Recipes & Routines
Iced Matcha Latte at Home
Café-quality iced matcha for about a dollar, without lumps and without the sugar bomb.
Key takeaways
- Sift the matcha and whisk it with a little warm water first — never straight into cold milk.
- Use ceremonial-grade matcha for drinking; culinary grade tastes bitter cold.
- 2 grams of matcha to 8 oz of milk is the reliable ratio.
The method
Sift 2 g (about half a teaspoon) of matcha into a bowl. Add 2 oz (60 ml) of water at roughly 175°F (80°C) and whisk briskly in a W motion for 20 seconds until smooth and foamy.
Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in 8 oz of cold milk, then pour the matcha over the top for the layered look. Stir before drinking.
Sweetening it
Use a liquid sweetener — simple syrup, maple or honey syrup — because granulated sugar will not dissolve in a cold drink. Start with two teaspoons; cafés typically use four or more.
Milk choices
Oat milk is the standard pairing because its sweetness balances matcha's bitterness. Whole dairy milk mutes the grassiness most. Almond milk lets the matcha through hardest, which suits high-grade powder.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is my matcha lumpy?
- You skipped the sift, or you whisked straight into cold liquid. Matcha only disperses properly in a small amount of warm water first.
- Can I make it the night before?
- Whisked matcha separates and dulls within a few hours. Make the paste fresh — it takes 30 seconds.
About the author
Written by the Leaf & Steep editorial team. We brew, weigh and re-test everything we publish at home with ordinary kitchen equipment — no lab, no sponsorships influencing the verdict. How we test.
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