By now, I’m sure you’ve all seen matcha cubes used in iced matcha lattes and you may be wondering how to make them. As the weather gets warmer, we thought this would be a great opportunity to share a matcha ice cubes recipe guide. We’ll also discuss why you might want to start using matcha ice cubes in your latte.
Introduction to Matcha Ice Cubes
First, let’s talk about what matcha ice cubes are. These are essentially cubes made out of frozen matcha. You make them by freezing matcha tea in an ice cube tray. To change the shape of these matcha ice cubes, you simply use different shaped cube molds.
So now you may see all sorts of different shapes and sizes, although not all of these are technically matcha ice cubes, we still call them that for simplicity, even though they may be shaped like letters of the alphabet.
The Benefits of Matcha Ice Cubes
Regular ice cubes can be great for keeping your drink cold, but there is one big problem: when these ice cubes melt, they water down your matcha latte.
One of the biggest things to avoid when preparing a matcha latte is to avoid using too much water, as this can dilute the flavor and make for a worse drinking experience.
After putting all the work into making the best matcha latte, it would be a shame to just water it down with ice cubes. The solution is to actually use matcha ice cubes. These cubes are just as good at keeping your drink cold but when they melt, they actually make the drink more flavorful.
Another benefit of these iced cubes is that they allow you to make matcha lattes much more quickly. You can prepare a tray of these ice the night before and then in the morning, just put a couple of them into your thermos and pour in your favorite plant-based milk.
In just a few seconds, you will be all set to head out for the day. As the ice cubes melt, they will add matcha flavor to the oat milk or soy milk, and they brew your matcha latte over time. Instead of getting less flavorful, the latte will actually get more flavorful as the ice cubes melt.
The Recipe
When it comes to a recipe, the steps are very simple. Let’s do a brief overview and then we can walk you through more slowly later.
Step One: Making Matcha Tea for the Ice Cubes
The hardest part about the matcha ice cubes is just making the matcha tea itself. This only takes a minute or two, so don’t be too intimidated. For this, we’re going to need a total of 1 cup of liquid to fill 12 ice cube slots in the ice cube tray, so we’re going to tweak the normal matcha recipe a bit to produce a higher volume of matcha tea.
All you have to do is sift four grams of matcha powder into a bowl or a measuring cup if you have one. Once the powder is inside, you can then pour in one cup of cool water and start mixing.
For the mixing, you don’t have to worry too much about the foam, just make sure that the powder and the fill it up all the way. Instead, you can fill it up to around three-quarters full, and the ice should expand the rest of the way. Once all the sections are filled, you’re ready to freeze your matcha ice cubes.
Step Two: Freezing the Ice Cubes
The freezing process should only take a few hours, but sometimes it’s easier just to leave it overnight. Then you can start your day with these wonderful matcha frozen cubes.
Most ice cube trays nowadays are flexible, so you should have no problem getting them out, but if it seems like they are stuck, you can give it a little bit of time to thaw out. You can now use these matcha ice cubes for whatever you want—use them in your matcha lattes or even your mixed drinks. It can also be nice to just have matcha in a solid form like this so you can easily add it to things. The only limit is your creativity!
Are These the Same as Instant Matcha Cubes?
While these matcha ice cubes do allow you to make great-tasting matcha in a matter of seconds, they shouldn’t be confused with instant matcha cubes. This is another product we found that is a huge innovation in matcha technology.
These instant matcha cubes are made out of freeze-dried ceremonial grade matcha tea powder, and they allow you to make great-tasting matcha in seconds. All you need to do is stir them into water, and you can instantly prepare a Japanese green tea.
With the instant matcha cubes, you don’t need to worry about things like getting the temperature right or getting the ratio right, and you don’t even need special tools. All you need is some water, and you’re ready to go. You can even just prepare the tea in your water bottle when you’re traveling.
What’s the Best Matcha to Use?
When it comes to making the matcha ice cubes, you have two options. You can either go for the high-quality ceremonial grade matcha powder or you can use the slightly lower quality latte grade matcha. This decision comes down to what you’re using the matcha cubes for.
If you’re planning on adding them to a matcha latte, a smoothie, or something that involves a lot of other flavorful ingredients, you can just use the latte grade matcha. We found that when most people are using matcha ice cubes, it’s for their iced lattes, so it’s more likely than not that this is going to be the one that you use.
