The 9 Best Matcha Drinks At Starbucks In 2024
I love matcha drinks. I crave that unique earthy matcha flavor and the energy boost they give me – without any jitters.
Health gurus around the world, as well as celebrities, claim that matcha tea is good for the body and mind.
Tea lovers around the world have embraced matcha with enthusiasm. And not surprisingly, Starbucks has created a whole menu around matcha drinks.
If you love matcha too or want to try out this drink that has fascinated the world, you might not know where to start.
So keep reading on my take on the best Starbucks matcha drinks in 2024
Starbucks Matcha Drinks: Summary
While Starbucks has a whole menu of matcha drinks, the beverages are different than what you might find at other coffee shops. Keep in mind these points about Starbucks matcha drinks, which are:
- Made from a pre-made matcha powder mix
- Caffeinated
- Not sugar-free
- Usually made with 2% low-fat milk (but feel free to pick your own milk)
- Available iced in most cases
The 9 Best Matcha Drinks at Starbucks 2024
1. Matcha Tea Latte
Matcha and milk are such a natural combination.
Creamy milk enhances the natural texture of matcha. But when you order a matcha tea latte at Starbucks, you not only get the milk.
You can also get steamed milk and a topping of foamed milk, adding extra layers of creamy texture.
You can also get your matcha green tea latte on ice (see below).
Keep in mind that a Grande size matcha green tea latte gets three scoops of matcha powder, which adds a caffeine boost but also a sugar boost because of the sweetener in Starbucks’ matcha tea blend.
That sweetened matcha contributes to the 240 calories and 7 grams of fat in this matcha green tea latte.
2. Green Tea Matcha
You can order the green tea matcha without the dairy. Plain green tea matcha doesn’t have the same creamy texture as a green tea latte, obviously. Add coconut milk to it for the drink snapped below!
But you’ll get all the goodness of matcha drinks without added fat and fewer calories. Just matcha powder and hot water give you a healthier drink.
3. Iced Matcha Tea Latte
An iced matcha tea latte gives you the benefits of regular matcha lattes but puts it on ice. Iced matcha tea latte has three scoops of matcha powder and the milk of your choice.
For your green tea latte, you can choose from skim milk, coconut, almond, soy, oat, heavy cream, or half and half. Adding ice – and therefore using less milk – actually lowers the calories in this iced matcha latte.
It still has 200 calories, but you may find the unique tastes are worth it.
4. Matcha Lemonade
With this twist on regular lemonade, your barista mixes in Teavana matcha green tea with the lemon, then shakes it with ice.
You get a vibrant green matcha lemonade drink that is fat-free, sweet, and refreshing. To dress it up a bit, you can order your matcha lemonade with a cold foam topping.
5. Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink
If you’re looking for a tropical vacation in a Grande cup, try this Iced Pineapple Matcha drink.
Coconut milk and pineapple ginger syrup give an exotic twist to matcha, and the ice keeps it all cool. This refreshing iced pineapple matcha drink is a favorite.
6. Matcha Crème Frappuccino
We may typically think of a Frappuccino as a frozen drink made with coffee, but it can also be made with tea.
This spunky drink is made with sweetened matcha powder, whole milk, crème Frappuccino syrup, and ice.
Then it gets a topping of vanilla-flavored whipped cream. If the Matcha Crème Frappuccino sounds like a dessert, well…it is.
This drink will give you a boost, but if you get the whole dairy option in a Grande, keep in mind that the calories get near 500 for this sweetened drink.
7. Green Drink (Secret Menu)
It’s not on the regular menu, but you can still order their green drinks. Like the other drinks of the Starbucks rainbow, this one starts with iced black tea.
Then ask your barista to add an additional scoop (or three!) of Starbucks matcha powder and coconut milk. You’ll get a real wake-up from the refreshing type of matcha latte made with two types of tea.
8. Cha Cha Latte (Secret Menu)
This Starbucks matcha latte is a simple recipe that’s also on the secret menu at Starbucks. If your barista has never heard of it, ask for Matcha green tea with sweet Chai syrup.
You can start with one pump of chai syrup and add more if your taste buds demand a more intense flavor boost in this matcha latte.
9. Matcha Pink Drink (Secret Menu)
Just like the other colors of the rainbow, there’s a pink drink at Starbucks. But why settle for just one color of the rainbow when you can have two?
This Matcha Pink Drink mixes the vibrant rosy colors of their pink drink with a soothing greenish hue. But since it’s not on the regular Starbucks menu, how do you order it?
First, order a Pink drink, such as a Strawberry Acai Refresher beverage. It comes with sweet berry and passion fruit flavors as well as velvety coconut milk.
But ask your barista to put iced matcha with coconut milk on the bottom, then the pink drink goes on top.
The color variations from green to pink will please anyone craving a multi-hued drink.
Starbucks Matcha Caffeine Content
How much caffeine will you find in your typical Starbucks matcha drink?
The total caffeine content in a Starbucks matcha beverage will depend on the drink size. But you can easily calculate that.
Just figure out how many scoops of Starbucks matcha powder went into making your drink. Each scoop of Starbucks matcha powder has about 27.5 mg of caffeine.
That’s pretty low in comparison to an espresso coffee, which comes in around 65 mg of caffeine.
However, remember that most matcha drinks at Starbucks get more than one scoop of matcha powder.
Also, additional ingredients might increase the amount of caffeine in each cup.
So if you get a Cha Cha Latte, which adds chai to the matcha, or a Green Drink from the secret menu, with the addition of black tea, you’re increasing the total amount of caffeine.
But assuming you order a straightforward matcha drink at Starbucks with no other caffeinated ingredients, you can expect the following amounts of caffeine:
- Short (8 oz), you got one scoop = 30 mg of caffeine
- Tall (12 oz), you get two scoops = 55 mg of caffeine
- Grande (16 oz), three scoops = 80 mg of caffeine
- Venti (20 or 24 oz) four scoops = 110 mg caffeine
Customize Your Starbucks Matcha Drinks
You can add your own spin to your Starbucks matcha drink of choice by adding additions. What goes well with Starbucks matcha drinks?
Syrups
if you want a sweet flavor boost for your matcha drink, try classic syrup, toffee nut syrup, vanilla syrup, or honey. If you’d rather have a fruity punch, get raspberry.
Milk Types
you can transform your beverage into matcha lattes by ordering almond milk (a Starbucks blend of almond milk, sugar, and additives), nonfat dairy, or coconut milk (a blend of coconut cream, sugar, and other additives).
Of course, full-fat dairy drinks increase the calories in the beverage.
More scoops of matcha
Keep in mind that each scoop has about 5 grams of sugar.
Cold foam
iced matcha drinks pair well with cold foam flavors like raspberry, strawberry, cascara, or regular foam.
You could also ask your barista to blend matcha powder into regular cold foam to get a matcha cold foam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Starbucks matcha drinks healthy?
Anything with matcha might sound healthy. After all, matcha green tea lays claim to lots of health benefits as well as tastes good.
But while matcha drinks are usually healthy, Starbucks puts a spin on them that takes away part of the healthy vibe.
The Starbucks matcha tea blend still has plenty of antioxidants, which is positive. But it also has plenty of sugar, which is not so positive if you’re trying to avoid calories.
Don’t despair, though.
You can create your own healthy Starbucks matcha drinks by avoiding high-fat dairy products (like half and half) and going for syrups that don’t have the sweetener. That way you can control the calories a bit more.
Keep in mind that Starbucks’ matcha blend contains is quite sweet, so getting fewer scoops will help you avoid the sweetness.
Does Starbucks matcha have caffeine?
Yes, your Starbucks matcha drink has caffeine.
All matcha green tea has caffeine (unless it’s decaffeinated). That caffeine content comes from the Japanese green tea that’s the basis for matcha.
Obviously, the larger the serving of matcha, the more caffeine it will have. At Starbucks, one scoop of matcha powder has almost 30 mg of caffeine.
So, depending on the size drink, you’ll get anywhere from just under 30 mg of caffeine to more than 100 mg for a Venti.
If you add to that caffeinated additions like black tea, you’ll increase the caffeine content even more.
What is Starbucks matcha good for?
Around the world, health proponents claim the benefits of matcha green tea.
Made of ground Japanese green tea leaves with matcha powder, you’re conserving the best of the leaf. With an abundance of vitamins and nutrients, matcha gives your body a boost.
Full of catechins, a type of antioxidant, studies on matcha link it to improving health.
When it comes to Starbucks matcha powder, though, you need to keep an eye on additions.
Starbucks matcha powder blend starts with sugar, which is never an excellent boost for your health. Also, watch what you add to a Starbucks matcha.
Steer clear of ingredients that add tons of sweets or fat because all that sweetness will water down the positive effects of the matcha.
What can I add to matcha green tea Starbucks?
As with most Starbucks drinks, there are endless ways to personalize your Japanese green tea.
You can add tasty syrups such as toffee nut, raspberry, vanilla, or honey. Just keep in mind that the syrups are sweetened.
You can also vary the dairy by adding half and half, or you can avoid the dairy completely by ordering oat milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.
And cold foam is a natural addition to iced matcha, so try regular cold foam or tasty flavors like raspberry, strawberry, or cascara to see which are your favorites.
You can even see if your barista is willing to add matcha green tea powder to regular cold foam for a green topping to your beverage.
For instance, you can order an iced matcha latte with matcha cold foam for a truly green drink. You could also order whipped cream, although personally, I don’t feel that whipped cream suits matcha well.
