I love a creamy lemon flavor, but have you had it in matcha? This lemon cream matcha latte is so refreshingly citrusy and delicious. It’s in my top 10 creamy matcha recipes, ever. And there’s a secret way to get all that lemon flavor without any sourness! But if you love lemonade, lemon cookies, or any lemon dessert, then you need to try this lemon matcha latte.

Here’s how to make this lemon cream matcha latte at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s soooo delicious! Lemon and matcha are an amazing combination.
• Try your hand at making lemon syrup, the best way!
• It’s addictive and easy to make with a few ingredients.
• Experiment with your regular matcha latte and take it to the next level with this!

What is a Lemon Cream Matcha Latte?

It’s a matcha latte with lemon syrup and a lemon cream top! The topping is a sweet cream cold foam base with lemon syrup added for a citrusy flavor. It’s subtly sweetened with super aromatic lemon flavor but no sourness! Truly, it’s the best parts of a lemon distilled down to a cream.

It kind of tastes like a lemon bar with matcha, but not sour or bitter. It’s light, refreshing, creamy, and just delightful.

Do Lemon and Matcha Taste Good Together?

Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, yes! Lemons are fantastic with green tea, which many people drink in the morning or even as an iced refresher. It’s also great as a green tea lemonade! It’s a common pairing to have something slightly sour pair with something slightly bitter to make it seem sweeter and smoother.

The lemon is bright, tangy, and aromatic, which brightens matcha’s flavor profile. You can make the matcha seem more floral and sweeter with just a little bit of lemon.

How to Add Lemon Flavor

There are multiple ways to add lemon flavor to a latte: extract, juice, syrup, or zest.

Right off the bat, do not use sweetened lemon juice to flavor your matcha latte. It will immediately curdle your milk, and you’ll have a weird texture. Plus, it will add a sour flavor.

Extract is great for large batches or when you want a super potent citrus flavor without curdling or sourness. This is a great ingredient to use if you don’t have fresh lemons on hand and don’t want to make a homemade syrup.

Lemon zest is also great for adding lemon flavor, especially since it doesn’t have the bitter pith. However, adding zest directly to a drink isn’t ideal since it makes it grainy. But you can infuse it in simple syrup for a quick lemon syrup!

Now, I love a homemade syrup for drinks! You get a flavorful syrup that sweetens your beverage simultaneously. Most people will make a lemon syrup by boiling lemon juice, water, and sugar until reduced. But the best way to make lemon syrup is by making an oleo saccharum!

How to Make Lemon Syrup (Oleo Saccharum)

An oleo saccahrum is basically a macerated syrup using lemon peels without as much pith as possible. Lemons and all citrus fruits carry their flavor in the peel in the form of concentrated essential oil. This is a natural insecticide, but the aroma also attracts pollinators! If you imagine what a lemon smells like, you get that from the oil.

The essential oil is what we really want in your drink. Luckily, you can easily extract it from the peels by peeling a lemon and coating the peels in sugar. Thanks to osmosis, the sugar draws out the moisture from the oil. You then get a super lemony syrup that’s perfect for drinks.

Lemon Cream Matcha Latte: What You’ll Need

Equipment:

• Food peeler or paring knife
• Tupperware container
• Matcha bowl
• Matcha whisk
• Tea sifter

Ingredients:

• Lemon Oleo Saccharum
• ½ cup lemon peels (about 4 lemons’ worth)
• ½ cup sugar
• Lemon Cream
• 2 tsp lemon syrup
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp milk
• Matcha Latte
• 1½ tsp matcha powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ice
• 1 tsp lemon syrup
• 1 half slice of lemon (for garnish)

Lemon Cream Matcha Latte Recipe:

1. Make Lemon Syrup. Wash and peel lemons. Make sure to avoid the pith as much as possible; if it ends up on your peel, use a knife and gently scrape off as much as you can.
2. Once you have the peels, add the same amount of sugar by weight or measurement. Shake or stir the peels to coat them evenly in sugar. Cover and let sit for 6 hours or overnight.
3. Strain out the syrup and store it in an airtight jar. Do not place it in the fridge; the oil solidifies.
4. Whip Lemon Cream. Add lemon syrup, heavy cream, and milk to a cup or bowl. Whip using a handheld frother until soft and fluffy but still pourable.
5. Whisk Matcha. Sift matcha powder into your matcha bowl and add hot water. Vigorously whisk for 20 -30 seconds using the bamboo whisk in a zigzag motion until foamy. The froth should be velvety with small bubbles.
6. Assemble Drink. Add ice, lemon syrup, milk, and whisked matcha to a separate glass, then top with your lemon cream. Garnish with a half slice of lemon.
7. Mix and Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Lemon Cream Matcha Latte

• Add a Little Lemon Juice: Lemon oleo saccharum is super fragrant and sweet, but does not have any sourness to it. If you want a slight tang in your syrup, feel free to squeeze a little bit of lemon juice for that signature flavor.
• Use Powdered Sugar: Smaller particles of sugar increase the surface area of extraction, which makes the syrup-making process faster. Instead of granulated sugar, use powdered sugar to cut your waiting time in half.
• Keep Syrup Room Temperature: Luckily, I read someone’s experience putting the oleo saccharum in the fridge and having the oil solidify in the syrup. However, you can let it come to room temperature, and it should reliquify. But if possible, keep it at room temperature, especially if it’s a small portion. But for long-term storage, store in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will lemon syrup curdle milk?

If you make lemon syrup with the juice, it will curdle. However, if you drink your beverage fast, it won’t curdle much. If you make lemon syrup with the peels, it won’t curdle your beverage since there’s no acid in it.

Do lemon and matcha go together?

Yes! Lemon goes so well with matcha, it’s actually kind of wild. Lemons are aromatic and delicious, which brightens matcha’s flavor in the best way. They’re also not overpowering and super fragrant from the essential oils.

Other Creamy Matchas to Try

Care for a tangy, delicious, balanced matcha? Then, besides this amazing lemon cream matcha latte, here are some other amazing matcha recipes to try next:

• Guava Cream Matcha Latte
• Mango Cream Matcha Latte
• Date Cream Matcha Latte
• Banana Cream Matcha Latte