Green Tea Ice Cream Funny Looking Green Tea Ice Cream

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Earthy, sweet Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream is the perfect treat on a hot day, and all you need are 4 simple ingredients! This homemade recipe will bring authentic flavors of Japan right to your kitchen.

A Japanese kutaniware bowl containing matcha green tea ice cream served with wooden spoon.

Green tea is one of the most popular flavors for sweets in Japan, especially in the form of ice cream. I've been living in the U.S. for over 15 years now, and I admit that it's been hard to find green tea ice cream that tastes authentic to what I enjoyed growing up. The majority of what I've tried is either way too sweet or overly creamy, masking the delicate flavor of the tea itself. Also, with matcha ice cream, there should never be a need for any artificial coloring or flavors.

If you want to know what true Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream (抹茶アイスクリーム) tastes like, I have just the recipe for you. The flavors instantly bring me back to Japan whenever I have this ice cream.

A glass container with matcha green tea ice cream in it.

What Does Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Taste Like?

The ideal flavor of this refreshing treat should be a perfect balance of earthy, sweet, and slightly bitter. Because matcha is much more concentrated than regular green tea, you often don't need much to experience its robust profile.

This homemade ice cream recipe accentuates the deep intensity of matcha flavor and is rich in texture. That's how matcha ice cream tastes like in Japan! It should not be overly creamy or milky like what you'd expect from some commercial ice cream brands which downplays the distinct matcha character. In short, expect intense matcha in authentic Japanese ice cream. No weak matcha flavor here.

Since matcha ice cream contains caffeine, consider it the perfect hot weather pick-me-up!

Matcha vs. Green Tea

Yes, both types of traditional Japanese teas come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). But what sets them apart?

You will find that matcha (抹茶) is more expensive and sold in small canisters as a finely ground powder. This is because matcha is made using only shade-grown tea leaves, meaning the leaves never encounter direct sunlight (resulting in a darker shade of green due to increased chlorophyll production). Only the finest buds are hand-picked, de-stemmed, and stone-ground to become the vibrant green powder that we find in stores.

Green tea (緑茶), on the other hand, is cultivated from leaves that have been left in the sun. This type of tea is often found in tea bags or sold as loose leaf. The flavor is lighter than matcha. It's still earthy, but it is much less intense because it's not as concentrated.

To learn more about matcha and how best to store it, please read this post.

Ingredients for Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream

The simplicity of this Homemade Matcha Ice Cream recipe can't be beat. It only takes4 simple ingredients to make— and no eggs necessary!

Matcha (Green tea powder)
Half-and-Half or Milk & Cream (more on this below)
Sugar
Salt

5 Tips for Making Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream

Tip #1: Buy the right matcha

When purchasing matcha, you'll notice there are often three types: ceremonial, premium, and culinary grade.

High-grade matcha (ceremonial and premium) is used for drinking and tends to have a bright, vibrant green hue. The "lower grades" are used mostly for culinary purposes, such as this recipe.

Premium quality matcha rarely goes on sale. Even if it does, do not buy in big volume because you need touse it in 2-3 weeks once you open the package. Matcha oxidizes and turns to yellow-green color as time passes. Unless you're running a commercial bakery, I wouldn't buy a big bag of matcha for home use.

Even in Japan, matcha is considered an expensive ingredient because of the care required for cultivation.

Tip #2: Half-and-Half vs. Milk & Cream

When I shared this original recipe in 2011, I used Half-and-Half in the recipe. Half-and-Half is an American dairy product that is an equal blend of whole milk and light cream.

Since I learned that many of you live outside of the U.S. and don't have access to this product, I've included the substitutions for you in this recipe. There are 4 options:

Option 1: 3 cups (720 ml) Half-and-Half
Option 2: 2 ¼ cup (540 ml) whole milk +¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream – I used this for my video/recipe below
Option 3:2 cup (480 ml) low-fat milk + 1cup (240 ml) heavy cream
Option 4:1 ½ cup (360 ml) whole milk +1 ½ cup (360 ml) light cream

Reference: The Kitchn

Tip #3: Freeze your ice cream bowl

Before diving into making the ice cream, be sure to freeze your ice cream bowl for 24 hours beforehand. If it's not cold enough, you may end up with liquid even after 30 minutes of churning. If you are not using an ice cream maker, please read this post for helpful tips.

After having this ice cream maker for several years, we invested on this ice cream maker and really love it. We don't have to worry about reserving a space in the freezer to store the ice cream bowl before making ice cream any more. It's much more convenient now to make homemade ice cream.

Tip #4: Make Matcha Paste

Matcha is a fine powder and you can't add it to the large volume of liquid because the powder becomes lumps as soon as it absorbs moisture. Therefore, when you mix matcha with liquid (milk mixture in this recipe), you have to make matcha into the paste form before adding to the large volume of liquid.

Tip #5: Refrigerate the Matcha Milk Mixture

To fasciliate the churring properly, you have to chill the ice cream mixture in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. I consider this is the hardest part of ice cream making!

Other Ice Cream Recipes:

Black Sesame Ice Cream
Azuki Red Bean Ice Cream
Mochi Ice Cream
Coffee Ice Cream Recipe

Ceramics from Musubi Kiln

I'm partnering with a great online ceramic shop from Japan called Musubi Kiln. They kindly offer JOC readers 10% off with a coupon code JUSTONECOOKBOOK for your purchase. In this post, I've used:

Ichikawa Wood Craft Cloud Shaped Wooden Tray
Rinkuro Kiln Old Imari Story Chrysanthemum Imari Bowl Set

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking?Sign up for our freenewsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! Andstay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.

A Japanese kutaniware bowl containing matcha green tea ice cream served with wooden spoon.

Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream

Earthy, sweet Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream is the perfect treat on a hot day, and all you need are four simple ingredients! This recipe will bring authentic flavors of Japan right to your kitchen.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Chilling Mixture + Churring + Chilling Ice Cream: 8 hrs 25 mins

Total Time: 9 hrs

Servings: 1.5 QT (6 cups)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Option 1: Half and Half

▢ 3 cups half and half (Half-and-half is an American product and is a blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream)
▢ 5 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (1 Tbsp matcha = 6 g)
▢ ¾ cup sugar
▢ ⅛ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)

Option 2: Whole Milk + Heavy Cream (I use this option in the recipe and video)

▢ 2 ¼ cups whole milk
▢ ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
▢ 5 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (1 Tbsp matcha = 6 g)
▢ ¾ cup sugar
▢ ⅛ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)

Option 3: Low-Fat Milk + Heavy Cream

▢ 2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
▢ 1 cup heavy whipping cream
▢ 5 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (1 Tbsp matcha = 6 g)
▢ ¾ cup sugar
▢ ⅛ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)

Option 4: Whole Milk + Light Cream

▢ 1 ½ cup whole milk
▢ 1 ½ cup light cream
▢ 5 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (1 Tbsp matcha = 6 g)
▢ ¾ cup sugar
▢ ⅛ tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

To Freeze Ice Cream Bowl (24 Hrs Earlier)

If you're using an ice cream maker that requires the freezer bowl to be frozen (like this one), make sure to freeze it for at least 24 hours. If it's not cold enough, you may end up with liquid even after 30 minutes of churning. I use this ice cream maker which does not require freezing the bowl. If you don't have an ice cream maker, I hope this post helps.

To Make Ice Cream Mixture

Gather all the ingredients.
In a medium saucepan, combine milk and heavy cream (or just Half and Half) and turn the heat to medium-low.
Add sugar and salt and whisk together. We heat the milk mixture until sugar is dissolved, then turn off the heat. Remove the pot from the heat if you see small bubbles around the edges of the pot and NEVER let it boil.
Add 3 Tbsp of the milk mixture to the bowl of matcha and mix with a silicone spatula until the liquid absorbs matcha.
Add 3Tbsp of the milk mixture again and repeat until the liquid absorbs matcha. Tip: Matcha is a fine powder and you can't add it to the large volume of liquid because the powder becomes lumps as soon as it absorbs moisture. Therefore, we have to make matcha into the paste form before adding to the large volume of liquid.
Add 3 Tbsp of the milk mixture again and repeat. The mixture starts to become pasty.
Add 3 Tbsp of the milk mixture and loosen up the paste.
Add 3 Tbsp of the milk mixture and now the matcha mixture is a thick liquid.
Transfer the matcha mixture into the milk mixture and mix together.
Change to the whisk and combine well. Then prepare an ice bath and a bowl (I use this 8 cup measuring cup with a spout) that can sit in the ice bath. Transfer the matcha mixture into a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl.
Press and strain the matcha left in the fine-mesh sieve. Let the matcha mixture cool on the countertop. When the mixture is cool, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. IMPORTANT: If you don't chill enough, the ice cream machine will not be able to create the mixture into the ice cream consistency.

To Make Ice Cream

My ice cream maker doesn't require pre-freezing, but it needs to run the machine until the bowl is -33ºF (-36ºC)for 15 minutes. When the bowl is cold, whisk the matcha mixture one last time.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl and churn according to the manufacture's instructions.
After 25 minutes, when the mixture is thickened and is not moving, turn off the ice cream maker.
Transfer the "soft" ice cream into an airtight container. Freeze until the ice cream is firm and the flavor develops, at least 4 hours.

To Store

You can keep it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy it soon!

Serving: 1 QT · Calories: 1166 kcal · Carbohydrates: 121 g · Protein: 39 g · Fat: 56 g · Saturated Fat: 35 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 16 g · Cholesterol: 179 mg · Sodium: 244 mg · Potassium: 631 mg · Sugar: 101 g · Vitamin A: 4213 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 509 mg · Iron: 9 mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: green tea powder, ice cream, matcha

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Editor's Note: The post was originally published on August 15, 2011. The blog content and images have been updated and a new video has been added to the post in August 2021.

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Source: https://www.justonecookbook.com/green-tea-ice-cream-matcha-ice-cream/