This is the perfect sweet treat if you want vanilla ice cream and a matcha latte together. It’s frosty, creamy, sweet, and soooo satisfying. You only need 3 ingredients and a blender to make this dessert, and it’s the best way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day if you’re not a mint fan. Make it however thin or thick you’d like; it’ll taste good either way.

Here’s how to make a matcha milkshake at home!

Matcha Milkshake Takeaways:

• Don’t skip whisking the matcha! If you use only powder, you’ll end up with clumps.
• Work fast or use super-frozen ice cream to get the best, creamiest texture.
• Use more ice cream than milk!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

• It tastes so good! Mostly like vanilla, with a nice matcha flavor cutting the sweetness.
• Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this shake instead of its minty counterpart if you’re a mint hater.
• It’s so easy, and anyone, even kids, can make it! Foolproof.
• Just imagine that it’s from a fast food restaurant, but for cheap!

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a fine green tea powder made from shade-grown young green tea leaves. It’s most famously grown in Japan, where the climate is best suited for growing tea. Matcha is a tea powder you whisk in hot water before drinking plain or adding to lattes, desserts, and more.

On average, most matcha tastes earthy, umami, and sometimes “grassy”. However, depending on the processing and origin, matcha can have floral, nutty, creamy, seaweed, and sweet flavors, too!

Depending on the harvest, matcha powder can range in price, color, texture, and flavor. Some matchas are best consumed plain, while others are better for adding to lattes, sweets, and more, like this matcha milkshake!

What is a Matcha Milkshake?

A matcha milkshake is a vanilla milkshake with matcha powder! It’s essentially a matcha-flavored vanilla milkshake, which is delicious. You can make this with just matcha powder, ice cream, and milk. It’s one of the easiest milkshakes to make, and practically foolproof.

The matcha balances the sweet ice cream nicely and gives it a whole new dimension of flavor! It tastes like matcha ice cream or a vanilla matcha latte, but much sweeter and milkier. It’s basically like a matcha affogato, blended!

Although you may need a lot of matcha powder to balance the ice cream out. If you use the same amount in a latte, you won’t be able to taste it!

How Much Caffeine is in a Matcha Milkshake?

Even though it’s a milkshake, don’t be fooled. Matcha has a lot of caffeine in it. One serving of matcha is about 1 teaspoon or 2 grams, which has about 50 – 70 mg of caffeine. That’s the same as one single shot of espresso!

Matcha gets easily washed out by milk, so you need to add a lot of matcha to taste it. This milkshake has at least 1 tbsp of matcha, which is about 3 teaspoons of matcha. Doing the math, that’s at least 150 mg of caffeine… Which is more than 2 shots of espresso!

So, I would advise against letting people who are sensitive to caffeine have this, like kids or elderly people. And definitely don’t drink this near bedtime!

Matcha Milkshake Recipe: Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make a matcha milkshake:

• Matcha Powder — Use a matcha marketed for culinary or latte use. These are still great quality, but tend to have a bitter and earthy flavor profile, which works best in desserts or creamy drinks. If you’re not sure, use the matcha you have!
• Water — Use hot water at approximately 175°F for the best matcha whisking temperature. You can also guess by the steam (soft rolling clouds) if you don’t have a thermometer.
• Vanilla Ice Cream — Any brand works! I like using vanilla bean for extra vanilla flavor. Make sure that it’s frozen solid before using, otherwise you’ll have a thinner milkshake.
• Milk — I love dairy, so I use 2% or whole milk! However, you can substitute with your favorite milk alternative or lactose-free option.
• Heavy Cream + Sugar (Optional) — You’ll need these to make whipped cream as a garnish! Cream with 35% or more milkfat is ideal. Half and half won’t work.

You’ll also need a blender.

How to Make a Matcha Milkshake

1. Whisk Matcha. Sift matcha powder into a matcha bowl and add hot water. Using a chasen, vigorously whisk the matcha for 20 – 30 seconds in a zigzag motion until frothy with a velvety texture. Make sure to sweep the sides occasionally for powder.
2. Add Ingredients. Scoop ice cream into a blender cup, then add milk and whisked matcha.
3. Blend. Blend the milkshake on medium-high until smooth and no ice cream chunks are visible. Don’t overblend so the texture stays slightly thick and creamy.
4. Assemble. Pour the matcha milkshake into a separate glass and top with softly whipped cream. Garnish with green sprinkles, a dusting of matcha powder, or a sprig of mint!
5. Mix and Enjoy! Serve with a straw or spoon and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Milkshake

• Use More Ice Cream Than Milk: Although it’s called a milkshake, it’s actually mostly ice cream. You want to use about a third of the amount of ice cream for milk so that the texture stays thick and creamy. If you use too much milk, you’ll end up with a watery milkshake.
• Use Whisked Matcha: You need to whisk matcha before you add it to the blender! This helps create a nice smooth texture and no clumps in your drink. Adding powder alone will create clumps and a grainy texture, so don’t skip whisking!
• Work Fast: Ice cream notoriously melts fast, so you’ll want to work quickly while making this milkshake. Try to keep the ice cream in the freezer as long as possible so it stays frozen longer.

FAQ’s

Is a matcha milkshake healthy?

Errr, no. Milkshakes are notoriously unhealthy because they are high in sugar and fat. However, ice cream and milk are high in protein, so this is actually a high-protein dessert! Life is all about balance, so while it’s not a superfood like an orange or banana, it’s definitely a treat with some benefits. Matcha is also high in antioxidants!

Can I make this without ice cream?

You technically can substitute frozen yogurt or regular yogurt, but it won’t have the same texture. The flavor will be similar, but not as rich or creamy.

How to make this vegan?

You can easily make a vegan matcha milkshake by using oat or coconut-based ice cream and your favorite non-dairy milk alternative!

Other Matcha Recipes to Try

This matcha milkshake is great for when you want a sweet treat that’s easy to make. If you’re looking for more matcha deliciousness, here are some other matcha recipes to try next:

• Biscoff Cookie Butter Matcha Latte
• Oreo Matcha Latte
• Tiramisu Matcha Latte
• Sea Salt Cream Matcha
• Matcha Tres Leches Latte