Name: Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte with Strawberry Cold Foam
Prep time: 10 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 to 2 teaspoons matcha powder (see note); 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar; 4 tablespoons water; 2/3 to 3/4 cup ice cubes; 3/4 cup whole milk; 1/4 cup cream or more milk; 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream; 1 tablespoon whole milk; 2 tablespoons strawberry puree (see note); 1 tablespoon vanilla syrup (see note)

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Learn how to make the Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte with Strawberry Cold Foam at home! This refreshing drink features a layer of earthy matcha tea mixed with milk, and a delicious strawberry cream on top!

I think my favorite drink at Starbucks at the moment is their iced matcha latte with strawberry cold foam (AKA sweet cream) on top.

The pleasant umami flavor of the matcha mixed with the sweet-tart freshness of strawberries is a wonderful combo.

Today I’m going to show you how to make it at home, so you can customize it to your personal preferences.

Plus you’ll never have to wait in line to pick up your favorite drink again.

Video Tutorial

Here’s a video demonstration of the process in case you prefer to learn by watching it done. The full written tutorial and printable recipe are below!

Ingredients:

First, let’s go over the simple ingredients you’ll need. This drink is made in two parts, so I’ll discuss the ingredients for each part separately.

For the Iced Matcha Latte:

1 to 2 Teaspoons Matcha (Green Tea Powder): I’ll discuss this more in a bit, but I highly recommend sourcing a good quality, ceremonial grade matcha powder.
1 to 2 Teaspoons Sugar: Starbucks uses sugar to sweeten their iced matcha latte (it’s actually pre-mixed into the matcha powder), but feel free to substitute maple syrup, honey, simple syrup, brown sugar, or your personal favorite sweetener.
4 Tablespoons Water: You can use either room temperature or hot water here. Just make sure it’s no more than 170 degrees F (76 C). Starbucks simply shakes together the milk, ice, and matcha, but this results in an unevenly mixed drink that I don’t recommend.
3/4 Cup Milk: Starbucks’ default is to use 2% milk, but I prefer to use whole milk. You could also substitute your favorite non-dairy milk. I personally prefer oat milk over almond milk and coconut milk in lattes.
1/4 Cup Cream: I like to add a little cream as well. This is completely optional: you can substitute more milk if you prefer.
2/3 to 3/4 Cup Ice Cubes: The amount of ice you use will depend on the size of your ice cubes and your glass.

For the Strawberry Sweet Cream:

3 Tablespoons Cream: The sweet cream is (surprise, surprise!) composed mostly of heavy cream.
1 Tablespoon Milk: But then you add some milk to make sure it’s not too thick.
2 Tablespoons Strawberry Puree: Here’s where the magic comes in! I’ll discuss how to make the puree in a bit.
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Syrup: This is technically optional: if you prefer a less sweet strawberry cold foam, feel free to leave the extra sweetener out. But I find that it enhances the strawberry flavor. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a few drops of vanilla extract if you prefer. But then the flavor will be a little different.

A Word About Different Grades of Matcha:

When you’re getting started with making matcha at home, all the different brands and grades can be confusing.

Here’s a quick guide to selecting a good quality matcha powder:

Culinary Grade Matcha: This is the most affordable option, but it’s also the most bitter and least flavorful. I don’t typically purchase culinary grade matcha powder, but there are a few on the market that are nice, such as the Mizuba Culinary Matcha.
Latte Grade Matcha: Not all brands offer this mid-tier option, but there are a few nice ones on the market. They aren’t quite as exceptional as ceremonial grade, but they’re typically more affordable and a step up from culinary grade.
Ceremonial Grade Matcha: This is the highest quality matcha in the US, and it’s also the most expensive. It’s typically much less bitter and more sweet than culinary grade, and has an overall better flavor. It also has a vibrant green color in comparison to the duller color of culinary grade. Please do not write off matcha until you’ve tried the good stuff!

For a full review of 14 different brands, make sure to check out my Best Organic Matcha Powder post. But for a quick recommendation, the Thrive Market and Encha Matcha ceremonial grades taste great and are a great price.

How to Make a Starbucks Strawberry Matcha Latte:

First, you’ll want to make the strawberry puree.

Now, you can make strawberry puree by simply blending fresh strawberries until completely smooth.

Or, if you’d like the flavor to be closer to Starbucks’, you can make my Homemade Starbucks Strawberry Puree recipe. Either is delicious in this drink!

BTW, if you have any leftover strawberry puree, it’s best to freeze it in ice cube trays for long term storage. It doesn’t last long in the fridge!

Making the Iced Matcha Latte:

Okay, now that you’ve made the strawberry puree, it’s time to work on the iced matcha latte!

Start by whisking the matcha powder, sugar, and water in a small bowl with a bamboo whisk until completely smooth.

This can be done with a regular whisk, but I highly recommend using a bamboo matcha whisk for the best results.

Alternatively, you can place the matcha, water, and sugar in your glass and whisk it with a handheld electric frother.

Place the ice in a 16 ounce glass.

Pour your milk of choice and the cream on top.

Finish it off with the matcha mixture.

Making the Strawberry Cold Foam (AKA Sweet Cream)

To make the strawberry sweet cream, place the cream, milk, strawberry puree, and either vanilla syrup or maple syrup + vanilla extract in a small glass or measuring cup.

Whip with a handheld milk frother until somewhat thickened, but not so thick that it resembles whipped cream.

Putting it all together:

Pour the strawberry cold foam on top of the iced matcha latte.

If you want distinct layers, I recommend stirring the matcha layer until it’s a uniform green color before pouring the strawberry layer on top.

For serving, you can either stir the whole drink together, use a straw to keep the strawberry layer on top and all the flavors separate, or simply sip from the glass and allow the flavors to meld naturally.

How Many Calories are in an Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte?

It’s difficult to calculate the calories for the Starbucks iced strawberry matcha latte because it’s not an official menu item. I’m guessing a Grande Starbucks matcha strawberry latte contains around 350-450 calories.

My homemade version contains around 500 calories. It’s most likely higher than the Starbucks version because I use part cream in the matcha base layer. It will be more like 340 calories if you use all milk.

Does the Strawberry Matcha Latte Have Caffeine?

Yes, there’s actually a significant amount of caffeine in a strawberry matcha latte: approximately 80 grams in a Grande size!

Matcha has more caffeine per serving that regular green tea since you’re consuming the whole leaf instead of just steeping it and removing the leaves.

How Much Sugar is in the Starbucks Strawberry Matcha?

Again, this is hard to calculate since this drink is not an official menu item. But I’m guessing a Grande contains around 35-50 grams of sugar.

My homemade version contains approximately 40 grams of sugar.

So that’s my iced strawberry matcha latte recipe!

Make sure to check out my other recipes below!

More Matcha Drinks:

More Starbucks Copycat Recipes:

Recipe Card:

Yield: 16 ounce drink (Grande)

Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte with Strawberry Cold Foam

Learn how to make the Starbucks Strawberry Matcha Latte at home!

Prep Time 10 minutes