Wondering if all matcha lattes are created equally? We were too  — the answer is a resounding NO! 

Your favorite Dunkin’ matcha latte or Starbucks matcha latte is packed with unnecessary added sugars, calories, carbs and other unhealthy ingredients that you won’t find in our homemade matcha latte recipe. 

Do Starbucks and Dunkin’ use real matcha in their matcha lattes? 

Not quite  — your favorite chain coffee shops like Starbucks and Dunkin’ do use real green tea powder in their matcha drinks but with all the added sugars used in their powder blend, it’s technically not traditional Japanese matcha green tea powder and therefore it lacks a lot of the health benefits that real ceremonial-grade matcha tea has. 

Learn more about Japanese grown matcha vs. Chinese grown matcha here.

Because of the added sugar and cheap green tea powder used, drinking a matcha latte from Starbucks or Dunkin’ is not the healthiest way to consume matcha - making yourself your favorite matcha drink at home is! 

What are the nutritional differences in a Dunkin’, Starbucks, and a DIY Matcha Latte? 

At the beginning of this article we teased the difference in ingredients and nutritional facts between an at home matcha latte, a Starbucks matcha latte and a Dunkin' matcha latte  — to make things easy, we made this handy chart for comparison between a medium Starbucks matcha latte, medium Dunkin' matcha latte, and our own matcha latte recipe.

The bolded ingredients are the ones that we think have the most notable differences from one drink to the next! 

Check out the difference in calories, fat, sodium, carbs, and sugar! One at home matcha latte contains half the sugar of a Dunkin’ or Starbucks matcha latte. 

According to the American Heart Assiciation (AHA)  — men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. For women, the number is even lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) of added sugar per day.

That means that consuming just one of these matcha lattes from Starbucks or Dunkin’ puts men right at the edge of their daily sugar intake limit and women way over! 

A healthier dose of caffeine in a homemade matcha latte vs. Starbucks or Dunkin'

Since higher-quality matcha powder has a naturally higher caffeine content you are getting a much larger amount of matcha caffeine content. 

We know we are using around 4 grams (2 teaspoons) of Matcha.com ceremonial grade matcha in our homemade matcha latte recipe, which has around 40mg of caffeine per gram of matcha powder.

Plus, making matcha at home undoubtably delivers a more effective and jitter-free energy boost compared to the store-bought and sugar-filled versions at Dunkin' or Starbucks due to it's high l-theanine content.

Is a Dunkin’ or Starbucks matcha latte cheaper than if I make one at home?

While convenience is sometimes key, your body isn’t the only thing paying the price of getting a matcha latte from Starbucks or Dunkin’ - your wallet is too. 

• A medium, 16oz matcha latte from Dunkin costs on average $5.89 before tax and tip

• A medium, 16oz matcha latte from Starbucks costs on average $5.25 before tax and tip

• A medium, 16oz matcha latte made at home using Tenchi Organic Ceremonial Matcha costs on average $3.50 with no tax or tip

That’s a quite big price difference. We even included the cost of milk and a natural sweetener like maple syrup in our calculation so you can make a delicious, nutritious at home matcha latte for a fraction of the price of buying one from Starbucks or Dunkin’.

How do I make a matcha latte at home? 

Ok, so we’ve got you on board with making a matcha latte at home instead of buying one from Dunkin’ or Starbucks - now how exactly do you make a delicious at home matcha latte? It’s easy! We tell you all you need to know and more about making an at home matcha latte right here. 

The basic ingredients ratio looks like this:

Don’t forget that making a matcha latte at home means you get all the awesome added nutritional benefits of using real matcha that you won’t get from the low-quality, sugar filled matcha powder used in Starbucks and Dunkin’ drinks. Plus, you can adjust the recipe how you like  — adding less matcha powder if you prefer a more subtle taste and less caffeine content.

Plus, you can make your matcha lattes at home in a variety of ways that can be tailor-made to suit your mood and tastebuds.

Looking for the added benefits of real matcha but don’t feel like making one at home? We can help you find matcha at a local cafe. 

What if I don’t love matcha lattes? 

Do you want to reap all the benefits of drinking matcha but don’t love a traditional matcha latte? No problem - we’ve got you covered with tons of different matcha drink recipes. 

• Matcha Mint Lemonade
• Matcha French Toast Latte 
• Matcha Starbucks Style Pink Drink
• Hot Chocolate Matcha 
• 9 Ways to Drink or use Matcha

Want even more options? Type “matcha drinks” in the search bar on matcha.com to bring up tons of delicious recipes 

Why matcha instead of coffee? 

Wondering why to drink Matcha instead of coffee? If you’re an avid coffee drinker, it may be hard to break the habit but switching to matcha instead of coffee has tons of benefits. 

Some of the benefits include getting the pump of caffeine without the crash due to matcha green tea powder's high l-theanine content. Thanks to the l-theanine in matcha powder, you don't experience the anxiety triggers of coffee.

Plus, other supportive nutrients found in matcha help keep your skin clear and dewy, promote healthy weight loss, provide a super antioxidant boost - just to name a few! 

Want to learn more? 11 health benefits of drinking matcha over coffee here.

The bottom line

So is Starbucks matcha or making matcha at home better? Homemade matcha wins the nutritional comparison!

By ditching your daily habit of buying a matcha latte from a chain coffee store your wallet and your body will thank you! 

You can easily add a cup of matcha to your daily routine and mix culinary grade matcha powder into your favorite recipes. There is no doubt matcha powdered green tea delivers super-powered health benefits you simply cannot find anywhere else!

You may also like: 

• What is matcha?
• 33 health benefits of matcha
• How to make a matcha latte
• 5 natural caffeine sources ranked high to low
• Learn about matcha vs. other types of green tea powders
• The 6 best matcha starter kits and sets
• Japanese vs. Chinese matcha green tea powder

Disclaimer: These statements in this blog post have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. It's essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any dietary or lifestyle changes.

References: