Matcha Ice Cream (Green Tea Ice Cream)

Do you love matcha or green tea? If you do, this matcha ice cream will surely please you.

Made using a super simple 3-ingredients ice cream base, all you need is to add some matcha powder and churn it for a perfectly smooth and creamy matcha ice cream.

What is matcha?

Matcha is green tea in fine powder form and is often traditionally consumed as a hot beverage. This drink is mostly famous in Japan. The tea is produced from a plant called Camellia Sinensis.

The difference between regular green tea and matcha is that green tea comes in coarsely ground leaves form (just like the regular black tea). Matcha, on the other hand, is the finely ground powder version of green tea. When you make green tea with the green tea leaves, you seep them in hot water and then you discard them. With matcha powder, you simply add it to hot water, stir and consume it directly. Green tea comes in various grades, the highest being the ceremonial grade matcha. In any case, always choose the right matcha i.e. the culinary grade matcha as green tea is also increasing used in cosmetics and may not be of an edible grade.

When making baked goods or desserts like this ice cream, it is easier to use matcha powder as it can be added directly into the rest of the ingredients. And in the case of this matcha ice cream on this page, that is exactly the case.

The ice cream

This green tea ice cream is super easy to make. All you need is just a few minutes to mix all the base ingredients and the matcha powder together before you chill and churn it.

This is a churn ice cream recipe and is best made with an ice cream machine. If you don't have an ice cream machine, you can still make this lovely matcha flavor ice cream. All you need to do is mix the ice cream solution (see the step-by-step guide below and in the recipe card) and freeze it until it is completely set. You then break it into chunks, put the chunks into a blender, and blend them until smooth, to a smoothie consistency. After that, you pour the blended ice cream back into its container and freeze it for an hour or two until it sets completely before serving. Easy right?

The ice cream mixture base comprises only 3 main ingredients, i.e. full-fat milk, sugar, and cream. To this, you add some salt and matcha powder and mix the solution well. Once churned, it is frozen until set to make absolutely delicious and refreshing matcha ice cream.

How to Make

Ingredients

• Full fat milk (Whole milk)
• Heavy whipping cream (with at least 35% fat)
• Granulated sugar
• Fine salt
• Matcha powder (Green tea powder)

Preparing the ice cream base

1. Measure sugar into a small bowl.
2. Sift the matcha powder into it.
3. Add salt.
4. Mix the sugar, salt, and matcha powder well, until the powder is well distributed. Set aside.
5. Measure milk into a measuring jug or pot. Add the matcha-sugar mix into the milk and stir the sugar is all dissolved. Since granulated sugar is quite fine, this process should not take more than a minute or two. As you stir the milk, you will feel the sugar and salt grains at the bottom of the bowl or pot. As soon as you don’t feel them anymore, that means the sugar and salt are dissolved.
6. Add the heavy cream in the milk mixture and mix well.

Method 1: Churning the ice cream in an ice cream machine

1. Chill the matcha ice cream solution prepared above in the fridge for at least 2 hours. You can also leave this in the fridge overnight. If you want to get it ready faster, you can put it in the freezer for about an hour.
2. Pour the chilled matcha ice cream solution into your ice cream maker bowl. Follow the instructions as stated in your ice cream maker manual on how to operate your machine. Each machine works differently. Also, make sure you have the correct churning pedal attached (in case your machine comes with more than one type of pedal) and that the quantity of the liquid is not exceeding the capacity of your machine. This homemade base can be used for ice cream makers with a capacity of one and a half quarts. Also do note that as the ice cream is being churned, it will increase in volume. So make sure you do not fill your ice cream maker tub anymore than the capacity it is intended for.
3. Turn on the machine and let it churn the ice cream. I churn mine for 1 hour, but be sure to check the maximum time for your machines.
4. At the end of 60 minutes, the ice cream should be perfectly churned. But it may still be a little soft (like a soft-serve ice cream consistency). Transfer it into a freezer-safe container and freeze for a few hours until it is completely set, before serving.
5. To serve the green tea ice cream, use an ice cream scoop to scoop it into serving cups. If the ice cream is too hard to scoop, leave the container out for a few minutes. It should be a lot easier to scoop your ice cream then.

Method 2: Using the blender

• Prepare the ice cream base as above. Pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze until it is completely set (about 4 to 6 hours).
• Once frozen, remove it from the fridge, break it into smaller chunks with a spoon and place the ice cream chunks into the blender (food processor).
• Blend the green tea ice cream until smooth. If it is hard to blend, try to press the ice cream chunks down with a spoon (please ensure the blender is turned off when you are doing this).
• Quickly transfer the blended ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for about an hour or until set before serving.
• To serve the green tea ice cream, use an ice cream scoop to scoop it into serving cups. If the ice cream is too hard to scoop, leave the container out for a few minutes. It should be a lot easier to scoop your ice cream then.

Notes

Can the amount of matcha powder in the ice cream be adjusted?

• Yes, it can. Adjusting the quantity of the powder in the ice cream will not alter the texture or creaminess of the ice cream, but will make a difference to the intensity of the green tea taste in it.
• If you like a stronger matcha taste, increase the amount of matcha powder you add to the ice cream solution. And if you prefer a less intense matcha taste, reduce it slightly.
• If after mixing the ice cream solution, you want to add more matcha powder to it, sift the powder into a small bowl, and pour just a little of the ice cream solution into it. Mix into a thin paste. Add more of the ice cream solution and stir until the matcha paste dilutes further. Only after that you add it to the ice cream solution. This process will avoid the matcha powder from forming clumps in the ice cream solution when added directly to it.
• If you notice any clumps of the matcha powder in your ice cream solution, strain it with a fine strainer or sieve to remove the lumps.

Why is it important to mix the matcha powder with sugar before adding to the milk?

• Matcha powder, just like cocoa powder, tends to be clumpy. Hence is it important to sift the powder before using it.
• Even after sifting, this powder tends to clump when added directly into liquid. These clumps are often tiny and very difficult and time-consuming to break and dilute. The best way to add the powder into the milk is by first mixing it with sugar. That way, the powder disperses in the sugar and that avoids it from forming lumps when added to the milk.

Can you use low-fat milk instead of full-fat milk?

• Technically you can, but I do not recommend it. This is simply because it will affect the texture of the ice cream.

Can the ratio of milk and cream in this recipe be adjusted?

• Yes, it can, however, it is important to take note that the amount of cream used in the recipe will affect the creaminess of the ice cream.
• Nevertheless, this is a matter of personal preference and can be adjusted accordingly, provided you keep the final quantity of your homemade ice cream solution as per your ice cream maker specifications.
• Sugar can also be adjusted accordingly.

Why is it important to chill the ice cream solution before churning?

• When the solution is thoroughly chilled, the time it takes to get to a frozen stage will be shorter as compared to when it is not chilled. This in turn will take the ice cream machine a shorter time to churn the ice cream well.
• Hence it is necessary to chill the ice cream solution first. However, not all ice cream machines work in the same manner. It is best that you follow the instructions provided in your ice cream machine manual for best results.

That is the best temperature to freeze the ice cream?

• This matcha ice cream is best frozen at negative thirteen (-13) degrees Celsius.
• After churning, it is best to freeze the ice cream for at least 2 to 3 hours to set. Sometimes, long hours of freezing can result in your ice cream being hard to scoop. Should that happen, simply leave the ice cream container out at room temperature for a few minutes. It should be a lot easier to scoop after that.

Serving suggestions

• This ice cream is perfect to be served on its own like you typically get at a typical Japanese restaurant.
• You can also pair it with white chocolate chips (like in this recipe), or dark chocolate shavings. Red bean paste is another great option for matcha ice cream. Add is as a topping on your scooped ice cream for an authentic Japanese ice cream flavor.

Like this easy homemade ice cream recipe? Here are my other posts you might want to check out

• Matcha Pound Cake
• Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream - Perfectly Smooth & Creamy
• No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream - Amazingly Smooth & Creamy
• Homemade No-Churn Ice Cream - The Easiest!
• Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - A Simple Homemade Recipe
• Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream - Perfectly Smooth and Creamy
• Pandan Milk Tea - Easy Homemade Jelly Bubble Tea Recipe

Recipe (Printable)

Here is the full printable version of my homemade churned matcha ice cream recipe.

📖Recipe

And that's that. My easy matcha ice cream recipe.

Enjoy 🙂