Imagine horchata but with matcha! That’s what this tastes like! This drink is sweet, creamy, cinnamonny, and slightly caramel from the brown sugar. It’s delicious and such a treat. Plus, it’s so easy to make.

You only need 5 ingredients to make this yummy cinnamon vanilla matcha latte, which takes less than 10 minutes to assemble. Have this on days when you want to switch up your matcha game or a fun little treat!

Here’s how to make a cinnamon vanilla matcha latte at home! Or, as I like to call it, a cinnavanilla matcha latte!

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a green tea powder made from grinding young green tea leaves into a very fine powder. It’s an extremely popular flavor and tea, especially in Japan and all across Asia, for its fresh, vegetal, and umami taste.

The original way to enjoy matcha tea is to drink it straight with water or mix it with milk as a latte. It pairs great with a light sweetener like agave or honey. However, you can find it in desserts and even in savory dishes such as salt or dusted on seaweed.

Good-quality matcha powders will be vibrant green, and older or lower-quality matcha will be a greenish brown. Upon first smell, it will be vegetal. Depending on the variety, you’ll get chocolate, umami, floral notes, and more.

While matcha is grown worldwide, it’s most concentrated in China and Japan, with the latter becoming renowned for its matcha production. Most matcha powders sold point out that they are made in Uji, Japan, where matcha is mainly harvested.

How to Whisk Matcha

The traditional way to prepare matcha uses specific ceramicware called a chawan (tea bowl) and a chasen (tea whisk), which you use to whisk matcha and water until it becomes frothy. However, you don’t need a tea bowl or whisk to make matcha. 

Matcha must be combined with water for easy drinking, a crucial step in tea preparation. While you could try and eat the powder itself, you’d probably have a hard time. (Imagine the cinnamon challenge but with matcha). After whisking together, you have a delicious foam that makes the tea super silky and smooth.

You can get creative as long as the matcha and water mix well. As long as you get some froth, you’re golden!

Different ways to mix matcha without a whisk include:

• Whisking with bowl and tea whisk
• Shaking in a lidded jar
• Using a handheld frother
• Using a small blender
• Whisking with an actual whisk

Once combined, pour the matcha mixture onto milk or ice and enjoy!

Do Cinnamon and Vanilla Go Well Together?

They are two of the most popular spices and flavors in the world… and they taste incredible together. Vanilla is probably the most popular flavor globally, with thousands of vanilla-flavored desserts, snacks, syrups, and drinks flooding grocery stores.

Vanilla is such a pleasant and nostalgic flavor for many, and it’s quite creamy.

On the other hand, cinnamon is a warm spice, meaning it gives you a warm and cozy feeling when you smell or taste it. It’s quite sweet, spicy, and very aromatic. It’s a spice that reminds me of the holidays and is found in practically every festive dish, from pumpkin pie to mulled wine.

Together, cinnamon and vanilla are a great combination! They bring out the flavors in each other, where vanilla helps mellow out some of cinnamon’s spice, which adds a nice, bright flavor.

It’s no wonder there are so many beloved cinnamon sugar and vanilla foods, from horchata, cinnamon rolls, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, cinnamon coffee cake, and more.

Do Cinnamon and Vanilla Work Well With Matcha?

Matcha has a unique flavor that works really well with cinnamon and vanilla. It has a very creamy and sweet taste, similar to what vanilla brings to many desserts and drinks.

The cinnamon adds a nice bright spice and flavor to a vanilla matcha latte and helps balance the cream-forward flavors.

You can add cinnamon and vanilla to your matcha by flavoring your milk or adding it to the matcha itself. You could also make a cinnamon vanilla simple syrup that you can use in other drinks or desserts!

What Does a Cinnamon Vanilla Matcha Latte Taste Like?

Cinnamon vanilla matcha lattes taste like a less sweet version of horchata, with an extra creamy finish and a slight vegetal taste. It kind of tastes like cake, in a way.

Iced, it tastes really refreshing and creamy, and while hot, it tastes like a comforting mug of warm spice and milky tea.

This matcha latte combination has a mild flavor that anyone can enjoy! It’s not too spice-forward, which makes it palatable for many.

How to Make a Cinnamon Vanilla Matcha Latte

Here’s what you’ll need to make a cinnamon vanilla matcha latte:

• Matcha powder
• Water
• Ice
• Milk
• Cinnamon
• Brown sugar

Cinnamon Vanilla Matcha Latte Recipe

First, add matcha powder, water, vanilla extract, and sugar to a small cup or bowl. If your matcha powder has a lot of clumps, sift your matcha using a fine mesh strainer.

Whisk the tea in a zigzag motion using a handheld frother or tea whisk until a foam forms. You want the foam to have lots of tiny bubbles.

Add ice, cinnamon, and milk to a separate cup, then top with your whisked matcha.

Mix and enjoy!

Sweeteners That Work Well With Matcha

The nice thing about making drinks at home is that you can customize it! Instead of brown or regular sugar, try using these sweeteners with matcha:

• Maple syrup
• Agave
• Flavored syrups
• Jaggery or piloncillo
• Monkfruit
• Stevia
• Honey

I prefer maple syrup or agave in my matcha lattes if I make them plain since they have a mild flavor and dissolve easily into cold liquids. I also love using honey, but it must be dissolved in hot water before adding to a drink.

Other Flavors to Add to Cinnamon and Vanilla

Feeling curious and experimental? Cinnamon and vanilla go with a ton of other flavors, including:

• Nutmeg
• Chocolate
• Orange
• Caramel
• Peach
• Plum
• Cherry
• Blueberry
• Almond
• Ginger

Tips

• After whisking your matcha powder with sugar and vanilla, make sure to rinse your bamboo tea whisk thoroughly. The tea whisk isn’t designed to whisk anything other than water and tea, so you don’t want residual sugar or vanilla to ruin the wood.
• You can use premade cinnamon and vanilla sugar or syrup instead of using more ingredients for the same flavor! You could even use Cinnamon Toast Cereal to make a delicious cinnamon sugar milk…
• Use an extra half teaspoon of matcha powder in your drink for extra matcha flavor.