Make a Homemade Matcha Latte

Everything you need to know about making a homemade matcha latte with green tea powder. Learn what equipment you need, how to pick a high-quality matcha tea, and get the recipe for my favorite matcha green tea lattes!

Even though I’ve been enjoying matcha for years, I’m relatively new to using it at home. Luckily it’s been surprisingly easy to learn!

There’s no better way to achieve a moment of zen then by preparing your own matcha. It’s such a beautiful and satisfying task to gently whisk it until it has that frothy top. And that beautiful grassy green color – I just can’t get enough! These homemade matcha green tea lattes are so beautiful and cozy, and they have a surprising twist – they are lactose-free!

Curious? Read on for the recipe and more about lactose-free milk, picking the right matcha, and how to prepare your matcha green tea powder and more!

Jump to Recipe

Lactose Free Matcha Lattes

I used Clover Sonoma Non-GMO Lactose-Free Milk for these beautiful lattes. Clover is always the first choice for all of our dairy needs, from butter to sour cream. Although we love dairy and have no issues with eating dairy, not all of our friends are so lucky! One of my best friends, Ilana, can’t handle dairy and needs to take a lactase enzyme supplement prior to eating dairy. Even something as simple as having her over for lattes becomes complicated! Rather than force her to take a pill, I picked up some Clover lactose-free milk before our latte date. It tastes just like traditional milk and froths and looks just the same. It works perfectly in these lattes.

I also know that it’s made with high-quality milk thanks to the rigorous standards Clover holds for their local Northern California farms they source their milk from. Their standards go above and beyond the United States and California requirements. Their ‘Clover Promise of Excellence’ ensures the dairy farms they work with meat quality, animal welfare, and environmental stewardship standards. Clover was also the first dairy in the United States to become American Humane Certified for the humane treatment of cows.

Clover is also newly certified as a B Corporation, which means it meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Do you think about quality and integrity when choosing your dairy products? If not, maybe you should start!

What is Lactose-Free Milk?

Unlike plant milk, lactose-free milk is still made from 100% real dairy. That means you still get all the nutrients and vitamins that you would with traditional milk, but without the side effects. Regular milk contains the milk sugar lactose. Lactose is what causes lactose intolerance (obviously). In lactose-free milk, lactase is added to break down the lactose and prevent the symptoms that can come from lactose intolerance.

Picking High-Quality Matcha Green Tea Powder

Matcha green tea powder is actually graded, which helps to ensure you’re buying high-quality matcha. Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest quality available. This is followed by culinary grade matcha, which is further broken down into five categories. Culinary grade matcha is certainly fine for drinking but it tastes different than ceremonial grade matcha. The most noticeable difference visually is that ceremonial grade matcha is the brightest green. As you might guess, the higher the matcha grade, the more expensive it will be!

Since you’re adding milk to your matcha for this recipe, it’s ok to not splurge on ceremonial matcha. Instead look for culinary grade matcha from Japan, where the climate is best for matcha tea. Premium grade matcha is the highest quality culinary grade matcha and what I used for these lattes. You can read more about matcha grades here.

You may have to try a few different powders before you find one you like. If you have a tea store near you this can be a fun way to spend an afternoon! Always store your matcha in an airtight tin, not a bag, to help prevent oxidation.

Supplies for Making Matcha Green Tea Lattes

The traditional Japanese way of preparing matcha tea powder involves gently whisking it until the powder is completely dissolved and the tea becomes frothy. Tea powder should be sifted before using to remove clumps. It’s also helpful to heat your bowl first by filling it with warm water. Just make sure to completely dry it to avoid the matcha powder sticking.

You can scoop the matcha powder into your bowl with a teaspoon or you can do it the traditional way using a chasaku (bamboo scoop). I used a traditional Japanese matcha whisk or chasen to whisk the matcha. Let it soak in warm water before you use it. A new chasen will have the delicate tines curled in. These will uncurl as you use it a few times. That’s totally normal!

Kits for whisking matcha tea are very inexpensive, but if you don’t have one you can still enjoy matcha by whisking it with a small whisk or even a fork if you’re in a pinch. Matcha is very forgiving and your lattes will be delicious no matter which method you use.

Everything you need is linked below:

Easy Matcha Latte Art

These matcha green tea lattes are pretty stunning as is, but if you want to give it a little extra something you can use a stencil to dust a pattern on your finished lattes. The stencils are inexpensive and easy to use. No fancy pour techniques required!

Thanks so much for reading! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts and musings from me.

Print

 

This post is a collaboration with Clover Sonoma to celebrate the release of their new Lactose-Free Milk. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that allow me to bring you amazing content!

P.S. – Craving a cozy matcha green tea latte? Pin this recipe for later!