Asian Recipes/ Dessert/ Japanese/ Recipes

Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe

20/10/2023

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.

Bowl of matcha ice cream on a dark surface.

Why We Love This

This matcha ice cream recipe is 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.

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Related: Matcha Green Tea Salt / Matcha Cookies / Matcha Pancakes

Matcha ice cream in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

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.

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.
Ingredients laid out to make green tea ice cream.

How to make Homemade Green Tea Ice Cream:

First, gather your ingredients: See recipe card below for measurements.

  1. 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.
  2. Pour in the condensed milk and stir until evenly mixed.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whip the thickened cream until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes.
  1. Fold the matcha condensed milk into the cream and stir with a spatula until mixed through.
  2. 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.
Green tea ice cream in a glass dish with ice cream scoop.

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

Does matcha ice cream have caffeine?

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.

What are some ways I can serve or eat matcha ice-cream?

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!

Can I make it vegan / dairy-free?

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!
Small blue bowl filled with Japanese matcha ice cream.

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★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!

Bowl of green, creamy matcha ice cream scoops.

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.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 1 Tub of Ice Cream
Calories: 2824kcal
Author: Wandercooks
Cost: $10

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 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.

Video

YouTube video

Recipe Notes

  • 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

Nutrition Facts
Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
2824
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
179
g
275
%
Saturated Fat
 
114
g
713
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
8
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
46
g
Cholesterol
 
588
mg
196
%
Sodium
 
655
mg
28
%
Potassium
 
1864
mg
53
%
Carbohydrates
 
229
g
76
%
Sugar
 
229
g
254
%
Protein
 
73
g
146
%
Vitamin A
 
9948
IU
199
%
Vitamin C
 
13
mg
16
%
Calcium
 
1400
mg
140
%
Iron
 
12
mg
67
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe
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4 Comments

  • Reply
    Melissa
    20/07/2023 at 3:08 pm

    Do you think you could substitute the cream and condensed milk to use tinned coconut cream and tinned coconut condensed milk instead?

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      22/07/2023 at 12:06 pm

      Hey Melissa, those subs should work, but we haven’t tested that combination personally. If you try it, let us know how it turns out. Matcha goes so well with coconut flavours!

  • Reply
    Linda
    11/03/2023 at 9:04 am

    5 stars
    Let me mention that adding dark chocolate mini chips to this is terrific!

    • Reply
      Wandercooks
      11/03/2023 at 8:57 pm

      Oh yeah, that would be an amazing combo. 🙌

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