This light and fluffy egg matcha is a twist on the classic egg coffee from Vietnam. This matcha version is sweet, creamy, and velvety without being too rich. It’s like drinking a liquid matcha tiramisu or egg custard, which is basically a dessert in a drink! This egg matcha drink is such a fun and easy drink to make, perfect for an afternoon treat.
So, here’s how to make this delicious egg matcha at home!
What is Egg Coffee?
Like many foods that came out of desperate times, egg coffee came from a barista looking for a way to serve coffee without using milk, which was scarce in Vietnam at the time. By whipping egg yolks and condensed milk together, a Vietnamese barista created a fluffy egg foam that tasted phenomenal with strong, robusta coffee.
It was so popular that the barista started Cafe Giang, which is known as the origin of egg coffee, and is still running today! People say it tastes like liquid tiramisu, with the sweet and custardy egg cream with the strong espresso underneath. It’s one of the most unique coffee beverages I’ve had, and super delicious!
What is Egg Matcha?
Egg matcha is the matcha version of the Vietnamese egg coffee. It’s a more modern twist on the famous drink, and most of the famous egg coffee shops in Vietnam will have a matcha version on their menu (called matcha trứng).
It’s a water-based matcha (or a matchacano) with an egg cream floating on top. Once stirred, you get a velvety, creamy matcha drink that has that classic custard flavor without being too rich.
What Does Egg Matcha Taste Like?
This egg matcha latte tastes like a liquid matcha tiramisu or egg custard! It’s thick, rich, and velvety, which makes for an addictive texture and experience. It kind of tastes like you’re sipping on a fluffy eggy cloud, similar to eating a souffle pancake. And honestly, the egg flavor is very, very subtle since it’s masked by the sweet condensed milk.
I love the frothy texture after you mix the foam and matcha together, and it’s not overpoweringly rich—just airy enough.
Do Eggs and Matcha Work?
Yes! While raw eggs and matcha might sound unconventional, if you’ve had a matcha custard, pudding, cake, or ice cream, that’s a form of matcha and egg together. “Eggy” flavor is easily masked by vanilla or other aromatics like cream and sugar, so it’s perfect for delicate flavors like matcha.
In this drink, the egg and matcha pair nicely, much like a matcha choux cream or matcha tiramisu, which have eggs, but a nice, sweet, and creamy flavor.
Is Egg Matcha Safe?
I’m sure you’ve been told not to eat raw eggs growing up because they can make you sick! Which is hard, when cookie dough is so irresistibly good. But many dishes include raw egg, and some people even drink raw eggs for protein! So, is this egg matcha safe to drink? Better yet, is eating raw eggs safe?
And, honestly, I eat raw eggs all the time (LOL). I love a runny egg yolk, and tamago gohan (Japanese raw egg yolk rice) is one of my favorite dishes. What people are concerned about is the bacteria that can potentially give you salmonella.
In America, eggs are washed before being sold, which removes the antibacterial layer on eggs, so they need to be refrigerated to prevent bacterial growth. 1 in 20,000 eggs are contaminated, which is 0.005%. So, the risk is relatively low when consuming raw eggs, but it is never 0.
I don’t recommend raw eggs to anyone who has a weak immune system, as salmonella can be very intense. Consume them (and this egg matcha) at your own risk!
How to Make Egg Cream
As mentioned, egg cream was a creative coffee made when milk was scarce in Vietnam. The egg cream consists of whipping egg yolks and condensed milk or sugar together until light and fluffy. Even though it sounds easy, it’s actually a lot harder to make! I struggled making a fluffy cream and failed multiple times until I finally got the right ratios and method.
The secret: lots of sugar and a high mixer speed. Meringues are essentially the same, but since they have no fat, they hold air better than yolks. Fat prevents protein from bonding, which is why meringues with egg yolks in them never whip up correctly.
The cream needs lots of air incorporated at a fast rate to help the protein in the yolks bond together to form a foam structure. If you whip it too slowly, it will never form.
Why Is My Egg Cream Not Fluffy?
I failed so many times before getting this recipe right. My egg yolks were never fluffy enough and didn’t have the right consistency. But I’ve identified 2 main problems:
- You need to whip super, super fast.
- Have patience.
As I explained above, the egg yolks need a lot of help getting fluffy due to their chemical structure. You want to use one of the higher speeds of your mixer to incorporate air fast. Using a low speed is not enough, and no matter how long you mix for, it will never become fluffy.
Once you’re using a higher mixing speed, you want to whip the egg yolks for 4-6 minutes, constantly. If you ever watch videos of people making it in Vietnam, they’re basically whipping the eggs at lightning speed for 5-10 minutes. That’s how they achieve that super airy and light cream! So we need to be patient! (Clearly, I was too impatient the first couple of times, haha.)
How to Make Egg Matcha
Ingredients:
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp condensed milk
- 1½ tsp matcha powder
- ¾ cup water
Egg Matcha Recipe
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Save the egg whites for a scrambled egg or meringue!
- Add egg yolks and condensed milk to a bowl or glass, then beat for 4-6 minutes using a hand mixer until the egg yolks turn light yellow and fluffy. You can’t overmix this, so just keep going if the yolks are not light yellow.
- Sift matcha powder into a matcha bowl and add 1/4 cup of water. Whisk for 20-30 seconds in a zigzag motion using a matcha whisk until foamy. Then, add the rest of the water and whisk until combined.
- Add matcha to a short glass, then top with the whipped egg cream. Garnish with a dusting of matcha powder.
- Mix and enjoy!
Can I Make It Without Eggs?
You can technically make egg matcha without eggs, but it won’t taste the same. Egg yolks have a specific flavor that gives the drink a custard-like flavor and consistency. However, I think a close alternative is using custard or pudding powder, which comes eggless! The powders are made with starches or flour that help thicken the milk, which gives you a creamy texture and somewhat eggy flavor.
Instead of powder, you can also use a mixture of milk and cornstarch or cream. This won’t give you that classic eggy flavor, but it’s a good alternative for making a sweet, fluffy cream. This will be more similar to a sweet cream cold foam than egg cream.
Make It Dairy Free
If you can’t have dairy or want a dairy-free matcha, substitute the condensed milk for oat, coconut, or dairy alternative condensed milk! You can find it in some grocery stores in the baking aisle. But if you can’t find it, you can also make it yourself by boiling your plant-based milk of choice and sugar until it reduces down into a thick, syrupy consistency. This might take a while, but it’s super easy to do!
Or, you can also use sugar, agave, maple syrup, honey, etc. In Vietnam, a mixture of condensed milk and sugar is used, which gives it that milky taste, but using just sugar is perfectly fine!
Other Creamy Matcha Recipes
This light and fluffy egg matcha is a twist on the classic egg coffee from Vietnam. It’s sweet and creamy, and tastes just like a dessert! If you love this matcha recipe, then you have to try these other creamy matcha recipes next:
- Sea salt cream matcha
- Mango sticky rice matcha latte
- Banana pudding matcha latte
- Matcha tres leches latte
- Vanilla cold foam matcha latte
- Dalgona matcha latte
Creamy Egg Matcha Inspired by Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Equipment
- 1 electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp condensed milk
- 1½ tsp matcha powder
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Save the egg whites for a scrambled egg or meringue!
- Add egg yolks and condensed milk to a bowl or glass, then beat for 4-6 minutes using a hand mixer until the egg yolks turn light yellow and fluffy. You can’t overmix this, so just keep going if the yolks are not light yellow.
- Sift matcha powder into a matcha bowl and add 1/4 cup of water. Whisk for 20-30 seconds in a zigzag motion using a matcha whisk until foamy. Then, add the rest of the water and whisk until combined.
- Add matcha to a short glass, then top with the whipped egg cream. Garnish with a dusting of matcha powder.
- Mix and enjoy!
Tips:
- Use a High Mixer Setting: For fluffy egg cream, you need to use a high mixer setting to whip enough air into the egg yolks to get them fluffy. Since fat prevents protein bonding, we need to be more aggressive when whisking to get the same volume. It might hurt your ear, but it is worth it!
- Add More Sugar: If your egg cream isn’t getting more fluffy, you might need to add more sugar. But honestly, 2 tablespoons of condensed milk is more than enough sugar; you might just need to mix the egg yolks for longer. Trust me, 4-6 minutes sounds like a long time, but it’s necessary.
- Add Vanilla Syrup: If you don’t like the egg taste of the cream, add some vanilla syrup to mask the flavor. You can try using vanilla extract or paste, but I am not sure if the alcohol in the extract will mess up the cream chemistry so that it doesn’t become fluffy.
- Less Sweet Egg Matcha: I prefer a less sweet egg cream, so I like to use, like, 3 teaspoons of condensed milk instead of 2 tablespoons, but note that using less sugar will make the cream less fluffy. You’ll still be able to aerate the cream, but it won’t be as fluffy or airy.
- Use Umami Matcha: Since the cream is so sweet, it tastes best with a umami-forward matcha that can balance out the sugar. My favorites include Ippodo’s Ummon, Shibiku by Yamamasa, or Rocky’s Matcha ceremonial. You can also use culinary-grade powders that are more bitter as well!
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