Iced Banana Matcha Latte Recipe

If you love Korean banana milk and iced matcha lattes, this banana matcha latte is for you! Simply mix all ingredients in a blender; no special matcha tools needed. As a bonus, this banana matcha drink is naturally vegan and has no added sugar!

Korean Banana Milk: A Love Story

It should be no surprise to anyone when I say that I LOVE iced matcha lattes, but I don’t think I’ve ever properly expressed my appreciation for Korean banana milk here before. But it’s true. In the world of boxed Asian drinks, Vitasoy soy milk reigns supreme, but Hainan Yeshu Coconut Juice and Binggrae Banana Flavored Milk are in a neck and neck battle for second place.

If you’ve never had Korean banana milk, it comes in a little cardboard juice box and is flavored with banana juice concentrate, artificial flavors, and nostalgia. There is absolutely no way to describe the taste of banana milk and make it sound appetizing. But I love it. My kids love it. The entire country of Korea loves it.

And it tastes like childhood! Or, for me, I guess it tastes like my teen years. My high school friend’s Korean mom would always give me a banana milk when I went over to his house after school, which I did very frequently. I honestly can’t remember what else we did at his house besides drinking banana milk. Did I not have homework? Where were our other friends? Why can’t I remember anything? What the heck was in that banana milk? Maybe some memories are best left untouched.

How to Make Banana Matcha Latte

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend. Pour over ice. THAT’S IT! No special sifters or whisks needed for this matcha drink; the blender does it all.

By the way, I had a banana creme matcha latte at a popular Japanese bakery in LA recently. It was topped with what tasted like banana pudding or a banana cream. IT WAS AMAZING. If you’d like to go the extra mile, by all means, plop some instant banana cream pudding on top. Maybe sprinkle some crushed vanilla wafers as well.

But for me, I’m too lazy to be extra in the mornings, so I’ll just blend and go.

What Matcha and Milks to Use for Matcha Lattes

Just like coffee, matcha comes in different blends with different flavor profiles. The best matcha to use for lattes is whatever flavor matcha you like the best. I typically use a matcha with a light-medium flavor because I generally don’t like to add any sweeteners to my drinks. But you do you! This banana matcha latte is naturally sweetened by the banana, so you can take that into consideration when deciding which matcha to use.

If you’re totally lost, you can check out my Ultimate Guide to Matcha for more recommendations.

As for milks, I almost always use soy milk in my matcha lattes. I just really like soy milk. But feel free to use whatever milk you enjoy. There’s a viral myth that dairy milk inhibits the antioxidants in matcha and green tea, but from what I’ve read, the studies on this were inconclusive, with some researchers finding that dairy milk with matcha may actually benefit consumption of antioxidants. I don’t drink matcha for health benefits anyway; I drink matcha because I like matcha.

It’s NOT a Matcha Smoothie

I just want to reiterate that this is a matcha latte, not a smoothie. Nothing against smoothies, but I just really want a fully liquid matcha in my cup in the mornings. The addition of water thins out the consistency of the latte so the blended banana texture doesn’t take control. Nobody wants an out of control banana.

More Matcha Recipes

That’s all there is to this recipe! It’s so easy, and so refreshing. If you like this drink, check out these other matcha recipes:

• Best Iced Matcha Latte
• Matcha Horchata Latte
• Matcha Sakura Latte
• Sakura Matcha Soda