How to Make a Matcha Latte at Home (Hot or Iced)
Taka KanekoA matcha latte is a properly whisked bowl of matcha poured into milk, and the order of those two steps is the whole recipe. Whisk the matcha in a little hot water first, then add the milk. Never whisk matcha straight into cold milk. Get that one habit right and everything else, hot or iced, is assembly.
This guide is written by Taka Kaneko, founder of EdoMatcha and one of only two Japanese Tea Instructors in Australia certified by the NPO Nihoncha Instructor Association. It covers the ratio in grams, the hot and iced versions step by step, which matcha actually suits milk, and the one piece of teaware that makes the whole routine tidier.
The Ratio: How Much Matcha for a Latte
Start from the same base as a plain bowl: 1.5 to 2 grams of matcha, about two scoops with a chashaku, the slim bamboo scoop, whisked into about 60ml of water. For a latte, lean toward the top of that range and past it. Milk mutes the flavour, so use a little more powder than usual and the drink still tastes of matcha once the milk goes in.
Taka's own range for a latte is 2 to 4 grams: 2 grams for a modest glass, more powder as the milk gets bigger.
- Plain bowl: 1.5 to 2 grams into 60 to 80ml of water.
- Hot latte: 2 grams into about 60ml of water, whisked, then hot milk. Up to 4 grams through a large milk.
- Iced latte: the same whisked base, poured over cold milk and ice.
Those numbers match our plain bowl guide on purpose. One method, one set of numbers, whatever you are making.
Hot Matcha Latte, Step by Step
Make a normal bowl of matcha first. That step is the difference between a smooth latte and a lumpy one. We will not re-teach the whole technique here: sifting, water temperature and the whisking motion are covered properly in our guide on how to make matcha.
- Sift about 2 grams of matcha into your bowl.
- Add about 60ml of water at 70–80°C and whisk to an even foam. Not boiling water: it scorches the powder, and scorched matcha is bitter in a way no amount of sugar or milk will fix.
- Pour the whisked matcha into a small glass of hot milk. The powder is already fully dispersed, so it blends the moment it meets the milk.
Iced Matcha Latte
The iced version is the same drink with the milk cold. Whisk the same base, 2 grams into about 60ml of hot water, then pour it over a glass of cold milk and ice. The base is made in hot water even for an iced drink, and that is deliberate: hot water is what disperses the powder, and once the matcha is properly whisked it pours into milk hot or cold.
For the layered glass you see in cafes, pour the milk over the ice first, then float the whisked matcha on top.
Which Matcha for Lattes
Ceremonial makes the better latte. Milk softens bitterness but does not remove it: a ceremonial latte tastes sweet and green, where a culinary latte tastes stronger and usually needs sugar. If the grade words are new to you, our ceremonial vs culinary grade guide explains what they actually mean.
All three of the matcha we sell are organic, ceremonial grade and first harvest, and each makes a beautiful latte as well as a plain bowl. Our Kyoto matcha is the most popular of the three, the one for a daily bowl or a latte. Our Kagoshima matcha is a single cultivar grown in Chiran, and it suits traditional whisked tea or premium matcha lattes. You can compare our matcha side by side.
Why You Never Whisk Matcha Into Milk
Milk is thicker than water, and matcha powder does not disperse in it. Whisk dry powder straight into milk and you get lumps that never break down, no matter how long you stir. People usually blame the matcha. It is normally the method. About 60ml of hot water solves the whole problem: the powder disperses fully in water first, and the finished base mixes into any amount of milk without a fight.
The One-Bowl Trick: a Katakuchi
A katakuchi is a matcha bowl with a pouring lip; the name means a spouted vessel. It suits the way many Australians drink matcha: whisk in the bowl, then pour cleanly over milk or ice for a latte. One vessel, no funnel, no drips.
Our Oribe Katakuchi is one of these bowls, and it turns the whole latte routine into a single pour. If a latte is how you drink most of your matcha, this is the bowl shape that earns its spot.
Prefer Less Caffeine? Make It Hōjicha
If you love the drink but want less caffeine in the glass, swap the matcha for our organic hōjicha powder. Hōjicha is roasted Japanese green tea: the caffeine is lower than matcha, but not zero. The same whisk first rule applies, and the full method for a hōjicha latte, hot and iced, is in the powder's own guide.
Common Questions
How much matcha do I need for one latte?
About 2 grams into about 60ml of water, then milk. Taka's own range is 2 to 4 grams: more powder for a bigger, milkier drink.
Do I need a chasen for matcha lattes?
A milk frother will mix the powder, but it makes larger, looser bubbles that collapse quickly, where a chasen makes a fine, stable foam. If you only ever drink lattes, a frother is fine. If you also drink matcha plain, the difference is obvious. Our matcha whisk guide covers choosing one and caring for it.
Which grade of matcha is best for a latte?
Ceremonial. It makes the better latte: smoother, sweeter, greener. A culinary latte tastes stronger and usually needs sugar, because milk softens bitterness but does not remove it.
Can I pour the whisked matcha straight into cold milk?
Yes. The problem was never cold milk, it was dry powder, which will not disperse in it. Once the matcha is whisked in hot water, the base pours into milk hot or cold.
Should I sweeten a matcha latte?
Taste it first: a ceremonial latte tastes sweet and green before any sugar goes near it. If you do sweeten it, a small amount of honey or maple dissolved into the whisked base spreads through the drink far better than sugar stirred in at the end.
What water temperature for a matcha latte?
70–80°C, the same as a plain bowl, and never boiling. Boiling water scorches the powder, and scorched matcha is bitter in a way no amount of sugar or milk will fix.
However you take it, hot, iced or hōjicha, the drink starts with the same properly whisked bowl. We ship Australia-wide and worldwide.
