You can cover most matcha cravings with three recipes: an iced matcha latte for warm days, a matcha tiramisu for guests, and a matcha ice cream that needs no machine. All three start with the same skill, which is dissolving matcha powder without lumps, and all three use exact doses you can measure with a simple kitchen scale.
This guide gives you the quantities, the timings and the small tricks that keep the colour bright jade instead of dull olive. If you are new to the powder itself, read what is matcha first, then come back for the recipes.
Which matcha works best for recipes?
For drinks, use ceremonial grade, because you taste the powder directly. For desserts you have more freedom: culinary grade is acceptable in the tiramisu dip, but the dusting on top and the ice cream base still reward better powder with a brighter colour and a smoother taste. We compared the two grades honestly in ceremonial vs culinary matcha.
| Recipe | Matcha needed | Active time | Waiting time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iced matcha latte | 2g | 3 minutes | None |
| Matcha tiramisu (serves 6) | 6g | 30 minutes | 4 hours in the fridge |
| Matcha ice cream (about 1 litre) | 8g | 15 minutes | 6 hours in the freezer |
How do you make an iced matcha latte?
Sift 2g of matcha into a cup, add 50ml of water at 80 degrees, and whisk for 20 to 30 seconds until smooth. Fill a glass with ice, pour in 150ml of cold milk, then pour the matcha over the top. That is the whole recipe, and it takes about three minutes.
Two details make the difference. Keep the water at 80 degrees, because hotter water pushes the taste toward bitter. And always sift, because clumped powder never fully dissolves once it hits cold milk. If you have no whisk, shake the matcha and water in a closed jar with two ice cubes and pour it through a small sieve.
The whisking motion is the same one you use for a plain bowl, and our ritual guide shows it step by step. For milk choices and a lightly sweetened version, see the full iced matcha latte guide.
How do you make matcha tiramisu?
Matcha tiramisu is a classic tiramisu where strong matcha replaces the espresso. Whisk 4g of matcha into 200ml of water at 80 degrees for the dip, layer soaked ladyfingers with mascarpone cream, chill for at least 4 hours, and dust with 2g of matcha just before serving.
For a dish that serves six you need: 24 ladyfingers, 250g mascarpone, 200ml cold whipping cream, 60g sugar and 6g of matcha in total. Whip the cream with the sugar until it holds soft peaks, fold in the mascarpone, then build two layers of dipped biscuits and cream. Dip each biscuit for one or two seconds only, because they keep absorbing liquid in the fridge.
The dusting has one strict rule: do it right before serving, not earlier. Matcha's green comes from chlorophyll, built up while the plants sit under shade for 30 days before harvest, and on moist cream that bright jade turns olive within a few hours. The taste stays fine, but the look does not.
How do you make matcha ice cream without a machine?
Use the no-churn method: whip 400ml of cold cream to soft peaks, fold in 200g of sweetened condensed milk and 8g of matcha dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water, then freeze for 6 hours. No custard, no ice cream maker, one bowl.
Dissolve the matcha first in water at 80 degrees and sift it before it goes in, otherwise you get green speckles instead of an even colour. Taste the base before it goes into the freezer: it should taste slightly too strong, because freezing mutes flavour. 8g gives a clear tea flavour that stands up to the sweetness, and 6g works if you prefer it softer.
Store it airtight and eat it within two weeks. After that the colour starts to fade, even in the freezer.
How do you keep matcha green in desserts?
Keep the powder away from heat, light and waiting time. Never take the water beyond 80 degrees, add the matcha as late in the recipe as you can, and dust decorations at the last moment. Between recipes, store the pouch airtight in a cool, dark place.
Colour is also your quality check before you start. Fresh, well-stored matcha is bright jade, while old or cheap powder looks olive and tastes flat in recipes too. Our guide on how to spot good matcha shows exactly what to look for.
FAQ
Can you use ceremonial matcha for baking?
You can, but oven heat flattens the fine taste you paid for. That is why all three recipes here are no-bake, so the tea flavour stays intact. For cakes and cookies, culinary grade is the sensible choice.
How much caffeine ends up in a portion?
A standard 2g drinking serving carries roughly 60 to 70mg of caffeine. One portion of the tiramisu contains about 1g of matcha, so roughly half of that.
Can I make these ahead?
The tiramisu even improves overnight, as long as you dust it just before serving. The ice cream keeps for two weeks in the freezer. The iced latte is best made fresh.
How many recipes come out of one 30g pouch?
The tiramisu takes 6g, the ice cream 8g and the latte 2g, so one pouch covers both desserts plus eight iced lattes.
All three recipes were tested with our 30g ceremonial matcha from Uji: single origin, first harvest and stone-ground, with the bright jade colour these recipes are built to show off.
