Matcha Latte
Matcha lattes are one of my favorite ways to have green tea, as it is rich, creamy, and full of body. This recipe combines, dates, matcha powder, cashews, vanilla, and water for a delicious, wholesome treat. It’s great year-round served warm or cold.
If you are looking to save a little money, check stores like TJ Maxx or Home Goods. I know at my stores, they often carry matcha at a discounted price. However, when purchasing matcha in-stores or online, be sure to check it’s country of origin. It’s best to purchase matcha from Japan due to lead contamination concerns (be sure to check out that linked video from NutritionFacts.org to learn more).
This recipe is naturally sweetened with dates and extra creamy from the cashews. It’s a perfect afternoon pick-me up. Often times instead of grabbing for another coffee, I will fix up this matcha latte. That being said, matcha does contain some caffeine (one of the matcha brands I use says it’s about 16-24 mg of caffeine for ½ teaspoon of matcha). So if you are sensitive to caffeine, use your own digression- but for sure avoid having this before bed.
If you are interested in learning about the benefits of green tea, check out all these awesome videos on NutritionFacts.org that cover the benefits of green tea.
- 2-3 dates, pitted*
- 1 tablespoon Japanese matcha
- 1/4 cup cashews*
- 3 cups water (or more for thinning)
- 1-2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Remove the pits from the dates. Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend for at least 40-60 seconds to get extra smooth.
- Serve the matcha either warm or chilled. To serve chilled, add ice to two cups and then add the matcha. To serve warm either pour the matcha into two mugs and microwave until warm or heat the match in a sauce pan on the stove.
- *If your blender is not strong, soak the dates (pits removed) and cashews in 1-2 cups of hot water for about 30 minutes before blending. You can use the water in the drink- but just be sure to subtract it from the total of 3 cups in the recipe.
- *If you have a nut allergy, feel free to swap in an unsweetened plant-based milk. You could use about 2 cups of the plant-based milk and 1 cup of water (or however you like the ratio to be)
Kristina DeMuth