Strawberry Iced Matcha Latte (Sugar-free)

This strawberry iced matcha latte has officially replaced my cup of joe in the mornings. After many years of cold brews and oat cappuccinos, I decided to give myself a break from coffee. 

For those who know me, this is major news!! I loooove coffee. My weekends revolved around getting coffee. I would trek through snow storms just to get good coffee. 

But I felt myself becoming more and more sensitive to coffee as I felt jittery and started having digestive problems. I needed to find another alternative that was going to give me everything coffee did minus the stomach problems. 

That’s when I discovered matcha. Everything about matcha seems to be better for you than coffee. 

For one, coffee has a ph level of 5 or lower, making it fairly acidic, which can cause digestion problems and imbalance in the gut. Matcha has a neutral ph level and digestible fiber which helps promote a healthy digestive system.

Secondly, coffee spikes your cortisol levels, your body’s main stress hormones. Your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, making the body more alert in case a “predator” comes to attack. This hormone is important but when constantly consuming coffee, it can lead to excess fat storage in case we need to flee from a “predator.” Matcha, on the other hand, is anti-cortisol. It reduces stress levels and helps stabilize blood sugar levels. 

Lastly, coffee doesn’t have as many antioxidants as matcha. Most importantly, coffee doesn’t contain catechins, the rare group of super molecules which aids in weight loss and anti-aging properties. 

There’s pages of research providing the benefits of matcha but those three have convinced me to ditch my cup of coffee for matcha. 

If you’re still not convinced, I recommend visiting Boba Guys, one of my favorite tea shops in New York, and trying out the different varieties of iced matcha lattes they offer. My favorite is their Strawberry Iced Matcha Latte, which consists of three ingredients: strawberry puree, choice of milk, and matcha. I find myself constantly craving this drink that I had to make my own version. 

Their strawberry puree is delicious but I made a sugar-free version with a few tablespoons of applesauce. Don’t worry as the sweet and tartness of the strawberries overpowers any apple flavor. Top with a cold cup of oat milk and matcha, this iced strawberry matcha latte is so perfectly refreshing and light! 

---

quick notes

• I used frozen strawberries because they are picked at their ripest and frozen to store. However, if using fresh strawberries, make sure to taste and add more apple sauce or sweetener as needed.
• The strawberry puree thickens the longer it sits in the refrigerator. Don’t worry as it will thin out when you mix with your choice of milk.
• If you don’t own a matcha bamboo whisk, feel free to use a regular metal whisk, an electric frother or a shaker bottle. I personally use a regular metal whisk. The key is to slightly tilt the bowl and whisk it quickly back and forth, producing the letter “M” or “W” until it becomes frothy. I have tried to use an electric frother but my matcha tends to end up on the bitter side. The shaker bottle is a method I see my favorite cafe, Interlude, use and they produce the smoothest and frothiest iced matcha lattes.
• There are different grades of matcha but a good rule of thumb is the brighter the green they are, the higher the quality. However, there is no need to buy the highest grade of matcha (ceremonial matcha) because they are enjoyed at their purest form with just hot water. (Side note: I signed up for a tea ceremony class when I was in Kyoto, Japan and was served a cup of ceremonial matcha with hot water and was surprised how creamy and frothy it was!)

---

STRAWBERRY ICED MATCHA LATTE

Strawberry puree

• 1 cup (135g) frozen strawberries, halved
• 2 tbsp apple sauce
• 2 tbsp water

In a pot, heat strawberries over medium low heat with 1 tablespoon of apple sauce. After a few minutes and the strawberries start to become soft, add the second tablespoon of apple sauce and stir.

Once the strawberries are soft enough to crush with a spoon, transfer to a blender with 2 tablespoon of water. Blend and refrigerate.

Iced Matcha Latte

• ¼ cup of hot water
• 2 tsp matcha
• 1 cup oat milk (or any milk)

In a deep bowl with hot water, sieve your matcha powder and whisk to combine. (See quick notes #3 for alternative ways to combine.)

In a glass, pour 2-3 tsp of strawberry puree and add a few cubes of ice. Pour in your choice of milk and top with the matcha mixture. Enjoy!

---

p.s. If you like this recipe, click the icons below to share and leave a comment below! Make sure to tag me @girlmeetsradish & #girlmeetsradish so I can see what you are making!