How to Make a Matcha Latte at Home
By Sophie Pigott, Nutritional Medicine Practitioner | Raw Matcha
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The matcha latte has become one of the most ordered drinks in Australian cafés — and for good reason. When it's made well, it's creamy, gently sweet, and has that distinctive earthy-umami depth that makes it genuinely satisfying in a way that a sugary coffee drink never quite is.
The problem is that café matcha lattes are wildly inconsistent. Some use culinary grade powder that's been sitting in a bulk bag for months. Some use a pre-mixed syrup that's more sugar than matcha. And almost none of them are made the way you'd make one at home with quality ceremonial grade matcha — which, once you've tasted it, makes most café versions feel like a pale imitation.
The good news: a matcha latte made at home, with the right matcha and the right technique, takes about three minutes and costs a fraction of the café price. Here's everything you need to know.
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What You'll Need
You don't need much equipment, but a couple of things genuinely matter.
Essential:
- Ceremonial grade matcha powder (1–2 teaspoons)
- A bamboo whisk (chasen) — this is the single most important tool for a smooth, lump-free matcha
- A small bowl or wide mug to whisk in
- Hot water — not boiling (70–80°C is ideal)
- Your choice of milk
Optional but useful:
- A milk frother or small saucepan for warming and frothing milk
- A fine mesh sieve for sifting the matcha
- A bamboo scoop (chashaku) for measuring
A note on the whisk: you can use a regular kitchen whisk or a small electric frother in a pinch, but a traditional bamboo chasen produces a noticeably smoother result with a finer foam. The tines are designed specifically for the job. If you're making matcha regularly, it's worth having one.
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The Method: Step by Step
Step 1 — Sift Your Matcha
Add 1–2 teaspoons of ceremonial grade matcha into your bowl or mug through a fine mesh sieve. This step is easy to skip, but it matters — matcha powder clumps easily, and sifting ensures a smooth, lump-free drink.
How much matcha to use depends on your preference. One teaspoon gives a lighter, more delicate flavour. Two teaspoons gives a stronger, more intense result that holds up better against milk. Start with one and adjust from there.
Step 2 — Add a Small Amount of Hot Water
Add around 60ml (a quarter cup) of hot water to the matcha — but not boiling water. This is one of the most common mistakes people make at home. Water straight from the kettle is typically around 100°C, which is too hot for matcha. Boiling water degrades the delicate catechins and L-theanine in the powder, and also makes the matcha taste bitter and harsh.
The ideal temperature is 70–80°C. The easiest way to achieve this without a temperature-controlled kettle is to boil your water and then let it sit for two to three minutes before pouring.
Step 3 — Whisk
This is the step that transforms loose powder into a smooth, frothy matcha concentrate.
Hold the bowl steady with one hand and use the bamboo whisk with the other. Whisk in a quick, zigzag "W" or "M" motion — not in circles. The goal is to create friction across the surface of the liquid to incorporate air and break up any remaining clumps.
Whisk vigorously for about 20–30 seconds until the matcha is fully dissolved, smooth, and has a layer of fine foam on the surface. The foam is a good sign — it indicates you've created an emulsion and the matcha is properly incorporated.
Step 4 — Warm and Froth Your Milk
While you're whisking, warm your milk in a small saucepan over medium heat or use a milk frother. Don't let it boil — heated to around 65°C (hot but not scalding) is ideal, which is the same temperature a good barista uses for a flat white.
If you're using a frother, froth the milk until it's doubled in volume and has a creamy, velvety texture. If you're using a saucepan, whisk the milk vigorously as it warms to create some froth.
For an iced matcha latte, skip this step — just use cold milk straight from the fridge.
Step 5 — Combine and Serve
Pour your warmed, frothed milk over the matcha concentrate. A ratio of roughly 60ml matcha concentrate to 200ml milk works well as a starting point — adjust to your taste.
For a hot latte, pour slowly and watch the matcha and milk swirl together. For an iced latte, fill a glass with ice, add the matcha concentrate, then pour the cold milk over the top. The green and white layers before they mix are, honestly, one of the most visually satisfying things about making matcha at home.
Taste and adjust. If it needs sweetness, add a small amount of honey, maple syrup, or your preferred sweetener and stir through.
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Choosing Your Milk
The milk you choose changes the character of the latte quite significantly. Here's how the most popular options compare:
Full-fat dairy milk gives the creamiest, richest result. The fat content produces a beautiful, stable froth and a smooth mouthfeel. If you're going for pure indulgence, this is your best option.
Oat milk is the most popular café choice for good reason — it froths well, has a mild sweetness that complements matcha without overpowering it, and the creamy texture is a good match for ceremonial grade matcha. It's our personal favourite at Raw Matcha.
Almond milk is lighter and slightly nutty, which works well with matcha. It doesn't froth as well as oat or dairy, so it's better suited to iced versions.
Coconut milk (the drinking variety, not the tin) adds a subtle tropical sweetness that some people love with matcha. The flavour combination is distinctive — not traditional, but delicious in its own right.
Soy milk froths well and has a relatively neutral flavour, making it a solid all-rounder for those avoiding dairy.
One note from a nutritional perspective: if you're drinking matcha primarily for its antioxidant content, be aware that casein proteins in dairy milk can bind to catechins and reduce their bioavailability. If you want the full nutritional benefit of your ceremonial matcha, a plant-based milk or plain whisked matcha without milk is the better option a few days a week.
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Hot vs Iced — Which Is Better?
Both are excellent. But they're quite different drinks.
Hot matcha latte is warming, grounding, and has a more pronounced umami depth. It's the classic preparation and the one that best showcases the flavour complexity of ceremonial grade matcha. It's also the preparation closest to traditional Japanese matcha drinking.
Iced matcha latte is refreshing, slightly more intense (the cold temperature mutes some of the bitterness), and visually stunning with those layers of green and white. It's perfect for summer and has become the dominant way younger people are drinking matcha. If you haven't tried making one at home, the technique is exactly the same — just skip warming the milk and pour everything over ice.
A tip for iced matcha: whisk your matcha concentrate with the warm water first (you still need heat to properly dissolve the powder), then let it cool for a minute or two before pouring over ice. This prevents the ice from melting too quickly.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using boiling water. As mentioned above, this is the most common error. Boiling water makes matcha bitter and destroys some of its beneficial compounds. Let your kettle cool for a few minutes first.
Not sifting the powder. Skipping the sift means lumpy matcha. It takes ten seconds — do it every time.
Whisking in circles. Circular whisking doesn't create the surface friction needed for proper emulsification. Use the back-and-forth "W" motion.
Using too much milk. A matcha latte should taste like matcha. If your drink looks pale grey and tastes mostly of milk, reduce the milk ratio or increase the matcha. The matcha flavour should be the star.
Using low-quality matcha. This is the biggest one. Culinary grade or commodity matcha will produce a bitter, flat drink no matter how good your technique is. Ceremonial grade, first-harvest matcha — like ours — is sweet, smooth, and genuinely enjoyable even without added sweetener. The quality of the matcha is the foundation of everything else.
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Variations Worth Trying
Once you've mastered the basic matcha latte, there's a lot of room to play.
Vanilla matcha latte: Add a small amount of pure vanilla extract to your milk before frothing. It adds warmth and sweetness without needing extra sugar.
Honey matcha latte: Stir a teaspoon of raw honey into the warm matcha concentrate before adding milk. The floral notes of good honey complement ceremonial matcha beautifully.
Matcha turmeric latte: Add a pinch of ground turmeric and a grind of black pepper (which improves turmeric absorption) to the milk. The combination of EGCG and curcumin is genuinely one of the most anti-inflammatory things you can put in a cup.
Iced brown sugar matcha latte: Make a simple brown sugar syrup (equal parts brown sugar and water, dissolved over heat), add to the bottom of your glass, pour over ice, then add matcha concentrate and oat milk. This is the version that went viral on social media — and it's as good as it looks.
Matcha protein shake: Blend one teaspoon of matcha, a scoop of vanilla protein powder, 250ml of your milk of choice, and a handful of ice. High in protein, packed with antioxidants, and genuinely delicious.
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The Raw Matcha Method
At Raw Matcha, we recommend starting every morning with two minutes of intentional preparation. Not rushing — actually taking the time to sift, whisk, and be present while you make your matcha. It sounds small, but the ritual of it — the slow whisk, the watching the foam form, the first sip while it's still warm — is part of what makes the habit stick.
Matcha tastes better when you make it with care. And you'll notice the benefits more when you give yourself a moment to actually enjoy it.
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What You'll Need to Get Started
Everything you need to make a proper matcha latte at home is available from Raw Matcha:
If you're just starting out, our bundle options include both the matcha and the whisk together — everything you need to make your first proper matcha latte at home.
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Sophie Pigott is a nutritional medicine practitioner and co-founder of Raw Matcha.
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