Iced Matcha Latte made with oat milk for a refreshing Summer drink! Perfect for any time of the day. My favorite summer coffee drinks lately have been this iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso and coffee slushie. This Iced Matcha Latte is right up there as well! When I don’t want a caffeine-heavy, sweet drink, this iced matcha latte is my go to. It’s an incredibly refreshing, pick-me-up drink, perfect for summer. And it’s also very easy to make. What’s not to love? And if I want to be a little extra with my iced matcha, I might even cook some boba pearls (tapioca pearls) that I’ve pre-made and dried in advance, and add that to the drink.
What type of matcha should I use?
Matcha and green tea both come from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Green tea is made with the whole leaves of the plant, and is non-oxidized (whereas black tea is oxidized). Matcha is the powdered form of green tea. The difference between green tea and matcha is that the leaves for green tea are left out in the sun to dry, whereas with matcha, the deep green color is preserved by not letting the leaves air dry and by shielding them from the sun, thereby promoting chlorophyll production. I also find that matcha has a richer taste than green tea. There are many different types of matcha powder available at the store. You can make iced matcha latte with any of these, but I do have a personal preference. I always keep a supply of two types;
Ceremonial grade matcha Regular culinary grade matcha
Ceremonial grade matcha is more expensive, but has a much superior flavor than regular matcha. It’s more buttery, less harsh, and even has a natural sweetness. I didn’t think a higher grade matcha powder was truly worth it, until I tried it – I was a convert and never looked back. This matcha powder is so delicious on its own, and should not be added to complex recipes that can mask the subtle flavors. My favorite brands are Midori Spring and DoMatcha. If you have a favorite matcha, let me know! I love trying new matcha brands. Regular culinary grade matcha, doesn’t have a complex flavor profile like the higher grade matcha. This is the cheaper matcha you can buy in stores, and I use it for baking. They could also be used in smoothies, where the flavor of matcha isn’t the most prominent. For this iced matcha recipe, I use a ceremonial grade matcha. This is because the iced matcha is made with just two ingredients – Matcha and Oat Milk. I know some prefer just water in their matcha, but I really do love the taste of this iced matcha latte with ceremonial grade matcha (instead of the culinary grade type).
How to prepare Matcha powder
The serving size for one matcha latte is about 2 g of matcha powder (or 1/2 – 3/4 tsp of matcha powder). I like to use the maximum amount, so 3/4 tsp is usually what I go with. Some days I may even use more, because I want a stronger flavor in my iced matcha latte, but that’s up to your personal preference.
Making matcha with a bamboo whisk
I have a matcha bowl and whisk, so that’s what I use to prepare my matcha. I place the matcha powder in the bowl, then add about 3 tbsp of hot water (which doesn’t have to be precise, just a rough estimate). Then whisk the matcha in a “W” motion, until the matcha powder is dissolved. This is my favorite way to make matcha.
Making matcha with a frother
If you love drinking matcha, then I do recommend investing in a matcha bamboo whisk. I find that it works best to dissolve the matcha. If you don’t have one, then you can also make the matcha with a small battery-powered frother as well. Instead of the bamboo whisk, use the frother to whisk the matcha until it’s dissolved. I do find that this takes a little longer, because the circular motion doesn’t dissolve the matcha powder as well as the “W” motion mentioned above. Once the matcha powder is dissolved in the bowl, it’s ready to be added to make your iced matcha latte.
How to make Matcha boba pearls
If you want to add boba peals to your matcha latte, you can either make your own using my boba pearls recipe, OR you can buy boba pearls from Asian stores. The easiest option is to purchase quick cook boba pearls, but I absolutely LOVE how gorgeous my plain and matcha boba pearls look in this drink! I’ve recently updated my boba pearls recipe with directions on how to make the Matcha Boba Pearls as well. Instead of brown sugar syrup, I place the cooked boba pearls in a warm honey mix to prevent them from sticking to each other.
How to make Iced Matcha Latte
OK, so this isn’t rocket science, but I’m sharing this in case you’d also like to get those gorgeous green swirls in your ice matcha drink. The first step is to froth chilled milk. I prefer to use oat milk, which makes this iced matcha latter vegan. But you can use regular milk if you prefer. Measure out about 150 – 200 g of oat milk (about 3/4 cup) into a tall glass. Use the frother to create some froth in the milk. This is totally optional and is ONLY for looks. I skip this step on most days, unless it’s a “glam shot” for Instagram. Add some ice to the glass, and pour the matcha over the ice. The ice will create lovely swirls of green in the drink.
How to upgrade your Iced Matcha Latte
Iced Matcha Latte with Boba Pearls – Before the milk, add some boba pearls to the bottom of the glass. Iced Matcha Frappuccino – Instead of making the drink in a glass, make it in a blender. Add more ice (and perhaps less milk), and blend the drink to make a delicious matcha frappuccino. Kind of like the popular Nutella frappuccino, but with matcha instead. Sweetened Matcha Latte – If you want a little sweetness in your matcha latte, you can add either honey or maple syrup. Vanilla Iced Matcha Latte – Add a few drops of vanilla extract to your drink. OR instead of maple syrup or honey, make a vanilla sugar syrup and add that to the drink. Then you add the flavor of vanilla to the iced matcha latte as well, which actually pairs very well with this matcha drink.
Why I love Matcha
I’ve always been a fan of tea in general (thanks to my years growing up in Sri Lanka), and green tea, but didn’t have the chance to taste matcha until I was a bit older. First it was the vibrant color that drew me in, but I’ve also loved the flavor of it from the start (which is why I also love to incorporate that flavor in desserts, like with this matcha panna cotta). Plus, Matcha has a number of health benefits as well.
High in anti-oxidants, amino acids, and minerals. Contains L-theanine – an amino acid that helps promote concentration, improve mood, and memory. Caffeine – There’s caffeine in matcha, but in combination with L-theanine, you get that wake-me-up energy, but none of the jittery caffeine crash. Also boosts metabolism and burns calories.
I love coffee, but the crash is inevitable and the buzz runs out pretty quickly. But with matcha, my boost of energy is gradual and consistent for much longer. Same reason why I love making this healthy strawberry smoothie with green tea as a breakfast drink.
Why I love this recipe
This recipe is so quick and easy. It only takes me a couple of minutes to make this drink. This iced matcha latte is so refreshing, and with the temperature ratcheting up here in Ottawa lately, I’ve been enjoying this drink every day for the past month or so. Because there’s no caffeine crash with this drink (due to the slower release of caffeine), I feel energized throughout the day. My husband used to hate anything matcha, because it tasted too grassy for him. But he’s become a convert with this drink! It’s only too bad that I now run out of my matcha powder sooner than I used to…
