---
title: "Matcha Latte: Basic Recipe, Ratio and the Right Matcha"
description: "Matcha latte recipe with amounts: 2 g powder, 30 ml water, 200 ml milk. Plus tips for foam, iced and what to do if it tastes only of milk."
url: "https://rinsumila.com/en/blog/matcha-latte-recipe"
image: "https://rinsumila.com/images/ratgeber/matcha-latte-schichtung-og-70cdf3c4.jpg"
lang: "en-US"
generated: "2026-10-02T15:26:55.952Z"
source: "rinsumila.com, HTML converted to Markdown at origin"
---

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![Glass of layered matcha latte with milk at the bottom and green matcha on top, next to a bamboo whisk and a bowl of matcha powder](https://rinsumila.com/images/ratgeber/matcha-latte-schichtung-e051b5d6.jpg)

For a matcha latte, stir 2 g of sieved matcha powder smooth with 30 ml of water at about 75 °C, whisk it to a foam and top up with 200 ml of milk or oat drink, warm or over ice. If it tastes of milk, it is usually down to too little powder, too much milk or lumps in the base. Then a little more powder, less milk or a small, strong pre-mix helps.

## The basic recipe with amounts

For a large glass you need:

-   2 g of matcha (weigh it once with a precision scale)
-   30 ml of water at about 75 °C, not boiling
-   200 ml of milk or oat drink
-   a little sweetener, if you like

Here is how to proceed:

1.  Put the powder through a fine sieve into a bowl. Sieving breaks up lumps that are harder to disperse evenly later.
2.  Pour in the 30 ml of water and whisk the powder with the bamboo whisk (Chasen) or an electric milk frother into a smooth base with fine foam.
3.  Put the milk in a glass, over ice or warm, and pour the base over it.

Why mix first rather than adding it straight to the milk? Matcha is a powder of ground tea leaves that does not dissolve but only disperses finely. In cold or thick milk it often stays in clumps. With a little warm water the dispersion works more reliably, and only then does the milk come in.

Spoons vary, and powder can be filled loosely or firmly too. So weigh 2 g once with a precision scale and note how much that is with your spoon. That way the latte tastes more consistent each time you make it. The usual amount is 1 to 2 g per serving. If the weighed amount of powder looks small to you, that is normal at 2 g: well dispersed, this small amount is enough for a whole glass.

The equipment doesn't have to be elaborate. For little washing up, a screw-top jar is enough: put in powder and water, put the lid on, shake vigorously, add milk. That disperses the powder a little less reliably than a Chasen or frother, but saves the bowl. An electric frother in the glass saves it too.

## Hot or cold

**Hot:** Heat the milk until it steams but does not boil, and pour the base over it or add the milk to the base. Warm, the latte usually tastes rounder and milder than over ice.

**Cold:** Make the base as above with water at about 75 °C, because in cold water the powder disperses less well. Fill a glass with ice and milk and pour the base over the top. Alternatively, shake base, milk and ice briefly in a shaker. For an iced latte with a plant drink, it is worth making the base a little stronger, because ice dilutes as it melts (more on this further below).

If you want to sweeten, stir maple syrup, honey or another syrup into the warm base while it is still hot, then it disperses evenly. Cinnamon or vanilla on top are also popular, best used sparingly so that the matcha is not covered.

## Why a different matcha makes sense for latte than for straight

When you drink matcha straight, its subtle flavours stand out: sweetness, umami and its green flavour. In 200 ml of milk these subtleties largely disappear. That is why a robust powder with a clear, somewhat more bitter taste that can stand up next to the milk makes sense for latte. For the straight bowl, on the other hand, a milder, finer powder that you whisk in 70 ml of water is worth it.

On the terms: "culinary" and "ceremonial" are trade designations. "Ceremonial" is not a protected term, and "culinary" is not a defined term either: every producer can use both at its own discretion. So you don't necessarily need a powder with one or the other printed on it. These points are more important:

-   **Freshness:** use an open powder within a few weeks if possible, store airtight, dark and cool.
-   **Colour:** a lively green speaks for taste and freshness more than a yellowish or brownish one, but on its own it is not a reliable verdict.
-   **Fineness:** a very fine powder disperses better and tastes less dusty.
-   **Taste:** if you test it straight, you quickly notice whether the powder is too bitter or too flat.

So if you only drink latte, you don't have to take the most expensive powder, nor automatically a cooking powder. A powder that is too bitter to drink straight can still work well in a latte, because the milk cushions bitterness.

On price: in shops, 30 g of Japanese matcha costs around €19 to €49. Cheap powders are possible, but at a very low price the likelihood rises that colour and taste turn out weak. When buying, make sure origin and processing are clearly stated, that the powder is not permanently sold out and that the seller delivers to your country. If you order from outside your country or the EU, shipping costs and import charges can be added. You check that best before ordering in the seller's shop.

As an everyday powder for latte, [RINSUMILA DAILY](https://rinsumila.com/en/products/rinsumila-daily) is intended: 50 g cost €34.90, at 2 g per serving that is about €1.40 per latte.

## Adjusting the ratio of matcha to milk

The basic recipe (2 g to 30 ml of water and 200 ml of milk) is a starting point, not a law. Here is how to adjust the taste:

| Wish | What you change |
| --- | --- |
| Stronger, more matcha | A little more powder, keep the milk at 200 ml |
| Less milky | Reduce the milk, keep the powder at 2 g |
| Milder | A little less powder (1 to 2 g is usual) or more milk |
| Same strength, larger glass | Increase powder, water and milk in the same proportion |

Stronger, more matcha

What you change

A little more powder, keep the milk at 200 ml

Less milky

What you change

Reduce the milk, keep the powder at 2 g

Milder

What you change

A little less powder (1 to 2 g is usual) or more milk

Same strength, larger glass

What you change

Increase powder, water and milk in the same proportion

Change only one thing at a time, otherwise you don't know what helped. For the hot latte the same ratio applies as for the cold: 2 g of powder, 30 ml of water, 200 ml of warm milk. If you prefer to drink it from a smaller cup, use less milk and keep the 2 g of powder the same. The latte becomes stronger as a result. More on grams, millilitres and water temperature is in [Matcha Amount, Ratio and Water Temperature](https://rinsumila.com/en/blog/matcha-ratio-water-temperature).

The type of milk also plays a role. Whole milk is creamy and round, oat drink is mild and slightly sweet and usually goes well with matcha. Almond and rice drinks are thinner and let the powder come through more strongly, but froth less well. With plant drinks, barista versions that froth better are worth it.

## Foam and milk temperature

The milk should be warm to hot but not boiling. Boiling milk tastes cooked, forms a skin and froths less well. For foam, a milk frother, a hand frother or a screw-top jar that you shake vigorously with warm milk are suitable. Cold milk can also be frothed, but the foam then usually collapses faster.

You whisk the matcha itself in the bowl for about 15 to 30 seconds in a fast zigzag movement from the wrist; that usually works more reliably than stirring in a circle. The water should be 70 to 80 °C. Let boiling water cool briefly, a thermometer helps for exact values. If it gets hotter, the base often tastes more bitter.

If you want a foam cap or "cream top", whip cream only lightly so that it still flows, and carefully put it over the back of a spoon on top of the latte. If the cream is too firm or the latte too hot, the layer breaks or sinks. For a green matcha cap, stir a little sieved powder into the liquid cream before you whip it; for a double matcha taste, the normal base then also goes into the glass. For the base the rule is: better a small, smooth base with foam than a large one with lumps.

## Common mistakes

-   **Not sieved:** The powder clumps, and dry pockets of powder float in the glass.
-   **Water too hot:** Boiling water often makes the base more bitter. Use water at 70 to 80 °C.
-   **Stirred straight into the milk:** Without a base the powder often stays unevenly dispersed, and the taste comes through less well.
-   **Too little powder:** 1 g in a large glass of milk gives a delicate colour but hardly any taste.
-   **Too much milk:** More than about 200 ml per 2 g of powder easily covers the matcha.
-   **Old or openly stored powder:** It loses colour and taste. Store airtight and dark, after opening it is best to use it up within a few weeks.
-   **Too much sweetness or spice:** Maple syrup and cinnamon may accompany the matcha, not cover it.

## When the latte is watery or tastes only of milk: causes, more powder, strong pre-mix

If your latte tastes of "nothing", of milk with a hint of matcha or watery, go through the three causes in turn:

**1\. Powder.** Is it old, stored open or weak from the start? Test it straight: whisk 2 g with 70 ml of water at about 75 °C. If it tastes flat and pale even then, it is probably the powder and less your recipe. If it smells musty, is damp, clumped from moisture or visibly mouldy, throw it away. You loosen dry little lumps with the sieve. If you have already tried several known powders without success, also compare colour and freshness before calling yourself "matcha-blind": a powder that hardly smells when you open it has usually faded.

**2\. Milk.** More than 200 ml per 2 g, very creamy or sweet milk, plus a lot of syrup: all of this can drown out the powder. As a test, switch to less milk or a milder drink.

**3\. Preparation.** Too little powder, lumps or water that is too hot. Sieve the powder, use water at 70 to 80 °C and whisk vigorously.

What helps then:

-   **More powder:** Use a little more powder without changing the milk.
-   **Strong pre-mix:** Mix 3 to 4 g of powder with 30 to 40 ml of water at 70 to 80 °C, as in the thick preparation (Koicha). That gives a dense, creamy base that you top up with the milk. That way the matcha stays present even in an iced latte when the ice melts.
-   **Whisking with the Chasen:** Yes, that helps. Whisking disperses the powder more finely, brings air into the base and makes the taste rounder. A milk frother is a good substitute, a screw-top jar disperses a little less reliably.
-   **Less milk:** Use less than 200 ml if the ratio is still too milky for you.

And why does matcha latte taste different in a café than at home? Cafés and chains usually don't reveal the exact recipe. Often powder, amount, cup size and above all the sweetness differ. If the café latte seems sweeter to you, stir some syrup into the warm base; if it tastes stronger, increase the powder or use less milk. With the basic recipe as a starting point, you often get close to the taste in a few attempts. For comparison with a coffee latte: espresso with its roast aromas stands up strongly against milk, matcha is more easily lost and therefore needs an exact ratio.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I make the matcha latte better?

Sieve the powder, whisk it with water at about 75 °C into a smooth base and only then pour in the milk. It becomes stronger with a little more powder or with less milk.

### Is there cheap matcha for lattes?

Yes, the price range in shops is wide: 30 g cost around €19 to €49. For lattes the powder can be cheaper than for the straight bowl, as long as colour and freshness are right. Work out the price per serving (2 g) instead of just comparing the pack price.

### Can you only use culinary matcha for lattes?

No. "Culinary" is not a protected term, and there is no rule that prescribes a particular powder for you. For lattes a robust powder with a clear taste makes sense, but you can also use a finer powder.

### Which matcha powder is best for lattes?

One with a lively green colour, fine grinding and a robust, slightly bitter taste that also holds up against 200 ml of milk. Order small amounts so that it stays fresh.

### What should I consider when buying in countries such as Australia or Canada?

Ask in local tea shops for matcha from Japan or look for specialised online shops that expressly confirm that they deliver to your country. Before ordering, look at shipping costs, possible import charges and delivery time, and ask about the origin and batch of the powder. We do not deliver to Canada or Australia, but to Germany (€4.90, free from €49), to the EU (€9.90, free from €89) and to Switzerland and Liechtenstein (€14.90, free from €129; import charges and fees are borne by the recipient there).

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