Vegan Latte Recipes: Vanilla Coconut Matcha Tea Latte

Matcha tea is one of the superfoods that you’ll probably be hearing more about in 2016. Matcha, an antioxidant-rich variety of green tea, is a bright green, finely-ground tea powder. It’s pretty easy to find online or in health food stores. When you drink matcha, you actually consume the tea leaves—unlike the more conventional tea experience in which you simply steep the leaves in water. In addition to giving you a boost of antioxidants, matcha has been used successfully in weight loss regimens and is noted for its ability to help you feel fuller and squelch cravings. Here’s more on the health benefits of matcha tea. Matcha contains some caffeine—but the caffeine in matcha tends to be released more slowly than the caffeine in coffee, so if you’re looking for a way to replace your morning joe, try a matcha tea latte! Since I haven’t given up my morning coffee but still want to jump on the matcha train, I normally consume matcha tea by mixing it into my oatmeal or putting a spoonful in a green smoothie. Simple! Matcha tea lattes just look so good, however, that I had to try one for myself. This attempt came out surprisingly tasty, smooth, and mellow. Hopefully, you’ll like it, too. I can see this matcha latte replacing my occasional afternoon coffee when I just need *something* to help me power through the rest of the workday. For the true latte experience, i.e. foamy, milky bliss, you’ll need a milk frother. There are several varieties out there, but we find that an inexpensive manual frother does the trick just fine—plus it’s a like a mini arm workout! But don’t worry if you don’t have a milk frother on-hand. You can still enjoy the taste and health benefits of a matcha tea latte with warm, un-foamy milk :) A note on milk selection: I encourage you to experiment with vegan milks for your matcha tea latte. I choose soy (because it froths like a champ) and coconut (because I love the flavor). Almond, hemp, or even cashew would work as well.