This February, Starbucks released two new matcha drinks: Iced Double Berry Matcha and Iced Banana Bread Matcha. Here, I will focus on the Banana Bread Matcha Latte. This drink is made with brown sugar syrup, milk, ice, and matcha, all topped with caramel crumbles and a velvety banana foam.
I discovered it by chance. Last month, during a weekend in San Diego, I found myself with a dead phone battery and no idea which bus to take back. So, I headed to the nearest Starbucks to charge my phone, and I noticed on the screen menu “New! Iced Banana Bread Matcha.” Intrigued and curious by such an unusual combo, I ordered a Grande. I was expecting something overly sweet with weak banana and matcha flavors, and I was positively surprised. The banana balances the earthy flavor of matcha, making this one of my favorite matcha drinks. So, I decided to figure out how Starbucks made such a delicious beverage.
I started by looking up Starbucks’ original recipe to understand how the drink was made. Starbucks uses a brown sugar syrup, which makes the drink sweeter and softens the bitterness of the matcha. However, being a big banana bread fan, I thought it would be interesting to reduce the sugar content and replace it with a delicious caramelized banana flavor. By caramelizing the bananas, you get that rich, comforting banana bread taste. Then I wanted to add a few spices to make the drink deeper and closer to banana bread. So I added cinnamon for extra depth, vanilla to echo banana bread, and cardamom to balance the heavy taste of the caramelized bananas and spices while bringing a bit of freshness. After caramelizing the bananas and spices in a pan, and melting the sugar with water in a saucepan, all you have to do is blend everything, and you get a delicious syrup ready to use in your iced matcha – or even in your everyday coffee. The original drink also includes caramel crumbles, which are optional but add a really nice crunch. I recommend making them first since they need baking time, so they’ll be ready by the time your syrup is done. This is really easy to make as it only needs 3 ingredients: butter, flour and brown sugar. You can also customize it by adding any spices you like, and use it in any drinks to add more texture.
For the matcha, I prefer it more thin to complement the decadence of the rich foam. That’s why I recommend using about 4 tablespoons of water to 1 teaspoon of matcha powder. However, if you want a thicker texture to complement the foam, you can use 2 teaspoons of matcha and mix it with 2 tablespoons of hot water instead.
Finally, to make the banana foam, I used the same syrup mixed with milk and frothed it using a handheld frother. This method keeps the foam cold but still creamy. If you want a richer texture, you can also use heavy cream, or any milk of your choice. However, if you use a plant-based milk, it can be hard to turn it into a creamy foam. To do so, I recommend using barista plant-based milk, frothing the milk longer than needed for cow milk, and trusting the process!
After several tests, here is the recipe. While it’s inspired by the original Starbucks version, I find that this one far surpasses it in depth and flavor.
Ingredients for one serving:
Banana syrup:
- 2 bananas
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 3 to 5 cardamom pods, or ½ to ¼ of ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup water
Caramel crumble:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons melted butter (about 80 grams)
- Optional: cinnamon, honey, salt, vanilla
Other:
- 1 teaspoon of matcha
- 5 tablespoons hot water
- Milk (any kind, oat milk recommended)
- Optional: frozen banana slices, heavy cream
Steps:
- Caramel crumble (15 minutes, optional)
Start with the caramel crumble. Melt about 80 grams (or 5 tablespoons) of butter. In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and any optional flavorings (cinnamon, salt, honey, or vanilla). Gradually add the melted butter, mixing as you go, until you get a crumbly texture. It should not form a dough. If it does, it means you added too much butter. You can add a little bit more sugar and flour to make it less thick. To avoid this, I recommend combining the butter little by little. Tip: Using your hands works best. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. - Banana syrup (10 minutes)
Slice the bananas. Melt 15 grams (about 1 tablespoon) of butter in a pan and add the bananas to caramelize. You can add a bit of brown sugar to help. Add cinnamon, cardamom, and a pinch of salt to taste. Let the bananas cook until golden and caramelized. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of brown sugar and ⅓ cup of water. Heat gently for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the caramelized bananas. Let it simmer until your kitchen smells like banana bread. Transfer to a blender and blend until completely smooth. The syrup should be thick and rich, not too watery. - Assemble the drink (5 minutes)
(Optional) Mix some banana syrup with milk and froth it to make a banana foam. In a small bowl, whisk the matcha with about 3 tablespoons of hot water until smooth. In a glass, add about 1 tablespoon of banana syrup (adjust to taste). Pour in your milk and mix well. Add ice if desired. Add caramel crumbles (optional). Pour the matcha over the milk, then top with the banana foam. For presentation, you can add extra crumbles or frozen banana slices on top.
Enjoy your banana bread matcha latte!