Matcha Protein Shake
This matcha protein shake is creamy, subtly sweet, earthy and bursting with antioxidants. It’s made with just a handful of ingredients and is perfectly balanced for a healthy breakfast or post-workout snack.
Soooo, matcha has been trendy for quite a while. And I was a little slow to jump on the train. It was early 2020, I had just had my first baby, we were nestled in and hunkered down during quarantine and I kind of went on a YouTube bender. I kept seeing influencers drinking matcha and was curious what all the hoopla was about.
So I gave in, started drinking matcha and LOVED it. I’ve always been a tea person (in college, I drank regular green tea all day every day) and a good matcha latte always slaps.
Now I’m constantly on a mission to create as many delicious matcha recipes as possible! This vanilla matcha protein shake is a perfect energy boost, dose of antioxidants, an easy way to include green tea into your daily diet and can help you get enough protein in your day.
What is matcha?
Matcha is a type of Japanese green tea powder made from specially grown and processed tea leaves. Unlike traditional tea, where the leaves are steeped and removed, with matcha, you consume the whole leaf, providing a concentrated source of flavor and nutrients.
What can I use matcha in?
Matcha is incredibly versatile and provides numerous health benefits. Use it in:
- A traditional hot green tea
- Green tea protein shake
- Matcha green tea latte (hot or cold!)
- Oatmeal or overnight oats
- Energy bites
- Yogurt bowls
- Vegan matcha cookies
- Even face masks
What’s so good about matcha?
- Boasts high levels of antioxidants, especially EGCG, which combat oxidative stress, reduce chronic disease risk, and promote overall health (source)
- L-theanine and caffeine offers improved mental alertness without the jitters, promoting calm, focused energy
- Supports weight management through boosted metabolism and fat oxidation. Additionally increasing your protein intake can aid in healthful, sustainable weight loss. (source)
- Contributes to heart health, immune system support, cancer prevention, and skin benefits, making it a versatile addition to a healthy diet (source)
What is the difference between ceremonial grade and culinary grade matcha?
Culinary-grade matcha is intended for cooking and has a stronger flavor, while ceremonial-grade matcha is meant for traditional tea ceremonies and is characterized by a milder, more delicate flavor.
What you’ll need to make this matcha protein smoothie:
Matcha green tea: I like to opt for a great quality ceremonial grade matcha, but you can also use culinary matcha since this is a smoothie!
Milk of choice: Any milk will work! Because I like to prioritize protein in this matcha smoothie, I opt for higher protein milk like soy milk, pea milk or cow’s milk. One cup of soy milk provides 8-9 grams of protein. You could also use unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk or oat milk but these are all about 1-2 grams of protein per serving.
Frozen banana: I like to peel ripe bananas and place them in a gallon Ziploc bag to freeze. I really recommend a frozen banana here as it makes the smoothie cool and creamy.
Fresh spinach: a big handful of baby spinach adds antioxidants, iron and vitamin C and calcium. You can use either fresh or frozen spinach!
Hemp hearts: hemp hearts are a totally underrated nutritious pantry staple. Just one serving of hemp hearts provides 10 grams plant-based protein and blend perfectly into this green tea smoothie.
Protein powder: smoothies don’t stick with me very well unless there is a quality source of protein so that’s why I love a scoop of vanilla protein powder in this smoothie. You can get a plant-based protein powder or whey protein isolate. You can even find a matcha protein powder to double down on delicious matcha flavor!
How to Make:
Add to a high-speed blender in this order: milk, frozen banana, spinach, matcha green tea, protein powder and hemp hearts.
Blend on medium to high speed for 60 seconds or until completely smooth.
Pour into glass and enjoy! I love these glasses and these glass straws.
FAQs:
This would be delicious with frozen mango, frozen strawberries, frozen avocado cubes or frozen mixed berries.
Although I’m very partial to ceremonial-grade matcha, because this is a smoothie, you can use culinary-grade matcha without a huge difference in taste.
To add a bit more sweetness you can add a teaspoon or two of honey, maple syrup or agave or a non-nutritive sweetener like monk fruit or stevia.
As written this recipe does not have any added sugars but to make this a little lower in sugar ensure that your protein powder does not have any added sugar, use unsweetened milk and opt for frozen avocado or berries instead of a banana.
Yes but if you do I would recommend adding ice cubes to make it smoother and colder.
Plain Greek yogurt would be a great addition. Other options include cottage cheese or another scoop of protein powder.
If you love this matcha shake you’ll love these other delicious smoothies:
Watch how to make:
Naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, this matcha protein shake recipe is totally customizable and boasts a whopping 30 grams of protein! Hope you love it as much as I do!
Print
Best Matcha Protein Shake
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Cool, creamy, protein-rich and nutrient-packed, this simple smoothie is an amazing snack and pick-me-up!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 frozen banana, broken into chunks
- 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
- 1 1/2 teaspoons matcha tea powder
- 1 scoop protein powder
Instructions
Add ingredients to a high-power blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust consistency with an extra splash of milk, if needed. Enjoy!
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 smoothie
- Calories: 401
- Sugar: 23.2 g
- Sodium: 212.7 mg
- Fat: 12.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.6 g
- Protein: 28.6 g
- Cholesterol: 3.4 mg
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I love matcha but never thought to incorporate it into a protein smoothie. I made the recipe as written using unsweetened almond milk. Outstanding!! Next time, I’m going to try adding Greek yogurt for even more protein as you suggested. This one will be on repeat for me!
This was so tasty. I was a bit sceptical with all the healthy ingredients but I can’t wait to make this again!
Hooray! So happy to hear, thanks for trying it Stephanie!
I really like this recipe—my first matcha. I’ve made it twice using all of your ingredients, plus I’ve added Greek yogurt and ice. Definitely a keeper. Thanks