Iced matcha latte is having its moment in the sun and I am here for it.
I love the green earthiness of matcha and I’m so excited that there are a bunch of new matcha cafes cropping up. Of course, I’m not loving the expensive price tags that iced matcha lattes come with, so I’ve been making my iced matcha lattes at home.
Matcha latte is better at home
It’s so satisfying to whisk up matcha into a smooth, bouncy microfoam. Plus, when you make matcha at home you have control over everything: the ice, the milk, the sweetener, and of course, the matcha.
When you love matcha as much as I do, making lattes at home is so much better than paying for a water-y overly fancy matcha drink from a cute cafe (most of the time). You get a little moment of zen, a feeling of accomplishment (even if it is just making yourself a drink), a little bit of self-care, and a treat.
Iced strawberry matcha latte
My favorite matcha drink at the moment is the ever classic, strawberry matcha latte. The distinct layers of ruby red strawberries, pearly white milk, and verdant green matcha are just *chef’s kiss.* The sweetness of the strawberries, the creaminess of the milk, and the subtly bittersweet of matcha go so well together. Plus, they’re super easy to make at home. I’m going to do it two ways: one with homemade strawberry compote and one with strawberry preserves/jam.
Just a plain iced matcha latte
If you’re looking for a classic iced matcha latte, sans strawberry, it’s essentially the same as making a strawberry matcha latte, minus the strawberry, plus a sweetener. You can use anything you like for sweetener: honey, maple syrup, simple syrup, or even flavored syrups. How much you add is up to your preferred sweetness level. Start with 1-2 teaspoons and go from there. You can always add more sweetener at the end, but you can’t take sweetener away.
Iced matcha latte ingredients
Strawberries
The sweetness in this matcha comes completely from the strawberries. If you’re a sweet tooth, you can add in a bit of sweetener too, but I find that the strawberries add just the right amount of sweetness to contrast and highlight the flavor of matcha. You can go one of two ways to make the strawberry component: homemade or store-bought. Obviously, store bought is super easy and convenient and it’s what I do in fall and winter when local strawberries aren’t in season. I love Bonne Maman’s strawberry jam/preserves. That being said, if strawberries are in season, I love making a quick strawberry compote — it tastes fresher, sweeter, and more like summer. More on that below.
Milk
The milk in this latte is up to you. The nuttiness of oat milk pairs very nicely with matcha, as do all the other plant based milks. Regular, conventional milk works too. It’s really up to you and what milk you love in your lattes. I like oat milk or 2%, depending on my mood.
Matcha
The most important part! There are so many grades of matcha powder out there and so much information about quality and taste. There’s a lot of discourse about how you shouldn’t use high-quality matcha for lattes, but I’m of the opinion that you should do what’s right for you.
If you want to use high quality, ceremonial grade matcha in your strawberry matcha latte, go for it! I usually use ceremonial grade. I understand why people say that it’s wasted in something that is not just plain matcha, but I can taste the difference between culinary and ceremonial matcha and I want my strawberry matcha lattes to taste amazing. The choice is up to you.
Ice
Ice is so much more than just what makes the latte cold. The shape and size of your ice also affects the taste. Be aware that not just the shape, but the amount of ice changes the way your latte will taste.
If you like your lattes strong and concentrated tasting, use a giant, large ice cube. Use smaller ice if you like a bit more mellow latte. If you use crushed (or even better, nugget) ice, it will make your latte taste even more watered down, almost like a fresh green water.
I go between regular sized ice cubes and giant ice cubes, mostly. Sometimes if I feel like I want to sip on something for a long time with a more watered down flavor, I’ll use nugget ice.
How to make an iced strawberry matcha latte
- Make the strawberry compote – if you’re using strawberry jam/preserves, you can skip this step. It’s super easy to make fresh strawberry compote though, check out the next section.
- Add the strawberry to the glass – scoop out 2 tablespoons of the fresh strawberry compote and add it to the bottom of your glass. If you’re using jam, you might want to experiment a bit with how much or little strawberry jam you want to add.
- Add ice and milk – add a generous amount of ice to your glass and pour in 170 ml (about 3/4 cup) milk of your choice to the glass. Set aside.
- Whisk the matcha – use a sieve to sift 4 grams of matcha into your matcha bowl. Add 15 grams (about 1 tbsp) of room temp water and use your chasen (matcha whisk) to mix into a thick paste. Add 45 grams (about 3 tbsp) of warm water (140-150°F) and whisk, whisk, whisk, until your matcha is thick and foamy. Pour the matcha gently into the glass, aiming for an ice cube so the ice cube can break the tension and help layer the matcha over the milk.
- Enjoy – admire your gorgeous homemade iced strawberry matcha latte, use a straw to stir it all up and enjoy!
How to make strawberry compote
- Wash and hull 1lb of berries and chop them into small pieces.
- Add the strawberries, with 1/4 cup sugar and a squeeze of lemon, to a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the berries start to break down and thicken.
- When the berries are soft and the sugar is completely mixed in, remove from the heat.
- Use the back of your spoon or fork to mash the berries up, making sure that they’re soft and small enough to go through a straw.
- Set aside and let cool completely.
Do I need a matcha whisk/chasen?
You don’t need a matcha whisk and holder, but if you have one, making matcha will be infinitely more enjoyable and easier. Traditional matcha whisks, called chasen, are made of a single piece of bamboo and have a multitude of springy whisps specifically designed to help whisk matcha into a creamy emulsified suspension.
Chasen’s advantages are twofold: because chasen are made from bamboo, they won’t scratch your bowls and because they have so many prongs, they will actually froth your matcha, unlike a metal whisk. If you get a matcha whisk, it’s best to get the holder – kusenaoshi – as well. The holder holds the whisk with the prongs facing down so they can air dry in the proper shape and not get moldy.
Unlike most things in the matcha world, chasen aren’t super expensive either. After trying a whole bunch of cheap and expensive ones from here and brought home from Japan, I find myself using this one from Amazon most often, which is a bonus because I can easily replace it when the prongs wear out.
That’s it! I have so many other matcha drink recipes if you like, so let me know if you try this one or if you want more!
xoxo steph
Iced Matcha Latte Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Strawberry jam or compote (preferred, see notes for recipe) or syrup of choice (see notes)
- 170 ml milk of choice
- 4 g matcha
- 60 g water
Instructions
- In an 16 oz glass, add 2 tbsp homemade strawberry compote, store-bought strawberry jam, or simple syrup (see notes).
- Add ice to the glass so that it is about 3/4 full. Gently pour in your milk of choice.
- Sift 4 grams of match into a matcha bowl. Add 1 tbsp room temp water to the bowl and use your matcha whisk to mix the water and match powder into a thick paste. Add 3 tablespoons of warm water to the paste and whisk briskly in a z or w motion, making sure to go around the sides every so often to ensure all the matcha powder is whisked up.
- Pour the whisked matcha into the glass. Add a straw, stir, and enjoy!
Notes
makes about 2 cups
prep: 5 minutes
cook: 15 minutes 1 lb ripe strawberries, washed, hulled, and chopped
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice In a small pot, add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries start to breakdown, about 10-15 minutes. Lightly smash the berries to break them up. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before placing in an air tight container. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Estimated nutrition assumes homemade compote and 2% milk.
