How Much Sugar Is in a Café Matcha Latte? Riyadh & Dubai Orders Compared
Key finding: matcha itself has almost no sugar, and an unsweetened matcha latte has 0 g of free sugar. A flavoured or Spanish matcha latte has about 19–21 g, close to 5 teaspoons and around 80% of the 25 g a day the WHO suggests as an ideal limit. A large one with extra syrup or condensed milk passes that limit in a single cup (about 29–31 g).
Matcha has become one of the most ordered drinks in Riyadh and Dubai cafés, and many people choose it as the “healthier” option. But the sugar in a café matcha latte rarely comes from the matcha. It comes from what goes in with it: syrup, sweetened condensed milk, a pre-sweetened matcha blend or spoonfuls of sugar. We estimated the free sugar in seven common matcha orders, using standard recipes and published nutrition data, and converted it into teaspoons.
The numbers: sugar in 7 matcha latte orders
| Order (medium, about 350 ml) | Recipe assumed | Free sugar | Teaspoons | Share of 25 g ideal limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matcha latte, unsweetened | 2 g matcha, 200 ml milk | 0 g | 0 | 0% |
| Lucarise matcha latte | No added sugar | 0 g | 0 | 0% |
| Matcha latte + 2 tsp sugar | Sugar added at the counter | 8.4 g | 2 | 34% |
| Flavoured matcha latte | 30 ml (2 tbsp) vanilla, caramel or strawberry syrup | 19 g | 4.5 | 76% |
| Spanish matcha latte | 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk | 20.7 g | 4.9 | 83% |
| Large iced flavoured matcha | 45 ml (3 tbsp) syrup | 28.5 g | 6.8 | 114% |
| Large Spanish matcha latte | 3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk | 31 g | 7.4 | 124% |
Free sugar means sugar added to the drink, including sugar in syrups and condensed milk. It does not include the natural lactose in milk: 200 ml of milk has about 10 g, which the WHO does not count towards the limit[1]. Sweetened condensed milk has 54.4 g of sugars per 100 g[2], so two tablespoons add about 21 g. Pure matcha powder adds almost nothing: 2 g of tea leaf has well under 1 g of sugar.
Why a matcha latte can be sweeter than you think
- Pre-sweetened matcha blends. Some cafés use a ready matcha latte powder in which sugar is the first ingredient. In 2016 Action on Sugar found a UK chain’s matcha latte with 34.9 g of sugars in a small and 45.2 g in a large, including the milk[3]. Ask whether the matcha is pure or a “latte blend”.
- Syrups for flavour. Vanilla, caramel, strawberry and other flavoured matcha drinks are made with syrup. Two tablespoons add about 19 g.
- Spanish matcha. The Gulf favourite Spanish latte has a matcha version, sweetened with condensed milk. Each tablespoon adds about 10 g.
- Size. Large and iced cups often get more syrup, so the sugar rises with the cup.
Menus show calories, not sugar
Saudi Arabia has required cafés and restaurants to show calories on menus since 2019, and newer SFDA rules from July 2025 add caffeine and other details[4]. That helps, but a calorie number does not tell you how much of the drink is added sugar, and a large milk latte can have similar calories with or without syrup. The table above fills that gap for matcha.
What a matcha day can add up to
Picture a common day in Riyadh or Dubai: a Spanish matcha latte in the morning (about 21 g) and a large iced vanilla matcha in the afternoon (about 29 g). That is about 50 g of free sugar, or 12 teaspoons, from two drinks. It reaches the WHO’s upper limit of 50 g a day and is twice the ideal 25 g, before any dessert. Check your own day with our sugar in drinks calculator.
How to order a matcha latte with less sugar
- Ask for pure matcha, not a sweetened latte blend.
- Order it unsweetened and add sweetness yourself, a little at a time.
- Ask for half the syrup (one pump instead of two), or one spoon of condensed milk instead of two.
- Size down: a medium usually has less syrup than a large.
- Use a zero-sugar sweetener such as stevia Reb-M if you like it sweet. See how to make a sugar-free matcha latte.
At home, a matcha latte needs only 1–2 g of matcha, 30 ml of hot water at 75–80 °C and 150–200 ml of milk. See our matcha latte recipe, the best milk for matcha latte and the complete matcha guide.
A matcha latte with no added sugar
Lucarise matcha latte sachets are made with no added sugar, so the only sugar in the cup is the natural lactose from milk. For cafés that want a no-added-sugar option on the menu, see how to add no-added-sugar drinks to a café menu. For the same comparison across karak, Spanish latte and other Gulf favourites, read how much sugar is in Gulf café drinks.
Methodology
These are estimates for typical recipes, not lab tests of any café. We assumed a medium cup of about 350 ml with 2 g of matcha and 200 ml of milk. Syrup is counted at about 19 g of sugar per 30 ml, and sweetened condensed milk at 54.4 g of sugars per 100 g (about 10.4 g per tablespoon)[2][5]. One teaspoon of sugar is 4.2 g. Recipes vary between cafés, so the real figure for your cup can be higher or lower. You are welcome to use the chart and figures with credit to Lucarise.
Watch: café matcha latte sugar in 30 seconds
New to matcha? Start with our complete matcha guide: what matcha is, its grades, and how to prepare it.
Serve matcha in your café?
Pure ceremonial matcha in 200 g tins and 5 kg bags, and unsweetened matcha latte mixes. See recipes, cups per pack and cost per cup, and ask for a sample for your baristas.
Frequently asked questions
How much sugar is in a matcha latte?
An unsweetened matcha latte has no free sugar, only about 10 g of natural lactose from 200 ml of milk. A café matcha latte with syrup or condensed milk usually has about 19–21 g of free sugar in a medium cup, and 29–31 g in a large.
Does matcha powder have sugar?
Pure matcha powder has almost no sugar. Matcha latte blends are different: many contain sugar or milk powder, so check the ingredients list.
Is a Spanish matcha latte high in sugar?
Yes. Two tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk add about 21 g of sugar, around 5 teaspoons, which is over 80% of the WHO’s ideal daily limit.
Is an iced matcha latte sweeter than a hot one?
Not by nature, but iced drinks are often larger and get more syrup. A large iced flavoured matcha with 45 ml of syrup has about 29 g of free sugar.
How can I order a matcha latte with less sugar?
Ask for pure, unsweetened matcha, half the syrup, or one spoon of condensed milk instead of two, choose a medium cup, or use a zero-sugar sweetener such as stevia.
Does the lactose in milk count as sugar?
The WHO’s free sugars limit does not include lactose that is naturally present in milk. It does include sugar in syrups, sugar added at the counter and the added sugar in condensed milk.
Sources
- World Health Organization (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children.
- USDA FoodData Central. Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened (FDC 171275): 54.4 g sugars per 100 g.
- Action on Sugar survey of 131 hot drinks, reported by City A.M. (2016). Up to 25 teaspoons of sugar in hot drinks from coffee outlets.
- Argaam (2019). Food authority requires Saudi restaurants, cafes to list calories; Gulf News (2025). Saudi Arabia enforces new menu rules to flag salt, caffeine and calorie burn.
- Lucarise (2026). How much sugar is in Gulf café drinks? (syrup and condensed milk assumptions).
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