EASY Matcha Soda (Sugar Free Sparkling Matcha Cold Brew)

This easy and refreshing sugar-free matcha soda is the ultimate healthy energy drink! It will give you the energy and focus you need to blow through your to-do list, along with a hefty dose of health benefits. Plus, it’s 100% intermittent-fasting-friendly!

Keep reading to learn all about matcha’s amazing mind and body benefits, or skip ahead to this tasty recipe!

Skip Ahead | Table of Contents

• Matcha vs Green Tea
• Matcha Tea Benefits
• Choosing The Right Matcha
• Nutrition & Intermittent Fasting Facts
• Matcha Soda Ingredients
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Homemade vs Store-Bought Matcha Soda
• Expert Tips
• FAQs
• Recipe Card

matcha vs green tea

Often confused with one another, there are three main differences between matcha and traditional green tea.

1. Matcha is green tea leaves that have been steamed, dried, and then ground into a fine powder. When you drink matcha, you consume the entire green tea leaf. When you drink green tea, you only drink the liquid that the green tea leaves have been steeped in.
2. Matcha is much more nutritionally dense, teaspoon for teaspoon. It has 137 times the antioxidants and 10 times the nutrients, including L-theanine, quercetin, and vitamin C. It also has a bit more caffeine.
3. The nutrients in matcha are easier for the body to use and have a greater impact on your physical and mental health.

Health Benefits of Matcha

Matcha, in all its nutritionally concentrated glory, is a health and wellness powerhouse!

• It gives you long-lasting energy without the caffeine-crash you’d customarily get from coffee and energy drinks.
• Improves your mood, concentration and memory.
• Gives you a calm, zen-like caffeine boost without the anxiety or jitters.
• Improves your immune system defences, helping with both prevention and recovery from illness. 
• Reduces inflammation in the body and arthritis-related pain. 
• Improves metabolism and exercise-induced fat burning.
• Helps keep you and your skin hydrated.
• Helps detoxify your body from chemicals, heavy metals and toxins. 
• Protects your cells and helps prevent most chronic diseases.

Choosing the right matcha Powder

Not all matcha powders are created equal or serve the same purpose. They are categorized by grade, with each grade representing the intended use and expected price point.

Premium or ceremonial grade matcha is best for beverages such as matcha lattes, hot matcha tea, matcha smoothies, iced matcha and, of course, sparkling matcha sodas.

The following are descriptions of the three main matcha grades.

culinary grade matcha

Culinary-grade matcha is used for cooking and baking. While it costs less than other types of matcha, it’s not ideal for tea or sodas. It has a more bitter taste and will turn your drink a murky brownish-green colour. However, it is perfect for making matcha-flavoured culinary treats!

Premium grade matcha

Also known as daily, traditional, and latte-grade matcha, its quality, taste, nutrition, and price fall between the culinary and ceremonial grades. It’s the perfect option for everyday matcha drinking. The colour is the typical vibrant grass-green you’d expect from matcha. It contains higher levels of nutrients and antioxidants than culinary-grade matcha and is naturally sweeter. My favourite (for the flavour and price) is Amoda Japanese Matcha.

ceremonial grade matcha

Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest-quality matcha available, customarily reserved for traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. It contains the highest levels of antioxidants, chlorophyll, and caffeine. It has the sweetest and most umami flavour of the three grades—along with the highest price tag.

cold brew matcha POWDER

Some matcha tea companies have jumped on the matcha cold brew wagon and now offer cold brew matcha powder that dissolves easily in cold water. No sifting or bamboo whisking required.

My favourite cold brew matcha powder is by Matcha Ninja. It’s made from organic, ceremonial matcha and dissolves in a snap! They even have individual packets that make making sparkling matcha sodas on the go simple, fast and easy!

ORGANIC VS CONVENTIONAL MATCHA TEA

When it comes to teas, organic is the better option. Conventional teas are sprayed with synthetic pesticides that later become concentrated when the tea leaves are dehydrated.

Because matcha is powdered green tea leaves, its pesticide content is significantly higher than that of loose-leaf green tea. If you plan to drink matcha regularly, opt for organic matcha powder.

Surprisingly, it’s not much more expensive than conventional matcha powders, making it the healthiest choice for regular matcha drinkers.

Matcha Soda Nutrition & Intermittent Fasting Facts

This sparkling matcha soda recipe is much healthier and easier to make than others because it does not use matcha syrup. Matcha syrup is a sweet liquid made from white sugar, water, and matcha that’s been cooked and reduced down to a syrup-like consistency.

While added sugar would give this matcha beverage a super sweet boost in flavour, it will, unfortunately, negate most of its health benefits and break your fast.

THIS KETO MATCHA SODA RECIPE WON’T BREAK YOUR FAST!

This sparkling matcha drink is sweetened with a few drops of pure liquid monk fruit in lieu of sugar. The monk fruit balances out any bitterness in the matcha tea powder, along with the carbonated water, making this ultra-healthy energy drink, delicious!

Natural sugar-free sweeteners like pure monk fruit and stevia won’t break your fast and make this beverage 100% keto-friendly. This is because they don’t raise your blood sugar levels. The same goes for matcha powder.

Each 500 ml matcha soda has:

• 1g of protein
• 0g of sugar
• 0g of carbs
• 6 calories

Matcha Soda Ingredients

• Matcha Powder: This nutritionally potent powder is packed with a special class of antioxidants called catechins, which are responsible for many of matcha’s health benefits. Matcha also contains high levels of chlorophyll, which has been shown to improve cognitive function and brain health while delaying neurodegenerative conditions, making matcha a superfood amongst superfoods!
• Sparkling Water: Plain, unflavored sparkling water is just as hydrating as non-carbonated water. Plus, it’s fun to drink! The carbonation in this sparkling matcha soda also helps to reduce any bitterness from the matcha, decreasing the need for added sugars or sweeteners.
• Pure Liquid Monk Fruit: While completely optional, the monk fruit in this recipe helps to offset the bitterness of your matcha. Pure liquid monk fruit is a natural zero-calorie sweetener that contains zero sugar-alcohols. This means it won’t negatively impact your gut health like other zero-calorie sweeteners. It also doesn’t break your fast or trigger sugar cravings, making it the perfect sweetener for this healthy energy drink!

Check out the printable recipe card for exact measurements.

How To Make Sugar-Free Matcha Soda

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1: Spoon your matcha into a small, fine-mesh strainer over a small bowl. Using the back of your spoon, press your matcha powder through the strainer, sifting out any lumps.

NOTE: If you’re using a cold brew matcha powder, you can skip using the strainer and just add the matcha powder directly to a small bowl.

STEP 2: Add a small amount of warm water to the bowl over your matcha powder.

STEP 3: Using a bamboo matcha whisk, vigorously mix the powder with the water by moving your hand back and forth until completely dissolved.

STEP 4: Add your liquid sugar-free sweetener, if desired, to your matcha mixture and give it a quick mix with your bamboo whisk to help it dissolve fully.

STEP 5: Transfer your matcha mixture to a tall glass or mason jar, and top off with sparkling cold water. Top with ice if desired.

Homemade Vs. Store-Bought Matcha Soda

Making your own homemade matcha soda is not only way cheaper, but it’s also healthier!

HOMEMADE SPARKLING MATCHA SODA IS CHEAPER

You can expect to pay anywhere between $3 and $5 for a single can of this popular beverage. However, you can get an entire 70g bag of premium organic matcha powder for under $25 Canadian dollars—enough to make up to 30 matcha sodas!!

HOMEMADE SPARKLING MATCHA SODA IS HEALTHIER

Store-bought matcha contains additives such as:

• Natural flavour: An unregulated ingredient that can contain up to 300 undisclosed ingredients and chemicals. Negative effects of natural flavours include headaches, migraines, bloating, and heartburn.
• Citric acid: Used as a preservative in many processed foods and beverages, it’s been shown to damage tooth enamel if consumed regularly.
• Added sugar: Some brands add cane sugar to their sparkling matcha beverages. This can be cause for concern if you are fasting, following a low-carb or keto diet, or are diabetic.

Expert Tips

• Don’t use boiling water to mix your matcha powder. This will alter the taste of the matcha, making it taste overly bitter.
• Take care not to fill your glass with carbonated water too quickly. It could cause your beverage to overflow. This isn’t much of a concern if you are using bottled carbonated water, like San Pellegrino. However, if you’re carbonating your own water using a SodaStream, the freshly carbonated water could trigger a mini volcano in your cup if poured too quickly.

FAQs

Recipe Card