Matcha milk tea is a delicious vibrantly green drink that you can easily add to your morning routine. This iced matcha boba tea is sweet, earthy, and creamy for a refreshing way to start your day.
Matcha milk tea, iced matcha latte, matcha boba, matcha bubble tea, or whatever you like to call it is a STAPLE beverage that you need to have in your weekly morning routine. Matcha is my favorite form of caffeine and this matcha bubble tea is the pick-me-up I need for a long week.
This matcha milk tea has just the right amount of sweetness and can be 100% customizable! If you want non-dairy milk no problem. Half-sweet? More ice? Coming right up! I have included all of my substitutions and recommendations below. If you want to explore more boba shop-inspired recipes, check out my taro milk tea, mango green tea, brown sugar milk tea, and matcha pineapple tea.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a finely ground powder that is made from green tea leaves that are grown in the shade. During the shaded growth, matcha produces theanine and caffeine which keeps you alert without the jittery side effects.
Matcha has three different grades—ceremonial grade, premium grade, and culinary grade matcha.
- Ceremonial grade is the highest quality grade matcha that is made specifically for drinking. It has the most vibrant green color and the least bitter flavor.
- Premium grade is the second highest quality matcha. It has a subtle flavor and is used for everyday matcha drinkers.
- Culinary grade matcha is the lowest quality matcha powder. It is the most cost-effective matcha because it is slightly bitter from using lower leaves on the tea plant. It has a more yellow-green tint and is mostly used in baking, cooking, and smoothies.
For more delicious ways to enjoy matcha, see all of our other matcha recipes.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This matcha milk tea is creamy, slightly sweetened, and big matcha flavor.
- You can personalize your very own matcha boba by looking at the substitutions and additions section.
- With this matcha bubble tea recipe, you can make it every day and save a trip to the boba shop!
🍽 Kitchen Equipment
This matcha milk tea recipe uses basic fundamental equipment for brewing matcha. You can find all of these items online or at your local Japanese grocery store.
- Matcha bowl: or a small bowl with a spout. A matcha bowl is perfect for making matcha due to its round shape and small spout. The round shape allows the whisk to stir up the matcha and aerate it allowing it to froth up and the spout makes it easy to pour into your glass. You can buy a matcha bowl online or at your local Japanese grocery store.
- Matcha Whisk: also known as a chasen, is a small bamboo whisk that is made to whisk matcha. You can find a matcha whisk online or at your local Japanese grocery store.
- Small saucepan: you will need a small saucepan to cook your tapioca pearls in.
- Spider strainer: Use a spider strainer to scoop the boba pearls out of the saucepan and brown sugar syrup.
- Mixing bowl: you will need a mixing bowl to steep the boba in the brown sugar syrup for that rich brown sugar flavor.
🛒 Ingredients
You can find all of these ingredients for your iced matcha latte at your local Japanese grocery store, Asian grocery store, or online!
- Matcha Powder: I recommend choosing either ceremonial grade or premium grade matcha. I do not recommend drinking culinary-grade matcha since it is more bitter.
- Milk: you can use full-fat dairy milk for a creamy rich experience, or if you are lactose intolerant like me, opt for lactose-free whole milk. See below for other substitutions.
- Honey: the honey sweetens the drink. You can add more or less honey depending on your sweetness preference.
- Tapioca or Boba Pearls: also known as bubble tea or boba pearls. They are sold on Amazon or can be found at your Asian grocery store. I have found that using instant boba is very convenient but doesn’t have the same bouncy chewy texture as the boba packages which require a longer cook time. Alternatively, if you are up for a challenge, you can make boba from scratch with this homemade boba recipe!
- Dark Brown Sugar: dark brown sugar is used to steep the boba pearls for a rich brown sugar flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: granulated sugar is used to sweeten the brown sugar syrup without adding too much molasses.
✨ Substitutions and Additions
Think of this as your own personal at-home boba shop where you can customize your iced matcha latte with the level of sweetness, type of milk, ice level, and even what fruit you'd like to pair it with!
- Milk: You can alternatively use 2% milk, oat milk, almond milk, soy milk, or any other plant-based milk.
- Sweetener: typically honey is used as a sweetener, but you can use simple syrup, maple syrup, or agave. To make simple syrup, simply heat a 1:1 ratio of water: sugar in a saucepan and heat on medium-high, and mix until the sugar dissolves.
- Fruit: if you want to make this a matcha pineapple tea, strawberry matcha milk tea, or mango matcha milk tea, check out my strawberry sauce and mango coulis!
📝 How to Make Matcha Milk Tea
Making this matcha bubble tea is incredibly easy since it only requires four simple steps.
- Prepare the boba. Prepare your boba based on your boba packaging. If using non-instant boba, simmer the boba for 25 min. covered. Then, remove from heat and let the boba sit in the saucepan covered for another 25 min and then drain.
- Steep the boba. In a heat-proof bowl, mix ½ cup hot water, ½ cup dark brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar and carefully steep in boiled boba for 30 min.
- Brew your matcha. In a small mixing bowl, gently sift in the matcha powder using a fine mesh sieve. Pour about 2 ounces of hot 175°F (79°C) water (4 tablespoons) into the bowl and using the matcha whisk, whisk until combined and there are no more clumps. Then pour in the remaining 2 ounces of water and whisk until frothy and combined.
- Assemble. In a tall glass, add the boba pearls and ice. Pour in the milk, simple syrup, ice, and brewed matcha. To create a layered look, when pouring the brewed matcha, make sure the matcha hits the ice before pouring it into the milk this will create a gradient effect. Stir and enjoy your matcha milk tea!
⭐️ Tips for the Best Matcha Milk Tea
- Sift the matcha: sifting the matcha is a crucial step in eliminating large clumps of matcha while also enhancing the flavor of the matcha.
- Use 175°F (79°C) hot water. Make sure the hot water is at 175°F (79°C) for optimal flavor.
- Whisk the matcha thoroughly: Whisking the matcha vigorously removes the remaining clumps of matcha and aerates the matcha making it frothy and more flavorful.
- Hit the ice! When pouring the matcha layer over the milk, remember to pour the matcha directly on the ice or a spoon above the cup so the matcha layer has a smooth landing and doesn't immediately blend into the milk.
🥡 Storage Instructions
This matcha milk tea is best served immediately. You can store the matcha milk tea separately from the boba in an airtight container for 1 day.
The boba pearls cannot be stored and must be consumed within 2 hours of cooking.
💬 Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s
Matcha has a complex flavor profile that has mellow grassy notes, natural sweet nuttiness, a touch of bitterness, and umami savoriness.
A single serving of an iced matcha latte will have about 280 calories in it depending on how much sweetener you use. The number will also vary depending on what type of milk you choose. Plant-based milk is lower in calories than full-fat dairy milk.
Matcha boba tea has a lot of antioxidants that are good for boosting brain function and it also aids in digestion helping in weight loss.
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Did You Make This Matcha Milk Tea?
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Matcha Milk Tea
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons Matcha powder sifted
- 4 oz (8 tablespoons) hot water 175°F (79°C)
- 12 oz milk of choice
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
Boba Pearls
- ½ cup boba pearls
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup hot boiling water
Instructions
- Prepare the boba. Prepare your boba based on your boba packaging. If using non-instant boba, simmer the boba for 25 min. covered. Then, remove from heat and let the boba sit in the saucepan covered for another 25 min and then drain.
- Steep the boba. In a heat-proof bowl, mix ½ cup hot water, ½ cup dark brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar and carefully steep in boiled boba for 30 min.
- Brew your matcha. In a small mixing bowl, gently sift in the matcha powder using a fine mesh sieve. Pour about 2 ounces of hot 175°F (79°C) water (4 tablespoons) into the bowl and using the matcha whisk, whisk until the matcha is combined and there are no more clumps. Then pour in the remaining 2 ounces of water and whisk until frothy and combined.
- Assemble. In a tall glass, add the boba pearls and ice. Pour in the milk, simple syrup, ice, and brewed matcha. To create a layered look, when pouring the brewed matcha, make sure the matcha hits the ice before pouring it into the milk this will create a gradient effect. Stir and enjoy your matcha milk tea!
Notes
- Sift the matcha: sifting the matcha is a crucial step in eliminating large clumps of matcha while also enhancing the flavor of the matcha.
- Use 175°F (79°C)hot water. Make sure the hot water is at 175°F (79°C) for optimal flavor.
- Whisk the matcha thoroughly: Whisking the matcha vigorously removes the remaining clumps of matcha and aerates the matcha making it frothy and more flavorful.
- Hit the ice! When pouring the matcha layer over the milk, remember to pour the matcha directly on the ice or a spoon above the cup so the matcha layer has a smooth landing and doesn't immediately blend into the milk.
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