If you’re not a fan of coffee or are looking for something a little different, Starbucks has many unique menu items you can enjoy. One of their most popular tea options is matcha tea, which is a type of Japanese green tea powder. Some of the best Matcha drinks are listed on the Starbucks menu while there are others on the secret menu you can enjoy with a custom drink order.
No matter what drink you choose, there’s something for every tea lover. Keep reading to find out about the 13 best matcha drinks at Starbucks.
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1. Matcha Tea Latte
The Matcha Tea Latte at Starbucks is the original Starbucks matcha drink. This latte includes a combination of their matcha powder with steamed or cold milk of your choice. Although it comes standard with 2% milk, you can swap the 2% for any of their dairy-free options if you choose.
A grande Matcha Tea Latte at Starbucks has about 80 mg of caffeine, so while it doesn’t have as much as a cup of coffee, it still gives you a boost to start your day or a pick-me-up in the afternoon.
2. Matcha Crème Frappuccino
If you’re looking for a blended version of the green tea latte, you’ll love the Matcha Crème Frappuccino. Like the Matcha Tea Latte at Starbucks, this drink doesn’t have any coffee, but a grande does have about 70 mg of caffeine. This drink is higher in sugar than most other options at Starbucks like most other frappuccinos.
It’s tasty as a treat every once in a while, but keep in mind the amount of sugar and calories before you make it a daily order.
3. Green Drink
The Green Drink is a matcha drink that isn’t on the Starbucks menu, but you can still try it with a custom drink order at Starbucks. The Green Drink is a tasty take on black tea with a combination of the green tea powder.
To order the Green Drink, order an iced black tea without water. Then add coconut milk and matcha powder. The combination of the black tea and green tea will lead to a higher amount of caffeine which makes for a delicious combination.
4. Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink
The Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink is a matcha drink that’s no longer on the Starbucks menu. This drink was previously made with matcha powder, coconut milk, and pineapple ginger syrup. While Starbucks discontinued the pineapple ginger syrup, they do currently have a Pineapple Passionfruit drink that includes freeze dried pineapple.
The closest way to order this drink now would be to order a Matcha Tea Latte with coconut milk and add freeze dried pineapple if it’s available at your local store.
5. Matcha Pink Drink
While the Pink Drink is on the menu at Starbucks, the Matcha Pink Drink takes that drink a step further. The original Pink Drink is essentially the Strawberry Acai Refresher with coconut milk instead of water. It’s sweet, creamy, and a great way to get some natural caffeine without a ton of sugar.
The Matcha Pink Drink is a variation of the regular Pink Drink and is just as tasty. To order it, ask for a Pink Drink with added vanilla sweet cream cold foam mixed with matcha powder. The foam on top gives the drink some added sweetness along with the flavor of matcha. Keep in mind the added matcha powder will add some extra caffeine as well.
6. Iced Matcha Lemonade
If you’re looking for a refreshing matcha drink to quench your thirst or cool off on a warm day, the Iced Matcha Lemonade is the perfect choice. This drink includes three scoops of the Starbucks matcha powder along with lemonade. Similar to the Matcha Tea Latte, the Iced Matcha Lemonade has about 80 mg of caffeine.
However, this drink doesn’t include any milk. Instead, it’s made with the Starbucks lemonade, which includes a combination of lemon juice, lemon oil, water, and sugar.
7. Cha Cha Latte
Here’s another tasty matcha drink you can enjoy with a custom order at Starbucks. While it’s not on the Starbucks menu, this latte is simply a combination of the Chai Tea Latte and the Matcha Tea Latte. Even though these two lattes taste different, their flavors come together very well.
To order the Cha Cha Latte, ask for a Matcha Tea Latte with two to three pumps of chai syrup. How much syrup you add is up to you, but keep in mind each pump will include added sugar and about 20 mg of caffeine.
8. Baby Yoda Frappuccino
If you’ve got a sweet tooth and love matcha tea, this is the perfect treat for you. The Baby Yoda Frappuccino is a customization of the Matcha Crème Frappuccino. Although it may seem like a strange combination, the matcha powder pairs well with the caramel syrup in this blended drink.
To enjoy the Baby Yoda Frappuccino, order a Matcha Crème Frappuccino with 2 pumps of caramel syrup. For an added touch of sweetness, ask for caramel drizzle in the cup and on top of your frappuccino.
9. Nutty Caramel Iced Matcha
The Nutty Caramel Iced Matcha is another sweet combination of matcha tea powder and caramel syrup. While it’s higher in sugar than your typical matcha latte, it has a unique combination of flavors with the addition of caramel, hazelnut, and toffee nut syrup.
To order the Nutty Caramel Iced Matcha, order an Iced Matcha Latte with caramel drizzle in the cup. Then, add two pumps of brown sugar syrup, one pump of hazelnut syrup, and one pump of toffee nut syrup. Ask them to top it with vanilla sweet cream cold foam to complete the drink!
10. Shamrock Tea
The Shamrock Tea gives you the creaminess of the Matcha Tea Latte but is also just as refreshing as the Iced Matcha Lemonade. Depending on the size of the drink, the calories and caffeine content will vary. The added scoops of vanilla bean powder have about 20 calories each.
Enjoy a Shamrock Tea by ordering an Iced Matcha Tea Latte but with coconut milk. Then, add a splash of lemonade as well as two scoops of the vanilla bean powder.
11. Brown Sugar Matcha Latte
If you love the Starbucks brown sugar syrup, try this Brown Sugar Matcha Latte on your next visit! The brown sugar syrup has become popular, especially with the addition of drinks like the Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso.
To try this tasty treat, order an Iced Matcha Latte with oat milk and add three pumps of brown sugar syrup. The oat milk will make the drink a bit thinner than the latte with 2% milk and adds a sweet, nutty flavor.
12. White Mocha Matcha Latte
The White Mocha Matcha Latte is a sweet and creamy version of the standard Matcha Tea Latte at Starbucks. While there are numerous variations of this drink you could choose from, try ordering an Iced Matcha Tea Latte with heavy cream. Then, add three or four pumps of white mocha syrup.
If you want something a little lighter, you can stick with the standard 2% milk and add the white mocha or even swap it out for a dairy-free milk instead.
13. Vanilla Cold Foam Matcha Iced Latte
Instead of choosing between the White Mocha Matcha Latte and the Cha Cha Latte, why not combine the two? The Vanilla Cold Foam Matcha Iced Latte combines the best flavors from some of the most popular drinks at Starbucks. Plus, the vanilla cold foam on top gives it an extra touch of sweetness.
To create this custom drink, order an Iced Matcha Tea Latte with oat milk. Then, add two pumps of chai syrup, two pumps of white mocha syrup, and vanilla sweet cream cold foam on top.
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Benefits of Drinking Matcha
If you’re a fan of green tea and the different matcha drinks at Starbucks, you might wonder about the benefits of drinking matcha. Matcha has been praised for its medicinal properties, especially in Asian cultures, for thousands of years. Since then, studies have been done on the benefits of matcha and here’s a look at some of the benefits that were discovered:
Filled with antioxidants
One of the largest benefits of matcha, and many other types of tea, is the amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants are beneficial for your health in many ways. They’re especially beneficial for your eye health, heart health, and even your skin health.
Enhances brain function
Many people choose to drink caffeinated beverages like tea or coffee because of the boost of energy they get from caffeine. Some of the studies on matcha show that it can enhance your brain function and help your focus and memory. While it doesn’t have as much caffeine content as coffee, matcha does have a higher amount of caffeine than regular green tea.
Anti-cancer properties
Drinking matcha regularly may help prevent diseases and matcha even contains compounds that have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer in some studies. One of these compounds is called epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which has been studied for its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects.
Good for your heart
Heart health is so important, especially considering how many people are at risk for cardiovascular disease. Drinking green tea on a regular basis might prevent you from getting certain cardiovascular diseases. It also has been studied for its ability to reduce the risk of high blood pressure, which is another serious condition.
Is Starbucks Matcha Healthy?
Now that you’re aware of some of the many health benefits of consuming matcha, you might wonder–are the tasty matcha drinks at Starbucks really healthy?
The matcha tea powder used in Starbucks drinks is a combination of green tea and sugar. The sugar is actually mixed into the matcha powder, which means even if you don’t have any added syrup or sugar in your drink, you can’t order it completely unsweetened.
For anyone who has purchased their own pure matcha to make at home, you can immediately tell the difference between matcha powder and the instant matcha blend at Starbucks. While the Starbucks blend is pre-mixed with sugar and contains quite a bit of sweetener in it, pure matcha powder has an earthy and bitter flavor.
If you make matcha at home, you’ll notice the texture of your drink may be more gritty since pure matcha powder doesn’t dissolve well in water the way the Starbucks matcha does.
Overall, it’s important to note the matcha powder at Starbucks has quite a bit of sugar. You may still get some of the benefits of drinking matcha if you order a Starbucks matcha drink, but if you want a healthier version, you can purchase matcha powder and create your own matcha drinks at home.
Choosing Your Starbucks Drink: Final Thoughts
Even if the Starbucks matcha drinks aren’t as healthy as making matcha tea at home, they can still be a tasty treat to enjoy when you’re out and about or grabbing tea with a friend. Matcha on its own is packed full of antioxidants and has numerous other health benefits as well.
Next time you’re at Starbucks, if you’re looking for something other than coffee, try one of their matcha drinks such as the classic Green Tea Latte or mix it up with a Matcha Pink Drink.
Recipe
If you really love matcha, then you will love this recipe even more. Have it first thing in the morning or even as a sweet treat. Enjoy!
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Matcha Green Tea Smoothie Bowl
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- Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons matcha powder
- 1 frozen banana, sliced
- 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional, for sweetness)
- Toppings: sliced kiwi, strawberries, granola, coconut flakes, and edible flowers
Instructions
- In a blender, combine matcha powder, frozen banana slices, frozen mango chunks, Greek yogurt, almond milk, chia seeds, and honey (if using).
- Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides if needed.
- Pour the smoothie into a bowl.
- Arrange the toppings on the smoothie bowl, creating a visually appealing design.
- Serve immediately and enjoy your Matcha Green Tea Smoothie Bowl!
Nutrition
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
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