In short: Whisk 1–2 tsp (2–4 g) of matcha smooth and pour it over ice with about 120–180 ml of cold water or milk, then float a cold foam on top. For the foam, froth about 60–120 ml of cold milk (with a splash of cream) and 1–2 tsp of syrup for roughly half a minute to a minute until thick, then pour it over the back of a spoon so it floats. No frother needed — a jar, whisk, stick blender or French press all work. It takes about 5 minutes and makes one drink.
A note on the numbers: There is no single official matcha cold foam recipe. Doses, ratios, amounts and times below are working ranges baristas and home cooks rely on: reviewer-confirmed conventions, not measured specs. The caffeine figure is worked out from the matcha dose, not measured in a finished drink. The calorie range is computed from the dairy and sweetener, and the Starbucks figures are a size range from the Australian product page, not a single per-cup spec.
The quick answer: what's in matcha cold foam
Matcha cold foam is a cold, thick cap for iced matcha: milk, often with a little cream and sweetener, frothed cold so it floats instead of melting in like hot steamed milk. Whisk 1–2 tsp (2–4 g) of matcha smooth, pour it over ice with about 120–180 ml of cold water or milk, then float the frothed foam on top. Think of it as the topping, not the whole drink.
How do you make matcha cold foam at home?
Make the drink in two separate layers: a whisked iced matcha base underneath, and a cold, sweet foam floated on top — the cafe-style "matcha under" drink. Froth the cold milk and cream with a little sweetener until thick, then pour it over the back of a spoon so it sits on the matcha rather than sinking in. The exact amounts are below; it takes about 5 minutes start to finish and makes one drink.
What you need for matcha cold foam
- 1–2 tsp (2–4 g) matcha for the base — 1 tsp for a milder drink, 2 tsp for a stronger matcha flavour
- About 120–180 ml of cold water or milk to pour the matcha over, plus ice
- About 60–120 ml of cold milk for the foam, with a splash of heavy cream for body
- 1–2 tsp of syrup or sweetener for the foam, to taste — or leave it unsweetened
- A frother — or a jar, hand whisk, stick blender or French press instead
- A bamboo chasen or small whisk to loosen the matcha, and a tall glass
Matcha cold foam, step by step
- Whisk the matcha base. Sift 1–2 tsp (2–4 g) of matcha into a cup, add a splash of just-warm (not boiling) water, and whisk in a zig-zag until smooth and lump-free. Keep the water below boiling — boiling water scorches matcha and turns it bitter.
- Build the iced base. Fill a tall glass with ice and pour the whisked matcha over it with about 120–180 ml of cold water or milk. The cold foam floats on top of this iced base.
- Froth the cold foam. Add about 60–120 ml of cold milk, a splash of cream and 1–2 tsp of syrup to a tall narrow cup, and froth for roughly half a minute to a minute until thick. A tall narrow cup aerates fastest; keep everything cold.
- Float and serve. Pour the foam gently over the back of a spoon so it sits on top rather than sinking in. Start to finish it's about 5 minutes and makes one serving; double the foam for two.
A fine-pronged bamboo whisk gets matcha lump-free in a way a spoon can't, and it's the one tool the base really needs. Our Matcha Tea Set pairs a whisk and scoop with a starter tin of the same premium matcha, if you're setting yourself up.
What is cold foam, and what's in matcha cold foam?
Cold foam is cold milk — often with a little cream and sweetener — frothed cold into a thick, pourable foam. The split from a hot latte is temperature: cold foam is aerated cold, so it stays as a distinct, spoonable layer on an iced drink instead of melting in like hot steamed microfoam. For matcha, that means the foam caps an iced matcha rather than being blended through it. This is the topping technique; if you want the blended hot drink instead, that's a matcha latte, a different build.
What's the ratio? (the 3-2-1 rule for cold foam)
The "3-2-1 rule" is a popular shorthand for the foam: 3 parts milk (or half-and-half), 2 parts sweetener, 1 part heavy cream. Treat it as a starting point, not an official standard; more cream makes a thicker foam, and any ratio should be tuned to taste. In real amounts, that's about 60–120 ml of cold milk per drink with a splash of cream, and 1–2 tsp of syrup to taste.
| Part | Ingredient | Rough amount | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Cold milk or half-and-half | ~60–120 ml | The body of the foam |
| 2 | Sweetener / syrup | ~1–2 tsp | Flavour, to taste |
| 1 | Heavy cream | A splash | Thickness and stability |
The 3-2-1 ratio is a reviewer-confirmed convention, not a measured standard; the millilitre and teaspoon figures are convention ranges to tune to taste.
Should the matcha go IN the foam or UNDER it?
Both work; the right choice depends on the drink you want. Matcha under the foam is the cafe build: a plain sweet-cream foam floated over iced matcha, so you get a creamy top first and the matcha comes through as you drink down. Matcha in the foam means whisking matcha into the cream before frothing, for a green matcha-flavoured foam over a plain iced base. The Starbucks-style drink is a matcha-under build. If you're not sure, start with matcha under: it's the classic look and the easier balance.
How do you make cold foam without a frother?
You can make cold foam without a frother: shake it in a sealed jar, whisk it by hand, use a stick (immersion) blender, or pump it in a French press. Each method aerates the cold milk and cream enough to thicken it; the jar and French press are easiest, while the hand whisk takes the most effort. Higher-fat dairy foams up most easily without a frother, so a splash of cream helps here. A dedicated frother is faster and finer, but nothing on this list is essential.
How do you get it thick and stable so it floats?
Four things keep a cold foam thick enough to float: keep everything cold, use a little fat, add a touch of sweetener, and don't over-froth. Cold milk and cream aerate into a firmer foam than warm; the cream's fat gives it body; and over-frothing collapses it back to liquid, so stop once it's thick. Pour it gently over the back of a spoon so it settles on top of the iced matcha. It won't last forever — a cold foam softens over a few minutes, so it's best poured fresh and drunk soon.
Can you make dairy-free cold foam?
Yes, but the plant milk matters. Use a barista oat or barista soy milk for the best dairy-free foam — they're formulated to aerate and hold. Regular almond and coconut milks foam poorly and collapse fast, so they're not the ones to reach for here. Barista oat is the most reliable all-rounder for a stable, pourable dairy-free foam over iced matcha. Sweeten it the same way — 1–2 tsp of syrup, to taste.
How do you make strawberry cold foam for matcha?
For strawberry cold foam, whisk freeze-dried strawberry powder — or a little strawberry purée — into the frothed cream before you float it. Freeze-dried powder keeps the foam thick; a wet purée thins it, so add a little extra cream to compensate. Float it over the iced matcha the same way, for the pink-topped drink. It's a copycat of the cafe version, not the official recipe — the iced strawberry matcha latte is the blended-drink cousin if that's what you're after.
How do you assemble a Starbucks-style iced matcha with cold foam?
Starbucks' Australian Iced Matcha with Strawberry Cold Foam is a matcha green-tea base over ice with a sweet strawberry cold foam floated on top — the two-layer, matcha-under, sweet-foam build. To copy it at home: fill a glass with ice, add the whisked matcha base, then float the sweet cold foam on top. Sweeten the foam, not the matcha, for that two-layer cafe drink. This is a home copycat rather than the official spec, and making it yourself lets you control how sweet the foam is. The plain sweet-cream version uses the same build without the strawberry.
What grade of matcha should you use?
For a sweet iced drink under foam, premium grade is the practical sweet spot; grade here is about colour and flavour, not health. Culinary grade is built for baking and can read dull and bitter through milk. Ceremonial grade is made to be whisked with water and sipped straight — overkill under a sweet, iced, foam-topped drink, where its finer notes are lost. Premium grade sits between the two: vivid green, robust enough to show clean colour under a thin foam, and strong enough to taste like matcha through milk and sweetener. Because a thin cold foam lets the matcha's colour show through, a bright-green premium matcha is what makes the drink look right rather than khaki. One or two teaspoons is all a drink takes.
That's why Zen sells one matcha rather than a wall of grades: our Premium Grade Matcha is chosen to whisk smooth and hold a vivid green under milk and foam, which is exactly what an iced matcha cold foam asks of it.
How much caffeine and how many calories are in matcha cold foam?
The caffeine comes entirely from the matcha — the milk and cream foam add none. An iced matcha with cold foam has roughly 60–130 mg of caffeine, set by the matcha dose: about 1 tsp (~2 g) works out to roughly 60–66 mg, and 2 tsp (~4 g) to about 115–130 mg. That range is derived from the matcha dose, not measured in a finished drink. For context, regulators (EFSA) put about 400 mg of caffeine a day as safe for most healthy adults, and suggest keeping it under about 200 mg a day if you're pregnant. For the full breakdown, see our matcha caffeine guide.
On calories, the matcha itself is virtually calorie-free, so the foam's dairy and sweetener set the total: a small milk-and-cream pour plus syrup is roughly 40–120 kcal, depending on the milk and how much sweetener you add. A cafe version runs higher: a Starbucks strawberry-cold-foam iced matcha is roughly 231–327 kcal depending on size, with most of the sugar coming from the sweetened foam rather than the matcha, which a homemade one lets you cut. These figures are computed from the ingredients and a size range, not a single measured cup; the full per-milk detail is on our matcha calories page.
Matcha cold foam — FAQ
What is matcha cold foam made of? Cold milk, usually with a little cream and sweetener, frothed cold into a thick foam that floats on an iced matcha. In real amounts that's about 60–120 ml of cold milk with a splash of cream and 1–2 tsp of syrup, to taste.
What is the 3-2-1 rule for cold foam? It's a popular shorthand for the foam: 3 parts milk or half-and-half, 2 parts sweetener, 1 part heavy cream. Treat it as a starting point and tune to taste — more cream makes it thicker.
Should the matcha go in the foam or under it? Under is the default, cafe-style build: a plain sweet-cream foam floated over the iced matcha. Whisking matcha into the cream instead gives a green matcha-flavoured foam — both work, neither is the only correct way.
How do you make cold foam without a frother? Shake it in a sealed jar, whisk by hand, use a stick blender, or pump a French press — all aerate the cold milk and cream enough to thicken it. Higher-fat dairy foams easiest without a frother.
Can you make dairy-free or vegan cold foam? Yes — use a barista oat or barista soy milk for the best dairy-free foam. Regular almond and coconut foam poorly and collapse fast, so stick to the barista editions.
What is in the Starbucks matcha with strawberry cold foam? Australia's Iced Matcha with Strawberry Cold Foam is a matcha base with a sweet strawberry cold foam on top — the two-layer, matcha-under build. It's the cafe drink this recipe copies at home so you can control the sweetness.
How much caffeine is in an iced matcha with cold foam? Roughly 60–130 mg, all from the matcha — about 60–66 mg for a 1 tsp (~2 g) dose and 115–130 mg for 2 tsp (~4 g); the foam adds none. For most healthy adults EFSA puts about 400 mg a day as safe, or under about 200 mg a day in pregnancy. See our matcha caffeine guide.
How many calories are in matcha cold foam? The matcha is virtually calorie-free, so the foam's dairy and sweetener set the total — roughly 40–120 kcal depending on the milk and syrup. A cafe strawberry-cold-foam iced matcha runs higher, about 231–327 kcal by size. See our matcha calories page.
About the author and sources
Written and reviewed for accuracy by Erin Young, founder of Zen Green Tea, sourcing matcha directly from Japanese farms since 2012. This review is experiential rather than clinical: the caffeine range is derived from the matcha dose and the calorie range is computed from the dairy and sweetener, each flagged as such, while the Starbucks figures are a size range taken from the Australian product page. The recipe doses, ratios, amounts, frothing times and grade guidance are conventions rather than lab specs — there's no official matcha cold foam recipe — reflecting standard barista practice and Zen's own product guidance, confirmed by the author. A credentialed medical reviewer remains an open upgrade for any health question.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — milk and cream composition used for the cold-foam calorie range
- PMC (NIH/NLM) — matcha caffeine assay used to derive the iced-matcha caffeine range
- EFSA — safe daily caffeine intake for adults and in pregnancy
- Starbucks Australia — Iced Matcha with Strawberry Cold Foam product page (composition and by-size calorie range)