Cardamom Matcha Latte: A Gulf Twist on Matcha (Hot & Iced Recipe)
Quick answer: to make a cardamom matcha latte, whisk 1–2 g of matcha with a pinch (about ¼ teaspoon) of freshly ground cardamom and 30 ml of water at 75–80 °C into a smooth paste, then add 150–200 ml of steamed milk. Sweeten with stevia or a date if you like. For a faster cup, use a ready cardamom matcha powder or a cardamom matcha latte mix.
Cardamom is the spice of Gulf hospitality: it is in every cup of gahwa and most cups of karak. Adding it to matcha gives the green tea latte a warm, familiar aroma that fits a majlis as well as a café. Below you will find the recipe, the right amount of cardamom, hot and iced versions and three ways to make it, from scratch or with a ready mix. New to matcha? Start with our complete matcha guide.
Why cardamom works with matcha
Matcha has a fresh, grassy and slightly savoury (umami) taste with a gentle bitterness. Cardamom adds a warm, floral and slightly citrusy aroma that rounds off the bitterness and makes the latte taste softer and sweeter, even with little or no sugar. Milk ties the two together.
3 ways to make cardamom matcha
| Way | What you need | Sweetness | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| From scratch | Pure matcha + ground cardamom + milk | You choose | About 3 minutes |
| Cardamom matcha powder | Matcha and cardamom already blended; add water or milk | Unsweetened | About 2 minutes |
| Cardamom matcha latte mix | Ready latte mix; add hot water or milk | No added sugar, with a separate stevia sachet | Under 1 minute |
Cardamom matcha latte recipe (hot)
Ingredients (1 cup)
- 1–2 g matcha (½–1 teaspoon)
- A pinch of ground cardamom (about ¼ teaspoon), or 2–3 green cardamom pods, freshly crushed
- 30 ml water at 75–80 °C
- 150–200 ml milk
- Optional: stevia, or 1 date blended into the milk
Steps
- Sift the matcha and cardamom into a bowl or mug.
- Add the 30 ml of hot (not boiling) water and whisk into a smooth paste with no lumps.
- Heat and froth the milk. For extra aroma, warm the milk with the crushed pods and strain them out.
- Pour the milk over the paste, stir and sweeten to taste.
Step-by-step whisking is explained in how to prepare matcha, and our best milk for matcha latte guide helps you pick the milk.
Iced cardamom matcha latte
Make the same paste with matcha, cardamom and 30 ml of warm water. Fill a glass with ice, add 150–200 ml of cold milk and pour the paste on top. See more tips in our iced matcha latte guide.
How much cardamom?
- Start small: about ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom per cup. Too much tastes medicinal and hides the matcha.
- Freshly ground is stronger: crush 2–3 green pods and use only the black seeds inside.
- Whole pods work best warmed in the milk and strained out.
- Ready-ground cardamom loses aroma quickly, so keep it airtight.
Gulf-style variations
- With dates: blend one soft date into the milk for natural sweetness.
- With saffron: soak 2–3 saffron threads in the hot water before whisking.
- With rose water: one or two drops are enough.
- With cardamom stevia: sweeten with a cardamom stevia sachet for a double cardamom note and no added sugar. See our stevia sweeteners.
Lucarise cardamom matcha
Two ready options make it easier. Cardamom Matcha Powder is pure matcha and cardamom only, with no sugar, sweetener or milk, in 1 g sachets. Cardamom Matcha Latte is a creamy latte mix with no added sugar and its own separate stevia sachet, so you decide how sweet it is. For cafés and hotels, the cardamom matcha latte also comes as an unsweetened 1 kg pack on our HoReCa page, with recipes in the Café Menu Kit.
Caffeine in a cardamom matcha latte
Matcha contains about 19–44 mg of caffeine per gram[1], so a latte made with 1–2 g has roughly 20–90 mg. Cardamom adds no caffeine. EFSA considers up to 400 mg of caffeine a day safe for healthy adults, and up to 200 mg a day during pregnancy and breastfeeding[2].
For more ideas, see how to use matcha powder and our matcha latte recipe.
New to matcha? Start with our complete matcha guide: what matcha is, its grades, and how to prepare it.
Frequently asked questions
Does cardamom go well with matcha?
Yes. Cardamom’s warm, floral aroma softens matcha’s grassy bitterness, which is why cardamom matcha latte is popular in Gulf cafés.
How much cardamom should I add to matcha?
Start with about ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom, or 2–3 crushed green pods, per cup, then adjust to taste.
Can I use whole cardamom pods?
Yes. Warm the crushed pods in the milk for a few minutes, then strain them out before adding the milk to the matcha.
Is a cardamom matcha latte sweet?
Only if you sweeten it. Lucarise Cardamom Matcha Latte has no added sugar in the latte mix and comes with a separate stevia sachet.
Does cardamom matcha have caffeine?
Yes, from the matcha: about 20–90 mg in a cup made with 1–2 g. Cardamom itself has no caffeine.
Can I make it iced?
Yes. Dissolve the matcha and cardamom in a little warm water first, then pour it over ice and cold milk.
Sources
- Koláčková T. et al. (2020). Matcha Tea: Analysis of Nutritional Composition, Phenolics and Antioxidant Activity. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 75: 48–53. doi:10.1007/s11130-019-00777-z
- EFSA NDA Panel (2015). Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal 13(5): 4102. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4102
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