Sometimes I forget how much I love matcha green tea. I think I get in too much of a coffee drinking rut. But I seriously love the flavor, and knowing it’s a great source of antioxidants doesn’t hurt either. Of course you can easily just make a cup of hot or cold green tea or even a green tea latte. Recently I decided to challenge myself to think outside the box and find a few more ways to enjoy matcha green tea. I’m excited to share my favorite five with you all! Warning: these are pretty diverse and sort of random, but they are the five that I found I liked the most out of everything I experimented with. 🙂
I call this one The Green Monster. It honestly tastes a lot like some of the fresh juices you can buy at health food stores (or if you have a juicer, maybe you make your own?). But you don’t need any special equipment besides a blender. Also, if the sound of fresh juice makes you nervous that this is going to be “healthy in a gross way” (as I tend to think sometimes…just being honest), you’re wrong. This is actually lightly sweet and really refreshing, along with being packed full of good things. Try it!
The Green Monster, makes one big serving (about 10 oz.)
1 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon matcha powder
1 banana, frozen
1 spinach cube (I’ll explain in a second)
1 granny smith apple
2-3 fresh mint leaves
First let’s talk about spinach cubes. If you’re looking to make some green smoothies anytime soon, I highly recommend you blend together 8 oz of well-rinsed spinach with 2/3 cup water. I usually do this in a food processor but a blender would work well too.
Then freeze the spinach mixture in a an ice cube tray, and use those cubes throughout the week to make green smoothies. This ensures your spinach won’t go bad before you can use it all, and I think it blends into the smoothie better so you don’t have little leafy bits.
I also like to remove ripe bananas from their peel and cut them into 5-6 pieces. Then I freeze those in a ziplock and use throughout the week too. I usually freeze 4-5 bananas at once so I will have enough to last a little while.
For the green tea, I like to whisk together the matcha and water first. This helps to ensure you don’t have any powder clumps left in your mixture. Also, peel and remove the apple core before use.
In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. The frozen banana and spinach will make this smoothie just chilled, so add a few ice cubes (before or after blending) if you want it really cold.
Next is a vanilla matcha breakfast smoothie. This is so creamy and (lightly) sweet that it almost feels like a dessert. Almost. Also, can I just confess that for many years I thought protein powder was only for boys. Now I realize I was totally wrong! It can actually be really tasty and a good option for getting some much needed protein into your breakfast routine. I like vanilla whey, but I don’t really have a favorite brand yet as I’m still trying a few out. If you have a favorite I should try, let me know!
Vanilla Matcha Breakfast Smoothie, makes one
1 cup milk (or water)
1/2 teaspoon matcha powder
2 frozen bananas
1/2 scoop (or suggested serving size) vanilla protein powder
Whisk together the milk and matcha powder until no powder clumps remain. Then blend all the ingredients together for 2 minutes. You really want to blend well here, otherwise the protein powder can feel a little chalky.
Have you guys ever tried chia water before? I think it makes an awesome afternoon pick me up (instead of my usual cup of coffee). I drink this unsweetened, but you could easily add some honey or other sweetener to this if you like.
Chia Green Tea, makes one serving
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon matcha powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
juice from 1/4 lemon or lime
In a tall glass or jar, whisk (or shake if you’re using a jar with a lid) together the water and matcha powder. Stir in the chia seeds and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. Give the water a stir if it looks like the seeds are sticking together. The longer they soak the more gelatinous they will become. Before serving, squeeze in a little lemon juice.
Have you ever heard of bulletproof coffee? I forget where I first heard about it, but I do remember thinking, “That sounds interesting.” And I’ll pretty much try anything that I think sounds interesting. Why not? I will say though that I’ve read some sources that recommend drinking this type of thing every morning in place of breakfast, which I do not agree with. I am not a dietitian, but this just doesn’t strike me as a good idea (and I think you’ll agree once you see the ingredient list). For me this is just a tasty alternative to coffee or plain green tea, but not something I would drink everyday. But if you’ve never tried bulletproof coffee, or if you have and didn’t like it, I still say try this green tea version as I like it even more than the coffee version.
Bulletproof Green Tea, makes one serving
2 cups hot water
1/2 teaspoon matcha powder
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
Heat your water until just before it boils. Add the matcha and whisk until no powdery clumps remain. In a blender combine the green tea with the butter and coconut oil. Place a towel over the top of the blender (in case any hot liquid seeps out) and blend for 30-45 seconds on high. The butter and oil will dissolve and the high speed will incorporate some air, giving you a little foam on top (like a latte). Serve hot.
This is sort of like a green tea Arnold Palmer. Very refreshing and more fun to drink than water (ha!). I don’t sweeten my version, but feel free to add a little honey or other sweetener if you like.
Green Tea Lemonade, makes one serving
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/4 teaspoon matcha powder
juice from 2-3 lemons
ice
In a tall glass, combine the cold water and matcha. Whisk until no powder clumps remain. Then stir in the fresh lemon juice and add ice.
What about you? Do you have a favorite way to enjoy green tea? xo. Emma
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
48 Comments
What I want to know is… how did you manage to take a photo of five beverages at once, with none of them looking melty/separate-y/weird?!
These look delicious!
These all sound so good! I recently bought some matcha and have been trying to figure out what else to do with it. This is perfect!
Great post!
Would you check out my new blog 🙂
http://ivanasonlinediary.blogspot.com
This is a great post. I am trying to incorporate more green tea into my life and this post is so timely 🙂
Thanks!
Thank you for this! I love matcha, but I only every do lattes. I’m excited to try these all! (I’m about to run to the grocery store anyway, I’m now adding to my list….)
Where do you prefer to get your matcha from?
http://www.everydaystilettos.com
Wow, what a collection of matcha drinks! I love matcha, especially in the ice cream form, but your lemonade sounds like a winner for me! I can’t wait to try it out =)
Juju Sprinkles
http://www.jujusprinkles.com
I’ve never heard of matcha tea before but it looks really good! I’ve been trying to start liking green tea more because I know how good it is for you, so I might just try this!
The White Corner Creative
These look awesome! But honestly, I think I love baking with matcha powder more than anything. And Emma, I think you would too!!! It’s so easy – just sift in with any dry ingredients – and adds awesome color and flavor. I’ve got yogurt matcha scones with a honey ginger glaze up on my blog – check the food archives under “brunch” 🙂
I just got back from Thailand, and green tea was everywhere there. You should check out Thai steamed buns Emma. I think you could get into them. They make ’em savory and sweet, and often green tea buns are on the featured menu. Also, if you’ve never had it, try mango sticky rice. So stinking delicious. I noticed their Dairy Queen had a mango sticky rice blizzard on the menu. Genius. As a carb-loving veggie, I love your recipes!
Since my trip to Morocco i love green tea with mint, and much sugar of course….
Love love love green tea. As a very-occasional-coffee person, i really appreciate this tea post..
Hems
agoldentulip.blogspot.com
Love the ice cube idea!
My review of the COOLEST hotel ever
Perfect Fit protein!! Made with brown rice protein, which I like a little better for digestion than whey. The vanilla and chocolate are both delish, and they did a cinnamon roll flavor over the holidays- amazing!
My favorite coffee shop serves a “matcha cha cha” that I absolutely love. It’s matcha powder whisked in water, plus steamed milk and a pump of vanilla. I get it iced and it basically tastes like green tea ice cream (which I also love). Favorite summer drink, hands down. Plus I bet it would be pretty easy to make at home.
Trust me, SO GOOD.
Ok, this is seriously so awesome. I used to work for a handmade cosmetics company that uses matcha in their products, and received a big packet of matcha green tea as gift at a company meeting, and I honestly had no idea what to do with it! Now I have so many ideas that I’m going to have to buy myself some more! (Also, speaking of lattes, I finally tried a lavender latte after hearing about them here on ABM and it’s my new favorite drink!) Hope your week is starting off on the right foot 🙂
Mary / Mostly Salty
The best part is that these recipes don’t involve a stove or oven, which means I can make it despite living on a college campus! Finally! 😀 -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
Hi Emma!
Can you recommend a brand of matcha/Is it sold in regular grocery stores?
Thanks 🙂
Yes, matcha!!! I’ve been dying to try these matcha recipes: Fettle Vegan’s matcha vanilla bean scones and Bakerella’s chocolate matcha bundt cake. Yum!!!
http://www.fettlevegan.com/recipes/matcha-green-tea-scones-with-vanilla-bean-icing
http://www.bakerella.com/bundt%E2%80%A6-whats-matcha/
i long to make matcha cupcakes with vanilla frosting. it sounds so good. or maybe raspberry frosting? mmm. i like getting green tea lattes from starbucks and subbing the simple syrup for raspberry. oooh! matcha milkshake! ok, i’m done 🙂
Only ever had a matcha latte- these look great though! Gonna have to try them!
You had me at spinach cube. Sounds super intriguing. I’ve never made matcha green tea at all, so this could be a fun little experiment to taste test. :]
// http://www.itscarmen.com ▲
what does the butter and coconut oil do to the latte? Won’t it make it taste weird?
My all time favorite protein powder is Complete. It’s vegan, gluten free, full of plants and other goodness, nothing artificial, low glycemic which means no sugar cravings and all 6 of my kids LOVE it! We have been eating it every day for the past 13 years. You can order it online or send me your mailing address and I’ll send you a sample! It’s that good! http://heidi.juiceplus.com/content/JuicePlus/en/what-is-juice-plus/complete.html#.VT77-M6aC9Y
These all look really tasty. I really like Tera’s Whey protein powder (the plain one), but there are other flavors and even a goat milk-based one!
Thank you for this post!
For protein powder, I highly recommend BioPharma Nano Pro. Amazon carries it. It’s a life changer!
I never thought matcha was good for anything else than tea. I’m super excited to try the morning smoothie (I always thought protein shakes were for boys too, until about a month ago. Thanks for the great post!
I had the most delicious broccoli and matcha soup last night – I would highly recommend that! Do you have a favourite brand of matcha tea?
Hi, Emma! Does matcha have caffeine? Don’t think I could do without morning dose. And is it ok for kids? Thanks,
I only use Jay Robb protein powder. I feel it is the purest with the least added ingredients and I love it. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
These look like some interesting recipes, definitely going to try to make at least one of them!
xx
Jennifer|Pretty as Summer
I think for the bulletproof tea ingredient list it’s supposed to say “matcha” where it says “xxx,” right? Not 100% sure.
Thanks for catching that! It’s been updated. 🙂 -Jacki
“You got it, dude!” 🙂 🙂 🙂
I love matcha, but most of these comboniations are new to me. Looking forward to trying them all! My favorite ways to enjoy matcha are in the form of popsicles and mochi 🙂
http://www.makingmebymk.blogspot.com
great post! thanx
Just today one of my favorite fashion bloggers posted a matcha and boba green tea and I was wondering about how it is and now I stumble with these recipes! I guess I am going to order the matcha and give it a try!
The spinach cubes are genius. Say I’d want to throw in the mint, too (because I tend to always loose the last sprigs of a bunch) how would I go about measuring how much I’d need? Or, rather, how many cubes do 8 oz of spinach make?
Wow..amazing. I’ll try out the vanilla version first thing in the morning and thank you for the tip with the spinach cubes. How genius!
yes yes yes yes YES! my love for matcha knows no boundaries (i am known to have not slept through the night for making and of course testing matcha cupcakes in the evening : totally worth it) and this is just the perfect post to start off the warm season right. you bet i’m going to try them all very soon!!
I’ve been wanting to give spinach cubes a try for a while now but since my first try with the blender well, it didn’t do the job. May I ask what’s the brand of your food processor, please?
Can I give a suggestion? I would love to read a post/review about food processors and its uses, especially on the one you use because it looks like it does the job pretty well 🙂
I love matcha, but I’ve never made it at home! After seeing this, I want to order some and try all these drinks!
Laura
http://laurahager.blogspot.com
These recipes look amazing! Smoothies in the morning is how I get through my day. I really want to try the vanilla matcha breakfast smoothie, it looks so yummy. Bananas are my favorite, so I can’t see why I wouldn’t love it!
Protein smoothie with green tea is the best! <3
Ok
I have just recieved green tea 500gms from Japan
I made it too strong with 2 tsps wow
Tried it raw very bitter
I need to cut back and use one of your recipes or experiment
Matcha is one of my favorite green tea.
I also recommend Chinese Green tea as they are fresh and tasty : )
Love the taste with only juice just starting let you know my results later. Thank you
good article! I like matcha green tea too.