Matcha Powder combined with some fruity flavors from fresh strawberry puree and creamy foam is what gives this iced Strawberry Matcha Latte its delicious and distinct flavors!
This recipe is a healthy twist on the famous Boba Guys’ pearl milk drink. Similar to our Frozen Strawberry Milkshake (without ice cream) its made with real strawberries- no artificial flavors whatsoever!
For more delicious latte recipes check out Oat Milk Matcha Latte or Peanut Butter Coffee.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is for you if you’re into the combination of earthy, fruity and milky flavors!
- It’s made without heavy cream and lower in sugar than most regular store-bought latte drinks.
- It's is dairy-free, vegan and can easily be made refined sugar-free as well!
- While a delicious homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte might be the right fit during fall season, this matcha latte makes the perfect refreshing drink on hot days!
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
- Matcha Powder: Is the key ingredient in this recipe. If you can, try using ceremonial grade It has a vibrant rich green colour and tastes slightly different from culinary grade matcha. You can read more about the different grades of matcha here. This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of matcha but feel free to add more for an extra matcha kick.
- Strawberries: The strawberry puree in this latte is made from fresh strawberries. Try to use ripe strawberries as they are sweeter and more delicious in taste. You could use frozen strawberries instead but make sure to defrost them before using. Also the taste and texture might be a bit different so we would recommend choosing fresh ones over frozen ones.
- Milk: More traditional versions of this creamy strawberry matcha latte recipe include heavy cream. This lighter version uses (plant) milk instead of half & half. It’s much lower in fat and you’ll still end up with a creamy latte. You could use regular cow’s milk or a milk replacement of choice. To keep it dairy-free you could any vegan/ plant milk of your choice such as almond milk, soy milk or even coconut milk. Make sure though that you choose a milk that froths well (usually the barista versions of the different brands). We used a barista oat milk for this recipe as its naturally sweeter than other types of plant milks and adds an additional subtle sweetness to this latte.
- Yoghurt: Similar to the milk you could use regular yogurt or a dairy-free alternative such as soy yogurt.
- Sweetener: This recipe uses brown sugar as a sweetener. The reason for that is that sugar when combined with fruit makes them release their natural liquids making them softer. This process is called maceration. You could choose any sweetener of choice though such as maple syrup or argave syrup to keep this refined sugar free. You could also sweeten your matcha latte with honey but make sure that it fully dissolves. Feel free to add more/ less sugar depending on the sweetness level you desire.
- Ice Cubes: add an refreshing element and help separating the layers. For some extra flavour and creaminess, you could use ice cream instead of ice cubes.
How To Make Strawberry Matcha Latte
For this version of a matcha latte you'll only need 7 basic ingredients.
Step 1: Make the strawberry puree
Put your fresh strawberries, together with the sugar or sweetener of choice into your food processor. Pulse only for a couple of seconds or longer, depending on how smooth you like your strawberry puree.
If you’d like to have some strawberry pieces in your latte, make sure to only pulse for a couple of seconds. If however you prefer a smoother strawberry layer, blend all the way until you end up with strawberry sauce. Keep in mind however, that the layered effect might not be the same.
Alternatively, you could also chop the strawberries by hand. Coarsely chop them into halves. Then add them to a small bowl together with the sugar or sweetener of choice and gently mash them with the back of a fork.
Step 2: Prepare matcha mix
In a medium bowl, combine matcha powder with hot water and whisk until the matcha powder is fully dissolved. It’s really important to not use boiling water! Boiling water will destroy the fragrant taste of matcha and causes it to become bitter. Matcha needs to be brewed in near-boiling water and the water temperature should not have more than 176°F (80°C).
Ideally, you would whisk together water and matcha powder with a matcha whisk (a traditional Japanese whisk made of bamboo). This whisk helps to fully dissolve the matcha powder and also froths your matcha. Alternatively, you could use a small metal whisk or an electric frother.
Once the matcha is dissolved, add brown sugar and yogurt for some extra sweetness and creaminess.
Step 3: Froth milk & layer ingredients
Froth your milk of choice.
To assemble, start by adding a couple of tablespoons of muddled strawberries to the bottom of a serving glass.
Next add some ice cubes. The ice will make this latte into a refreshing drink and also help form these pretty layers.
Now it’s time to continue with the milk layer. Pour the cold foam of your frothed milk over your ice cubes. The amount will depend on personal preference.
Finally, gently pour your matcha mix over the frothed milk. This will make the froth to go up in the cup and form a matcha layer right on top of the strawberries.
Optional Mix-Ins
- Boba Pearls: These chewy tapioca pearls can be bought in specific tea shops or even made at home.
- Other Fruit: This matcha latte would go well other types of fresh fruit. Try blueberries, raspberries or mango for instance.
- Ice Cream: If you feel a bit more adventurous, try replacing the ice cubes with your ice cream of choice. It will result in a slightly different taste but might be worth a try!
- Plant Based Whipped Cream: Instead of frothed milk you could try our vegan whipped cream!
Storage
The marcerated strawberries keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to keep them in an airtight container. Everything else we would recommend making from scratch.
FAQs
Bubble tea is a drink which originated in Taiwan but has long made its way to America and the rest of the world. It usually consists of a combination of black or green tea (such as matcha), milk (for a creamy texture) and “boba” (pearls made from tapioca starch). It’s taste and sweetness use comes from a variety of syrups and/or fresh fruit. You can read more about the bubble tea's history and flavours here. This matcha latte recipe was inspired by the famous Strawberry Matcha Latte from Boba Guys- a tea shop based in San Francisco.
Matcha is green tea powder made from green tea leaves. Matcha tea is made when this powder gets dissolved in water. It’s different than regular tea, where the tea leaves are infused in water. Matcha drinks have become all the rave in recent years because of its distinct taste as well as nutritional benefits.
Matcha powder itself contains a variety of vitamins and antioxidants. If a matcha drink is healthy depends on the other ingredients included in the drink. Ingredients to look out for would be unhealthy artificial sweeteners, heavy cream or other sugary additions.
Matcha, like other green teas contain a high amount of antioxidants called catechins. They have been linked to a number of health effects on the body such as prevent heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It’s hard to say which one is healthier, coffee and matcha individually are associated with different health benefits.
The traditional Japanese of preparing matcha is to whisk it in hot water with a matcha whisk until it slightly froths and all lumps are gone. Matcha powder always has to be fully dissolved. If you don’t have a bamboo whisk simply use an electric (hand) frother or a small metal whisk. It might be a bit more of a non-traditional way of preparing it but it also works just fine.
Any sweetener of choice that easily dissolves in water would work. Example would be different kinds of syrups, granulated sugar (white or brown), honey or sugar substitutes like stevia.
Yes, matcha contains caffeine. But because of its composition, it’s said to give a calmer, more sustained energy as opposed to coffee which is often associated with an instant boost that can be on the jittery side. A ½ teaspoon of powdered matcha has about 20-30 mg of caffeine wheres a 8-ounce cup of coffee has around 95mg of caffeine.
You could use regular cow’s milk or a milk alternative such as soy milk, almond milk or oat milk. The most important thing though is that it froths well. When choosing a plant milk we highly recommend using the “barista” version of the specific brand to ensure that you end up with a nice froth.
You could make the strawberries ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Everything else, we would recommend making from scratch.
Other drinks to try
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Matcha Latte
Ingredients
Strawberry Puree
- ½ cup fresh strawberries
- 1 tsp brown sugar (or sub 2 tablespoon maple syrup)*see notes
Matcha Mix
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder
- ¼ cup hot water
- 1 tbsp plain yoghurt of choice
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (or sub 2 tablespoon maple syrup)*see notes
Milk
- ½ cup frothed milk of choice (whole milk/ plant milks)
Instructions
- Cut strawberries either in a foodprocessor or by hand.Put your fresh strawberries, together with the sugar or sweetener of choice into your food processor. If you like a chewier texture and some strawberry pieces in your latte, make sure to only pulse for a couple of seconds. If you prefer your strawberries to have more of a smooth syrup like texture, blend all the way until smooth. Please note that you might not end up with clean layers though.
- Add matcha powder and hot water to a separate bowl and whisk vigorously until fully dissolved and slightly frothy. You could use a traditional matcha (bamboo)whisk, a small metal whisk or a milk frother.
- Cold froth your milk of choice.
- To assemble, start by adding a couple of tablespoons of strawberry puree to the bottom of your glass. .
- Next add some ice cubes. Continue with the milk layer. Pour the cold foam of your frothed milk over the ice cubes
- Finally, gently pour the matcha mix over the frothed milk. This will make the froth go up in the cup and form a matcha layer right on top of the strawberries.
Video
Notes
- Matcha: Go for ceremonial grade if possible. Feel free to add a bigger scoop of matcha powder for some extra matcha kick.
- Strawberry Texture: Alternatively, you could also chop the strawberries by hand. Coarsely chop them into halves. Then add them to a small bowl together with the sugar or sweetener of choice and gently mash them with the back of a fork until you reach desired consistency. Keep in mind, that the layering might not work as well with strawberry sauce as it would with strawberry puree. Can be stored up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Milk: You can use any milk of choice, however make sure that it froths well. When choosing a dairy-free milk try to opt for the “barista” versions such as a Oatly’s oat drink barista edition. They usually froth very well compared to regular plant milks. Other than that, soy milk usually also froths well.
- Sweetener: You will need some sort of sweetener to counteract the bitter taste of the matcha. Instead of granulated sugar you could use maple syrup/ agave nectar or honey.
- Ice Cubes: They make this drink even more refreshing as well as help with the layering effect. For some extra flavour and creaminess, you could use ice cream instead of ice cubes.
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