My Whole30-friendly cold matcha latte made with coconut water, collagen, matcha, and non-dairy creamer is my fave new iced morning drink! Move over coffee, here comes something greener!
Have you ever been stuck in a unproductive and unfulfilling relationship, but you kept at it because you were too lazy to kill it?
Breaking up with coffee
That’s how I felt about my hot-and-cold love affair with coffee. I adore its taste—to me, there’s nothing quite like a creamy glass of cold brew on the rocks—but I can no longer ignore the fact that I get really jittery whenever I drink coffee. It’s been like this for years, but I just ignored it. (This is not unlike how I used to dismiss all my pre-Paleo joint pain and GI distress as “normal.”) The final nail in the coffin was hammered in when I checked my 23andme DNA results recently, and saw that I have a genetic variation in the enzyme that metabolizes caffeine—one which results in the stimulant sticking around longer in my system than in most other people’s.
A-ha! That’s the reason for my jitteriness! Armed with this knowledge, I dumped the coffee…and picked up a new matcha habit.
My replacement? Cold Matcha Latte!
What does a matcha latte taste like?
This jade-green Whole30-friendly beverage is creamy, coconut-y, and a little grassy (but in a good way!), and ever since I switched over, I can’t imagine starting my morning differently. (Okay—sometimes, I eat a couple of my Matcha Coconut Gummies instead, but I don’t always have those cuties chilling in the fridge.)
Matcha doesn’t make me jittery
But wait: doesn’t matcha contain caffeine, too? Yeah, but there’s less caffeine in matcha than in coffee. Plus, matcha contains a compound called L-theanine that’s supposed to exert a calming effect, coupled with increased alertness. Personally, when I drink matcha, I never feel anxious or restless. Instead, I’m able to focus on whatever task I have on hand without freaking out about all the stuff on my to-do list. Win-win!
Collagen FTW!
I also add a heaping scoop of easily dissolvable unflavored collagen peptides to my morning matcha latte, which gives my green drink a nice creamy texture and can help with gut, skin, and joint health. This aging mommy is happy to get any help she can get in those last three categories!
Questions about matcha or collagen peptides?
Are you a visual learner? You can watch this video to see how stress-free and easy this recipe is:
Okay. Enough chit-chat. Ready to make my Cold Matcha Latte part of your morning ritual, too?
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut water, chilled (I like Harmless Coconut Water brand, but feel free to use your favorite coconut water!)
- 1 heaping tablespoon collagen peptides
- 2 tablespoons Nutpods or coconut milk or your fave unsweetened non-dairy creamer or plain coconut yogurt
- 1 teaspoon matcha (I like this one. Save 20% with code: nomnompaleo)
Equipment:
- Measuring spoons
- Immersion blender
- Your favorite mug
Method:
Grab your immersion blender and blending cup. Measure out the coconut water (I used Harmless Coconut water and it’s naturally pink), collagen peptides…
…non-dairy creamer…
…and matcha…
…and place it all in the cup of your immersion blender.
Blend until smooth!
Savor and start your day with a bang! (You can pour it over ice, too!)
Got extra matcha? Make these other nomtastic recipes:
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Cold Matcha Latte
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut water chilled (I like Harmless Coconut Water brand, but feel free to use your favorite coconut water!)
- 1 tablespoon collagen peptides
- 2 tablespoons Nutpods full-fat coconut milk, non-dairy creamer, or plain coconut yogurt,
- 1 teaspoon matcha save 20% off with code: nomnompaleo
Instructions
- Grab your immersion blender and blending cup. Measure out the coconut water, collagen peptides, non-dairy creamer, and matcha and place it all in the cup of your immersion blender.
- Blend until smooth!
- Savor and start your day with a bang! (You can pour it over ice, too!)
Video
Notes
- Start by reading these great articles about gelatin/collagen, and matcha.
- If you’ve never tasted matcha (which is a special type of finely milled green tea powder), try before you buy. Go order a matcha drink at your local hipster coffee/tea hangout, and take a sip or three before deciding whether to drop a small fortune on a fancy tin of green powder. (Good quality matcha ain’t cheap, people!)
- Matcha mixed with hot water can have a grassy, vegetal flavor loaded with umami; while the taste is not for everyone, I—and most people I know—happen to adore it. When it’s blended into a latte drink, the grassy matcha flavor is muted, and you end up with a tasty, creamy green beverage. Personally, I dig this brand of matcha online, but I also buy cans of matcha at my favorite tea shop and at Japanese markets. I was gifted a tin of this ultra high-end matchathat might make a fab present for someone special in your life (like yourself!).
- Make sure you procure a high-quality collagen peptides derived from grass fed animals. (I like this one.) And no, it doesn’t make your drink taste beefy. Also, make sure you buy collagen peptides for this recipe—not gelatin—because you want it to dissolve in cold liquid.
- You can make this a hot matcha latte by heating up the coconut water first!
