Layered Strawberry Matcha Latte
Four ingredients and fifteen minutes stand between you and a layered strawberry matcha latte that looks like a nine-dollar coffee shop pour. Real strawberries make the jammy red base, oat milk builds the clean white middle, and frothy ceremonial-grade matcha caps the whole thing. The layers hold because of the order — and the ice.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Small Bowl
- Spoon or Fork
- Small Whisk or Milk Frother
- Tall Glass
- Fine-Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Syrup
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 5-6 large)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For the Latte
- 1 cup milk of your choice (oat milk recommended)
- 1 teaspoon ceremonial-grade matcha powder
- 2 tablespoons hot water (not boiling)
- 1 handful ice
Instructions
- Sift the matcha into a small bowl. Add hot water and whisk in a fast zigzag motion until completely dissolved and frothy, about 45 seconds. Set aside.
- Combine the quartered strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Toss to coat and let sit for 2 minutes so the sugar pulls out the juices.
- Turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture bubbles and the berries soften. Smash the berries against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until reduced to about 1/4 cup of jammy syrup.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract every drop of syrup. Discard the solids and let the syrup cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the strawberry syrup into the bottom of a tall glass, covering the bottom by about half an inch.
- Fill the glass to the top with ice. Pile it in gently, but do not jam it down. The ice is what keeps the milk from plunging into the syrup.
- Slowly pour the milk over the ice, ideally over the back of a spoon, until the glass is about three quarters full.
- Slowly pour the whisked matcha over the ice. The frothy matcha will float on top of the milk and create a vibrant green cap.
- Serve without stirring so the layers hold. If you want the hybrid flavor, stir halfway through.
Notes
Keep leftover strawberry syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze it in an ice cube tray for single servings. Frozen syrup cubes double as the base and the ice. Oat milk gives the cleanest white middle layer; almond milk blurs the layers faster. Use ceremonial-grade matcha and sift it before whisking to avoid clumps. The syrup needs to coat the back of a spoon — if it is too thin, the layers will turn pink. Serve the drink unstirred so the stripes hold.