How to Bring the Boba Tea Shop Home Pt 3 (Can You Matcha?)

Posted On August 25, 2020

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Military latte at Sawada Coffee in Chicago

Are you tired of attempting matcha lattes at home, and it doesn’t taste like the ones you get at your favorite tea spot? I’ve been there too and it can be frustrating. I remember going through a bunch of different brands of matcha, switching up recipes, yet I always end up going back to the tea shop to get my matcha fix. Well, don’t worry, after reading this you can finally make the perfect matcha latte at home!

Anyone who knows me, knows I have an unhealthy obsession of matcha. When I worked at Starbucks, I was drinking iced matcha lattes all the time; I also would love to make my own creation “Dirty Desi”, but thats for another post. I even scared off potential friends during grad school, because I wouldn’t shut up about matcha. But thats okay…a lot of them were as bland as a sack of white flour anyways ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. When I stopped working at Starbucks, I was no longer able to enjoy the perks of free beverages; so I had to learn how to make my own.

Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte Copycat

The Starbucks iced matcha latte, has a sweeter and creamier taste. Pretty much if you want a matcha ice cream in a drink form, this is the drink for you. Usually it can be a bit difficult to make exact copycats of Starbucks beverages at home, but you can easily make an exact copy of the Starbucks iced matcha latte at home.

So where do you find the perfect matcha that will give your beverage the same exact taste as Starbucks? Well the matcha that matches the one at Starbucks is the Rishi Sweet Matcha.

I have seen Rishi Sweet Matcha at Whole Foods and Sprouts too. At Starbucks, they would use sweetened matcha powder; so using a sweetened matcha powder will make your drink taste more like the one at Starbucks. What makes this drink easier to make is that you don’t need to whisk the matcha in water beforehand. When I worked at Starbucks, before they got those fancy milk frother blenders, I used to make the iced matcha lattes with the tea shaker. That way no one had to take a sip of chunky matcha. This is why I recommend you make your iced matcha latte with a cocktail shaker, or you can use a blender to mix the matcha and milk before adding ice; another option is to use a handheld milk frother.

I noticed the spoon used for the matcha at Starbucks is about a teaspoon. The standard recipe you would use 2 scoops for a tall, 3 scoops for a grande, and 4 scoops for a venti. If you usually get an extra scoop of matcha in your drink, just add an extra teaspoon to your drink. If you prefer your iced matcha lattes at Starbucks with soy milk. I recommend you use a sweetened vanilla soy milk like this one:

365 Everyday Value, Organic Soy Milk, Vanilla Flavor, 32 fl oz ...

If you always get iced matcha lattes at Starbucks, I recommend you make it at home. It saves you money and waiting 40 minutes to an hour at the drive-thru; at least that’s how long the line is where I live.

Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte Copycat

If you like creamy and sweet iced matcha lattes like in Starbucks, try this recipe.

Print Recipe

Servings 1 serving

Equipment

cocktail shaker, blender, or handheld milk frother

Ingredients

1 tbsps of Rishi Sweet Matcha Powder (2 teaspoons if you want a creamier drink)
8 oz of sweetened vanilla soy milk (or your preferred milk)

Instructions

With Cocktail Shaker

Add ice, matcha, and sweetened vanilla soy milk in a shaker
Shake your beverage
Then pour your matcha latte in a glass

With Blender

Add matcha and sweetened vanilla soy milk in your blender then blend till smooth
Add ice to your cup
Then pour your matcha latte in a glass

With Handheld Milk Frother

Add ice, matcha, and sweetened vanilla soy milk in a glass
Mix ingredients with the handheld milk frother
Add ice

Notes

For a HOT matcha latte

heat the milk (in a stove top or microwave)
then mix the matcha (I would use the handheld milk frother for this)
then pour matcha latte in a cup

See its simple! Now you can enjoy an iced matcha latte just like Starbucks at home!

Enjoy!!!

For the more Matcha Enthusiast

Do you prefer your iced matcha latte with strong matcha taste and less sweet? If so, this section is for you! What I don’t like about the Starbucks iced matcha latte, is that you can’t lower the sweetness without compromising the flavor of the matcha. A way to solve this is to use a matcha without sugar added. This is a good way to make your match latte stronger without it being too sweet; it is also important to use a good grade of matcha that is vibrant green. Avoid the types of matcha that are army green; it will taste bitter.

For years I’ve been trying to find a good quality matcha that will deliver in flavor, and won’t brake the bank. I’ve tried various ones from Whole Foods and Asian markets; eventually I realized that its best to order online, because there is more variety. When reading through blogs ranking their preferred matcha, I’ve come across the brand Encha.

Matcha latte grade from Encha Organic Matcha

Finally I have found the perfect matcha! Once I tried this matcha, I haven’t looked for another since; and it’s been about 4 years. This matcha has a pleasant grassy taste, without it being bitter. I love that you can save money by ordering a subscription, and you can cancel anytime. If you get the subscription the Encha Latte Grade Matcha would cost $23.74 plus $3.99 shipping. They also sell ceremonial grade matcha; if this is your for time trying, I recommend you stick with the latte grade. I once got a sample of the ceremonial grade and loved it, but you don’t need it to make a matcha latte. After experimenting with measurements, I found the best way to make an iced matcha latte. I usually see that recipes use 1 tsp of matcha, but I honestly prefer a stronger matcha flavor, so I go with 2 tsp.