Strawberry Matcha Latte Popsicles

My neighbor handed me a matcha latte one scorching afternoon, and I stood there in her kitchen, watching the jade liquid swirl with condensation on the glass, thinking it was too delicate for summer heat. Then she mentioned she'd been freezing them into popsicles, and something clicked—why not marry that earthy matcha richness with bright strawberries and turn it into something you could actually hold? That conversation led to this recipe, which has somehow become the thing people ask for when they show up at my door in July.

I made my first batch at 11 PM on a Tuesday, realizing too late that I'd need to wait until Wednesday afternoon to actually taste them. My daughter kept opening the freezer door every thirty minutes, convinced they'd magically solidify faster if she checked. When we finally pulled them out, the layers had stayed distinct and beautiful, and she declared them "cooler than any store popsicle," which felt like winning something.

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries: Use ones that smell sweet—the flavor concentrates when blended, so mediocre berries become invisible in the puree.
• Granulated sugar or honey: Sugar dissolves instantly, but honey adds a subtle floral note if you're feeling experimental.
• Lemon juice: Just a teaspoon brightens everything and prevents the strawberries from tasting one-dimensional.
• Whole milk: The fat content matters here; it keeps the matcha layer creamy instead of icy.
• Heavy cream: This is what stops the popsicles from becoming rock-hard—skip it and you'll be chiseling.
• Matcha green tea powder: Buy the culinary grade stuff, not the ceremonial kind; it's cheaper and dissolves more forgivingly.
• Maple syrup or agave: Both work, though maple adds warmth that agave doesn't quite capture.
• Vanilla extract: A whisper of vanilla softens the matcha's grassy notes in a way that's hard to explain until you taste it.

Instructions

Blend the strawberries:

Combine hulled strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender and pulse until smooth, which takes maybe thirty seconds. If you overblend, the seeds scatter throughout rather than staying suspended.

Fill the base layer:

Pour strawberry puree into popsicle molds until each is roughly halfway full, then stick them in the freezer for thirty minutes. This wait matters—it creates a stable foundation so the creamy layer won't sink through.

Dissolve the matcha:

In a small bowl, whisk together matcha powder and two tablespoons of warm (not hot) milk until completely smooth, which takes more elbow grease than you'd expect. Any lumps will stay gritty in your finished popsicle, so take your time here.

Make the cream mixture:

Combine the remaining milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, vanilla, and your dissolved matcha in a mixing bowl and stir until the color is even. The mixture should look like pale jade, not speckled.

Layer and freeze:

Pull the molds from the freezer and gently pour the matcha cream over the strawberry layer to fill them completely, then insert sticks. Return to the freezer for at least four hours, though overnight is easier to manage.

Release and enjoy:

Run warm water over the outside of the molds for a few seconds until the popsicles slide out cleanly. Store them in a container or ziplock bag so they don't absorb freezer flavors.

Pin it

My mom took one bite and immediately asked for the recipe, which meant something because she's not easily impressed. We sat on the porch eating them while she told me about green tea she'd had in Tokyo in the seventies, and for a moment this silly summer popsicle became a bridge between her memories and my kitchen experiments.

Choosing Your Strawberries

Not all strawberries taste the same, and the ones you pick genuinely matter here because there's nowhere to hide in a popsicle. Buy local or farmers market strawberries if you can, or choose the ones that actually smell like strawberries rather than plastic. Frozen strawberries work too, though they sometimes bleed color into the matcha layer, which isn't bad aesthetically but changes the visual impact.

Customizing the Sweetness

The strawberry puree wants about two tablespoons of sweetener, and the matcha layer wants about two more, but your taste buds might disagree with that math. Taste the strawberry blend before you freeze it and adjust; the same goes for the matcha cream, which can taste slightly bitter if you're sensitive to green tea. Start conservative with the maple syrup and add more once you've tasted it, because sweetness is easier to increase than to reverse.

Swirling vs. Layering

The two-layer approach is foolproof and looks clean, but you can also pour the matcha mixture over the strawberry layer and drag a stick through it before freezing to create a marbled effect. This is less predictable but often more beautiful, and it's the approach I use when I want to impress people without actually trying harder. Some batches marble perfectly; others create muddy colors, which is part of the charm if you're feeling philosophical about it.

• Marble-style popsicles photograph better but taste identical to the layered version.
• If you're making these for a specific event, practice the marbling technique first with one test batch.
• Either method freezes in the same time, so your only constraint is patience and freezer space.

Pin it

These popsicles have become my answer to the question "what should I bring?" on hot summer evenings, and they disappear faster than anything else on the table. There's something about a homemade popsicle that feels like actual care.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I use plant-based milk alternatives?

Yes, plant-based milks like almond or oat milk and coconut cream work well for a vegan or dairy-free version.

→ How can I achieve a marbled effect with the layers?

Swirl the partially frozen strawberry layer gently before adding the matcha mixture to create an attractive marbled pattern.

→ What is the best way to unmold the popsicles?

Run warm water briefly over the molds’ exterior to loosen the popsicles, making them easier to remove without damage.

→ Can I adjust the sweetness of these popsicles?

Absolutely, adjust sugar or syrup amounts in both layers to suit your preferred sweetness level.

→ How long does it take for the popsicles to freeze completely?

They require at least 4 hours of freezing to become fully set and ready to enjoy.