Matcha Smoothie

This cold and creamy matcha green tea smoothie or smoothie bowl is packed with healthy ingredients. A matcha smoothie makes a refreshing and nourishing breakfast or snack.  

I’ve mentioned my love for matcha lattes here and on Instagram before. These cozy green drinks are so comforting and a nice espresso latte alternative in the morning or for an afternoon pick-me-up. A matcha latte recipe even went up on the blog back in 2013 when I first learned how to make them! I love how many of the coffee shops make such beautiful matcha latte art with the foam. The most amazing one I’ve seen was at Urth Cafe in Laguna Beach. But when the weather warms up, I like to swap out my hot drinks with cold smoothies. That’s not really true – I make smoothies all year long.

Matcha in smoothie form is a fun change though, and you’ll see versions of them at places like Jamba Juice, Whole Foods, and even Starbucks. This matcha smoothie recipe is perhaps the healthiest of those I’ve seen around, as it has no processed ingredients or refined sugars, and gets a superfood boost from undetectable chia seeds and spinach. I mean hey, if it’s already green, why not sneak in a handful of spinach, right? According to my favorite nutrition doctor, Dr. Greger, green tea has some incredible health benefits!

What is Matcha?

You know the typical green tea that’s either used as a loose tea or in tea bags? That’s made from dried green tea leaves that one steeps in hot water to brew. Matcha, on the other hand, is made by grinding the tea leaves into a fine powder. The powder is so fine, that it is not steeped like loose tea or tea bags, but dissolved in water.

According to World of Tea, it’s believed that matcha in Japan evolved from Chinese powdered tea in the 12 century. The powdered tea was commonly used in zen monasteries and was prized for its healing and energizing properties. Matcha powder is now used for drinking as tea and in recipes like this smoothie, cakes, and more.

Does matcha have caffeine? Great question! Because the whole leaf is used, matcha is higher in caffeine than steeped bagged tea. I’ve heard a cup of matcha tea can have almost half the caffeine content of a cup of coffee. I personally don’t use matcha in my kids’ smoothies, though I know other parents who do.

How to Make a Matcha Smoothie

Matcha smoothies are easy to make and require just a few ingredients. We’ll need a teaspoon of matcha powder, milk of choice (I use almond or coconut milk just like in my lattes), chia seeds, bananas for creaminess, and dates for a little added sweetness. If you don’t like banana, you can swap it out for coconut milk ice cubes or half an avocado.

Pop all of the ingredients into your blender and your smoothie is done in about 2 minutes. If you would like to add a scoop of vanilla protein powder, you could definitely do so. If the powder is sweetened, omit the dates. Here are tips for making thick and creamy smoothie bowls. 

When making a drinkable matcha smoothie, you can add as much liquid as you like. Some people prefer thinner smoothies than I do.

How to Make a Matcha Smoothie Bowl

If you’d like to make a matcha smoothie bowl, the only difference is that you’ll want to make your smoothie very thick. The trick here is to use very little liquid, and use plenty of frozen ingredients like bananas and ice. Use the very minimum amount of milk to just turn the blender. You can always add more, but it’s very difficult to remove once added to the blender. Smoothie bowls are fun if you’re wanting more of a meal because you can top them with more fruit, coconut shreds, nuts, seeds, or granola.

Quick tip: Keep smoothie ingredients like frozen fruit and coconut milk ice cubes in the freezer for last minute smoothies.

Don’t miss the short matcha smoothie recipe video! Those swirls are mesmerizing!