Change up your matcha game with this easy matcha horchata latte recipe! Mexican horchata adds a light cinnamon flavor and creaminess that tastes so good when mixed with matcha. Give it a try!
What is a Matcha Horchata Latte?
For those of you who don’t know, I grew up in southern California, where Asian and Mexican food combine in the most glorious ways. Think kogi tacos… kimchi quesadillas… and matcha horchata!
It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a matcha latte, but instead of milk, you use Mexican horchata instead. It’s creamy, cinnamon-y, and so so good. I first tasted it at a café in Long Beach that’s now closed, but I recently had it again at a matcha café near where I live now in the Seattle area.
I was tired of paying $7 a cup, though, so I resolved to make my own. And here we are!
Horchata Recipe for Matcha Horchata
So, really, you can use any Mexican horchata you can get your hands on. If it’s most convenient for you to buy it from a store or even your local taco truck, go for it. If you’d like to make your own from scratch, I will link you the recipe I used. This was actually my first time making horchata, and I just used the first recipe that popped up on Google. I am obviously NOT a Mexican food blogger, so I don’t want to take any credit for the horchata part of my recipe. That said, the recipe I linked above from Muy Delish made two quarts of horchata! I only use 1/2 cup per latte, so scale down as needed. Or have a taco party to serve the leftovers.
What Matcha to Use for Matcha Horchata Latte
What matcha should you use for your lattes? The answer is: whatever one you like the best! A lot of blogs out there will tell you to use only “ceremonial” matcha to drink or to NOT use ceremonial matcha to drink. To learn why you don’t need to worry so much about those labels, check out my Beginner’s Ultimate Guide to Matcha post. If you’re completely new to matcha and don’t know where to start, I actually recommend getting the Trader Joe’s matcha powder! It’s cheap and actually tastes really good.
How to Make Matcha Horchata and Other Tools Needed
Making matcha horchata is really simple. I whisk matcha powder with hot water in a cup. Then I add ice. Then I add the horchata.
Now, if you want the nice layered look in your cup, it’s not that much more difficult. Whisk the matcha and hot water in a separate bowl. Then in a clean cup, put your ice and horchata. Pour your hot matcha over the iced horchata, trying to aim your liquid at the ice so that it settles gently in a nice layer on top.
I use a bamboo matcha whisk called a chasen. A lot of matcha lovers use the chasen because it whisks the matcha really well, not leaving any clumps, and won’t scratch any nice tea bowls or cups you have. There are other matcha tools to use too, like bamboo scoops and tea strainers, but to be honest, for my everyday lattes, I don’t use them. Not worth the dish washing. In any case, you do not HAVE to use a chasen, just as long as you can make sure you don’t leave any clumps of matcha powder with whatever tool you do use. If you’d like to learn more about matcha tools and teaware that I recommend, definitely check out my Ultimate Guide to Matcha.
More Matcha Recipes
Anyway, that’s all there is to this matcha horchata recipe! If you’re interested in more matcha recipes, check out some of these:
- Perfect Vegan Matcha Latte
- Matcha Butter Mochi
- Matcha Shortbread with White Chocolate
- Matcha Mochi Waffles
If you try any of these recipes, I hope you let me know! Enjoy!
Matcha Horchata Latte
Equipment
- 1 12 oz cup
Ingredients
- 1 tsp matcha about 2g
- 1/4 cup water almost to a boil
- ice
- 1/2 cup Mexican horchata See note
Instructions
- Place tsp of matcha into 12 oz mug (or other heat proof cup if you will be pouring into a different glass).
- Add 1/4 cup almost boiling water and whisk until smooth. I use a bamboo whisk specifically made for matcha, but you can use whatever works.
- Fill cup with ice almost to the brim. (Get a new 12 oz cup if you are pouring the matcha on top)
- Pour the horchata over the ice, stir and enjoy. If you're layering your matcha on top, pour matcha over the iced horchata, take a picture, then stir and enjoy.
Notes
- Please use high quality matcha!
- I googled a horchata recipe and used the first one that came up. See link above in blog post if you want to make your own as well. It’s really easy! If not, you can definitely use any store or restaurant-bought horchata as well.