What Is Starbucks Matcha?
Matcha is green tea leaf ground to a powder and whisked into milk rather than steeped and discarded, so you drink the whole leaf. For most of its history the Starbucks version was a pre-sweetened powder with sugar as the first ingredient, which is why a matcha latte here has always carried more sugar than people expect. In 2025 Starbucks moved to an unsweetened matcha powder in US stores with the sweetness added by classic syrup, so you can now ask for fewer pumps.
The tea is a ceremonial-style Japanese green tea, bright green and grassy. It is whisked with milk for the lattes and blended with milk and ice for the Frappuccino. There is no espresso in any of the three; the caffeine, 65 mg in a Grande latte, comes from the leaf.
Matcha Latte vs Iced Matcha Latte vs Matcha Crème Frappuccino
| Item | Calories | Sugar | Caffeine | Protein | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iced Matcha Latte | 190 | 25g | 65 mg | 9g | $6.05 |
| Matcha Latte | 220 | 29g | 65 mg | 11g | $6.05 |
| Matcha Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage | 320 | 45g | 65 mg | 5g | $6.55 |
The two lattes are the same recipe hot and cold; the iced one carries less milk because ice takes up room, so it is lighter. The Frappuccino adds whipped cream and a blended base, which is where the extra calories and sugar come from.
The Three Builds
Matcha Latte
The Matcha Latte is matcha whisked into steamed milk, 220 calories and 29 g of sugar in a Grande with 11 g of protein from the milk. It comes in all four hot sizes from a 100 calorie Short.
- Why choose it: a warm, creamy green tea with real caffeine and no espresso bitterness.
- Nutrition tip: fewer pumps of classic syrup is now the lever; the powder no longer carries the sugar.
Iced Matcha Latte
The Iced Matcha Latte is the biggest seller of the three: matcha shaken with milk and syrup over ice. 190 calories, 25 g of sugar, $6.05 for a Grande, and the base for every specialty matcha on the board.
- Why choose it: the lightest of the three and the one to customize.
- Best for: an afternoon drink with less caffeine than coffee.
Matcha Crème Frappuccino
The Matcha Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage blends matcha, milk, classic syrup and ice and tops it with whipped cream. 320 calories, 45 g of sugar, $6.55. It is a dessert that happens to be green.
- Why choose it: sweet, cold and thick, with more caffeine than the other crème Frappuccinos.
- Nutrition tip: no whip takes off a large share of the fat.
Matcha Caffeine vs Coffee
A Grande matcha latte carries 65 mg of caffeine. That is well under a Grande Caffè Latte at 150 mg and a fraction of a Grande brewed coffee at 315 mg. The caffeine in matcha is taken with L-theanine from the leaf, which many drinkers find gives a steadier lift than coffee. More scoops of matcha raise the caffeine; a Venti has more than a Tall.
| Item | Size | Caffeine | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iced Matcha Latte | Grande | 65 mg | 190 cal |
| Matcha Latte | Grande | 65 mg | 220 cal |
| Matcha Crème Frappuccino Blended Beverage | Grande | 65 mg | 320 cal |
Is a Starbucks Matcha Latte Healthy?
The tea itself is; the sugar is the issue. At 29 g in a Grande a standard matcha latte carries as much sugar as many flavored lattes. With the unsweetened powder, a matcha latte with one pump of syrup or none is a very different drink, and with nonfat milk it drops under 150 calories in a Grande.
- Ask for fewer pumps or no classic syrup; the matcha is now unsweetened on its own.
- Nonfat or almond milk trims the fat; oat milk is creamier but heavier.
- Order a Tall iced; it is the lightest standard build in the section.
- Skip whipped cream on the Frappuccino.
- Extra scoop of matcha adds caffeine and flavor for a few calories, not sugar.
The matcha powder is free of dairy, and the lattes declare none declared beyond milk. Every matcha is made with a shared shaker and blender.