Rosemary and matcha are both earthy flavors that complement each other nicely. You get that woody, minty herb with a creamy, umami tea that works so well together. It’s the perfect fall and winter combination that screams the holidays. Plus, rosemary syrup is so easy to make, and it’s easy to make this ahead of time to enjoy over and over again.

Here’s how to make this delicious rosemary matcha latte recipe at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s super easy to follow and only requires 3 ingredients.
• You can use this as a base flavor and build on top of it by adding other flavors.
• Use it as practice for making a cafe-quality matcha latte at home.
• Make the syrup in a large batch and enjoy this drink over a week.

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder made from shade-grown tea leaves called tencha. It’s a superfood with antioxidants and gives a healthy, sustainable caffeine boost. It’s delicious on its own or in a latte, and whisked for preparation.

Depending on the origin and blend, matcha green tea can have a variety of flavors, including sweet, creamy, nutty, umami, savory, roasted, chocolate, and more. However, most matchas will have an earthy taste with slight umami.

Do Rosemary and Matcha Go Together?

Yes! Honestly, it’s hard to find something that doesn’t go with matcha. However, if you don’t like herby flavors, then this combination is not for you. Rosemary is very woody, earthy, slightly minty, and has a citrusy tinge. It works well with matcha’s earthy flavor and gives it a refreshing aroma.

It needs to have a good balance, though. Rosemary can easily overpower the tea if it’s intense.

How to Add Rosemary Flavor

There are multiple ways to add rosemary to your beverage, but the best way is with a rosemary simple syrup. It’s an easy rosemary-infused simple syrup that simultaneously sweetens and flavors your drink. It uses 3 ingredients and is ready in less than 7 minutes.

Beyond syrup, you can use rosemary oil, extract, or infuse the milk. You can add a drop or two of the oil and extract directly into your milk for easy rosemary flavor. If you have more time, you can infuse the milk overnight with some rosemary sprigs for a fresher flavor.

How to Make Rosemary Simple Syrup

Rosemary syrup is super easy; all you need is 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 – 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary. Dissolve the sugar in the water, then add the rosemary and infuse over low heat for 5 minutes. The longer you infuse the rosemary, the stronger the syrup will taste.

Careful not to infuse too long, or the syrup will be super powerful, which isn’t bad if you like a strong syrup. But it can easily overpower other flavors and make it taste like you’re eating straight rosemary.

Rosemary Matcha Latte Recipe: What You’ll Need

Equipment

• A matcha bowl
• Matcha whisk
• Tea sifter
• A small or medium-sized pot (for syrup)
• A mason jar (for syrup)

Ingredients

• 1½ tsp matcha powder
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ice
• ½ tbsp rosemary simple syrup
• 1 sprig of rosemary (garnish)

How to Make Rosemary Matcha Latte

1. Buy or Make Rosemary Syrup. For homemade rosemary syrup, add sugar, water, and rosemary sprigs to a pot. Simmer on low to medium heat until the sugar completely dissolves. Continue simmering for 5 minutes until aromatic. Turn off the heat and let it cool before use.
2. Whisk Matcha. Sift matcha powder into a matcha bowl, then add hot water at around 170°F. Whisk vigorously in a zig-zag motion for 20 – 30 seconds until a froth forms at the top.
3. Assemble Drink. Add ice, rosemary syrup, and milk to a glass, then top with whisked matcha. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or rosemary sugar.
4. Mix and Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Flavor

• Add Vanilla: Rosemary adds a nice herby flavor, but it really opens up with a little vanilla. I like that vanilla rounds out the flavor and gives a nice creaminess. It makes it a little more interesting than just plain rosemary and matcha.
• Use Honey or Maple: Similar to the previous point, I like the extra flavor that honey and maple add. They both have slight aftertastes that make the syrup taste a little better, and are already common pairings with rosemary.
• Make Rosemary Simple Syrup: I realllly love a good homemade syrup over storebought. You can control the strength and sweetness, plus it’s way cheaper to make at home. You can use my easy rosemary syrup recipe as a guide!
• Use a Strong-Tasting Matcha: I’ve noticed that rosemary tends to overpower the lighter-tasting matchas. So use a stronger or more bitter matcha to get a balanced flavor. Especially in milk, second harvest or culinary grade matcha would work great!

Frequently Asked Questions

What herbs go well with matcha?

Matcha goes well with a lot of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. They’re not too overpowering and enhance the earthiness nicely. More pine-y herbs like thyme, sage, and even mint also work nicely, but with a smaller intensity. They can easily overpower matcha, so I would make the syrup a little lighter. Otherwise, it’ll taste like you’re eating the herb itself.

How much caffeine is in this drink?

1 tsp of matcha is roughly 50 mg of caffeine, which is a little less than one single shot of espresso. Since I use one and a half teaspoons, this drink has roughly 75 mg of caffeine in it. In comparison, a standard latte has about 120 mg of caffeine.

Can I use dried rosemary?

You sure can! If you make your own syrup, you can use dried rosemary as an infusion. You’ll want to use about 1 teaspoon to a cup of water, and infuse it off the heat while the syrup is still hot. That way, you won’t get a bitter flavor.

Other Matcha Latte Recipes to Try

Matcha lattes are so fun to experiment with because the possibilities are endless. Beyond rosemary and herbs, have you ever tried dessert-inspired drinks or tea x tea combinations? Here are some other matcha recipes you should try next:

• Black Sesame Cream Matcha Latte
• Maple Miso Matcha Latte
• Peach Jasmine Matcha Cloud
• Fig Vanilla Matcha Latte
• Rose Matcha Latte