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This matcha smoothie recipe is a great way to get all the benefits of green tea: while sipping on a delicious fruity drink!
Love drinks like a matcha latte or iced matcha latte? Then you’ll love this Matcha Smoothie: a puree of green tea and sweet fruits! Blend up this green tea powder with banana and pineapple, and it’s lightly sweet with a delicate bitter matcha undertone. It’s a great way to get all the benefits of green tea while drinking a fruity puree! Here’s how we like to make a matcha smoothie.
What is matcha?
Matcha is a fine powder made of ground green tea leaves that originated in East Asia. It’s consumed as part of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, and plays an integral part in Japanese culture. There’s a complex set of ceremonial intricacies to the tea ceremony (read more here).
Matcha tastes grassy and earthy. It can be consumed as a cup of tea, or as a latte like matcha latte or iced matcha latte. It’s also a popular flavor for ice cream, cakes, cookies, and more. Watch out: matcha does contain caffeine: more than typical green tea, but less than coffee!
Ingredients in a matcha smoothie
This matcha smoothie pairs sweet fruity flavors with the bitter, grassy flavor of green tea. It’s simple to whip up with a short ingredient list. Here’s what you’ll need for this matcha smoothie:
- Frozen pineapple
- Banana
- Matcha
- Vanilla extract
- Greek yogurt (or additional milk)
- Milk of choice (dairy, oat or coconut)
- Ice
- Maple syrup or honey (optional; or vanilla protein powder)
Blend it up and give it a taste: and we hope you’ll be surprised by the sweet, fruity puree! You can blend it up without sweetener and taste to see if you’d like to add it. The bitterness of matcha can vary based on the type you use (see below), so you can adjust the sweetener to taste. Or, add vanilla protein powder instead: it gives a hit of protein and sweetness at the same time!
A note on types of matcha
There are three grades of matcha that correspond to quality. We recommend using ceremonial grade or latte grade here (we used ceremonial). Why? The difference in color and flavor is very noticeable! The ceremonial grade makes the most brilliant color and tastes much better than the other grades. Here’s an overview of the matcha types:
- Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest grade and fit for tea ceremonies; it has the brightest green color and smoothest flavor (buy it!)
- Latte grade matcha is slightly less bright green and has more bitter flavor (buy it!)
- Cooking grade matcha is greenish brown in color and fairly bitter
Vegan variation
Want a dairy-free matcha smoothie? Omit the Greek yogurt and simply use your favorite non-dairy milk. Oat milk is our favorite non dairy milk for smoothies, with its creamy texture and neutral flavor. Coconut milk would also work well here! You may need to add a bit extra liquid since you’ll be substituting for the Greek yogurt.
We’d also recommend adding protein since you’re losing that with the Greek yogurt. This is especially important if you’re using this smoothie as a meal replacement! Try vanilla protein powder or 1 to 2 tablespoons chia seeds.
Can you make it ahead?
This matcha smoothie doesn’t separate in the refrigerator! So it’s great if you want to blend it up and save half for later. We did notice that the matcha flavor becomes more bitter as it sits: so you may want to stir in a bit of extra sweetener if desired.
More matcha recipes
There are lots of ways to use matcha in cooking and drinks! Here are some of our favorite ways to use matcha:
- Learn How to Make Matcha (Japanese Green Tea)
- Try a hot and tasty Matcha Latte
- Go for an Iced Matcha Latte
This matcha smoothie recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, use oat milk or coconut milk.
Matcha Smoothie (Green Tea Smoothie)
This matcha smoothie recipe is a great way to get all the benefits of green tea: while sipping on a delicious fruity drink!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 small smoothies 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Smoothie
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups frozen pineapple
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt (or omit for dairy-free)
- ½ cup milk of choice (dairy, oat or coconut)
- ½ cup ice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (optional; or vanilla protein powder)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender, breaking the banana into pieces. If desired you can blend without sweetener first and taste before adding. Blend until creamy and frothy, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary and adding a splash more milk if necessary. Serve immediately, or store up to 1 day refrigerated (the bitter flavor comes out more as it sits, so you may need to adjust with sweetener after storing).
Notes
*For the brightest green color and best flavor, we recommend this Ceremonial Grade Matcha. This Latte Grade Matcha also works, but has a more muted color and bitter flavor. Avoid Cooking Grade Matcha here; the flavor isn’t up to snuff.
Hi, how long does the smoothie stays bright green? I made matcha smoothies, but it quickly turned dull green, not the bright green colour it started with. (I used ceremonial grade matcha)
This smoothie should stay bright green for several hours; it shouldn’t dull unless it is refrigerated overnight. Thanks for the question!
I’ve been looking for a reason to like matcha…all the drinks I’ve made taste like grass and smell like hay. I was at my wit’s end trying to figure out what to do with the tub of matcha I’d purchased. After trying this recipe, I will absolutely be keeping that tub!!! I’m not sure I’m a matcha lover, but I definitely love this smoothie!
It works! Not bad but yes you do need to add more milk for sure
I am sensitive to certain fruits; citrus, apple, pineapple, grapes and strawberries. Bananas, blueberries and cherries are ok. I do not know about raspberries or kiwi yet. Other fruits should be ok. Do you have vegetable smoothies that would work around my negative fruits? Thank you for listening.
Yes! This blueberry smoothie should work well for you: https://www.acouplecooks.com/best-blueberry-smoothie/. You could also try https://www.acouplecooks.com/cherry-smoothie/ and substitute milk for orange juice. You can also check this list of vegetable smoothies — https://www.acouplecooks.com/vegetable-smoothie-recipes/
What can I substitute the pineapple with?
You can use frozen mango or peaches!
Let us know if you have any questions!
How much vanilla extract should I put in my smoothie for the best taste?
1 teaspoon