This simple 3-ingredient iced matcha lemonade is quick, easy and SO deliciously refreshing! Made using freshly squeezed lemons for a nice zesty flavor and also paired with antioxidant-rich matcha green tea powder. Great single-portion energizing lemonade to enjoy on a hot summer day.
This refreshing drink combines two of my favorite things: matcha + lemonade! ❤️
You might be surprised by this combination, but really, a matcha lemonade makes for such an amazing pairing of flavors. It might be one of my favorite matcha drinks I enjoyed this summer!
Similarly to this iced blueberry matcha latte, the natural earthy flavor from matcha goes well with other fruity flavors in cold drinks. The gradient in colors is stunning and the bitterness from the green tea is balanced naturally by the fruit (zesty lemons in this case).
Actually, Starbucks has its own iced matcha lemonade recipe, although I am not sure that it is always possible to get it.
But, it is so ridiculously easy to make your own iced matcha lemonade right at home! This recipe is a Starbucks matcha lemonade copycat, but made healthier with less added sugar (Starbucks uses a pre-sweetened matcha powder) and you can adjust the flavors, such as how zesty you want it to be.
And you will save so much money making your own green tea lemonade recipe!
I also realized how simple and quick it is to make it at home. The lemonade part is done in 5 minutes simply by combining freshly squeezed lemons with water and sweetener. Then, dissolve matcha powder in water and add to the homemade lemonade. It is that easy!
If you love warm matcha latte drinks but feel like a refreshing treat, especially in the summer or the warmer months, then give this matcha lemonade a try, I bet it will become a new favorite!
Let me know if you try it! 😀
Highlights of this recipe
- Perfect cooling summer drink made without alcohol
- Excellent alternative to coffee: this drink will give you an energizing effect from the matcha, but with less caffeine compared to coffee
- Healthier (with less sugar) and less expensive compared to the Starbucks version
- Loaded with antioxidants and rich in vitamin C
- Delicious drink made using only 3 simple ingredients
- Uses fresh lemons for the best fresh and zesty lemonade flavor!
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
Ingredients you'll need
- Fresh lemons: give the absolute best lemonade flavor! Do not use bottled pre-squeezed lemons, it just won't give you the same fresh result.
- Pure matcha powder: matcha powder simply is a fine powder made from green tea leaves. There are different types of Japanese green tea powder you can choose from: 1- ceremonial grade matcha (high-quality matcha and best for drinks) and 2- culinary grade matcha (great for baking). I used a ceremonial grade to make this recipe, but if you only have a culinary grade, use this one, it will work just fine. Compared to ceremonial grade, a culinary matcha powder is a little less expensive and has a paler green color that's less bright (with a slightly different flavor).
- Sweetener: I love maple syrup to flavor drinks as it carries a mild caramel-ish flavor and its liquid form dissolves easily into a cold liquid. You can also use agave nectar, brown rice syrup, date syrup or also, simple syrup.
How to make an iced matcha lemonade recipe
There are 2 easy steps to make this recipe: prepare 1- the lemonade and 2- the matcha tea. Both are done quickly and the drink should be all done in under 10 minutes. The longest part is to squeeze the juice out of the lemons!
Make the fresh sweet lemonade
Start by pressing the lemon juice. I love my glass lemon squeezer, but you can also use a manual handheld lemon squeezer. If you don't have any of these tools, it's fine! Just halve the lemons and squeeze their juice out using your hands/fingers in a bowl, then remove the pits from the juice.
You are looking to get ¼ cup of lemon juice, which means about 1 ½ lemons. If you have any, keep the leftover lemon to slice and decorate the lemonade when serving.
In a tall glass, pour the fresh lemon juice, sweetener and also the cold water (¾ cup). Stir to combine and set aside.
Make the matcha tea
Heat up the ¼ cup of water using the microwave.
In a small bowl or mug, sift the matcha green tea powder and then pour the warm water over. I like to use a small fine mesh colander for this.
Use a matcha whisk (or a regular whisk if that's all you have) to dissolve the matcha powder into the water by whisking vigorously (try not to whisk circularly, instead whisk following the shape of a W into the cup, see the video in the recipe card at the end).
Assemble the lemonade
To the glass with the lemonade, add lots of ice cubes and lemon slices. Then, pour the matcha green tea over. Stir and taste to adjust the sweetener. Enjoy!
Helpful tips
- You can easily control how sweet you want your lemonade to be. You could make it completely free of added sugar, although I think both the zesty flavor from the lemons and the bitterness from the matcha need a little sweetener. You can start with less (maybe about 1 tablespoon) and simply adjust when the lemonade is assembled.
- Sifting and dissolving well the matcha first in hot water with a whisk is important. Do not simply add the powdered matcha to the lemonade or it will clump!
- To help create a beautiful gradient look in the glass, then make sure you add the lemonade first, then the ice cubes and finally, pour the matcha concentrate over slowly. The ice cubes help prevent the lemonade and matcha to combine right away.
Variations
There are so many ways you can change this recipe! This is the kind of drink you can really experiment and add more to it, such as:
- Chai spices: check out my warm chai matcha latte for inspiration!
- Blueberries or raspberries: crush them at the bottom of your serving glass before adding the lemonade ingredients.
- Oranges: for a less zesty lemonade, use half lemon + half orange juice.
- Sparkly lemonade: swap the regular tap water for sparkling water when making the lemonade.
- Coconut: you can swap the water for coconut milk when making the lemonade, this will give you a beautiful creamy matcha lemonade. Or, simply use coconut water. Check out this coconut water lemonade for inspiration!
- Speedy: feel free to use a store-bought lemonade instead of pressing your own lemons if that's easier and more convenient. You could think of doing this if planning on making a pitcher or preparing many servings for a party to save some time. There are some brands of lemonade that are healthier with less added sugar, so I would definitely avoid the super sweet kind made with preservatives.
- Don't have matcha powder? Then, feel free to steep 1-2 bags of green tea in the hot water instead.
FAQ's
1 teaspoon of matcha powder contains about 70 mg of caffeine, which is what this drink is made of. A cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine, just to give a comparison.
You can very easily make a whole pitcher of matcha lemonade if you serve it to many people. I prefer to make individual servings as I think the gradient of yellow to green color is so pretty. If making a pitcher, then make sure to add the ice cubes just before serving!
You can definitely make the lemonade part of the drink ahead of time and even, make triple or quadruple servings so you can make many lemonades during a busy week without much prep. Keep the lemonade in a glass container, such as a large mason jar, in the fridge for a few days or until ready to use. I do recommend making the matcha green tea part just when ready to serve for the best freshness.
Yes! This recipe combines powerful antioxidants from matcha powder with a homemade lemonade made out of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lemons are ultra-rich in vitamin C, but also contain potassium and some vitamin B. Making a homemade version of a matcha lemonade also ensures it is not loaded with added sugar: sweeten it just enough to your taste! This easy drink is perfect for all matcha lovers looking for an energizing and hydrating drink that's filled with amazing flavors!
Try these matcha recipes next
- Strawberry matcha smoothie
- Iced blueberry matcha latte
- Vanilla oat milk matcha latte
- Chai matcha latte
- Matcha mini brownies
- Matcha white chocolate cookies
- Coconut matcha energy balls
- Matcha chocolate oatmeal
- Matcha granola
More refreshing drinks to try
- Passion fruit mocktail
- Lemon chia seed water
- Pina colada mocktail
- Mango water
- Strawberry acai lemonade refresher
- Vegan horchata
- Lavender blueberry lemonade
- Pineapple slush
- Berry tonic
- Ginger turmeric glowing shots
- Oolong peach iced tea
- Dragon fruit lemonade
- Chia seed tea
- Chocolate banana milkshake
I hope you like this iced matcha lemonade recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Iced Matcha Lemonade
Ingredients
For the lemonade layer
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup - or to taste
For the matcha layer
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- ¼ cup hot water
Instructions
- Start by juicing the lemons. You will need ¼ cup of lemon juice, which is about 1 ½ - 2 lemons.
- Make the lemonade: In a tall serving glass, add the water (¾ cup), lemon juice and maple syrup (you can start with 1 tablespoon of sweetener and adjust later). Give it a good stir and set aside.
- Make the matcha green tea: In a small bowl or a mug, sift the matcha powder and pour the hot water over (¼ cup). Whisk until fully dissolved and smooth, about 30 seconds. Ideally, you would whisk using a bamboo matcha whisk, but you can also use a small regular whisk if that's all you have.
- Add a few ice cubes and slices of lemon to your glass with the lemonade and then, pour the matcha mixture over.
- Stir, taste to adjust sweetener and enjoy right away.
Video
Notes
- You can make a pitcher of this drink by tripling or quadrupling the ingredients, although I prefer making individual servings to enjoy the beautiful gradients of color. Add the ice cubes just before serving.
- Feel free to sweeten this lemonade to your taste. You can make it without any added sugar, although both the zesty lemons and bitter matcha powder are best when balanced with a little sweetness.
- You can make the lemonade part ahead of time, but try making the green tea mixture just when ready to enjoy.
- You can add more flavorful ingredients to your matcha lemonade, such as blueberries or raspberries (crush them at the bottom of your serving glass before adding the lemonade), chai spices (add them to the matcha powder to mix with water), orange juice (do a half lemon + half orange juice for a less zesty lemonade) or make a creamy or bubbly lemonade by swapping the regular tap water with either sparkling water or coconut milk. Read the blog post for more ideas!
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