Super Creamy Matcha Latte Recipe (Vegan Dalgona Matcha)

This super creamy matcha latte recipe uses only two ingredients! Just like the trendy cafes in Kyoto or the viral matcha dalgona, this iced matcha latte is thick and foamy, but uses no dairy! Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

The Viral Chabako Matcha from Kyoto

Viral matcha drinks come and go, but this SUPER creamy matcha latte is quite fun. It’s based off the viral creamy matcha latte from Kyoto from a cafe called Chabako. I saw videos of Chabako last summer, and I’m not sure if it was only a pop-up shop or what, but it’s now closed. Somehow during their temporary service, they managed to create a tourist frenzy for their super thick matcha latte with videos of the viscous green drink sluggishly pouring into cups. Apparently, people waited up to one hour in line just for this! Surely, I thought, there must be a way to recreate it at home… And so after a little experimentation, this recipe was born!

Matcha Dalgona

The Chabako matcha was not the first thick matcha to get popular on the internet. Do you all remember the Dalgona coffee craze from years past? The dalgona coffee trend was from Korea and is basically instant coffee powder whipped with water and sugar that gets super thick and foamy. I know some food bloggers came up with a matcha dalgona version, but the recipes involved whipping matcha with heavy cream. Isn’t that just… matcha whipped cream? I don’t know about you, but my aging stomach cannot handle drinking a whole glass of straight up whipped cream.

So whether your point of reference is Chabako or Dalgona or maybe you just like creamier, thicker lattes, this recipe will hit all those points. And because I’m old and can’t chug dairy like I used to, this recipe is vegan!

AND, it’s only two ingredients! It’s actually somehow even easier than a regular matcha latte.

Special Tools and Equipment – Milk Frother

Normally when making matcha drinks, you’re advised to get some special tools like a bamboo whisk. Well, for this recipe, the only special equipment you need is some sort of milk frother.

Can I Really Whisk Matcha in a Milk Frother?

There are some really snobby matcha influencers on social media who INSIST that you cannot whisk your matcha with anything except a bamboo whisk. Anyone who tells you that you’re “drinking trash” and that “you shouldn’t be allowed to drink matcha” if you don’t use a bamboo whisk is an a-hole and should be banned from social media. 

Japanese people make matcha with frothers ALL THE TIME. Not during traditional tea ceremonies or at fancy cafes of course. But the everyday person? Drinking a casual matcha at home? I’ve had some Japanese friends actually tell me they never post on social media about how they make matcha or avoid talking about it with non-Japanese friends because people are so crazy obsessive over the bamboo whisk thing. Let it go, people. 

There’s also a weird myth that matcha powder should not touch metal. I’m not sure why anyone says this, as the factories that produce matcha use metal machinery, and matcha literally comes sold in metal tins. But okay.

So the point is, YES you can use a milk frother.

In fact, you NEED a milk frother for this recipe. Hand whisking will not achieve the same super thick foamy texture. I use the Instant Pot Magic Cup frother because it’s super easy. I dump everything in there, press a button, and wait for it to be done. I have not tried making this in a blender, but I don’t think you’ll get the right texture. I have made matcha smoothies in a blender, though, and my banana matcha uses a blender, so check those out if that’s all you have.

The Viral COLD FROTH

Okay, I didn’t know even little things can go viral, but apparently the cold froth is just the latest thing to gain internet popularity. It’s really not that revolutionary, but I did want to mention that for this recipe, the thickest and creamiest texture happened when I frothed my milk with matcha powder cold. If I tried to froth in hot water first, with whisk or otherwise, it didn’t get creamy enough. So cold froth it is!

Can I Make this Matcha Latte Ahead of Time?

Unfortunately, even with a strong frother, the matcha foam will separate back into liquid and frothy bubbles after 5 to 10 minutes. Even regular matcha lattes will have some settling of the matcha powder over time. So no, you need to make and serve immediately.

What Matcha Powder Should I Use?

Use any high quality matcha that has a flavor you like! There are many myths online about ceremonial grade vs. culinary grade matcha. These labels were invented for Western consumers. They aren’t used in Japan. So you really can’t tell much from the label.

And just like coffee, matcha powders will have different flavors depending on where the tea leaves are sourced from. So really you need to just taste a few and see what you like. My favorite brands for buying drinking matcha are Ippodo Tea or Frauth!

For more information about matcha and different blends, see my Ultimate Guide to Matcha post.

What Milk Should I Use?

For this recipe, I use soy milk. Out of all the kinds of non-dairy milk I’ve tried, soy froths up really well. Of course, dairy milk froths as well, but I find it tends to have a layer of foam and then a lot of liquid underneath. For a thicker froth, you may want to mix a little whole milk with heavy cream.

You can also substitute other non-dairy milks like oat milk, coconut milk, or almond milk but just know you will probably not be able to achieve this thick and creamy consistency.

A note about sweeteners:

​This recipe is two ingredients only because I typically drink my matcha lattes unsweetened! I typically buy matcha blends that are not too bitter and naturally have a sort of sweet flavor to them, but if you buy a very strong and bitter blend, you may want something sweet. Since this latte uses a cold froth and no hot water, you’ll want a liquid sweetener like maple syrup, simple syrup, or agave.

More Matcha Recipes

If you love matcha, you’ll want to check out these other recipes:

• My Perfect Vegan Matcha Latte
• Matcha Horchata Latte
• Ube Matcha Latte
• Matcha Crinkle Cookies
• Matcha Cupcakes
• Matcha Butter Mochi
• Matcha Warabimochi