Protein Matcha Latte

This is our regular Matcha Latte with one change: a scoop of whey protein whisked into the milk before it’s steamed. Same whisked matcha syrup, same no-espresso-required build — just enough protein added to make it a meal-adjacent drink instead of just a caffeine-and-matcha one.

Building the Latte

1. Whisk 1 scoop of whey protein into 8oz of cold milk in a separate cup until completely smooth.
2. Add 2 tbsp of Matcha Syrup to your serving cup.
3. Steam or froth the protein-milk mixture to about 150°F and pour it over the syrup, stirring to combine. There’s no espresso shot to stir the syrup into first here — same as the regular Matcha Latte, the hot milk does that job on its own.

Café matcha latte with a protein add-on~$6.85

Home protein matcha latte~$1.99

Savings per drink$4.86

Assumptions: grande-size drink, national-average café pricing for a matcha latte plus a protein-powder add-on charge, dairy milk, culinary-grade matcha and sugar at typical grocery/online pricing, whey protein at ~$0.88/scoop. At 5 protein matcha lattes a week over the site’s standard 48-week year, that’s roughly $1,262/year back in your pocket versus the café version.

Want It Extra Energizing? Add a Shot of Espresso (Protein Matchaccino)

Same move as the regular Matcha Latte: pull a double shot and add it to your cup before the milk, nothing else changes. It’s still the one variant in this family that genuinely needs an espresso machine (or a moka pot/strong AeroPress shot as a stand-in).

Swaps & Notes

• No espresso machine and don’t want one? Then this is your default drink — skip the matchaccino variant and you’ve got a genuinely complete protein drink with zero coffee equipment involved.
• Iced version: use the Hot/Iced toggle above the ingredients — less milk (4oz cold, shaken with the protein, instead of 8oz steamed).
• Protein total: about 24g from the whey scoop, plus roughly 8g from the 8oz of dairy milk — around 32g total (28g on the iced 4oz-milk version).
• Different protein source? Casein steams in fine but thickens more than whey; collagen dissolves clear but carries less protein per scoop (18g vs. whey’s 24g); plant-based proteins can leave a slightly gritty finish that steaming won’t fully smooth out — see our Plant-Based Protein Mocha for the full plant-protein technique notes.

Recipe Card Summary

Protein Matcha Latte

• 8oz steamed milk (protein blended in) + 2 tbsp Matcha Syrup (made ahead)
• Add 1-2oz espresso for a protein matchaccino
• Prep time: 5 minutes · Total: 5 minutes
• Cost: ~$1.99/drink vs. ~$6.85 café protein matcha latte · ~32g protein

FAQ

Do I need an espresso machine to make this?

No — a regular protein matcha latte is whisked matcha syrup, protein-blended milk, and nothing else. You only need espresso if you’re making it a protein matchaccino.

Will the protein powder change the matcha flavor?

A little — most whey proteins carry their own vanilla or unflavored base sweetness, which can round out matcha’s slightly vegetal edge. It’s a minor effect, not a flavor clash; an unflavored whey keeps the matcha taste closest to the non-protein version.

Can I use 2% or a milk alternative instead of whole milk?

Yes — use the milk-swap options on this page. Lower-fat and plant milks froth slightly differently with protein blended in, but the drink still works; oat and soy hold up best texture-wise of the alternatives.