Matcha lattes, you guys. Vegan matcha lattes. Naturally sweetened vegan matcha lattes. Things are getting very hipster over here today and I’m very into it.
Let’s matcha!
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a powdered green tea containing 137 times more antioxidants than brewed green tea (like, whoa). Both come from the tea plant (camellia sinensis), but with matcha, the entire leaf is consumed.
It has traditionally been consumed as part of Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries, but has become more widely known and popular in recent years and is now enjoyed around the world in tea lattes, smoothies, desserts, snacks, and more! Learn more about the fascinating history of matcha here.
How is Matcha Prepared?
Matcha is traditionally prepared by sifting a small amount of matcha into a small bowl along with a small amount of water and using a matcha whisk to mix into a smooth paste. Once smooth, add your hot (but not boiling) water (to help preserve the nutrients and avoid bitterness). Whisking in an “m” motion can help achieve a nice foam texture. Learn more about traditional preparation here, and a video demonstration here.
So when did matcha lattes come along? Our research proved fruitless, but we’re guessing it was also an invention of the Japanese that became ultra popular globally in the last decade.
I’ve been on and off the caffeine train many times over the last decade. Some days, it’s my superpower. Other days, it makes me feel like an insane person.
So when I’m needing a little pick-me-up these days, I’ve been opting for a gentler source of caffeine that also boasts a flurry of antioxidants: matcha green tea powder!
This 4-ingredient, 5-minute recipe is easy to make, customizable, and super delicious. The first and most important thing is to start with quality matcha.
Townshend’s is local to Portland and I love supporting local brands doing cool things, so I went with Townshend’s this time (which happens to be bright green and so delicious!).
However, if you’re new to matcha and wanting a more accessible, but still high-quality brand, check out our Matcha Review!
For sweetener, I went with maple syrup, but another natural alternative would be stevia, which dissolves easily and adds a subtle amount of sweetness to your latte.
The next important ingredient is dairy-free milk. I tested almond, coconut, and macadamia nut milk, and two stood out as clear winners.
Almond milk doesn’t jive with the flavor of matcha in my opinion, but coconut and macadamia, on the other hand, totally do.
I found my favorite combo to be half coconut milk, half macadamia milk (brand recommendations below // see my Guide to Making Dairy-Free Milks here!). This duo creates a creamy, delicious latte that lets the matcha shine through.
I hope you guys enjoy this latte! It’s:
Creamy
Smooth
Bright green
Naturally sweetened
Antioxidant-rich
& So delicious
This would make the perfect gentle caffeine boost when you need a little pick-me-up. I enjoy mine warm in the morning with breakfast. But it can also be made cold over ice if you’re in warmer climates or it’s summertime.
If you’re into caffeine boosts, also be sure to check out our Cold Brew Mocha Frappuccino, Cold Brew Caramel Frappuccino, Coffee Coconut Ice Cream, Vegan Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Sandwiches, Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Waffles, 3-Ingredient Mocha Milkshake, and Matcha Green Smoothie Bowls.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see! Cheers, friends.
Best Vegan Matcha Latte
Ingredients
LATTE
- 1 1/4 tsp matcha powder (see our Matcha Review!)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or stevia to taste // more or less to preference + depending on sweetness of macadamia and coconut milk)
- 1 Tbsp hot water
- 3/4 cup light coconut milk (DIY coconut milk) (I prefer canned Whole Foods 365 organic)
- 3/4 cup macadamia nut milk (DIY macadamia milk) (I like this brand)
ADD-INS optional
- 1/4 tsp maca root powder
- 1/4 tsp ashwaganda
- 1 Tbsp (15 g) coconut butter
Instructions
- Add matcha powder to your serving mug along with sweetener of choice and hot water. (If adding add-ins like maca, ashwaganda, or coconut butter, add at this time.)
- Whisk with a bamboo whisk or a metal whisk until completely dissolved. If you don’t have a bamboo whisk, you can use a spoon or a metal whisk or even blend the latte in a blender. Bamboo whisks are gentle on the matcha and also help it dissolve more completely. So if you like matcha, I recommend investing! Otherwise, use what you have.
- Once the matcha is completely dissolved, heat* your coconut and macadamia milk (or other dairy-free milks). I added mine to a frothing pitcher and steamed on our espresso machine, but you could also heat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot and steamy. To get more froth, you can whisk vigorously or use a handheld frother.
- Pour dairy-free milk into your mug – latte art optional (mine was a little sad – lol). Taste and add more sweetener if needed. I found that, when I used the macadamia nut milk, I only needed a bit of maple syrup or stevia to sweeten. Enjoy immediately.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with maple syrup and unsweetened macadamia nut milk.
Jessica Proud says
Can you add protein powder? My matcha latte protein powder was discontinued and trying to recreate it. Would I just need to change the measurements and maybe not add sweetener and just use vegan vanilla protein powder?? Thoughts?!? Thx :)
Hi Jessica, it will depend on the type of protein powder, as some have a very strong flavor that wouldn’t be complementary. Do you know what type it was? If not vegan, adding collagen would be an option that wouldn’t impact flavor!
Jessica Proud says
Thank you for your reply! I am vegan but I do have some vegan collagen. I’ll try that and the protein powder I have is simple truth vanilla. I’ll try both and see what happens! Thanks! Love your recipes!
Thank you! xoxo
Nicole Madsen says
We didn’t love this recipe, but possibly it was because the canned coconut milk was too oily. I used a regular can, not light coconut milk so maybe that’s why it was even oilier than it would have been. Next time I’ll follow this recipe but use all oat or soy milk.
Hi Nicole, it’s definitely better with homemade light coconut milk, which has a similar consistency to oat, soy, or almond! Full-fat would be quite rich/thick/oily.
Nadia says
This matcha latte was absolutely delicious! It hit the spot and satisfied my matcha craving! I used 1/2 c soy milk and 1/2 c full fat canned coconut milk. It was a little sweeter than I usually like but I will just use less maple if using sweeter milks in the future. Thanks MB for another satisfying recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nadia. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Cath says
Thank you for this simple delicious recipe.. I only have oat milk ( it’s called Malk, just 3 ingredients) in the house, so I used that.
Yuuuuuummy!!!
Elizabeth says
Thank you. I’m not a vegan, but I used your recipe as a basis to make this smoothie. When winter comes, I’ll try this as a hot drink. For now, with the extreme heat, I was looking for something cooling and refreshing.
1-1/2 tsp matcha powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 drops stevia
3/4 c. organic coconut milk
1 c. raw milk
2 c. ice
1-2 drops peppermint essential oil
Place all in a Blendtec on “milkshake” setting.
Sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth! xo
Betsy Asmus says
I have been following Minimialist Baker since 2012. I have replaced some family favorites with Dana’s healthier vegan recipes – her “Black Bean Brownies” are killer good. MB’s recipes are beautifully photographed for those of you who like my daughter-in-law need a photo! Easy to prepare – taking under 30 minutes. And use 10 or fewer ingredients to keep things moving from kitchen counter to tabletop quickly. I am so grateful for all the recipes! From a 12 year plant-based eater named Betsy. Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. (Michael Pollan)
Aw, love this, Betsy! Thank you so much for sharing! xoxo
BlueVeins says
Feels like I’m just sitting down and drinking a swig of lite coconut milk. Also, 1.5 cups is a lot for one serving; I know I could downscale it but I just don’t see why that’s the default. Honestly, I’m surprised a recipe could do such a poor job of making something so simple.
Landy Sanz says
In a nutshell, this recipe is amazing. Now It’s my special l chia matcha latte recipe. It taste like awesome.
Wonderful! So glad to hear you enjoy it, Landy. Thank you for sharing!
Carolina says
I usually go almost everyday to enjoy one matcha latte in a cafeteria where I live now in China, but to be honest, after trying your recipe, hot latte version, I am not going to spend more money outside, as it’s AMAZING! Thanks for sharing
We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Carolina! Thank you so much for the lovely review! xo
andy says
Hi! For the coconut milk do you dilute the canned coconut milk? aside from 365 canned coconut milk, what brand of coconut milk (carton or can) do you recommend that’s best for matcha latte?
Hi Andy, we don’t dilute if using light coconut milk. Carton won’t be as rich, so we’d suggest canned for best results. Another brand we like is Thai Kitchen. Hope that helps!
JoyEase says
Do you have a different ashwaganda recommendation? The link provided says it’s no longer available.
Hi, Sun Potion is definitely our favorite. You can also get it directly from their website: https://www.sunpotion.com/products/ashwaganda-organic-111g-jar
tara says
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! i use this recipe almost everyday and it is so good. the matcha review is a lifesaver and i use the top rated matcha powder! i also add coconut butter as an add on and it adds a nice coconuty flavor. 10/10!!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Tara. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Ali says
I used a combo of Oat and Almond milks, and a tiny bit of honey (was just using what I had on hand) – so good!!
Lovely! Yay! Thanks for sharing, Ali!
KP says
This was my FIRST time to have matcha and it was delicious! I followed the recipe except replaced the macadamia milk with oat milk because that’s what I had. Thanks for another great recipe – you are my go-to for all plant-based recipes!
Amazing! Thanks, KP!
Amélie says
Love mine with oat milk and a dash of cinnamon. Mium!
Trista Johnson says
I am a huge matcha lover and have been perfecting my at-home latte for years now. After reading Minimalist Baker’s take on my favorite beverage, I tried adding less hot water and switched it up to use coconut milk. Love these new tweaks as they both helped the matcha really shine through! She is right about the coconut complimenting the matcha… so good!
We’re so glad you liked that swap! Thanks for sharing, Trista! xo
Mimi says
This is my go-to matcha latte recipe! My husband and I are on a maca kick lately, so we always incorporate it and it comes out delicious!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Mimi. We are so glad you both enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Mimi says
Yes! I saw the rating after I submitted the review and it was too late! 😥 But definitely will do, this recipe deserves 5 stars!
Thanks Mimi! xo
Veranika says
Hello!!
Great recipe! How can I make this into a larger bath for my coffee shop? Please share proportion s! Thank you!
Hi Veranika, you can adjust the number of servings and it will automatically modify the ingredient quantities. Hope that helps!
Marta says
Hi. I used coconut milk the 8% but it wasn’t that creamy… Do you use coconut milk the real one 70% or 80%?
I had my first matcha i Espresso House and their matcha was so creamy and they used a coconut milk…
Jasmitha says
Delicious and so easy and healthy. I wouldn’t recommend drinking on an empty stomach for beginners.
Thanks for sharing, Jasmitha!
Sydney says
So so good! I have to confess that I’ve really only had a starbucks matcha latte and I did not realize what I was missing out on :) The macadamia and coconut milk combo was perfect and they frothed up really well just using my handheld frother. Thanks, Dana!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sydney! Homemade is definitely the way to go for best flavor =) Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Elise Liebe says
I’ve always been hesitant to get matcha lattes since most that I’ve tried at coffee shops are gritty and bitter. I decided to give them another try at home with this recipe and wow, I think this is going to be my go-to morning drink. So good! Just the perfect hint of sweetness. I didn’t have macadamia or coconut milk so I used oat milk. Thank you!!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Elise! Thanks so much for the lovely review!