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You will love this Easy Banana Matcha Latte! It’s slightly sweet, creamy, and comes together in just minutes with a ripe banana and a little sugar. If you love my Strawberry Cheong in a matcha latte, you need to try this!
Lately, a Banana Matcha Latte has been my favorite way to have my matcha. If you’ve never tried banana and matcha together, this latte is the perfect place to start. The banana adds a subtle sweetness and creamy texture that blends beautifully with earthy matcha and milk. It’s a cozy, satisfying drink that’s super easy to make at home.
You can use any milk you like (dairy or non-dairy), and adjust the sweetness to your taste. I recently posted my recipe for Cajeta (Mexican Goat’s Milk Caramel), which would also pair really well with banana! You could swap it out as the sweetener for this recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy – This banana matcha latte comes together in just 5 minutes with a blender and a few basic ingredients.
- Sweet and creamy – The banana adds natural body and flavor, while any added sugar balances the earthiness of matcha for a smooth, delicious drink.
- A fun twist on your usual matcha – If you enjoy flavored matcha lattes using my Fresh Strawberry Syrup or Fresh Blueberry Syrup, this cozy banana variation might be your new favorite!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
You only need 4 ingredients to make this easy banana matcha latte!
- Matcha powder– even though this is a latte, I still recommend a high quality matcha. I enjoy the way high quality matcha tastes, and it still comes through in a latte when made with the right ratios!
- Milk– I prefer whole milk, but you can use whatever milk you prefer. This will still be delicious with non-dairy milk.
- Banana- highly recommend using an overripe banana. It’s sweeter, has a stronger banana flavor, and blends more easily with the milk since it’s softer.
- Sweetener- This recipe is developed with sugar since it’s something almost everyone has in their pantry. However, you can use any sweetener you prefer! A liquid sweetener, like simple syrup, would work even better. You could even try my Cajeta (Mexican caramel) to sweeten and pair beautifully with banana.
- Vanilla extract (optional)– if you have it, a tiny splash of vanilla extract will give your latte a little oomph. If you’re using a vanilla syrup as your sweetener, skip this ingredient.
How to Make it:
- Sift matcha powder to prevent clumping.
- Add hot water (175°F).
- Whisk quickly in a W motion for 20 seconds or until frothy.
- Lift the bamboo whisk a little higher and slowly whisk out the larger bubbles if you like a micro foam (optional).
- Blend banana with sugar, vanilla extract, and half of the milk.
- Combine with the remaining half of the milk in a glass with ice.
- Pour the whisked matcha on top.
Recipe Tips
- Only Blend Half of the Milk With the Banana. If you blend all of the milk with the banana, the milk will whip and incorporate too much air into it. This makes it undesirably foamy. Mixing in the remaining half of milk by hand, prevents this from happening.
- Use An Overripe Banana. They are sweeter, stronger in banana flavor, and have a softer texture that blends more easily. Plus, it’s a great way to use up your overripe bananas!
- Simple Syrup Instead of Sugar. If you have it, simple syrup or even a vanilla syrup is a better option. Because it disperses evenly through the drink, simple syrup gives you a more balanced sweetness from the first sip to the last.
- Start With Less Sugar, Then Adjust. This recipe calls for a conservative amount of sugar, because I do not like my drinks overly sweet. Add more if needed for your taste!
- Optional: Brûléed Banana Garnish. Slice a ripe banana, sprinkle the cut sides with sugar, then carefully torch (or broil) until golden and caramelized. Let cool slightly, then place on top of the latte for a beautiful, crackly finish.
Why I Use Fresh Banana Instead of Cheong (Syrup)
When it comes to making this banana matcha latte, I’ve found that using fresh banana blended with milk gives the best flavor and texture by far. It creates a naturally creamy base, adds subtle sweetness, and blends beautifully with matcha without overpowering it.
I experimented with both cooked banana syrup and cheong (similar to maceration), but they didn’t hold up well. Banana in syrups can taste off after a short time, and it tends to oxidize quickly, turning into a brown gooey mess- not exactly what you want in a pretty green latte.
There’s a lot of cool food science behind this, but to keep it short:
Bananas don’t cheong well because they are low in moisture and high in starch, which limits syrup extraction. Cheong relies on osmosis to draw water out of fruits, but bananas have dense flesh that resists this process. Instead of releasing syrup, they often break down into mush, leading to fermentation or spoilage rather than a clean, preserved syrup.
Matcha Latte Golden Ratio
When it comes to making the perfect matcha latte, balance is everything… but so is preference! For me, too much matcha turns it bitter and can make me caffeine high. Too little, and it just tastes like sweetened milk. I don’t like my matcha lattes that sweet.
Here’s a tried-and-true golden ratio that yields a smooth, flavorful latte for me, every time:
🌿 Golden Ratio (By Weight)
- 4g matcha powder (about 2 tsp)
- 50g hot water (about ¼ cup)
- 120g milk (about ½ cup)
- Optional sweetener: 5-10g (about 1½ tsp)
This ratio gives you a matcha-forward drink that’s not too overpowering, with enough milk for creaminess and sweetener for balance. Your perfect ratio may be different from mine! Just keep experimenting with it to find yours.
More Matcha Latte Flavors
If you’re interested in other types of flavored matcha lattes, you must try making my Strawberry Cheong! It was my favorite sweetener for matcha lattes until this banana recipe. Strawberries and matcha are a wonderful pairing, and it’s great for easy matcha lattes because it can hold in the fridge for months!
Another easy cheong that is great for matcha lattes, is my Blueberry Cheong recipe. It’s hard to choose between blueberry and strawberry- both are so delicious! So I usually have both on hand at all times.
For something more unique and versatile, try my Apple-Lemon Cheong. This one is a little more complex in flavor- the added citrus pairs beautifully with matcha!
FLavored syrups for matcha lattes
If you tried this Easy Banana Matcha Latte or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Easy Banana Matcha Latte
Ingredients
- 4 g matcha powder, about 2 tsp
- 50 g hot water (175°F or 79°C), about ¼ cup
- 120 g milk of your choice, about ½ cup
- 1 tbsp overripe banana, add more for stronger banana flavor
- 5-10 g sugar , about 1-2 tsp
- tiny splash of vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Into a bowl, sift the matcha powder to prevent clumping.
- Add hot water (175°F or 79°C), then whisk quickly in a W motion for 20 seconds or until frothy.*No bamboo whisk? No problem! You can use a regular whisk, a frother, or even shake in a small container vigorously.
- Lift the bamboo whisk a little higher and slowly whisk out the larger bubbles if you like a micro foam (optional). Set aside
- Combine half of the milk with the banana, sugar, and vanilla extract if using. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a glass over ice, then mix in the remaining milk.
- Pour the matcha over the banana milk mixture.
- Optional: garnish with a brûléed banana and enjoy 🙂
How to make brûléed banana garnish:
- Sprinkle a generous layer of sugar over a slice of banana. Torch it until it begins to caramelize, or set it under a broiler until it turns golden brown. Repeat on other side.
Notes
- Use simple syrup if you have it: This recipe was developed using sugar since most people have this in their pantry. However, simple syrup disperses more evenly through the drink, giving you a more balanced sweetness than granulated sugar.
- Adjust for sweetness: I prefer my lattes less sweet. You may need to add more sweetener for your taste.
- Only blend half of the milk with the banana: if you blend ALL of the milk with the banana, the milk will whip and incorporate too much air into it. This makes it undesirably foamy. Mixing in the remaining half of milk by hand, prevents this from happening.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
made 2 serving but used whole tiny-sized banana and no sugar- very refreshing! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
thanks a lot of information amazing