Matcha. It’s all the craze these days. I see it all over my Insta-feed as fitness influencers such as Hannah Bronfman to various foodie accounts are using the “green stuff” instead of their daily coffee.
How can you survive without your daily caffeine intake? People are trading in their go-to coffee drinks for this delicious and nutritious yet caffeinated beverage to keep them moving throughout their work day.
If you’re a green tea lover, matcha will be your soon favorite morning, mid afternoon and even nighttime pleasure.
What is Matcha?
Matcha powder (AKA the “green stuff”) is derived from a tea plant in Southern China.
It was introduced to Japan from China by the Zen Monk Eisai in 1191 A.D. Eisai introduced the Zen philosophy to Japan, and was the first person to grind and consume the tea leaves in a powdered form. The entire leaf is ingested into powder form that makes it the most potent and nutritionally dense green tea in the world.
It is closely tied to the zen philosophy, and the focal point behind drinking the tea is to stimulate the mind, sharpen mental alertness, and induce a calm state.
With it being the most potent green tea drink, it also offers lots of health benefits that are still being explored. The potential benefits include an increased metabolism, a boosted immune system, lowered cholesterol, increased energy, and improved skin.
Matcha powder is incredibly versatile and doesn’t just have to be used for green tea drinks. There are so many yummy recipes that call for the inclusion matcha powder. Below I’m sharing three of my favorite recipes that help me get my matcha on!
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My top 3 favorite matcha recipes:
1. Matcha Green Tea Latte with a Collagen Boost
The Matcha green tea latte from Starbucks has become a favorite for many. Have it iced or hot, either way will want you coming back for another mid-day. Although Starbucks makes one mean matcha latte, you can easily recreate this beaut at home for a lot less (score)!
My favorite at-home green tea latte is loaded with antioxidants and collagen which does wonders to your skin!
The Matcha-Stewart Recipe by Hannah Bronfman
Mix all of these ingredients into the blender for the perfect latte!
- 1 ½ cups water or almond milk (hot)
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder
- 2 teaspoons of collagen
- 1 squirt of agave nectar (preference for a more sweet taste)
2. Matcha Nice-Cream
Everyone needs a little ice cream in their life, especially when it’s “nice cream” and only contains a couple of ingredients. If you can wait the 2-hour freezer time, you’ll be making weekly batches of this!
All you need is a food processor to blend it until looks fluffy and then add the the matcha and sweetened condensed milk. The trick to making this nice cream the best is by cutting up the banana into smaller pieces and freezing them overnight before blending.
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons matcha
3. Coconut Matcha Energy Bars
Energy bars for the active and on-the-go person are such a fabulous invention, but better yet what if those energy bars were homemade and baked with ingredients you love and know? Amazing right?!
The perfect homemade energy bars are created with healthy fats contained in nuts, dried fruits for carbohydrates and fiber to provide quick energy, and various toppings such as coconut, cacao or vanilla.
The Grateful Grazer’s Coconut Matcha Energy Bars Recipe
You will want to combine the nuts, matcha powder, and vanilla in a food processor. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, add the mix to the pan, and freeze for at least 30 minutes. These bars last up to a week refrigerated!
- 1 ¼ cups dates
- ½ almonds
- ½ cup cashews
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean or pure extract
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
- 2 tablespoon cacao nibs (unsweetened)
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
For more details of this recipe please go to Grateful Grazer.
Uplift your mornings with this beverage or energy bar as breakfast and end your nights with the guilt-free ice cream. Make matcha your new mantra!
Do you like matcha? What is your favorite way to enjoy it?
About the Author
Karli is a West Virginia University graduate with a B.S. in Public Relations and a minor in Business Administration. She is a content writer and public relations specialist at a web design company in Oklahoma. In her free time, you can find her blogging, watching sports, drinking wine and coffee, working out, and loving floral everything. She hopes to own a small business one day.
Website: www.madambeautymark.com/