Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe
Make your very own matcha ice cream with only 10 mins prep – just whip, stir, then freeze overnight! No churning or eggs required for this creamy, easy homemade green tea ice cream.
Why We Love This
This is one of our favourite Japanese desserts, it’s super easy to make at home – just four ingredients, no ice cream maker necessary. And, unlike other no-churn ice cream recipes, this version doesn’t need to be stirred every 30 minutes while freezing!
There’s no heat in this recipe, so there’s no need to wait for the mixture to chill in the fridge either.
We love the earthy flavour of matcha. It’s light and refreshing for dessert or anytime you need an ice cream fix. It’s much cheaper than buying store bought matcha ice cream, and tastes better too.
Related: Matcha Green Tea Salt / Matcha Cookies / Matcha Pancakes
The Matcha Power is in Your Hands!
This homemade ice cream recipe is made to be adapted. Tweak the ratios of the matcha powder and sugary sweetness so it’s perfect for you. Add more matcha green tea powder for an intense tea flavour, or scale it back to let that sweetness shine. We’ve made what we’d call a “mid-strength” ice cream. So if you only like a hint of green tea flavour, go for 2 tbsp of powder. If you REALLY like those bitter notes from the matcha, crank it all the way up to 6 tbsp. The power is yours!
What is Matcha Ice Cream?
Matcha ice cream (known in Japan as matcha ice or 抹茶アイスクリーム) is ice cream that has been blended with matcha green tea powder. This bright green ice cream is a popular treat in the humid summers of Japan and other parts of Asia.
You’ll find it at restaurants and cafes, often served on its own or as part of a matcha parfait with dango rice cakes and red bean paste. You can also buy it at grocery stores or combini convenience stores all across Japan.
Today’s recipe is for an easy ice cream base made with thickened cream (aka heavy cream) and condensed milk. It’s made without eggs, so there’s no need to bring the mixture up to a high temperature or temper whole eggs or egg yolks.
Tip: We reckon it would go great with the rich decadence of getanha – Japanese brown sugar cake!
What You’ll Need
- Thickened Cream – Also known as heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. The fat content (around 36%) helps give the ice cream its thick, glossy and creamy texture. You can use light whipping cream, but it may not be quite the same texture.
- Condensed Milk – Can also be labelled as sweetened condensed milk, although they’re the same thing. Sub with coconut condensed milk if you like.
- Matcha Powder – Can also be known as green tea powder. This is a finely ground powder made from high quality green tea leaves. It’s much more highly concentrated (in both flavour and caffeine) than regular green tea, so you don’t need much for a big flavour burst. There are two main grades: culinary grade or ceremonial grade matcha. We personally recommend a culinary grade matcha for this recipe, but it’s still a good idea to buy the best brand to suit your taste and budget.
- Salt – Just a pinch, to bring out the sweetness and flavour of the tea. It’s optional, you can leave it out if you prefer.
How to make Homemade Green Tea Ice Cream:
First, gather your ingredients: See recipe card below for measurements.
- Bloom the matcha powder in hot water (not boiling) in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add in the salt and whisk again until dissolved.
- Pour in the condensed milk and stir until evenly mixed.
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the thickened cream until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes.
- Fold the matcha condensed milk into the cream and stir with a spatula until mixed through.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container or glass dish and smooth out the top. Cover with an airtight lid and place into the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours.
Wandercook’s Tips
- Don’t Overwhip the Cream – This will keep the finished ice cream texture light and fluffy rather grainy.
- Freezing – Cover your container with an airtight lid or seal tightly with cling film to create a good seal to avoid the ice cream becoming icy. In addition, you can also cover it with a tea towel to protect it from moist air in your freezer and reduce the formation of ice on the top.
FAQs
Yes. Matcha has more caffeine compared to green tea or black tea, but less than coffee. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, enjoy it earlier in the day so you’ll still sleep well at night. Alternatively, make a decaf version of our Japanese coffee jelly instead.
Drizzle it with condensed milk or sprinkle with extra matcha powder or icing sugar for a decorative look. Whip it up into a thick shake, serve a scoop in an iced matcha latte, or add soda for an ice cream float. You can also turn it into a parfait or mochi ice-cream.
It pairs amazingly well with cakes, slices, puddings or jelly, or loaded on top of pancakes or waffles!
It should be fine to substitute the thickened cream with coconut cream, and the condensed milk with coconut condensed milk to make it vegan. However we haven’t tested this yet, so can’t be sure of the final flavour and texture. If you try it, do let us know!
Variations
- Add Extras – Stir in a splash of vanilla extract, white or dark chocolate chips / chocolate shavings, crushed pistachios or macadamias, or mashed red beans to amp up your ice cream.
- Flavour – Love the green colour but prefer a different flavour? Try it with pandan extract instead!
Try these amazing recipes next:
- Daifuku Mochi – Soft and sweet Japanese rice cakes stuffed with red bean paste.
- Japanese Coffee Jelly – This decadent treat is super quick and easy to prepare.
- Dango – Sweet mochi skewers topped with red bean paste.
- Matcha Latte – Served iced or hot, just the way you like it!
- Ginger Fluff Sponge Cake – A show stopper that’s also easy to make.
★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!
Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe
- 400 ml thickened cream / heavy cream 14 oz heavy cream
- 400 ml condensed milk 14 oz
- 4 tbsp matcha green tea powder mixed in 4 tbsp hot water (not boiling)
- 1 pinch salt
- Mix matcha powder in hot water (ie boil the kettle and let stand for 5 minutes) in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Note: You'll need 1 tbsp hot water for every 1 tbsp of matcha powder. Add in the salt and whisk again until dissolved. Pour in the condensed milk and stir until evenly mixed.400 ml condensed milk, 4 tbsp matcha green tea powder, 1 pinch salt
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the thickened cream until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes.400 ml thickened cream / heavy cream
- Fold the matcha condensed milk into the cream and stir with a spatula until mixed through.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container or glass dish and smooth out the top. Cover with an airtight lid and place into the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours.
- Flavour Intensity – If you’re new to matcha flavour, you might like to start with just 2 tbsp of matcha powder. Increase to 6 tbsp if you’re a matcha lover like us!
- Freezing – Cover your container with an airtight lid or seal tightly with cling film to create a good seal to avoid the ice cream becoming icy. In addition, you can also cover it with a tea towel to protect it from moist air in your freezer and reduce the formation of ice on the top.
- Add Extras – Stir through white or dark chocolate chips / chocolate shavings, crushed pistachios or macadamias, or mashed red beans to amp up your ice cream.
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
