Artificial Food Coloring Free Vegan Strawberry Matcha Latte
That gorgeous pink-to-green gradient you see in café drinks is almost always hiding artificial dyes, flavored syrups, or mystery powders — but this version earns every bit of its color from real ingredients. The rosy base comes from fresh or frozen strawberries simmered down with maple syrup into a jewel-bright syrup, strained smooth and naturally sweet. Ceremonial or culinary-grade matcha brings that vivid earthy green on top, whisked with hot water at just the right temperature so it stays silky and never bitter. Layered over ice with cold oat milk, the whole thing looks like something you'd pay way too much for at a specialty coffee bar. The slow pour technique — trickling the matcha over the back of a spoon — is what creates that stunning two-tone effect without any artificial help. It's refreshing, lightly sweet, and completely plant-based, making it as easy to feel good about as it is to photograph.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
For the strawberry syrup
- 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled and halved
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp water
For the matcha
- 2 tsp ceremonial or culinary-grade matcha powder
- 3 tbsp hot water (not boiling, about 175°f / 80°c)
- 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
For the latte
- 1 ½ cups oat milk or other plant-based milk, cold
- 1 ½ cups ice
Instructions
- 1
Combine the strawberries, 2 tbsp maple syrup, and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing the berries with the back of a spoon, until the strawberries have broken down and the mixture is syrupy, about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes, then press through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, discarding the solids. You should have about 3–4 tbsp of strawberry syrup.
- 2
Sift the matcha powder into a small bowl or measuring cup to break up any clumps. Add the hot water (about 175°F / 80°C — not boiling, which can make matcha bitter) and whisk vigorously in a zigzag motion until the matcha is fully dissolved and no dry powder remains, about 30 seconds. Stir in the optional 1 tsp maple syrup, if using.
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