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!
Move over matcha lattes, because there's a new, refreshing Matcha Lemonade drink coming on through and it will wake your mouth up in the best possible way on hot summer days!
This bold green coloured take on old fashioned lemonade is not the most attractive beverage in the world, but that lemon and matcha is an incredible flavour combo.
The saying "never 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"
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Ingredients
This bold green lemonade drink is very quick and easy to make. Here's exactly what you need:
- Don't use really, super cheap matcha because they can be bitter. Purchase a middle of the road brand, and be sure to make my Matcha Chia Pudding with the leftovers!
- 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.
Lemon Tip - When you buy lemons, hold them in your hands and choose the ones that feel heavier. This generally means they contain more juice.
How To Make Matcha Lemonade
And here's how it's done:
- Add the fresh lemon juice to a pitcher.
- Make a really simple, simple syrup (that's just hot water and sugar!) and add it to the pitcher with the lemon juice and some plain water.
- Shake the matcha up with some water and pour that in too.
- Stir it up and garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint.
Tips For Storage
Matcha Lemonade will keep for about a week in the fridge. If you make it fizzy though it won't keep for so long and is best made and consumed within a few hours. Or make all of the individual components, store them in the fridge, and mix as needed.
How To Make It Fizzy
If you'd rather have a fizzy matcha lemonade rather than old fashioned style, it's really easy! Simply use carbonated water (I use my Soda Stream) instead of regular water.
Variations & 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 the house .... add a shot of gin or vodka to your matcha lemonade. So good!
- 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.
- Cucumber - Add lots of slices to the pitcher after mixing.
- 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 and freeze.
Matcha Lemonade Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
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.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Matcha Lemonade
Author:Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar , white 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
- 1½ cups (360 mls / 12 oz) lemon juice , about 6 very large lemons, more if they are smaller
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put the sugar in a small bowl and pour over 1 cup (240 ml) 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 ml) 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 solution and then pour in 5 cups (1200 ml) 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 ml) water if you want to dilute it a little bit more.
- Serve over ice.
Brenda says
This lemonade is amazing. I used 1/2 cup of honey instead of sugar. This will be my new favourite summer thirst quencher. Thanks!