It’s creamy, dreamy, and the perfect dessert-like matcha drink that you’ll make again and again. Vanilla cold foam is an amazing drink topper for any drink, but it’s particularly delicious with matcha. This matcha latte with vanilla cold foam tastes similar to the matcha einspanner, but more light and airy, and tastes straight from Starbucks.

Best of all? You can make this at home for a fraction of the cost.

Here’s how to make a matcha latte with vanilla cold foam at home!

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a finely ground, powdered green tea made from young shaded green tea leaves that has a slightly savory, umami, and perhaps grassy taste. It’s known for its vibrant green color, health benefits, and the main tea prepared in Japanese tea ceremonies.

Recently, it’s had a boom in popularity thanks to social media, to the point where there’s a slight matcha shortage with the more popular Japanese brands.

But many people’s first introduction to matcha is the more commercially available matcha, from large coffee chains, specialty coffee shops, and milk tea stores, selling muted down versions of what matcha actually tastes like (and they were my introduction to matcha as well!)

What is Vanilla Cold Foam?

Nowadays, cold foam refers to a mixture of heavy cream, milk, and sugar that makes a fluffy drink topping. It’s lighter than whipped cream, and thicker than traditional cold foam (frothed milk). It became the more popular definition of cold foam thanks to its popularity through Starbucks, who debuted this popular drink add-on in the mid-2010s.

Traditionally, though, cold foam means frothed cold milk, which, after being frothed, takes on a fluffy, velvety texture. But if you go to a cafe and see menu items with cold foam, chances are it’s referring to the former with cream in it.

This type of cold foam is also known as sweet cream cold foam, which is a better descriptor than just cold foam. And vanilla cold foam has vanilla syrup or extract added for that perfect, balanced taste.

What is a Matcha Latte with Vanilla Cold Foam?

As the name suggests, this recipe is for an iced matcha latte with vanilla sweet cream cold foam. While you could try making it hot, the cold foam would melt within minutes of you adding it to a hot matcha latte.

So, if you get any drink with cold foam, chances are it’s served cold. You first make the iced matcha latte base with whisked matcha, ice, sweetener, and milk, then finish it off with a generous pour of vanilla cold foam.

It makes the most beautiful layers and it tastes delicious, too!

What Does a Matcha with Vanilla Cold Foam Taste Like?

A matcha with vanilla cold foam tastes like vanilla ice cream with a hint of matcha! Depending on how strong your matcha powder is, you can easily adjust the taste to something that tastes more like matcha ice cream.

The extra creaminess from the cold foam gives it that dessert-like flavor, which is great when you want something more sweet and less bold. It’s sweet and creamy, with an aromatic vanilla scent and taste, with the matcha earthiness coming through at the end.

It’s great for people who are just getting into matcha, especially if you buy it from a coffee shop.

Do Vanilla and Matcha Go Together?

You really can’t go wrong pairing vanilla with any flavor, especially since it’s one of the world’s most popular flavors, ever. Walk into any grocery store and you’ll find vanilla flavored desserts left and right, even in things you don’t think have vanilla in them!

Matcha goes well with any sweet and creamy ingredient, like condensed milk, milk, white chocolate, custard, etc. So, by default, it also goes well with vanilla, which takes away some of the bitterness and earthiness of matcha.

Together, they balance each other out and create a nice blend of aromas, like floral, creamy, sweet, umami, and nutty. Plus, the extra creaminess just brings the two together that makes it a popular combination for drinks, candies, and desserts.

How to Make Vanilla Cold Foam

Cold foam is one of those ingredients that are so easy to make at home, but requires having cream in the fridge. But it’s seriously worth making from scratch, especially when canned cold foams are not even made with actual milk or cream (see for yourself) and have a chemically aftertaste.

All you need is heavy cream, milk, vanilla extract, and sugar, that’s it! You can also use vanilla syrup to replace the extract and sugar.

Combine 1/4 cup cream, 2 tbsp milk, and 1 tsp syrup or sugar (plus 1/4 tsp vanilla extract) and whip until it is soft and fluffy. Your cold foam should still be pourable, not stiff like whipped cream.

It’s easiest to make this with an electric frother, but an electric mixer or even a blender work too. In less than 5 minutes, you have easy vanilla cold foam!

How to Make a Matcha Latte With Vanilla Cold Foam

Here’s what you’ll need to make a matcha latte with vanilla cold foam at home:

• Vanilla Cold Foam:
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla syrup
• Iced Matcha Latte:
• 1½ tsp matcha powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup ice
• 1 cup milk

Matcha Latte with Vanilla Cold Foam Recipe

1. Make Vanilla Cold Foam. Whip together your heavy cream, milk, vanilla syrup (or sugar and vanilla extract) in a tall cup or bowl using an electric frother or mixer until soft and fluffy. It should be about double in size and still pourable, not stiff.
2. Whisk Matcha. Sift your matcha powder into a matcha bowl, then add water. Using a bamboo whisk, vigorously whisk your matcha in zigzag motions until a foam forms on the top. The foam should have small, dense bubbles and be a light green color. (See matcha whisking tutorial.)
3. Assemble Drink. Add ice, extra sweetener (optional), milk, and whisked matcha to a glass, then top with your vanilla cold foam. Garnish with a dusting of matcha powder (optional).
4. Mix and Enjoy!

Other Matcha Lattes with Cold Foam

If you try and love this matcha with vanilla cold foam, then you have to try these matcha lattes with cold foams next:

• Blueberry cold foam matcha latte
• Lavender cold foam matcha latte
• Banana cream matcha latte (Must Try!)
• Coconut matcha cloud
• Double matcha
• Brown sugar cinnamon cold foam matcha latte
• Chocolate matcha latte
• Dubai chocolate matcha latte
• Strawberry cold foam matcha latte

Tips:

Here are some tips for making a great matcha latte with vanilla cold foam at home:

• Make Cold Foam With Melted Ice Cream: The best hack for making easy vanilla cold foam is using melted vanilla ice cream. It’s basically the same ingredients! Just let your ice cream melt and then whip it until it’s slightly fluffy (it may not be as fluffy as fresh cold foam) and add it to your matcha latte!
• Use Canned Cold Foam: If you’re really in a pinch, you can always get canned cold foam, but it might have a weird flavor depending on the brand. You can also get half and half and froth it up, but it won’t be as thick.
• Sift Your Matcha: One of the most important parts of smooth matcha is sifting it before you whisk it! This gets rid of any big clumps that might need more effort breaking up.