effect. I found that milk itself was not thick enough, but adding the condensed milk allowed it to work.

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

 

 

 

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