Creamy, airy and full of green tea flavour, this homemade matcha cold foam is a great way to elevate iced drinks. Made with just 3 main ingredients, it whips into a smooth, velvety foam that slowly floats over iced tea, coffee, lattes and more.
What is Matcha Cold Foam?
Cold foam is a thick and creamy foam made by whipping together heavy cream and milk. Unlike whipped cream, cold foam is light and still pourable. It gently sits on top of iced beverages and slowly blends into the drink.
Cold foams can have added ingredients like sweeteners, flavouring or tea. In this case, matcha! The green tea powder adds an earthy flavour and gorgeous green colour to the rich and silky foam.
If you’ve ever ordered a drink topped with cold foam at a café, you’ll love how easy it is to recreate at home. This recipe takes only a few minutes. You can try it on iced matcha lattes, iced hojicha lattes, iced black tea, iced chai, iced coffee, cold brew and more!
Why You’ll Love This Matcha Cold Foam Recipe
- Very easy to make. Only 3 ingredients and ready in minutes.
- Versatile. Delicious on iced matcha, iced coffee, cold brew, black tea and more.
- Customizable. Try different variations with added sweeteners or flavours.
- Beautiful presentation. It instantly makes homemade drinks look cafe-quality!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This simple matcha cold foam recipes uses just 3 main ingredients.
- Matcha: Use a good-quality matcha for the best flavour and colour.
- Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream: Heavy cream provides the richness needed to create a fluffy cold foam. Heavy cream may also be labelled as whipping cream, depending on where you live. What’s most important is using cream with 35% milk fat.
- Milk: Milk helps lighten the cream so the foam is thick yet pourable. Without milk you’ll just be making whipped cream, not cold foam.
- Optional Sweetener: While this recipe focuses on the 3 main ingredients, you can add maple syrup, vanilla syrup or other sweeteners if you prefer a sweet matcha cold foam.
How to Make Matcha Cold Foam
Ingredient measurements and full directions are in the printable recipe card below.
STEP ONE: In a tall glass or jar, sift the matcha with a fine mesh strainer to remove clumps.
STEP TWO: Add the heavy cream and milk. If you are using sweetener, you can also add it here.
STEP THREE: Using a handheld milk frother or an electric frother, whisk the mixture until it is thick, smooth and pourable. It should resemble melted ice cream rather than whipped cream, so be careful to not overdo it.
STEP FOUR: Slowly pour the matcha cold foam over your favourite iced beverage. You can also spoon it over, if needed. Garnish the top with anything (ie. more matcha powder, ground spices, sprinkles, etc.) and serve/enjoy immediately.
Tips for the Best Matcha Cold Foam
- Always sift the matcha to prevent clumps.
- Use cold ingredients straight from the refrigerator for the fluffiest texture.
- Don’t over-froth. If you do it can become whipped cream. If this happens, you can stir in a splash of milk until it loosens.
Variations
Try these ideas if you’d like to customize your matcha cold foam:
- Sweetened Matcha Cold Foam: Add 1–2 teaspoons of maple syrup, brown sugar, honey or simple syrup before frothing.
- Vanilla Matcha Cold Foam: Add a splash of vanilla extract or vanilla simple syrup.
- Lavender Matcha Cold Foam: Sweeten the cold foam mixture with lavender simple syrup.
- Extra Matcha Flavour: Increase the matcha slightly for a more pronounced green tea taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is matcha cold foam made of?
This recipe uses just matcha powder, heavy cream and milk. However, if you want to sweeten the cold foam, a sweetener like sugar or honey can be added to the mixture before frothing. You can also add flavoured syrups or extract for a flavoured matcha cold foam (ie. vanilla, lavender, brown sugar, mint, etc.)
Can I make matcha cold foam without heavy cream?
Heavy cream is needed to create the appropriate texture. Without heavy cream, the foam will be too runny and light.
Can I make matcha cold foam without a frother?
Yes. You can vigorously shake the ingredients in a tightly sealed jar or whisk them by hand. An electric frother simply makes the process faster and creates a smoother foam.
Why isn’t my matcha cold foam getting thick?
It could be because of a few different reasons. If the heavy cream wasn’t cold or it had too little fat, it will not thicken. If you added too much milk it will make the mixture too runny. Also, you want to make sure that you stop the frothing at the right moment. You’re looking for a texture that’s airy enough to float but still fluid enough to pour.
Can I make matcha cold foam ahead of time?
Cold foam is best enjoyed immediately after frothing.
Try this Green Tea Cold Foam on top of these drink recipes from the blog:
- Maple Hojicha Latte – a neat combination of 2 different Japanese green tea powders!
- White Chocolate Peppermint Tea Latte – earthy matcha notes complement this sweet and creamy drink.
- Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte – for a tasty Autumn inspired drink.
- Mint Iced Tea – you can’t go wrong with mint and green tea together.
- Strawberry Iced Tea – matcha and strawberry are a popular flavour combination.
Matcha Cold Foam
Equipment
- tall glass or jar
- fine mesh strainer for sifting matcha
- tablespoon for measuring ingredients
- handheld milk frother or electric frother
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon matcha
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream 35% fat content
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1-2 teaspoons sweetener optional
Instructions
- In a tall glass or jar, sift the matcha with a fine mesh strainer to remove clumps.
- Add the heavy cream and milk. If you are using sweetener, you can also add it here.
- Using a handheld milk frother or an electric frother, froth the mixture until it is thick, smooth and pourable (about 15-20 seconds). It should resemble melted ice cream rather than whipped cream, so be careful to not overdo it.
- Slowly pour the matcha cold foam over your favourite iced beverage. You can also spoon it over, if needed. Garnish the top with anything (ie. more matcha powder, ground spices, sprinkles, etc.) and serve/enjoy immediately.