This Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte is made with easy homemade vanilla syrup, and it comes together in just a couple of minutes! Now you can make a matcha latte that's just as delicious as the one from your favorite cafe, much cheaper, and you know exactly what goes in!
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Why You'll Love This Iced Matcha Latte
Easy with homemade syrup - Making your own matcha latte with homemade syrup is easier than you might think! The vanilla syrup only takes about 10 minutes, and you can make a big batch and store it in the fridge or freezer.
Better and cheaper than a cafe - If you use a good matcha, I promise you your latte will be just as good as the one from your favorite cafe and much more budget-friendly! Quality matcha may be expensive, but a little goes a long way. Starbucks uses a mix of matcha powder and sugar, and the matcha is often clumpy. By making it at home, you know exactly how much sugar goes in!
Hot or iced - While this is a recipe for iced matcha, you can easily make the same drink hot by skipping the ice and warming up your milk during cold months.
Ingredients
- Vanilla simple syrup - While you can always use store-bought syrup, I highly recommend making your own at home; it's so easy! All you need is water, cane sugar, and vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Alternatively, you can also use vanilla powder or whole vanilla beans.
- Matcha powder - I highly recommend using ceremonial grade matcha, it's less bitter and sweeter than culinary grade matcha or any other varieties. It has a brighter color and creates nicer foam. Avoid any matcha latte blends with sugar or powdered milk. Only use 100% pure matcha powder.
- Water - You'll need hot water for whisking the matcha, but it shouldn't be boiling, only about 70-80 °C. Even water that has been boiled and is cooled down tends to create bitter matcha, so make sure you just gently warm it up; it doesn't have to be hot. I like doing this on the stove in a small saucepan.
- Milk - You can use any type of milk you'd normally order or add to your matcha lattes. My favorites are almond milk and cashew milk, but whole milk, oat milk, or any other non-dairy milk are great. If you want to use coconut milk, I recommend the one in a box, not a can, because it would be too thick.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different sweetener for the syrup - I like cane sugar for most syrups because it's very neutral, but white sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave, or light brown sugar will also work. Keep in mind that everything but white sugar and cane sugar will change the flavor of the syrup. You can use a sugar-free substitute as well, but the syrup won't last as long.
- Store-bought syrup - If you need to use store-bought syrup, my go-to is Monin for most syrups, and their vanilla syrup is great. Torani is also a popular brand for syrups. You can also look for any local small syrup brands, they always tend to be the best!
- Hot matcha - You can make this latte hot or cold based on your preference. If you want to serve it warm, whisk your matcha with warm water, pour it into a mug, add vanilla syrup, and steamed milk. You can warm up your milk either on the stove or in a milk frother, being careful not to boil it to avoid burning it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
I recommend making the vanilla syrup ahead of time if you're making your own. You don't have to, but it speeds things up. Plus, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks! To see a more detailed recipe and tips, head over to Vanilla Simple Syrup.
Vanilla syrup
- Add cane sugar and water to a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Take the syrup off the heat and stir in vanilla extract.
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Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte
- Heat up the water in a small saucepan on the stove while you prepare the rest of the latte. Don’t let it boil or simmer to avoid burning the matcha.
- Fill a tall glass with ice cubes and add your milk of choice and vanilla syrup.
- Sift matcha through a small fine mesh strainer into a small bowl or a cup.
- Cover with hot water and whisk using a matcha whisk or a milk frother. Add less water at first, pouring in more as you're whisking.
- Pour the matcha over the milk. Serve with a straw to stir the drink and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Don't boil your water - You want the water to be max 70-80 °C. If it's too hot, it will burn the matcha and turn it bitter.
- Use high-quality matcha - The matcha powder you use can really make or break this drink. Look for 100% pure (ideally organic) Japanese ceremonial grade matcha powder. It should be bright green and have a fresh grassy smell. A good matcha powder will create a better foam when whisked and will be sweeter, more balanced, and smoother. Low-quality matcha can be grainy, bitter, and more yellowish in color.
- Sift your matcha - This prevents any clumps from staying in your drink by not whisking properly.
- Matcha whisk vs milk frother - If you're just starting out, you don't need to go out and buy the classic matcha whisk. You can easily whisk your matcha using a handheld milk frother instead! It's not traditional, but it does the job.
Serving and Storing
I highly recommend prepping the vanilla syrup ahead of time. This way, the actual latte takes just a couple of minutes.
Fridge: You can store the syrup in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Always use a clean spoon to prevent bacterial growth.
Freezer: You can also freeze the syrup in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-4 months. Because of the high sugar content, the syrup never freezes completely solid, so it's scoopable straight from the freezer. You can defrost it in the fridge but it's easy to just scoop it into the hot matcha to melt it quickly before adding ice and milk.
FAQs
Yes and no. Technically, they're the same because matcha powder is a fine powder made from green tea leaves. It's much more concentrated than regular green tea, which is usually brewed from dried loose tea leaves or a tea bag. They're not interchangeable.
Other Matcha Latte Recipes
If you'd like to try some other matcha lattes with homemade syrups, check out any of the four below! They all have homemade syrups. My favorite matcha flavor is actually the rose syrup and strawberry syrup mixed together! To see all the latest ones head over to Non-Alcoholic Drinks.
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Have you tried this Vanilla Matcha Latte? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte is made with easy homemade vanilla syrup, and it comes together in just a couple of minutes! It's just as delicious as the one from your favorite cafe and much cheaper!
Ingredients
Vanilla Syrup
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte
- ⅓ cup water
- A handful of ice
- ½-¾ cup almond milk (or other milk of your choice)
- 1-2 tablespoon vanilla syrup
- 1 tsp matcha powder
Instructions
Vanilla syrup
- Add cane sugar and water to a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Take the syrup off the heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Transfer to a jar and allow it to cool.
Iced Vanilla Matcha Latte
- Heat up the water in a small saucepan on the stove while you prepare the rest of the latte. Don’t let it boil or simmer to avoid burning the matcha.
- Fill a tall glass with ice and add milk and vanilla syrup.
- Sift matcha through a small fine mesh strainer into a small bowl or a cup.
- Cover with hot water and whisk using a matcha whisk or a milk frother. I add less water at first and add more as I’m whisking.
- Pour the matcha over the milk.
- Serve with a straw to stir the drink and enjoy!
Notes
Hot water for matcha: You can heat the water in a kettle as well. I just like heating it up on the stove because the kettle needs much more water, and you can’t measure such a small amount.
Storing: Store the syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer.
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Veronika Sykorova says
This latte is a classic and one of the easiest recipes! I highly recommend making your own syrup for this one!