Turn matcha into a refreshing iced drink by making this easy Matcha Lemonade. Lemon zest is massaged into sugar to release natural oil, making flavorful, crisp lemonade that pairs beautifully with bold, earthy matcha. This simple matcha drink is perfect for summer.
Have you tried matcha other than a Matcha Latte? I love bright, refreshing matcha drinks like my Blueberry Matcha Lemonade and Sparkling Lychee Matcha Soda. These dairy-free drinks are great options for warm weather.
This matcha lemonade is easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients, and you can adjust the sweetness to your liking. It's a fun and refreshing way to enjoy matcha beyond a latte!
If you love matcha drinks, make sure to try my Banana Matcha Latte and Mango Matcha Latte as well.
Jump to:
- What Is Matcha Lemonade?
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Best Matcha for Lemonade
- How to Prepare the Matcha (Traditional Whisking Method)
- What to Do if You Don't Have a Bamboo Whisk
- How to Make Matcha Lemonade
- Best Sweeteners for Matcha Lemonade
- How to Make It Less Bitter
- Variations
- Tips for the Best Matcha Lemonade
- Storage and Make-Ahead
- Thirsty for More?
- Matcha Lemonade
What Is Matcha Lemonade?
Matcha lemonade is a refreshing iced drink combining whisked matcha, fresh lemon juice, and a sweetener. Matcha adds a rich, smooth flavor to refreshing lemonade, making it a fun, bright tea drink for summer.
Matcha lemonade has become popular at coffee shops like Starbucks. But making it at home with fresh lemons is so easy and delicious!
In this recipe, I rubbed lemon zest into sugar to release oil, making this lemonade extra aromatic and crisp!
If you're new to matcha, also check out the Basic Matcha Guide and Easy Matcha Latte Recipe.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Refreshing Matcha: When a creamy latte feels a little heavy on a hot day, I love making light and bright matcha drinks like Matcha Cold Foam Coconut Water and Sparkling Matcha Soda. If you're tired of a can of soda, make your own soda with an energy boost from matcha! I love making this with sparkling water to make bubbly elmonade!
- Matcha and Lemon: The combination of tart lemon and earthy matcha creates a bright, crisp flavor that's not too sweet.
- Easy to make at home: You only need 3 simple ingredients: lemons, sugar, and matcha. It comes together in minutes.
- Customizable sweetness: Adjust the sugar level to your taste, or use your favorite sweetener, such as maple syrup.
- Perfect for warm days: Serve it over ice for a cooling drink you'll want to make all summer.
Ingredients
- Lemon: We use both zest and juice in this recipe to make this lemonade so crisp. I usually use organic lemons for this recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: I usually opt for natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey in most of my recipes. But in this recipe, using granulated sugar is important to release the essential oil from lemon zest. But if you prefer maple syrup and honey, it's totally fine! It won't be as crisp, but natural sweeteners add complex depth and warmth to the taste, which I also love.
- Matcha: I recommend ceremonial-grade matcha for making drinks.
- (Optional) Sparkling Water: I love bubbly drinks over anything. If you're like me, use sparkling water to make carbonated lemonade.
See recipe card for quantities.
Best Matcha for Lemonade
I always recommend ceremonial-grade matcha when making matcha lattes and refreshing drinks, especially an affordable ceremonial-grade matcha!
You really don't need the highest-quality (and priciest) ceremonial-grade matcha blends. They often have a delicate, umami-forward flavor, which can be overpowered by other flavors. So save those precious matcha for sipping.
Affordable ceremonial-grade matcha has a great balance of flavors. It creates smooth tea, while a strong flavor holds up well in lemonade.
Yugen from Marukyu Koyamaen in the ingredient image is, personally, a bit on the pricier side. I like Isuzu or Aiarashi for lemonade. Marukyu Koyamaen has a great matcha flavor chart you can use to choose your matcha.
I personally don't recommend culinary-grade matcha, as it often has an overly bitter taste and dull color.
How to Prepare the Matcha (Traditional Whisking Method)
The traditional whisking method creates the smoothest matcha that blends beautifully into lemonade.
- In a small bowl, sift in matcha powder. I like 3g (about 1.5 teaspoons) of my matcha for my latte. If you like bold flavor, use 4g (about 2 teaspoons).
- Use 158-176°F (70-80°C) water for the best flavor. Use a kettle with temperature control, or slightly let the boiling water cool. Traditional Method: Bring water to a boil, then pour it into a clean cup. This cools down the water slightly. Then pour it into matcha.
- Add hot water and use a bamboo whisk to whisk vigorously until smooth and foamy on the surface. Use "M" or "W" motion.
- Once froth forms, brush the surface with the tip of the bamboo whisk, keep using "M" or "W" motion. This step reduces large bubbles and makes the froth extra creamy.
Hot Water Temperature for Matcha: Boiling water can make your matcha taste bitter. Use 158-176°F (70-80°C) water for the best taste. A kettle with temperature control is so useful. If you don't have one, don't worry. My go-to method is: bring water to a boil, then pour it into a clean cup to cool down the water slightly. Then use it in matcha.
What to Do if You Don't Have a Bamboo Whisk
No bamboo whisk? No worries! With a jar, you can prepare an iced matcha.
In a jar with a lid or cocktail shaker, pour water, then add matcha (adding in this order is important to prevent matcha from sticking to the bottom!) It's an optional, but add 1-2 ice cubes if you have. It helps with whisking a lot.
Then secure the lid and shake well! Ice cubes help a lot with mixing and creating a form on top. Then pour it into your lemonade!
It's not as smooth as whisking with a bamboo whisk, but it's so easy and simple. If you make matcha often, I highly recommend getting your own bamboo whisk to create the smoothest tea, and it's about $10!
How to Make Matcha Lemonade
- Make the lemon syrup: Zest the lemon and combine with sugar. Massage them together between the fingers to help the zest release the oil.
- Squeeze the lemon juice and add it to the sugar mixture. Whisk together until the sugar dissolves. Strain the mixture through the fine-mesh strainer to remove zest and any seed/pulp.
- Assembly: Fill the glass with ice, pour lemon syrup, and top with water. Pour the matcha and garnish with a lemon slice. Mix well and enjoy.
Best Sweeteners for Matcha Lemonade
You can use different sweeteners depending on the flavor you want.
- Granulated sugar: Clean and crisp taste. It lets the lemon and matcha flavors shine.
- Simple syrup: Dissolves easily, especially in cold drinks. Great for a smooth texture.
- Honey: Adds a light floral note that pairs nicely with lemon. You may need to cook the honey with water on the stovetop to dissolve.
- Maple syrup: Gives a slightly deeper, warmer sweetness.
- Agave syrup: Mild and neutral, easy to mix into cold drinks.
Add more or less to adjust to your taste. Matcha and lemon can both be bold, so a little sweetness helps balance the flavor.
How to Make It Less Bitter
If your matcha lemonade tastes too bitter, a few small adjustments can be your quick fix.
- Use better quality matcha: Unfortunately, lower-quality matcha tends to have a more bitter taste.
- Check the water temperature: Boiling water can make matcha taste bitter. Make sure to use 158-176°F (70-80°C) water when whisking matcha.
- Balance with sweetness: Add a little more sugar or sweetener to round out the flavor.
- Don't use too much matcha: Some blends taste more bitter than others. Adjust the strength depending on the matcha you have.
Once you find the right balance, the flavor should taste bright, smooth, and refreshing.
Variations
Here are some fun ideas to jazz up matcha lemonade, depending on your mood!
- Sparkling Matcha Lemonade: Use sparkling water for a light, bubbly drink.
- Strawberry Matcha Lemonade: Add fresh strawberry puree for a fruity twist.
- Mango Matcha Lemonade: Add fresh mango puree, just like I did in Mango Matcha Latte, for a sweeter, more tropical flavor.
- Low-Sugar Version: Use less sweetener or swap with your preferred alternative.
- Lavender Matcha Lemonade: With Blueberry Lavender Syrup, you can make a floral matcha lemonade for summer.
Once you have the base recipe, it's easy to customize.
Tips for the Best Matcha Lemonade
A few simple tips will help you get the best flavor and texture.
- Sift the matcha: Helps prevent clumps and creates a smooth tea. Clumps can taste bitter and unpleasant texture.
- Whisk matcha first: Mix it with a small amount of water before pouring it over the lemonade. Bamabo whisk method is the best.
- Use fresh lemon juice - It makes a brighter, cleaner flavor.
- Adjust to taste - Balance sweetness, lemon, and matcha to your preference.
- Serve over ice - Keeps the drink crisp and refreshing.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Matcha lemonade is best enjoyed fresh, but you can prepare parts of it ahead of time.
You can make the lemonade base (lemon juice + sugar) and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. When ready to serve, whisk the matcha separately and combine it with the lemonade just before drinking.
If you mix everything ahead of time, the color of the matcha will be dull. So enjoy freshly whisked matcha for the best flavor.
Thirsty for More?
If you love matcha like me, I think you'll enjoy these fun matcha drinks, too!
- Strawberry Matcha Latte
- Blueberry Matcha Latte
- Banana Matcha Latte
- Matcha Boba Milk Tea
- Matcha Banana Smoothie
These Japanese desserts are perfect for enjoying with matcha!
Matcha Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 lemon save a slice for garnish
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons matcha 3g
- ¼ cup 158-176°F (70-80°C) hot water for whisking matcha. Boil water, then pour it into a clean cup to cool down slightly.
- ½ cup water or sparkling water for lemonade
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Make the lemon syrup: Zest the lemon and combine with sugar. Massage them together between the fingers to help the zest release the oil.
- Squeeze the lemon juice and add it to the sugar mixture. Whisk together until the sugar dissolves. Strain the mixture through the fine-mesh strainer to remove zest and any seed/pulp. Set aside.
- Prepare the matcha: In a small bowl, sift in matcha powder. Add hot water and use a bamboo whisk to whisk, moving in an M or W shape, until smooth and foamy on the surface.
- Assembly: Fill the glass with ice, pour lemon syrup, and top with water. Pour the matcha and garnish with a lemon slice. Mix well and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
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