In one of my previous posts about green tea, I wrote that after tasting green tea for the first time I felt like I’d discovered my elixir of life. Since then my fascination with exploring green tea in all its shapes and forms hasn’t ceased. I’ve been constantly tasting different green tea varieties; I also experimented a bit with fermenting green/black tea to make my own kombucha; After that, I discovered the powdered green tea variety – matcha, and started using it in literary everything: from matcha smoothie bowls to lattes, cookies, puddings.
Related Reads:
Green Tea Health Benefits: Why Drink Green Tea
Matcha Green Tea: Health Benefits of Drinking Matcha
I first tried a matcha latte in Starbucks, but the amount of sugar they put into it made me look for homemade options. After I followed that impulse, I started to really enjoy matcha. The fact that I live in China and speak Chinese made it convenient to reach out to the local suppliers of organic matcha. There happened to be a place called “Matcha Village” in one of the major tea growing regions.
Now that I have so much matcha green tea powder at home, I can further my matcha experiments. A matcha smoothie bowl in the morning has recently become one of my favorite breakfasts. It’s quick and easy to make, full of nutrients, and keeps energy levels high.
Table of Contents
But First, What is Matcha?
Matcha is also one of the members of the big green tea family. Like green tea, matcha is also derived from the plant Camellia sinensis. The tea that is intended to become matcha is protected from direct sunlight. In this way, the tea leaves produce more chlorophyll which results in dark green tea leaves with a higher content of amino acids than normal leaves.
Therefore, matcha has a vibrant green color, it’s rich in antioxidants and comes up with the same health benefits as green tea.
The Difference Between Matcha and Green Tea
The biggest difference between matcha and green tea is in the way the tea leaves are used.
We make green tea by infusing the tea leaves in warm water and removing them before drinking the tea. While matcha, on the other hand, is derived from entire tea leaves. Upon harvest, their stems and veins are removed, and finally stone-ground into a fine green powder known as matcha. In this way, the benefits of drinking matcha outnumber those of drinking green tea as we consume the whole leaf.
Matcha Smoothie Bowl and Nutrition
You might not be a fan of the green tea flavor, and there aren’t that many options for mixing green tea with other ingredients in order to make it more palatable. However, matcha which is essentially powdered green tea leaves, gives the same benefits but offers a lot more room for experimenting. You can make matcha smoothies, cookies, puddings, and what not.
A matcha smoothie bowl is a great way to start your day. You can use your favorite fruits, nuts, and seeds of your choice. Mixing in matcha powder makes your breakfast healthier and more nutritious. By choosing sweeter fruits as a base for your smoothie, such as banana or mango, you are offsetting the savory, earthy matcha flavor. A matcha smoothie bowl is very quick and easy to make; it only takes about five minutes.
How to Make a Matcha Smoothie Bowl: The Recipe
This is a recipe for a quick, nutritious smoothie bowl made of fresh fruits, avocado, and matcha green tea powder, sweetened with honey or maple syrup.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 – 2
Recommended Course: Breakfast Smoothie, Snack
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
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What Goes into Matcha Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients:
For the Smoothie Bowl
1 peeled, sliced banana (you can freeze the banana to make the smoothie colder)
½ avocado
1 cup mango
1 cup baby spinach
1/2- 1 cup almond milk
1-2 tsp matcha green tea powder
1 tsp manuka honey / maple syrup (optional if you don’t like it too sweet)
For toppings (optional)
Fresh fruit of your choice
Matcha granola
Instructions:
1. Slice the banana, avocado, mango, then put them in the blender together with the baby spinach.
2. Use ½ cup of almond milk at first, then add more if you need to adjust for density
3. Add 1-2 tbs of matcha. Remember, matcha contains caffeine, so 2 tbs might be great in a breakfast smoothie, but 2 tbs might deprive you of sleep if you are making an afternoon snack. Use it accordingly.
4. Blend until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust flavor and density as needed. If you want it sweeter, add a dash of honey or maple syrup. If you like it more fluid add the rest of the almond milk.
5. Divide between two serving bowls. I like to use coconut bowls, as they are eco-friendly.
6. Decorate your matcha smoothie bowl with your favorite toppings. I went with the fresh fruits I had in my fridge, granola, chia seeds, pine nuts, and pecans.
7. Best served while fresh.
I use coconut bowls for my smoothies, simply because they are completely natural, eco-friendly, BPA, and toxin-free. By using coconut bowls at home you save millions of coconut shells being wasted each year.
How to Make Matcha Granola In 30 mins
Do you like granola? I never did until I made my own. Whenever I tried the usual suspects in the supermarkets, they were either too dry, the fruit tasted off or some of them were simply too sugary.
People often have most of the ingredients for making granola at home. All it takes is a combination of whatever ingredients are left at home, a bowl to mix them, and a spreadsheet for baking. Trust me, making your own granola is much tastier than the store-bought. Granola is the perfect breakfast when you are in a hurry for work or want to snack in between meals.
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups of your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruits
I use:
Almonds
Pistachios
Pecans
Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Chia seeds
Dried cranberries
Dates
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tbs maple syrup
2 tbs coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp matcha powder
Instructions:
Use a bowl to mix all the ingredients
After mixing the ingredients, spread the texture over a sheet pan
Bake for about 20 minutes
Stir occasionally
Options for Serving:
Use as topping for your smoothie
With milk of your choice. Almond milk is really delicious
Greek Yogurt for added protein
With Fruit of your choice. I personally like berries
Read Next:
8 Best Green Teas for People Who Don’t Like Green Tea
How to Make Kombucha Tea at Home: A Beginners’ Guide
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If you decided to try this matcha smoothie bowl recipe, let me know below in the comment section. I’d love to know what you came up with. If you took photos, I’d love to see them. Tag me on Pinterest or Instagram @thehobbithold
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