Homemade Matcha Latte with Blueberry or Haskap Syrup

There’s something special about making your morning latte at home — not only do you save money, but you also get to experiment with flavours you’ll never find in a café. This week, I’ve been playing with a bright and refreshing take on the classic matcha latte by using a homemade fruit syrup. Both blueberry and haskap berries work beautifully here, adding a subtle sweetness and gorgeous colour to your cup. I usually drink this one cold, but it is equally delicious hot.

Ingredients

For the Fruit Syrup (makes ~1 cup) 

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries or haskaps

• ½ cup water

• ¼ cup sweetener of choice; sugar, maple syrup, honey, monkfruit sweetner (adjust to taste)

• 1 tsp lemon juice

For the Latte (1 serving)

• 1 tsp matcha powder (ceremonial grade if you can find it)

• 2 tbsp hot water (boil then wait a a few minutes to use, ~80°C / 175°F)

• ¾ cup unsweetened milk of choice (I use oat)

• 1–2 tbsp homemade blueberry or haskap syrup (see recipe below)

• If needed, add in additional sweetner to your taste. Maple syrup and honey are great options, I used 1 tsp monkfruit sweetener.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Syrup

1. In a small saucepan, combine berries, water, and sweetener of your choice.

2. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down.

3. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract all the juice (use in next step). The left over pulp can be used in other baking or frozen for smoothies, I used mine to make oatmeal bars.

4. Stir in lemon juice and let cool. If not pressure canning, store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Step 2: Prepare the Matcha

1. In a mug or bowl, whisk or froth matcha powder with 2 tbsp boiling water until smooth and frothy. I also add in 1 tsp of monkfruit sweetner (or sweetner of your choice) at this step. I don't get particularly fancy here, I just use a hand frother and a glass. 

Step 3: Froth the Milk 

1. If you're making a warm latte, warm the oat milk in a saucepan first, if making an iced latte, then froth your milk of choice cold out of the fridge until foamy. I like to also add 1/2 tsp of berry syrup to the oat milk while frothing as well as in the next step.

Step 4: Assemble

1. If serving cold, fill your glass with ice. Add 1–2 tbsp of fruit syrup to a mug or glass. 

2. Layer as you like. I like the whisked matcha after the fruit syrup, but feel free to be creative here.

3. Top with frothed milk.

4. Swirl gently to combine — the layers of green matcha and jewel-toned syrup make this as pretty as it is delicious!

Have you tried your matcha with fresh local fruit syrups? Tell us all about it in the comments section below!