A strawberry matcha latte pairs matcha and strawberry in one glass: a sweet strawberry layer at the bottom, milk in the middle, and bright green whisked matcha poured on top. The result is the photogenic green-over-pink drink you have seen in cafes, and it is genuinely easy to make at home once you know the ratios. Below is a full recipe for both iced and hot versions, plus the small techniques that keep the matcha smooth instead of clumpy.
What a strawberry matcha latte actually is
The combination of strawberry and matcha works because the two flavors sit on opposite ends of the spectrum. Strawberry is sweet and a little tart. Matcha is grassy, vegetal, and gently bitter. Milk binds them together and softens both. When you build the drink in layers rather than stirring everything at once, you get the signature look: a pink base, a pale band of milk, and a vivid green cap.
It is a riff on the classic matcha latte, just with a fruit layer added underneath. If you have never made the base drink, our guide to making a matcha latte covers the core whisking method, and what is matcha explains the powder itself. This page focuses on the strawberry version.
Ingredients
This makes one tall glass. Scale up as needed.
For the strawberry layer
- About 1 cup (roughly 150 g) strawberries — fresh or frozen, hulled
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sweetener (sugar, honey, maple syrup, or simple syrup), to taste
- A splash of water, only if the puree is too thick
Frozen strawberries blend into a smoother puree and are available year-round. Fresh strawberries at peak season need less sweetener. If you want a shortcut, a good-quality strawberry syrup or a spoon of strawberry jam loosened with water also works.
For the matcha
- 1 to 2 teaspoons matcha powder (about 2 to 4 g)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) hot water, not boiling — around 70 to 80 C / 160 to 175 F
For the milk and finish
- About 3/4 to 1 cup (180 to 240 ml) milk of your choice
- Ice, for the iced version
- Optional: extra sweetener stirred into the milk
Choosing your matcha: ceremonial vs culinary grade
Matcha is sold in two broad tiers. Ceremonial grade is made from the youngest, shade-grown spring leaves, finely stone-ground, with a smooth, delicate flavor and a vivid green color — it is the grade traditionally whisked with just water. Culinary grade uses later-harvest leaves and has a stronger, more assertive taste built to cut through milk, sweetener, and, in this case, strawberry.
For a strawberry matcha latte, either works. Culinary or a mid-priced "latte grade" gives you bold matcha flavor that still reads through the fruit and dairy, and it is the more economical pick for an everyday drink. Ceremonial grade gives a smoother, sweeter, less bitter cup if you want the matcha to taste cleaner. Prices vary by country and retailer, but as a rule ceremonial costs more. If you want to dig into grades and rituals, our guide to drinking matcha tea goes deeper.
How to make an iced strawberry matcha latte
The iced version is the most popular and the easiest to layer cleanly.
- Make the strawberry puree. Blend the strawberries with your sweetener until smooth. No blender? Add the berries and sweetener to your glass and crush them with a muddler or the back of a fork until they release their juice and break down into a rough puree.
- Build the base. Spoon the strawberry puree into the bottom of a tall glass and level it.
- Add ice. Fill the glass with ice cubes. The ice slows down each pour and helps the layers stay separate.
- Pour the milk. Pour cold milk slowly over the ice. Sweeten it first if you like a sweeter drink. Stop before the glass is full so there is room for the matcha.
- Whisk the matcha. Sift the matcha into a small bowl or wide cup. Add the hot water and whisk briskly in a "W" or "M" motion with a bamboo whisk (chasen) or an electric frother for 15 to 20 seconds, until smooth and lightly frothy with no lumps. Let it cool for a moment so it does not melt the ice.
- Pour the matcha on top. Slowly pour the whisked matcha over the ice in a thin stream, aiming for the ice cubes so it spreads into an even green layer. Pour over the back of a spoon for the cleanest separation.
- Serve and stir. Serve immediately. Stir everything together right before drinking so each sip has strawberry, milk, and matcha.
How to make a hot strawberry matcha latte
The hot version sacrifices the dramatic layers but is cozy and just as good.
- Warm the strawberry puree. Gently heat the blended strawberry puree (a few seconds in the microwave or a small pan) and spoon it into the bottom of your mug.
- Whisk the matcha. Sift and whisk the matcha with the hot water as above, until smooth.
- Steam or froth the milk. Heat your milk until hot but not boiling, then froth it with a frother, French press, or by shaking it in a sealed jar. A handheld milk frother makes this quick.
- Combine. Pour the hot milk into the mug over the strawberry, then pour the whisked matcha on top. Stir gently and drink while warm.
Ratios and sweetness tips
Use this as a starting point, then adjust to taste.
| Component | Iced (1 glass) | Hot (1 mug) |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberry puree | 2 to 3 tbsp | 2 to 3 tbsp |
| Matcha powder | 1 to 2 tsp | 1 to 2 tsp |
| Hot water (to whisk matcha) | 2 to 3 tbsp | 2 to 3 tbsp |
| Milk | 3/4 to 1 cup | 3/4 to 1 cup |
| Ice | Fill the glass | None |
Sweetness lives mostly in the strawberry layer, so sweeten the puree first and taste before adding more elsewhere. Honey and maple bring their own flavor; simple syrup keeps it neutral. If your matcha tastes too bitter, you likely used too much powder or water that was too hot — dial the powder back to 1 teaspoon and keep the water under a boil.
Dairy vs oat, almond, and other milks
Whole dairy milk gives the creamiest body and the most stable layers. Among plant milks, barista-style oat milk is the closest match for richness and froths well. Almond and soy work too but are thinner, so the layers blur faster. Coconut milk adds a tropical note that plays nicely with strawberry. Any of them is fine — pick what you drink anyway.
How to avoid clumpy matcha
Clumps are the most common complaint, and they come from two things: skipping the sift and using water that is too hot. Three habits fix it:
- Always sift. Push the matcha through a small fine-mesh sieve before adding water. It takes seconds and breaks up the powder that clumps in the tin.
- Make a paste first. Add a small amount of hot (not boiling) water and whisk that into a smooth paste before you think about milk. Whisking matcha straight into a full glass of cold milk is what leaves floating green specks.
- Whisk, do not stir. A bamboo chasen or a handheld electric frother aerates the matcha. A spoon does not. Use a brisk side-to-side "W" motion for 15 to 20 seconds.
For the full whisking walkthrough, the matcha latte guide goes deeper on tools and technique.
Common questions and small upgrades
Want it thicker and more like a cafe blended drink? Blend the strawberry layer with a little extra ice. Prefer it less sweet? Use fresh in-season strawberries and skip added sugar in the puree entirely. Chasing the deepest green cap? Reach for a fresher, finer matcha and keep it out of light and heat between uses, since matcha fades over time.
Once you have the strawberry matcha tea dialed in, the same layering trick works for a plain iced matcha latte or a mango or blueberry version. Matcha rewards a little practice — your second glass will look better than your first, and your fifth will look like the cafe's. Keep exploring matcha drinks and find the ratio that tastes like yours.