Strawberry Matcha Latte

What a whirlwind of a season it has been! I am more than ready to be cozy for the fall, but ATX weather has other ideas, and technically summer doesn’t end until September 22nd. I’ve recently been taking a lot of late evening walks to savor the last few balmy nights…but knowing Texas, we will have plenty more balmy nights until October at least. Mostly I was taking more walks to incorporate some kind of physical activity as I was going insane from reading about recent events, as well as recently recovering from COVID (for the first time ever)…thankfully I am all better!

Now that we’ve established we are all hot & in need of energizing vibes to send off the summer season—enter, the iced matcha strawberry latte! You’ve seen this around, you’ve probably spent $7-8 on it at a cafe somewhere. I’m not against a little treat every now & then, but making my own fun drinks at home has been so fun & saved me so much money! This was a hit, and probably the most popular option at our home cafe we hosted for my sister’s birthday. I also like that I can personally control the sweetness, use sugar-free sweeteners, etc.! Please check out the recipe notes for insights about customization.

Strawberry Matcha Latte
makes 1 serving

Time: 5-10 minutes (if strawberry puree is pre-made, but if you’re making strawberry puree on the day of serving, add at least 40 minutes)

Equipment: matcha whisk (chasen), matcha sifter, matcha bowl (chawan), hand frother (or mason jar), kitchen scale (you can get by without it but it helps SO much, especially for coffee & matcha)

Ingredients:

2.5 – 3 g matcha (1.5 to 2 teaspoons, depending on your preference)
35 – 50 ml hot water (175 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 tablespoons or 28 – 30 g strawberry puree (can taste & add more if you like!)
about 1/2 cup ice, more or less to your liking
1/2 cup or 120 ml nondairy milk (I used Silk’s almond protein milk)
a couple tablespoons of strawberry cold foam (optional)

Method:

Heat up your water to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Soak your chasen in some of the hot water to soften the bristles.
Sift your matcha into the matcha bowl.
Add about 35 ml of hot water (175 F) to the matcha. You can add more if you like, but I try to keep it to 50 ml max, so that it doesn’t water down the drink.
Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds in a W or M motion, avoiding contact with the bottom of the bowl, to create a nice frothy texture. Set aside.
Assemble your glass with the ingredients in the following order: strawberry puree, ice, nondairy milk. I have tested adding the ingredients in various orders, and I think this sequence gives the most aesthetically pleasing result (all will taste great though)!
Pour your matcha over the assembled drink, and top with strawberry cold foam if desired.
Stir and enjoy!

Notes:

Matcha: Be sure to use matcha that does not have sweetener added to it!

Milk: Feel free to use whatever milk you have on hand. I always have Silk’s protein almond milk in my fridge, so I used that. It’s actually a blend of soy & almond milk, and it’s my personal fave due to the macros & versatility. My other personal recs to pair with matcha would be the aforementioned, unsweetened soy milk (*chef’s kiss*), unsweetened oat milk, or unsweetened pistachio milk. Almond milk can also work well, but some brands can be watery, so choose wisely! Sweetened milks (and dairy) tend to mask the matcha a bit too much, so I don’t personally recommend those.

Strawberry Puree: For this recipe, I made my own strawberry puree at home (using up some leftover frozen strawberries), but you can use strawberry jam if you thin it out with some water, to help it blend easier in the drink. I used this recipe for the strawberry puree; she also has adjustments for a strawberry syrup, but I liked the taste & texture of the puree as it was, so I used that! I also used monkfruit sweetener instead of sugar, with great results. I do recommend prepping the strawberry puree a day or so before so it has time to cool and chill before you add it to the matcha.

Strawberry Cold Foam: A lot of recipes include a strawberry cold foam, which we made for our home cafe party, but for everyday purposes, I am too lazy to whip up cold foam. It definitely adds more creaminess and sweetness, which is nice, but not a must, totally optional. To make strawberry cold foam, just use a hand frother to whip up 2-3 tablespoons of non-dairy heavy whipping cream (I’ve used Silk & Country Crock’s with good results) with a couple tablespoons of strawberry puree, adjust to your taste! If you don’t have a hand frother, you can also shake up the ingredients in a mason jar. For our home cafe, we whipped up about 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream with 5-6 tablespoons or so of strawberry puree, to make several servings.