Is Starbucks matcha sweet? (size, healthy or not + more)
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Matcha powder offers a new way to drink tea, and it’s become one of Starbucks’ most popular choices. However, you might be wondering if Starbucks matcha is sweetened or unsweetened.
If you’re interested in trying it yourself, but are mindful of your sugar intake, read this article to find out if it’s sweetened or unsweetened!
Is Starbucks matcha sweetened in 2022?
Starbucks matcha will be sweetened starting in 2022. This applies to every Starbucks matcha drink, since the base powder they use is made from a blend of sugar and ground Japanese green tea, so they are all sweetened by default. You can add more sweetener when ordering a matcha drink from Starbucks, but you’ll never get unsweetened.
Read on to learn all about Starbucks matcha beverages, including how much sugar they have, where the matcha powder they use comes from, and more!
Does Starbucks Matcha Latte have sugar?
Starbucks matcha latte contains sugar, whether or not the matcha latte you order has added extra sweetener.
This is because the matcha powder Starbucks uses is made from a blend of sugar and Japanese green tea.
However, the sugar content of a Starbucks matcha latte depends on the size of the drink and whether it’s hot or cold.
A hot Starbucks matcha latte made from 2 scoops of powder contains the following amounts of sugar:
- High – 24 grams
- Grande – 32 grams
- Ventilation – 43 grams
A Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte made from 2 scoops of powder contains the following amounts of sugar:
- High – 20 grams
- Grande – 28 grams
- Ventilation – 39 grams
According to the data, Starbucks matcha latte teas contain more sugar, typically 4 grams, when served hot than when served iced.
You can also add more sugar to your Starbucks Matcha Latte by using the following sweeteners:
- sugar
- sugar in raw materials
- sugar
- Fulida
- raw stevia
- Classic Syrup
- sucrose
- honey mixture
Where does Starbucks matcha come from?
Starbucks gets matcha powder from Japan and mixes it with sugar to create its own recipe.
They didn’t reveal the exact brand they used, but experts found it tasted exactly the same or very close to matcha powder from a company called Aiya.
Research shows that the official Aiya Twitter account shared a recipe that makes it clear that you can use their matcha tea to make the exact same drink as Starbucks.
Is Starbucks Matcha Healthy?
Most experts consider Starbucks matcha unhealthy because about half of it is sweetened.
Also, as we’ve already established, Starbucks uses sweetened matcha tea, so you can’t opt for no sugar.
Also, according to a barista’s report on Reddit, about half of the matcha used at Starbucks contains their own added sugars.
Starbucks matcha powder also dissolves when liquid is added, something that regular unsweetened matcha powder won’t do.
So this has led many to label it less pure and therefore unhealthy.
Can you make Starbucks matcha unsweetened?
You can’t make Starbucks matcha unsweetened because the powder they use to make all their drinks is made from Japanese green tea mixed with sugar.
With this blend, all matcha drinks Starbucks offers are sweetened by default, so you’ll have to buy it elsewhere to make it unsweetened.
Your best bet is to order a matcha drink and ask them to prepare without any sweeteners.
This way, you will still have sugar in your drink, but only with minimal sugar and absolute essentials.
Additionally, we’ve noticed that Starbucks’ hot matcha beverages contain more sugar than iced ones, so you can use this information to your advantage.
To learn more, you can also read our post on Starbucks yogurt, what matcha tea Starbucks uses, and how Starbucks makes cold foam.
in conclusion
Starbucks matcha is sweetened because the Japanese powder the company uses has added sugar. For this reason, you can’t buy unsweetened matcha drinks from Starbucks, but, to keep the sugar content low, avoid extra sweeteners.
