These matcha recipes show how to use matcha powder for drinks, breakfast and snacks: whisked into warm or cold milk, blended with fruit or stirred into oats and chia pudding. Most of them need 1 g of matcha, which is half a teaspoon. Below you’ll find our selection, from lattes to protein bars.
Matcha drinks: hot and iced
- Matcha latte: 1 g of matcha, a splash of hot water and warm, frothed milk. Also works with oat drink.
- Iced matcha latte: the cold version, with ice and cold milk.
- Strawberry matcha latte: strawberry purée in the bottom of the glass, topped with ice, milk and matcha.
- Protein matcha latte: with a serving of unflavoured protein powder stirred in, hot, iced or as a shake.
- Bulletproof matcha: a take on bulletproof coffee, made with matcha instead of coffee.
Matcha for breakfast
- Matcha overnight oats with chia seeds: matcha mixed into the almond drink and protein powder, then left to set overnight.
- Matcha chia pudding: chia seeds, coconut milk, protein powder and 1 g of matcha.
- Matcha smoothie with banana: frozen banana, matcha, cold milk and a serving of protein powder.
Matcha snacks
- Matcha protein bars: the no-bake bars with dates, coconut and nuts, plus 2 g of matcha in the mixture.
How much matcha should you use in a recipe?
Allow 1 g per serving, which is half a teaspoon. That’s enough for colour and flavour, and it’s also the serving size on the pack. For recipes that make several servings, such as bars or a cake, use proportionally more. Go easy on the powder: in small amounts matcha tastes smooth, but too much quickly makes it bitter.
Each gram of matcha contains about 32 mg of caffeine, so a recipe for four servings made with 4 g of matcha has about 32 mg per serving. For the caffeine in other drinks, see our overview of caffeine in coffee, tea and matcha.
Tips for cooking and baking with matcha
- Sift the powder. Matcha clumps easily. Push it through a fine sieve before it goes into a liquid or a batter.
- Make a smooth paste first. Whisk the matcha with a little water or milk until smooth, and only then add the rest.
- Not too hot. Water at about 80°C keeps the flavour smooth. Boiling water makes matcha bitter.
- Heat dulls the colour. In the oven or on the hob, the bright green fades. It stays brightest in cold and lukewarm recipes.
To make matcha on its own, with or without a whisk, see our guide to how to make matcha.
Which matcha should you use for recipes?
Ekopura Organic Matcha Powder is ceremonial matcha, meant for drinking on its own. It works just as well in a latte or a smoothie: the flavour stays smooth, even with milk or fruit. Culinary matcha is meant for baking and cooking, where other flavours mask the matcha, and is typically stronger and more bitter. There is no legal definition of these grades; it is a tea-trade classification. Our guide to what matcha is tells you more about where it comes from and how it’s grown.
Frequently asked questions
How much matcha do you use per cup?
About 1 g, which is half a teaspoon. That’s enough for colour and flavour. Use more and the flavour becomes stronger and more bitter, and you also get more caffeine: each gram contains about 32 mg.
Can you bake with matcha?
Yes. Matcha works well in cake, cookies or pancakes. In the oven, though, the bright green fades and the delicate flavour comes through less than in a latte. Sift the powder together with the flour so that it spreads evenly.
What should you mix matcha with?
Vanilla, coconut, banana, mango, strawberry and white chocolate all go well with it, as do oat drink and an unflavoured protein powder. Strong flavours such as coffee or a lot of cocoa quickly overpower the matcha.
Can you make matcha recipes in advance?
It depends on the recipe. Overnight oats and chia pudding are meant to be made the evening before. Drinks such as a matcha latte or iced matcha are best fresh, because after a while the matcha sinks to the bottom and the colour fades.
Matcha from Ekopura
For these recipes, we use Ekopura Organic Matcha Powder: ceremonial grade matcha from Shizuoka, organic, with just one ingredient. A 90 g pouch gives you 90 servings of 1 g.
