What the Matcha?

Please note this is a sponsored post but all opinions and ideas are my own.

To be completely honest with you all, the first time I heard someone mention “matcha” I thought I caught the tail-end of their sneeze and I almost said “bless you”. Guess I should probably stay more up to date on the latest health fads? Needless to say, I dug a little deeper into all of the buzz on matcha and I was pleased with what I found!

To start from the beginning, matcha is powdered green tea leaves. The difference between this powder and your average cup of green tea, however, is that the entire tea leaf is ground into powder, rather than just parts of it. Because you’re not consuming the entire leaf with regular green tea, here are the things you’re missing out on:

• Rich in polyphenols, which have been tied to protection against heart disease and cancer
• Another polyphenol in matcha called EGCG has been shown in research to boost metabolism. YAY METABOLISM!
• Three times as much caffeine than a regular steeped cup of tea. Don’t worry about the jitters—due to a natural substance in matcha called l-theanine, the tea induces relaxation without drowsiness. Aka, no caffeine buzz.
• It’s been shown to reduce cortisol (a stress hormone known to drive appetite and increase belly fat.

I could go on about the health benefits, but the part that I’m really excited about was how easy matcha is to use in so many different recipes. I loved the matcha I used from Live Well Compass. It came in such a cute little bag and even had a measuring spoon already inside. Click here to check it out!

I whipped up this iced green tea latte one morning this week and was SO happy with the taste. I added to my blender unsweetened almond milk, matcha powder, honey, and a little drop of vanilla extract. After pulsing a few times to incorporate the ingredients, I poured the latte over iced and enjoyed my morning drink. And the health facts above were right! I felt energized all morning without a single caffeine buzz or headache.

5 from 1 vote

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Iced Green Tea Matcha Latte

Cold and refreshing, this iced green tea matcha latte gives me the little kick of caffeine I need to get my day started. Leave the coffee jitters at home!

Course Drinks

Cuisine Healthy

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Calories 65 kcal

Author cravecolumbus

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 2 tsp Honey
• 1 tsp Live Compass Matcha Powder
• 1 drop Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients (except for ice) in blender for 3-4 pulses.

2. Pour drink over ice and enjoy immediately.

Okay, time for some treats. Lately, I’ve been playing around with learning how to make macarons, so it only seemed fitting that I try out green tea flavored macarons with my powder! All I did was add a tablespoon of matcha to my almond flour mix (recipe TBD… still some kinks to work out) and it was as easy as that. I used a vanilla buttercream filling to balance out the slightly bitter taste of the green tea.

Last but not least, my St. Patrick’s Day-looking donuts. I’ve been wanting to play around with donuts as well, so here was my opportunity! I found a mini donut pan while cleaning out my grandparents house this week, so I took it as a sign from the baking heavens to try matcha donuts. Although I typically try my best to bake gluten free or paleo, I was off my game on this particular day and just used old fashioned flour, butter, and white sugar. We all need that kind of balance in our lives every once in awhile, right?

And it was totally worth it.

The powdered sugar glaze on top of these babies puts me over the EDGE. The recipe says that it makes 2 dozen mini donuts, but I think I got more like 4 dozen out of this batch, so it must just depend on the size of your pan.

If you’re looking for more matcha-inspired recipes, check out my Pinterest board here, which includes chia seed puddings, hot lattes, and more!

5 from 1 vote

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Matcha Donuts with Sweet Glaze

Can I just start putting matcha in everything now? The super sweet glaze balances out the slightly bitter matcha taste to form these delicious mini donuts. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 2 dozen mini donuts

Author cravecolumbus

Ingredients

For the batter:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tsp Live Compass matcha powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

For the glaze:

• 1 egg white
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp Live Compass matcha powder
• pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 320 degrees F. Grease mini donut pans with non-stick spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix matcha powder, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. After well mixed, stir in eggs, melted butter, and milk. Beat together with a hand mixer until well blended. The batter will have a very dough-like consistency. 

3. Full each donut cup about 2/3 full. Bake 10-12 minutes in oven, or until the donuts spring back when touched. Allow to cool before removing from pan, or remove immediately and place on cooling rack.

4. For the glaze, whisk together the egg white, powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of matcha, and a pinch of salt. Add a little water as necessary to liquify the glaze to your desired consistency. 

5. Dip the cooled donuts into the matcha glaze and allow the donuts to sit until glaze has set. 

6. I keep my donuts in the refrigerator and they should be good up to 4-5 days. Enjoy!