If you love your morning cup of coffee or pick me up in the afternoon, try this delicious frothy matcha latte.
Matcha gives you a dose of L-theanine and caffeine that can improve alertness and brain function, reduce anxiety, while protecting against the mood swings and energy spills that some experience with coffee.
Also, practicing making a cup of matcha and enjoying it mindfully can be your mindful moment. They both remind you to take a break to enjoy a cup and give you energy support in the process.
This frothy matcha latte recipe builds on the traditional way of making matcha tea, adding a few extra ingredients to make it plump and creamy. Just like with Coffee Elevated, I like to use MCT oil to promote healthy fats (especially medium chain triglycerides, which are faster used for energy).
The fat in both the MCT oil and coconut butter makes this latte thick and creamy without the use of dairy or cream. The fat emulsifies and makes this latte not only luxurious, but also tastes delicious and slightly sweet from the coconut butter with no added sugar or sweeteners.
Frothy Matcha Latte Health Benefits
Healthy fats
Both the MCT oil and coconut butter are loaded with healthy fats. Remember, fats are good! Fats keep us full, they help our bodies absorb essential nutrients, they taste delicious, and they play an important role in hormone production and keeping our cells healthy.
If you don’t have MCT oil, you can use coconut oil as it is a great whole food source that contains medium chain triglycerides. However, to get the full effects of MCTs, I recommend filling your pantry with an MCT oil. A recommendation and side note with MCT oil, since this is an oil, start small. Use 2 teaspoons at a time and work up to 1 tablespoon to avoid abdominal discomfort.
Antioxidants
Matcha tea is very rich in antioxidants, amino acids and chlorophyll, which is responsible for its beautiful light green color. Of the amino acids contained in matcha tea, L-theanine is the most widespread and is known to have a relaxing effect on body and mind. Hence, monks traditionally drink matcha tea to relieve their minds for meditation. Plus, the subtle caffeine content helps with focus, which could be because theanine increases serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glycine levels in the brain.
Unlike normal teas, you are actually drinking the entire matcha tea leaf, not just the tea water. This is one of many reasons why matcha tea is much more nutritious than regular green tea. Because of the many steps, care, and time it takes to make matcha tea, it tends to be more expensive than standard teas, but it’s not worth it!
Optimization option
If you want to make this more of a snack, I recommend adding protein. This may come from a vanilla protein powder, or some of my clients LOVE adding a neutral protein like collagen protein. Choose what you want and mix well.
