This easy iced dirty matcha latte is barista-level beautiful, yet it whips up in under 5 minutes. The fusion of vibrant matcha and robust coffee flavor is an unexpected treat perfect for spring. Say goodbye to long lines at the coffee shop and hello to your new signature coffee drink, made by you!
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You Will Love This Recipe
1. It's delicious. No more trips to the coffee shop! With just a few simple steps, you can create a café-worthy iced latte from the comfort of your kitchen.
2. It's simple. Forget about rummaging through your pantry for a bunch of ingredients; this simple recipe requires a maximum of 4 items (and honestly, you could get away with just 3)!
3. It's customizable. Experiment with different types of milk and sweeteners to craft your perfect latte flavor profile.
What Exactly is a Dirty Iced Matcha Latte?
You might be wondering, what exactly makes this latte "dirty"? Like a dirty chai, this recipe takes earthy matcha green tea and adds nutty coffee or espresso to make it "dirty", giving you the best of both worlds in one delicious drink.
Why Make a Latte with Matcha and Coffee?
Let's break it down:
- Serious flavor: Combining matcha with coffee creates a lush blend of earthy, grassy flavors of matcha and rich, sweet notes from the coffee.
- Extra Caffeine Boost: Need a little pick-me-up? Adding espresso or coffee gives you that extra caffeine kick to help power you through your day.
- Health Benefits: Matcha is packed with antioxidants and the amino acid l-theanine, making this simple latte tasty and beneficial.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- High-quality matcha powder: The most important ingredient. I love ippodo tea matcha powder. While some companies have different grades of matcha, Ippodo does not, as all of their matches are deliciously sippable. A more robust matcha is best to stand up to the strong flavor of coffee.
- Warm water: Helps to make the matcha tea before adding it to our latte. I like to use my kettle to heat the water to 165°F (75°C), but you can use a stovetop or microwave to heat the water between 140-175°F (60-80°C).
- Cold brew concentrate: I love the smooth flavor of cold brew concentrate in this latte to not overpower the matcha flavor, but feel free to use an espresso shot or strong coffee instead.
- Sugar: Use about 1-3 teaspoons of your sweetener of choice. You may not require any, especially if your milk is already sweetened.
- Milk: Oat milk makes for super creamy matcha lattes, while soy will provide more protein. Coconut milk adds a light tropical flavor that pairs well with matcha. We like to keep things plant-based here at Easy Chickpeasy to reduce our environmental impact, but I'm not the milk police. Choose what you prefer.
- Ice cubes: This is an iced recipe, after all!
Instructions
1. Heat: Heat the water to 140-175°F (60-80°C) in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in an electric kettle.
2. Sift: In a tall (~16-ounce) glass, sift the matcha powder to ensure there are no clumps.
3. Whisk: Add the hot water and use a bamboo matcha whisk or milk frother to mix the matcha until it is smooth and frothy.
4. Sweeten: Stir in the sugar or preferred sweetener until the sweetener has dissolved.
5. Pour: Add ice and gently pour the milk onto the ice to preserve the layered effect.
6. Top: Slowly add the cold brew or espresso over the top. Stir before drinking to distribute the flavors (But take pictures of the pretty layers before your drink goes olive tone).
Variations
Get creative with your dirty matcha! Here are a few variations to try:
- Vanilla Dirty Matcha Latte: Add a splash of vanilla syrup for classic latte flavor.
- Maple Matcha Latte: Swap the sugar for maple syrup for a cozy, fall-inspired twist.
- Simple Cold Brew Latte: Pare back to a basic latte when you don't feel like the extra steps of matcha whipping.
- Dalgona Matcha Latte: Whip instant coffee with sugar and hot coffee to add a stiff whipped peak to your chilled latte.
Storage
Enjoy your dirty matcha latte right away for the best flavor. However, if you have leftover matcha, remove the ice and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Give it a quick stir and add some ice before drinking.
Tips
- Use matcha for this recipe, not green tea powder, which is considerably more bitter. Good quality matcha powder will make all the difference in your matcha drinks.
- Instead of mixing hot matcha for this recipe, you can make cold brew matcha by shaking the sifted matcha powder with 2 ounces of cold water before adding it to your glass. If you choose this method, sweeten your latte with a liquid sweetener like simple syrup.
- If you'd like to try this latte with espresso but don't have an espresso machine, you can make near espresso-strength coffee with a moka pot like I use in my salted maple latte recipe.
FAQ
Adding coffee to make a matcha latte "dirty" gives more bitter, sweet, and nutty flavors to matcha's earthy, vegetal flavors. Plus, it adds more caffeine from the coffee.
Definitely! If your milk is sweetened, you may not need any sweetener. Otherwise, start with 1-3 teaspoons of sweetener, taste, and add more to your preference.
Yes! In fact, I prefer to make matcha with an electric milk frother.
Recipe
Easy Iced Dirty Matcha Latte
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder
- ⅛ cup water
- 2 teaspoons white sugar (or 1-3 teaspoons preferred sweetener)
- several ice cubes
- ¾ cup oat milk (or preferred milk)
- ⅛ cup cold brew concentrate (or 1 shot espresso)
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat about a cup of water to 140-175°F (60-80°C) in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in an electric kettle. If the water heats to boiling, allow several minutes minutes for it to cool.
- Sift the matcha powder into a tall (~16-ounce) glass to ensure there are no clumps.
- Add ⅛ cup of the heated water and use a bamboo matcha whisk or milk frother to mix the matcha until it is smooth and frothy.
- Stir in the sugar or preferred sweetener until the sweetener has dissolved.
- Add ice and gently pour the milk onto the ice to preserve the layered effect.
- Slowly add the cold brew or espresso over the top. Stir before drinking to distribute the flavors (But take pictures of the pretty layers before your drink goes olive tone).
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