Easy & Delicious Matcha Iced Latte

Hot weather is a perfect opportunity to get creative and perfect your iced latte making skills at home. If you never made matcha iced latte before, this article will guide you through all the steps and help you find your perfect flavor match.

We’ll cover:

• How to make a perfect iced latte at home
• How to customize your recipe with additional ingredients, sweeteners and milk

What is an iced matcha latte?

Iced matcha latte is a tea latte made with matcha powder, water, steamed and frothed milk and, optionally, a sweetener. It’s delicious, frothy, and a perfect way to drink your matcha in summer. Matcha iced latte is not a novelty drink, but it certainly is a must-try if you love matcha tea.

Unlike coffee, where you do usually need a special equipment to make that perfect cup, matcha is much easier to make at home with a few basic utensils. Next, you can choose your own ingredients. Unless you are getting your latte from a specialized tea shop, you’ll never really know which matcha you’ll get. And finally, you can customize the recipe and enjoy a new flavor each day. 

Is iced matcha latte the same as iced matcha?

You can make iced matcha with or without milk, but even the milkier version won’t usually have a layer of foam. Latte is much creamier and smoother, and a layer of silky froth is a signature of any good latte. Think of all the different types of coffee – for example, there’s macchiato, flat white, cappuccino and latte. With matcha, you can make all those drinks too. Therefore, iced milky matcha would be more similar to iced flat white. 

Is matcha iced latte healthier than coffee?

Iced matcha latte may boost your energy while providing a calming effect too, and it’s full of “the good stuff”. The good stuff are catechins that may be responsible for a myriad of health benefits – from offering an anti-inflammatory properties to fighting free radicals and reducing the signs of aging, strengthening bones and fighting cancer. Besides catechins, matcha contains chlorophyll, a whole range of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. While coffee may provide benefits too, matcha is considered a much healthier and a better source of energy.

Ingredients for making a perfect iced matcha latte

For making the basic matcha iced latte you will need only a couple of ingredients:

1. Matcha tea powder – choose either a ceremonial grade tea powder or an all-purpose matcha. The fresher and tastier your matcha powder is, the better.
   
   
   
   
2. Milk – For making the best latte, whole milk will usually be a better choice, but using a semi-skimmed will work fine too. You can use any other milk alternative as well, including soy, cashew, oat, coconut or almond milk. Try it first to see if it’s rich enough for making a thick silky foam.
3. Ice – You’ll need lots of ice, ½-1 glass.

Customize your recipe with different sweeteners

Sweeteners play a huge role in getting a perfect flavor. Depending on the type of milk you choose, you may want to add more or less sweetness to your iced matcha latte. Here are some delicious ideas:

1. Caramel syrup, skinny or regular
2. Stevia as a calorie free option
3. Jaggery for a lighter but unique flavor
4. Coconut sugar for a caramel like flavor
5. Maple syrup for a sweet distinctive taste

Always add sweeteners that are difficult to dissolve before adding ice and stir well. Otherwise, they won’t dissolve properly.

Best milk for matcha iced latte

The classic latte is made with a full-fat cow’s milk. Whole milk has a higher percentage of fat and will give a nicer silkier texture and foam. You may get a great results with semi-skimmed milk too but try to avoid the fully skimmed type.

If you want a vegan-friendly drink, replace regular milk with any of the milk alternatives. For a neutral flavor, special milk alternatives with a neutral flavor are usually a better option than a one ingredient milks such as oat or almond milk. Barista style milk tend to have a better texture for making lattes.

Tip: Check the calorie content. If the milk has less than 20 calories per 100 ml, there’s a high chance it will be too watery. The best options are likely to have around 50 kcal per 100 ml.

 

What else to add?

While an iced matcha latte will taste delicious on its own, there are many other ingredients you can add to make it even more unique.

1. Cocoa powder – high quality cocoa powder will give a divine chocolaty note to your drink without adding additional sweetness. Mix it in 1:1 ratio with matcha powder.
2. Vanilla powder – vanilla powder is another amazing ingredient to add. It will give a subtler, more natural note than vanilla extract. Mix it in 1:1 ratio with matcha powder.
3. Cinnamon powder – spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric go really well with matcha and milk. Add ¼ teaspoon per serving.
4. Coconut powder – for a light coconut flavor and a creamier texture, you can mix matcha powder with some coconut powder too. Although coconut powder is a replacement for a coffee creamer, you’ll still need to froth the milk or a milk alternative for a layer of silky foam.
5. Peanut butter powder – peanut butter powder is less oily than regular peanut butter and perfect for blending into drinks. It tastes divine when mixed with matcha and gives a thicker texture.
6. Guarana powder – if you want to increase the energy boosting properties, you can add some guarana powder too.

These ingredients won’t significantly impact the color of your matcha latte. Some others, like strawberry or blackberry, may be great additions too, but they will change the color of your drink.

Iced Matcha Latte Recipe

Easy customizable and simple iced matcha latte recipe

Ingredients:

• 5-3 oz water
• ½ teaspoon of matcha powder
• 5-3 oz milk
• Glass of ice
• 1 teaspoon of honey

 Steps:

1. If you are using any of the additional powders, mix them with your matcha in a clean bowl.
2. Sift ½ teaspoon of pure matcha powder or up to 1 teaspoon of blended powder into a clean and dry matcha bowl or a cup with a wide bottom (depending on which powder you use).
3. Bring water to a boil and wait 5 minutes until it cools down to 185°F.
4. Add 3 oz of water and whisk it using a chasen or electric hand frother.
5. If you are adding a sweetener, you may add it now. Stir well. You can add a sweetener after adding milk, but it’s better to stir before adding a layer of foam.
6. Fill a serving glass with ice.
7. Pour matcha over ice.
8. Add milk into a small and tall saucepan and start heating it on a low heat.
9. Start frothing the milk using an electric hand frother immediately (when it’s still not hot). Once you get a rich silky foam, you can turn off the heat.
10. Optionally, use a milk steamer or a steaming wand.
11. Pour milk over iced matcha slowly and top up with foam.
12. Serve immediately.