My Whole30-friendly iced 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 an 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? Iced 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?
Okay. Enough chit-chat. Ready to make my Iced Matcha Latte part of your morning ritual, too?
Time to make Iced Matcha Latte!
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 and serve over ice!
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), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Iced 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 and serve over ice!
- Savor and start your day with a bang!
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!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks yummy! I have a question- will you get the same health benefits from the matcha if you use cold water instead of hot water?
I think so!
How would you suggest making this different if I wanted a warm matcha latte?
Hi there! I also have been experiencing a love-hate relationship with my morning coffee. I have been super excited about matcha, and love your recipe. Recently I was disappointed to learn that matcha tends to contain high amounts of lead and/or heavy metals. Have you looked in to this at all? I’d love to replace my morning (and afternoon) coffee(s) with matcha lattes, but am concerned about consuming too much lead. Do you know if the brands you suggested are lead-free? Thanks for the help!
I’ve read those articles as well, but I think the benefits outweigh the risks. I don’t drink more than 1 serving a day and if you use a high quality ceremonial grade from Japan, the amount of lead is much less.
Awesome, thanks for the quick reply!
Hi – Michelle! As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more and more caffeine intolerant – it would make my heart race. We switched to half-decaf and then decaf. Regular decaf still has some caffeine in it, and it was making it hard for my husband to sleep. We switched to Swiss water decaf, and enjoy our pot of coffee every day. So if you ever have a craving for coffee again, try the Swiss water decaf. Btw – love all your Instant Pot recipes (all the others, too – we are just in love with the IP.)
Thanks!
I decided to finally give matcha a try a couple of months ago. At the time, all I had was some sort of dairy-free milk (coconut or almond), so I made my matcha lattes with that. I finally bought some coconut milk, and I’ve recently joined a raw goat milk share, so I’m now using those ingredients to make my latte. It’s great! I almost miss adding the local raw honey, but this is so smooth and subtly sweet, without being too sweet, that I don’t want to add the honey in. I was strict paleo for several years, and while I’m not any more (hence the raw goat milk), I still know where to come to find some reliable, tasty, and healthy recipes. It’s great to see how your site has continued to grow and thrive over so many years! 🙂
Thank you!
Quick question-where did you get the nice glass you’re blending the drink in the photos? I meant to ask you at tonight’s book signing in Chicago but it totally slipped my mind!
It came with my immersion blender!
What a unique idea! I must try this today. Your food photography was amazing too. I just find your blog today. Its cool.
uhhh, this is freaking yummy!
Hey Michelle, I’m new to the collagen and bone broth game and just purchased bone broth protein powder, no flavor. Will that work instead of the brand you suggested? With cost and all, just curious. Thanks in advance!
I’ve never tried that in my matcha latte before. If it truly has no taste and blends well — you can try it!
I’m not usually one for matcha drinks, but this one surprised me! I love the taste (I’m making it with the coconut yogurt) and the bitter/sweet taste. It perks me up in the mornings as much as a cup of coffee and I really love the energy it gives me ☺️ Thanks for the recipe!!