About This Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte
This iced strawberry matcha latte is made of three different, distinct layers: fresh strawberry puree, milk, and of course, green tea made from matcha!
Both strawberry puree and the milk complements the slightly bitter, umami flavor of the matcha. The strawberry puree makes the matcha taste sweet and fruity, while the milk makes everything taste creamy and smooth.
It’s the perfect drink for those who find matcha a little too overwhelming on its own!
Be sure to check out Hummingbird High‘s drink recipe archive for even more refreshing, inventive coffee and tea recipes!
Why You Should Make The Recipe
Here are all the reasons to make this fruity and flavorful strawberry matcha latte:
This recipe is adapted from a popular drink at Boba Guys, one of San Francisco’s most famous and beloved boba shops.
When I lived in San Francisco (the second time around), one of my favorite places to frequent was Boba Guys. During that time, most boba you could get in San Francisco came from big chains that were of middling quality.
Boba Guys really changed the game with their drinks. They used tea that they carefully sourced from around the world, with unique flavors that weren’t as common as they are now.
Like their strawberry matcha latte! Not only was the drink stunning with its three different and distinct layers, it tasted delicious, too. It was also innovative—at the time, it was unheard of to combine matcha with other fruit than yuzu. Indeed, in their cookbook, The Boba Book, they even claim that their drink inspired a strawberry matcha flavor trend in Japan.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Now that I’ve convinced you to make this unique matcha drink, here’s everything you need to make it:
Shopping List for Strawberry Matcha Latte Recipe
- strawberries
- granulated sugar
- kosher salt
- matcha powder
- milk (preferably whole dairy, but you can substitute with a plant-based alternative if necessary)
And let’s talk about some key ingredients and potential substitutions:
Strawberries
You need ⅔ cup strawberries to make the strawberry puree for this strawberry matcha latte.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes! Although the original recipe in The Boba Book instructs you to use fresh strawberries, I’m not opposed to using frozen ones. Fresh strawberries in Oregon (where I live) have a very short, specific season. After that, they tend to be watery and bland. So sometimes it’s better to use strawberries that were picked at their peak and flash frozen!
Matcha Powder
You need 1 ½ teaspoons matcha powder to make the recipe.
What is matcha powder?
Matcha powder is made from finely ground green tea leaves. It is a vibrant, bright green color, with a powdery texture similar to confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder.
Many recipes instruct will instruct you to whisk the powder (usually with a special whisk) with hot water. Doing so makes a green tea beverage. But because matcha powder is so concentrated, the resulting beverage is much more caffeinated and flavorful than a beverage made with green tea bags.
Can I use green tea (either loose leaf, or from tea bags) instead?
No, please don’t. Tea made from matcha powder is much more concentrated than tea made from bagged or loose leaf green tea. If you use these two options instead, your matcha likely won’t be as flavorful. You likely won’t be able to taste it against the strawberry and milk flavors of the drink.
Furthermore, you likely won’t get the vibrant green color of the tea made with matcha. Tea made from bagged or loose leaf green tends to be a clear, translucent pale green color.
Where To Buy Matcha Powder
Matcha powder is now readily available in the coffee and tea aisles of high-end grocery stores like Whole Foods Market. You can also buy it online, at Amazon or specialty tea shops.
I like to buy matcha powder from tea shops that are local to my city of Portland, Oregon. Specifically, I recommend the matcha powder from Mizuba Tea Company and Tea Bar. Note that you can typically buy matcha in “Ceremonial” or “Culinary” grade. Ceremonial grade is more expensive and typically reserved for tea ceremonies. I recommend using culinary grade for this recipe!
How To Make A Strawberry Matcha Latte
Watch the short video below to see the basic steps for achieving the pretty layers in this strawberry matcha latte drink:
@hummingbirdhigh worth the green stains #matcha #matchalatte #recipesoftiktok ♬ Chopin Nocturne No. 2 Piano Mono – moshimo sound design
Best Recipe Tips
Tips To Make The Strawberry Puree
- Note that I do *NOT* provide weight measures for the strawberries in the strawberry puree. Why? The weight of the strawberries will vary significantly depending on what variety you use, whether they’re in season, and other factors. As a result, this is one of the few recipes on my blog where I encourage you to use a measuring cup (but only to portion out the strawberries for the recipe—I’m still an ardent believer in weight measures for everything else)!
- The strawberry puree recipe will make enough for 3 drinks total. You can easily double or triple the recipe to make more—it will keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight jar, for up to 5 days.
Tips To Make The Matcha Tea
- When making the matcha, the recipe instructs you to pour 1 Tablespoon of the water over the powder, whisk it to make a paste, then pour the remaining water (about 2 ½ Tablespoons worth) over the paste to dilute it more. Why? Matcha is really, really clumpy on its own. This method will help break up any stubborn lumps.
Don’t worry too much about getting the 1 Tablespoon and 2 ½ Tablespoons measures accurate. There’s some flexibility here—I usually eyeball it, pouring around ⅓ of the water needed for the matcha in first, then adding the rest later. - I mentioned that matcha is really clumpy. For best results, I recommend whisking the matcha with a matcha whisk (which is especially designed to break up clumps in the powder) or even a handheld milk frother!
Of course, if you don’t have either tool, you can use a regular balloon whisk. Just don’t be surprised if it takes you twice as long to get the clumps out of the matcha!
Tips To Get The Strawberry Matcha Latte’s Layers
- According to the recipe head notes in The Boba Book, the key to getting the distinct layers is to use the weight measures in the recipe (as opposed to the volume measures). Doing so will lead to the correct “viscosity” of each layer that will allow them to contrast with each other and not mix in.
- Another tip for getting distinct layers? Pour each ingredient—the strawberry puree, the milk, and ESPECIALLY the matcha—in the order listed in the recipe, and slowly into the glass. When pouring the milk and matcha, pour both slowly and try and hit the ice in the glass. Hitting the ice, instead of dropping the ingredients in, gives them something to deflect against. It slows the pour down even more and helps spread the ingredient more carefully into a distinct layer.
More Caffeinated Drink Recipes
- Dalgona Coffee
- Iced Pistachio Latte Recipe
- Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam (A Copycat Starbucks Recipe)
- Vietnamese Egg Coffee
More Tea Recipes
Get the Recipe: Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte Recipe
Ingredients
For The Strawberry Puree
- ⅔ cup fresh or frozen strawberries, cleaned and hulled
- ½ cup (4 ounces or 113 grams) water
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- pinch of kosher salt
For The Strawberry Matcha Latte
- 1 ½ teaspoons matcha powder
- 3 ½ Tablespoons (1.75 ounces or 50 grams) water, warmed to 170°F and divided into 1 Tablespoon (0.5 ounces or 14 grams) and 2 ½ Tablespoons portions (1.25 ounces or 36 grams)
- 6 Tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams) cold strawberry puree (from above recipe)
- 8 ounces (227 grams) ice cubes
- ¾ cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) cold whole milk
Equipment
- a blender
- a matcha whisk or a handheld milk frother
Instructions
For The Strawberry Puree
- Make the strawberry puree. Combine the strawberries, water, sugar, and salt into a high-powered blender. Blend on medium until the mixture is pureed but still slightly thick and chunky (like the texture of applesauce), about 30 seconds.
- Serve and store. Use immediately or store for later. The strawberry puree will keep, in an airtight jar in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
For the Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte
- Make the matcha. In a small bowl, combine the matcha powder and 1 Tablespoon (0.5 ounces or 14 grams) of the hot water. Whisk vigorously until combined, or until it has the consistency of natural peanut butter or tahini. Pour in the remaining 2 ½ Tablespoons (1.25 ounces or 36 grams) of the hot water and whisk vigorously until any remaining lumps disappear, about 30 seconds.
- Assemble the strawberry matcha latte. Pour the strawberry puree into a 16-ounce glass. Add the ice, then slowly pour the milk over the ice, aiming for the ice cubes. Finally, slowly pour the matcha over the milk, again aiming for the ice cubes.
- Serve immediately. Serve immediately with a straw.
Notes
- Note that I do *NOT* provide weight measures for the strawberries in the strawberry puree. Why? The weight of the strawberries will vary significantly depending on what variety you use, whether they’re in season, and other factors. As a result, this is one of the few recipes on my blog where I encourage you to use a measuring cup (but only to portion out the strawberries for the recipe—I’m still an ardent believer in weight measures for everything else)!
- The strawberry puree recipe will make enough for 3 drinks total. You can easily double or triple the recipe to make more—it will keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight jar, for up to 5 days.
- When making the matcha, the recipe instructs you to pour 1 Tablespoon of the water over the powder, whisk it to make a paste, then pour the remaining water (about 2 ½ Tablespoons worth) over the paste to dilute it more. Why? Matcha is really, really clumpy on its own. This method will help break up any stubborn lumps. Don’t worry too much about getting the 1 Tablespoon and 2 ½ Tablespoons measures accurate. There’s some flexibility here—I usually eyeball it, pouring around ⅓ of the water needed for the matcha in first, then adding the rest later.
- I mentioned that matcha is really clumpy. For best results, I recommend whisking the matcha with a matcha whisk (which is especially designed to break up clumps in the powder) or even a handheld milk frother! Of course, if you don’t have either tool, you can use a regular balloon whisk. Just don’t be surprised if it takes you twice as long to get the clumps out of the matcha!
- According to the recipe head notes in The Boba Book, the key to getting the distinct layers is to use the weight measures in the recipe (as opposed to the volume measures). Doing so will lead to the correct “viscosity” of each layer that will allow them to contrast with each other and not mix in.
- Another tip for getting distinct layers? Pour each ingredient—the strawberry puree, the milk, and ESPECIALLY the matcha—in the order listed in the recipe, and slowly into the glass. When pouring the milk and matcha, pour both slowly and try and hit the ice in the glass. Hitting the ice, instead of dropping the ingredients in, gives them something to deflect against. It slows the pour down even more and helps spread the ingredient more carefully into a distinct layer.
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Weeknight Baking:
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Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
