My Vegan Matcha Latte Drink Obsession (So Easy to Make at Home!)
Love a good matcha latte drink? It comes w/a gentle and sustainable boost of energy. No crashing. No burning. Get the matcha latte recipe now and make it in your own kitchen.
Looking for a healthy way to start your day that doesn’t involve coffee but won’t leave you in a caffeine-less foggy funk? This plant-based matcha latte drink is a seriously delicious way to gently boost your energy, without the need for any fancy latte tools or equipment.
With just a high-speed blender, four ingredients, and less than five minutes, this matcha latte drink is ready to be sipped, savored, and served up with your favorite breakfast. We love it with our homemade fluffy vegan cinnamon rolls with homemade icing, or berry french toast.
Buying the Ingredients for Your Matcha Latte Drink
Unlike other tea-based lattes, which are made from steeped tea bags, this heavenly beverage is made with matcha green tea powder. You get a much bigger nutritional punch.
And why is that?
Well, in his book How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease, Dr. Michael Greger M.D. FACLM explained it something like this: think of it like boiling greens and then only drinking the water and throwing out the greens. That’s what you’re doing when you brew loose tea or tea bags (which may also be dosing you with microplastics).
Alternatively, matcha is very finely ground green tea powder that dissolves in liquid, so you’re getting more green for your buck.
The Health Benefits of Matcha Powder
Matcha powder comes from steamed and dried whole green tea leaves, which is why this striking green powder has so many associated health benefits.
Matcha is filled with antioxidants and powerful plant compounds that have anti-carcinogenic properties, specifically their potential to induce cancer cell death and inhibit cancer cell growth, according to a 2008 review published in Chinese Medicine1.
These benefits extend to cancers of the bladder, breast, colon, rectum, and prostate, according to the review. And what’s more, these antioxidants are also potent free-radical scavengers, which help to prevent and reduce damaging oxidative stress to cells and DNA.
What to Look for When Buying Matcha
When purchasing matcha powder, look for a USDA organic certification (we love Navitas Matcha Powder), and seek out procuts stored in a sealed, airtight container. Matcha is very light sensitive, so avoid packages that allow light in. Many tea professionals and experts, including those interviewed by NY Mag2 for its list of the top matcha powder brands, note that matcha tea powder should only come from Japan, as processing there is more consistent and leads to a better-quality final product.
Matcha Tea Grades:
Matcha powder comes in a variety of qualities, or grades. The highest grade is ceremonial, followed by classic, café, and kitchen grade. Ceremony grade boasts the highest price tag and is usually made and harvested with expert care. Kitchen grade is still of good quality, but is recommended for use in baking (like this superfood biscotti with matcha and maca), desserts (like coconut matcha ice cream), and other recipes.
For this matcha latte drink recipe, I suggest using classic or cafĂ© matcha tea grades. These will deliver a delicious taste and still boast numerous health benefits in every sip. And if you want the iced version, make our 3-ingredient iced matcha latte recipe.Â
How Do You Make a Matcha Latte? The Prep
Whipping up this matcha latte couldn’t be easier. Simply warm your plant-based milk of choice (almond, cashew, soy, coconut) on the stovetop and place all other ingredients (matcha powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup) into a blender.
Using a high-speed blender helps to create the frothy goodness associated with lattes (we happen to be partial to Vitamix high-speed blender. And, yes, it’s worth the price tag).
Although a high-speed blender isn’t required, it helps to make this latte extra creamy and frothy.
And if you want to give your matcha latte even more of a superfood boost, you could also add a few other ingredients! Delicious and turbocharged ingredients to add include maca powder, medicinal mushrooms like chaga or reishi powder, collagen powder, adaptogenic powders like ashwagandha, or even a tablespoon of coconut butter for extra creaminess.
How to Make a Matcha Latte
Ingredients
Preparation
- Place the milk in a non-toxic saucepan on the stove, and bring to a simmer (not a full boil).
- In the meantime, combine the matcha powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup in a blender. Pour the hot milk into the blender, and blend on high speed for 40-50 seconds. Add more maple syrup to taste.
- Pour into a mug and enjoy immediately.
Sources
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577676/
2. https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-matcha-powder.html
