• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Veganuary
  • FREE ebook
  • Shop

A Virtual Vegan

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • Veganuary
  • FREE ebook
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Cookbook
    • Veganuary
    • FREE ebook
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Beverages

    Published: Jun 9, 2019 · Modified: May 30, 2022 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 1 Comment

    Matcha Lemonade

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN WATCH VIDEO
    5 from 3 votes
    When life hands you lemons, make Matcha Lemonade! This is a bold green take on old fashioned lemonade, with fragrant, grassy matcha deliciousness dissolved into every sweet, slightly mouth-puckering, citrusy sip! 

    When life hands you lemons, make Matcha Lemonade! This is a bold green take on old-fashioned lemonade, with fragrant, grassy matcha deliciousness dissolved into every sweet, slightly mouth-puckering, citrusy sip! 

    a glass of matcha lemonade garnished with a lemon slice and fresh mint

    Move over matcha lattes, because there's a new, refreshing summer Matcha Lemonade drink coming on through and it will wake your mouth up in the best possible way!

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • What does matcha taste like?
    • What is Matcha Lemonade?
    • What does Matcha Lemonade taste like? 
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Matcha Lemonade
    • How to juice a lemon 
    • Success Tips
    • Storage
    • Make it fizzy
    • Variations and add-ins
    • Recipe Video
    • Recipe
    • Comments & Reviews

    You could say that I am a little bit lemon obsessed. I just love that mouth puckering, citrus flavour and I have sooo many recipes on this site that involve lemons in one way or another. Just recently we've had lemony Avocado Dressing, Lemony Quinoa Cranberry Salad and Lemon Blueberry Loaf and now here's something for you to wash them all down with. 

    The idea for this recipe started when I had a Matcha Lemonade in a local cafe. I came away really wanting to recreate it. And I did. And here it is.  Cheers! 

    And it's so good!  There is one teeny tiny problem though ... When you add matcha to your lemonade it turns it from pretty, lemon yellow to murky, swamp water green. 

    It's not the most attractive beverage in the world but that lemon and matcha together on your tastebuds is the bomb. So, the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" has never been so true. Trust me on this one and repeat after me:

    "does not taste like swamp water"

    "does not taste like swamp water"

    What does matcha taste like?

    Matcha looks a bit like green cocoa powder and it tastes as "green" as it looks. Like a good wine (and me), it's full bodied and complex ;O) . It has a pleasant, earthy, mossy, grassy, slightly citrusy, mildly spinach like flavour and it is just that, that works so well with the lemon in this lemonade. 

    a hand picking up a glass of matcha lemonade What is Matcha Lemonade?

    Matcha Lemonade is a super refreshing drink made with fresh lemons, sugar, matcha and water. It's a bold green coloured take on old fashioned lemonade, with some of the flavour and health benefits of Japanese green tea dissolved into each sweet, slightly mouth puckering, citrusy sip.  

    Starbucks Matcha Lemonade has been around for a few years now, and as matcha becomes more and more popular, it's popping up in lots of other cafes too. 

    What does Matcha Lemonade taste like? 

    Matcha Lemonade has a strong, zingy, tart lemon flavour that is a little bit mouth puckery and sweet all at the same time, with earthy matcha back notes. It's sweet, it's tart, it's slightly earthy and grassy and it's vibrantly green. 

    Ingredients

    This bold green lemonade drink is very quick and easy to make. Here's what you need:

    ingredients for Matcha Lemonade laid out on white background
    • Lemons
    • Matcha
    • Water
    • Sugar
    • Ice

    How to make Matcha Lemonade

    And here's how it's done:

    Step 1 - Make a really simple, simple syrup. Simple syrup is just a sugar/water solution. All you need to do is put the sugar in a bowl and pour over the boiling water, then whisk or stir until you can no longer see any sugar crystals. 

    Step 2 - Squeeze the lemons. See my tips below for how to get the most juice possible from them. 

    Step 3 - Combine the matcha with some water. It's just a case of shaking them together in a jar. 

    matcha and water in a jar ready to make matcha lemonade

    Step 4 - Start filling the pitcher. Pour in the lemon juice, simple syrup and water. 

    Step 5 - Add the matcha solution. Just pour it in. 

    Step 6 - Stir it up and garnish. Give it a good stir with a large spoon then feel free to garnish it with some lemon slices and maybe some fresh mint or cucumber. 

    It’s really easy to adjust the sweetness and tartness by adjusting the sugar a bit or adding more or less lemon juice.

    How to juice a lemon 

    lemon juicer, bowl and lemon halves for making matcha lemonade

    Juicing a lemon isn't difficult, but there are some tricks for getting the maximum amount of juice possible from them. 

    When you buy lemons, hold them in your hands and choose the ones that feel heavier. This generally means they contain more juice. 

    Don't refrigerate your lemons. Lemons are much juicier at room temperature. 

    half a lemon being juiced over a bowl

    Before you attempt juicing, put your lemon on the counter, and roll it under your hand really hard a few times. This really helps more juice to flow. 

    Use a lemon squeezer. They don't cost much and are much more effective than just squeezing with your hand.

    And a tip for using a lemon squeezer like the one in my pictures: It might seem natural to put the lemon half in the juicer cut side up because of the shape, but it should actually go in cut side down. But, for maximum juice, I squeeze it cut side down, then turn it over and squeeze again to get every single last drop out. 

    Success Tips

    • Be sure to use fresh squeezed lemon juice to make your lemonade drink, and not store bought bottled lemon juice. The flavour just doesn't compare and also the nutrients will have dissipated during processing and storage. 
    • Don't use really, super cheap matcha. Buy a middle of the road brand. The cheap ones can be really bitter. 
    • Serve over ice! 

    Storage

    Matcha Lemonade will keep for about a week in the fridge. See below if you are planning to make it fizzy though. 

    2 glasses of matcha lemonade

    Make it fizzy

    It's really easy to make this lemonade drink fizzy. Simply use carbonated water or club soda instead of regular water. If you do this, the lemonade won't keep for so long because the bubbles will go flat, so it's best made and consumed within a few hours, or make all the individual components, store them in the fridge, and mix it up as needed. 

    Variations and add-ins

    This lemonade is kind of perfect just as it is, but here are some ideas for switching it up:

    • Make straight lemonade - simply omit the matcha! 
    • For the adults in da house .... add a shot of gin to your glass of matcha lemonade. OMG it is so good. I would imagine vodka would be very good too but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. It will happen some time soon though!
    • Fresh mint - Get a handful or two of leaves and bash them with a rolling pin a few times, then add them to the pitcher and let them steep in the lemonade for at least 30 minutes before enjoying. 
    fresh mint to garnish matcha lemonade
    • Cucumber - Add some slices of fresh cucumber to the pitcher 
    • Ginger - add a knob of fresh ginger ((about 2 inches) to the pitcher of lemonade and allow to steep for an hour or two then remove before serving
    • Make popsicles! - Simply pour the finished lemonade into popsicle molds. This is my favourite mold. You've probably seen it before when I made my Lemon Cheesecake Pops:
    Onyx ice pop mold

    So there we have it. Homemade Matcha Lemonade is about to make your day and your summer amazing!

    Recipe Video

    Recipe

    a glass of matcha lemonade garnished with a lemon slice and fresh mint

    Matcha Lemonade

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 3 votes
    When life hands you lemons, make Matcha Lemonade! This is a bold green take on old fashioned lemonade, with fragrant, grassy matcha deliciousness dissolved into every sweet, slightly mouth-puckering, citrusy sip! 
     
     
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 15 minutes
    COOK TIME: 0 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes
    Servings: 2 litres

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup / 200 g sugar , white granulated sugar or cane sugar * (for alternatives see recipe notes)
    • 7⅓ cup / 1760 mls / 60 oz water , divided (you might not need it all)
    • 2 tablespoons matcha , can be omitted to make regular old fashioned lemonade
    • 1½ cups / 360 mls / 12 oz lemon juice , about 6 very large lemons, more if they are smaller. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not lemon juice from a bottle.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Put the sugar in a small bowl and pour over 1 cup / 240 mls of freshly boiled water. Keep stirring until the sugar granules have dissolved. If your sugar has particularly large crystals and they don't dissolve easily, pour into a small pan and warm gently on the stove for a minute or two until they do. Set aside.
    • Put ⅓ cup / 80 mls cold water in a jar and add the matcha powder. Put the lid on and shake really well until combined. Set aside.
    • To a large pitcher that holds at least 2 litres add the lemon juice. Pour in the sugary water solution and then pour in 5 cups / 1200 mls of cold water. Stir well. You can add ice to the pitcher if you like but be aware that it adds volume and you might not fit all of the liquid in unless there is enough capacity for both the ice and the liquid.
    • Give the matcha solution another quick shake then pour it into the pitcher. Stir again to distribute. Taste and add the remaining 1 cup / 240 mls water if you want to dilute it a little bit more.
    • Serve over ice.

    NOTES

    • Sweetness can be adjusted by adding more or less sugar. Tartness can be adjusted by adding more or less lemon juice.
    • Add more water to dilute if necessary. 
    • Use carbonated water or club soda in place of regular water to make your lemonade fizzy. 
    • Matcha Lemonade will keep in the fridge for 1 week. The matcha will naturally settle in the bottom. Just give it a good stir or shake before serving. 
    • See the post above for some ingredient add-ins that work really well. 
    • Can be frozen in ice pop molds. 
    • Excellent when served with gin! *adults only! 
    *The sugar in this recipe can be replaced with 1 cup of maple syrup or for a sugar free version you can use stevia. 2 - 4 tablespoons should provide sufficient sweetness but add more to taste if needed. 

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 200mlsCalories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 0.5gSodium: 7mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 22.3mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.2mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

    Hungry For More?

    • Incredible Vegan Hot Chocolate
    • Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
    • Vegan Coffee Syrup Recipes
    • Pumpkin Spice Syrup
    786 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Brenda says

      June 29, 2020 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      This lemonade is amazing. I used 1/2 cup of honey instead of sugar. This will be my new favourite summer thirst quencher. Thanks!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Melanie McDonald

    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), best-selling cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan food from scratch.

    More about me →

    Trending now!

    • Perfect Vegan Yorkshire Puddings
    • Lentil Shepherd's Pie
    • Cinnamon Roll in a Mug
    • Vegan Potato Soup
    • Vegan Butter
    • Vegan Banana Pancakes

    ❊ GET MY COOKBOOK ❊

    Vegan Comfort Cooking Melanie McDonald

    Amazon / Book Depository / Books-A-Million / Barnes & Noble / Indigo

    "Meaty' Vegan Recipes

    • Vegan Ham
    • Vegan Chicken Breasts
    • Vegan Sausage Recipe
    • Vegan Beef
    • Vegan Roast
    • Gluten-Free Seitan Roast

    See more →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top


    About Me
    My Cookbook
    Privacy

    Subscribe
    Contact me
    Work With Me

    Accessibility
    Nutrition
    Media

    Copyright © 2023 A Virtual Vegan- All Rights Reserved.