Recipe: the perfect matcha latte (hot and iced)

A matcha latte is the drink that defines a specialty café in Chile when a customer wants something other than espresso. It is also where most lattes fail: grit at the bottom, dull green color, industrial sweetness. The two recipes below are the ones we hand to cafés when we train their staff. One hot, one cold.

What defines a great matcha latte

Three things separate a professional latte from a chain latte:

1. Color. Vibrant jade green, not olive. This depends on using barista grade — not ceremonial under milk (looks dull), not culinary (looks brown when cold).
2. Texture. Zero clumps. This depends on sieving and on hydrating the matcha in water before the milk.
3. Balance. Sweetness present but not dominant. We recommend liquid sugar or homemade syrup, never granulated sugar (it does not dissolve at latte temperature).

Hot matcha latte

Ingredients (1 portion, 240 ml)

• 2 g barista grade matcha
• 30 ml water at 75 °C
• 180 ml whole milk at 3.5% fat, steamed to 60 °C
• 8 to 12 ml simple syrup (1:1), optional

Equipment

• Chasen or small electric milk frother for the base
• Espresso steamer or pitcher with thermometer
• Fine sieve
• Probe thermometer

Method

1. Sieve the matcha straight into a shot glass or small pitcher. 2 g looks like a level teaspoon.

2. Hydrate with 30 ml of water at 75 °C and whisk with the chasen in an M motion for 10 to 15 seconds until you have a loose paste with no visible clumps. This concentrated base is what you pour over the milk later. Skipping this step is the #1 cause of matcha lattes with sediment at the bottom.

3. Steam the milk to 60 °C. For matcha latte we want microfoam, not cappuccino foam. The milk should look glossy and "paintable", not aerated.

4. If you sweeten, add syrup to the milk before combining with the matcha. Mixing hot matcha straight with syrup floats.

5. Pour the milk over the matcha base, not the other way around. Start with the center stream at medium speed to integrate, then raise the pitcher and pour latte art if the consistency allows.

Target cup temperature

58 to 62 °C. Above 65 °C matcha turns bitter and the milk loses natural sweetness.

Iced matcha latte

This is the version that, during a Santiago summer, accounts for 70% of matcha sales in a café.

Ingredients (1 portion, 350 ml)

• 2.5 g barista grade matcha (cold versions tolerate 0.5 g more without going bitter)
• 60 ml water at 70 °C
• 200 ml cold milk (whole or barista oat)
• 8 to 12 ml simple syrup, optional
• Ice: 5 to 6 large cubes (about 120 g)

Method

1. Sieve and whisk the base the same way as the hot version, but use 60 ml of water instead of 30 ml. You need more volume because the ice will dilute.

2. Fill a 350 to 400 ml glass with ice.

3. Pour cold milk over the ice, then the syrup if you use it.

4. Slowly pour the matcha base over the milk, drawing the typical green-on-white swirl. If you want it bicolor (Instagram-friendly), do not stir: the customer stirs at first sip.

5. If you want it ready to drink, stir with a long spoon for 5 seconds.

Oat milk (vegan alternative)

Barista oat milk is the only plant-based alternative that works well in iced matcha latte. Almond milk mutes the color and coconut milk competes on flavor. When using oat, bump the matcha to 3 g because oat is slightly sweet and "hides" the green.

Common mistakes

• Boiling water: covered in another guide. Past 80 °C the matcha goes bitter.
• Skipping the sieve: grit at the bottom is 100% technique, 0% product.
• Mixing dry matcha straight with milk: it will never integrate properly. The water base is mandatory.
• Over-steaming the milk: for matcha we want silky microfoam, not stiff foam. If the pitcher "sings" sharp for more than 3 seconds, you overshot.
• Using expired matcha: if the tin has been open for 60 days, the cold color will come out brown. Maximum recommended rotation: 30 days after opening.

Yield and cost

With 1 kg of barista-grade matcha from direct import, a café yields:

• 500 hot lattes at 2 g = very controlled cost per latte
• 400 iced lattes at 2.5 g = flexible pricing

The real margin on a well-made matcha latte in Chile is between 75% and 82% over raw cost when imported directly. If your margin is lower, it is almost always because you are buying through an intermediate distributor.

Want to test your recipe?

We send a 30 g sample of barista matcha at no cost and review your current recipe with you. Refrigerated delivery 24 to 48 hours in Santiago.