There is nothing better than starting your morning with a cup of warm coffee – if you can tolerate it. But many of us (myself included) need to cut back on coffee which can mess with our hormones and is fairly acidic in the body.
So naturally, we turn to tea. I’ve done a TON of experimenting with teas, but personally, to replace that comforting feeling of coffee with milk I needed to find teas that pair well with milk (non-dairy of course). And right now I’m LOVING my comforting latte recipes so much that I would choose them over coffee any day: my Matcha Lattes as well as my Golden Milk Lattes. For today, we’ll focus on the energy-boosting Matcha. I’ll share my recipe and it’s awesome benefits.
This Matcha Latte recipe has a ton of health benefits, including:
helps detoxify your body
boosts your metabolism
enhances weight loss and fat burning
promotes hormonal balance
good for gut health
give you an energy boost (without the jitters)
it’s filling and delicious!
My Matcha Latte is made with dairy-free almond milk (I use homemade almond milk) though you can also use oat milk, cashew milk or coconut milk; all three work great. It’s free of refined sugar, yet still has a slight sweetness, and has an amazingly delicious creamy texture. I also add collagen that’s amazing for your gut, hair, skin and nails (and adds a bit of protein), and MCT oil that helps you burn fat.
Before diving in, let’s discuss briefly:
WHAT IS MATCHA?
Matcha is an intense form of a finely ground powdered green tea, where the whole leaf is consumed. So instead of just steeping tea leaves in hot water, you’re actually consuming the entire leaf, dissolving it in your hot liquid.
It has a pretty strong earth taste, which is why I (and probably most people) prefer it as a latte, so the milk helps neutralize the taste. My recipe will make you love the taste, so you can enjoy while you get all the amazing health benefits.
Matcha tea leaves are super high-quality and requite great care - The leaves are picked by hand and the stems and veins are removed, then its ground into a fine powder. Usually the finest matcha comes from Japan, where it has been grown for centuries and forms part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
But as with everything, it’s important to get a good reputable brand, and opt for CEREMONIAL grade and organic (with no preservatives!) if possible.
Here are some I recommend:
Jade Leaf organic ceremonial matcha (my current go-to)
Four Sigmatic Matcha (I like this one as it has added benefits from the adaptogenic mushrooms (60g and contains Lions Mane)
Pique Tea Sun Goddess Matcha (comes in convient individual size packets)
A Bit More on MATCHA’S HEALTH BENEFITS
ANTIOXIDANTS: Matcha green tea is extremely high in antioxidants called catechins. It’s said to have approximately 137 times more antioxidants that regularly brewed green tea! Matcha also has more antioxidants than almost any other superfood, even blueberries, goji berries. Matcha’s powerful antioxidants can help delay aging and prevent disease, even fighting cancer.
WEIGHT LOSS: It also has properties that boost your metabolism, burn calories, burn fat and therefore, help with weight loss.
PROVIDES ENERGY BOOST WITHOUT DISRUPTING HORMONES: While matcha has caffeine (more than regular green tea and even coffee) it has elevated L-Theanine levels that help inhibit potential side-effects linked to caffeine like that sharp rise in adrenaline. It basically will give you an “alert calm” boosting your energy and concentration without making you jittery. This is probably the #1 reason I love it!
DETOXIFIES: It’s rich in chlorophyll that helps your body eliminate toxins from the body. Since matcha leaves are grown on bushes kept under shade, this shade increases the amount of chlorophyll content in the leaves.
NUTRIENT DENSE: Matcha contains magnesium, selenium, zinc, chromium (great for balancing blood sugar), Vitamin C, A and even fiber.
And now on to the recipe:
Mariana’s Matcha Latte
Ingredients:
3/4-1 teaspoon organic matcha (preferably ceremonial grade)
1/4 cup hot water (just boiled)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (alternatively use oat milk, cashew or coconut milk)
Pinch of cinnamon, to taste (I use about 1/4 tsp)
1 scoop collagen peptides powder (highly recommended, I add it in ALWAYS, as apart from benefits, it adds creaminess)
optionals:
1 teaspoon prebiotic fiber, such as pure acacia, or bulletproof innerfuel, or biome prebiotic)
½ teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract
½-1 teaspoon MCT oil (or can swap for regular coconut oil or ghee)
1/4 teaspoon moringa powder (I started using this for the breastfeeding benefits, and now its part of my daily matcha)
a pinch of maple syrup, or coconot sugar, or stevia or monk fruit, to taste (I personally don’t add any sweetener but if you feel you”need” it, I highly suggest gradually decrease your sweetener)
Other optional add-ons (great for hormonal balance): add ½ tsp of Ashwagandha (for more stress reducing properties) or Maca (for more energizing properties)
Ingredients:
1. In a mug or small bowl, whisk together the matcha (option to use a bamboo whisk) with the hot water until fully dissolved.
2. Add all the other ingredients to your mug, then toss everything into a blender (I use the Vitamix). Blend for about 30 seconds (I like to blend the last few seconds on the lowest power to get that froth) then add back to your mug.
3. Option to heat it up for 30-60 seconds, and enjoy your frothy, creamy and healthy Matcha Latte!
P.S. My personal go-to mix currently is: 3/4 tsp matcha, 1/4 tsp moringa, 1 scoop collagen, 1 tsp prebiotic fiber, pinch of cinnamon (and always 1/4 cup hot water, then 1 cup homemade almond milk) … and its divine!