If you love your morning cup of coffee or an afternoon pick me up, give this delicious frothy matcha latte a try.
Matcha gives you a dose of L-theanine and caffeine which can enhance alertness and brain function, decrease anxiety while protecting against mood swings and energy crashes that some experience with coffee.
Plus, the practice of making and mindfully enjoying a cup of matcha can be your mindful moment, both reminding you to take a break to enjoy a cup and providing you with energy support while doing so.
This Frothy Matcha Latte recipe builds upon the traditional way of making matcha tea, adding in a couple of extra ingredients that make it more filling and creamy. Just like the Coffee Elevated, I like using MCT oil for a boost of healthy fats (specifically medium-chain triglycerides that are utilized quicker for energy).
The fat in both the MCT oil and the coconut butter make this latte thick and creamy without using dairy or heavy cream. Not only does the fat emulsify and make this latte luxurious, but it also tastes delicious and slightly sweet from the coconut butter without any added sugar or sweetener.
Frothy Matcha Latte Health Benefits
Healthy Fats
Both the MCT oil and coconut butter are loaded with healthy fats. Remember, fats are good! Fats keep us full, they help our bodies absorb key nutrients, they taste delicious, and they play a vital role in hormone production and keeping our cells healthy.
If you don’t have MCT oil, you can use coconut oil since that’s a great whole food source that contains medium-chain triglycerides in it, but to get the full effect of MCTs, I recommend stocking your pantry with an MCT oil. A recommendation and side note with MCT oil, since this is an oil, start small. Start using 2 teaspoons at a time and work yourself up to 1 tablespoon to avoid any tummy troubles.
Antioxidants
Matcha tea is very high in antioxidants, amino acids, and chlorophyll, which is responsible for its beautiful bright green color. Of the amino acids contained in matcha tea, L-theanine is the most prevalent and is known to have a relaxing effect on the mind and body, hence why traditionally monks would sip matcha tea to help ease their mind for meditation. Plus the subtle caffeine content helps with focus, which could be because theanine increases serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glycine levels in the brain.
Unlike normal teas, you’re actually drinking the entire matcha tea leaf, not just the tea water. This is one of many reasons why matcha tea is much more nutrient-dense than standard green tea. Because of the many steps, care, and time it takes to create matcha tea, it tends to be more expensive than standard teas but is beyond worth it!
Optimizer Option
If you want to make this more of a snack, I recommend adding protein. This can come from a vanilla protein powder or some of my clients LOVE adding in a neutral protein like collagen protein. Choose whatever you like and blend well.