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Matcha Smoothie Bowl

By Deryn Macey

5 from 1 vote

on Aug 16, 2018, Updated Jul 24, 2024

This vegan banana matcha smoothie bowl recipe is packed with antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals. It’s made with frozen banana, pineapple, spinach and zucchini for a sweet, creamy treat that works well for breakfast or a light meal or snack anytime of day. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, high in protein and fibre and has no added sugar. Tastes like green tea ice cream!

Matcha Smoothie Ingredients

To make this matcha smoothie, you’ll need:

1. Frozen banana. Frozen banana adds potassium, fibre, folate, magnesium and ups the sweetness and creaminess.
2. Frozen pineapple. I used frozen pineapple for more flavour and sweetness but mango would also work.
3. Zucchini. For some added, nutrition and volume, I used frozen zucchini. I chop raw zucchini into rounds and freeze those for smoothies. If you have a hard time digesting raw zucchini, I’d suggest steaming it before freezing and peeling it if necessary. Fresh zucchini will work too if you don’t have frozen on hand, as long as you’re using frozen pineapple and frozen banana.
4. Fresh spinach. Because dark, leafy greens are where it’s at and every smoothie is a chance to get more of them into your diet. Say hello to vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, folate, iron, copper, B vitamins and more. You can use kale instead of spinach if you like.
5. Vegan vanilla protein powder. Plant-based protein sweetens and thickens the smoothie and adds 20 grams of protein.
6. Matcha powder. The key ingredient! If you’re unsure of what to look for when buying matcha powder, head on down below to read about the differences.
7. Plant-based milk. I used almond milk for the liquid but any plant-based milk work. Coconut, cashew or hemp milk would all be delicious.

Optional Ingredients and Subs

• For more fat, add 2 tbsp of hemp seeds, 2 tbsp of almond butter or up to 1/2 an avocado.
• For less sugar, substitute the banana or pineapple for 1/2 cup frozen steamed cauliflower pieces.
• For more sweetness, add 3-4 fresh dates.
• For coconut flavour, use light coconut milk for the liquid or add 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut.
• For extra nutrition, add 1 tsp of a superfood such as spirulina, cholorella, moringa, camu camu, amla powder or another superfood of choice.
• For added adptopgenic benefits, add 1 tsp of ashwaganda, maca, triphala, eleuthero, shativari or other adaptogen of choice.

What Kind of Matcha to Buy

There are so many different brands and varieties of matcha out there it can be hard to figure out which one to buy. When shopping for matcha, you’ll most likely see two kinds: ceremonial grade and culinary grade. Ceremonial matcha is of a higher grade than culinary, which tends to be duller in colour with a more bitter taste.

I use culinary a grade matcha powder for smoothies and recipes and a higher quality, ceremonial grade matcha for making tea. If you don’t plan on making tea, you can purchase organic culinary grade for use in recipes. They can certainly be used interchangeably though, so don’t feel like you must spend the big bucks if you’re not matcha-crazy!

Ceremonial Grade for Tea

Matcha is quite expensive but in most cases, you do get what you pay for. For a small bag or container of ceremonial grade organic matcha for drinking, expect to pay anywhere from $25 to $50. Organic match will be more expensive than it’s non-organic counterpart. However, if you love matcha lattes, you’ll still be saving a lot by making your own rather than buying them at your local coffee shop. I usually just buy matcha online unless I come across a good find in-stores. Some excellent choices for matcha tea and lattes are Encha Matcha, Pure Matcha, Midori Matcha and Kenko.

Culinary Grade for Recipes

For making smoothies and using in baking and other recipes, I use a culinary grade matcha like Kiss Me Organics Matcha Green Tea Powder. You can definitely still use it for making tea but it may not taste as good as the ceremonial grade ones. You’ll still get all the matcha flavour, antioxidants and subtle boost of caffeine though, so it’s perfect for adding to morning smoothie bowls.

Matcha Health Benefits

I love matcha. I love the subtle boost in energy and focus it gives me without the jitters I get from a cup of coffee. Matcha green tea powder offers many health and nutritional benefits.

Let’s look at a couple of them:

1. Antioxidant content. Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds that help prevent disease. Matcha, an anti-aging and protective superfood, is packed with more antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables. In fact, according to Tufts University, matcha has 20 times the antioxidants of pomegranates and blueberries.
2. Catechins. Catechins are a class of potent antioxidants that aren’t found in other foods. Green tea contains the catechin EGCg which has powerful cancer-fighting properties. Catechins such as EGCg help fight free radicals in the body caused by environment toxins such as pollution, UV rays and chemicals.
3. L-Theanine. Matcha is rich in the amino acid, L-Theanine, which helps promote a state of relaxation and well-being. L-Theanine is found in all teas but is matcha may contain up to 5x more of it than regular green or black tea. This amino acid is also thought to help improve memory, concentration and focus without the negative effects caffeine can sometimes have. This is why I love matcha to help with productivity when I need to get some writing done.
4. Weight loss. Matcha boost the metabolism helping to burn more fat without putting any stress on the body like a “fat-burner: supplement might.

In addition, matcha contains fibre, chlorophyll, vitamin C, selenium, chrominum, zinc and magnesium. I just love it! The fist thing I do every morning is make myself a matcha. I’ll get into how to make matcha tea and matcha lattes at home but today we’ve got a quick matcha fix with this beautiful matcha smoothie.

Due to the matcah powder, his smoothie contains caffeine so I’d recommend enjoying it in the morning or early afternoon at the latest to ensure it doesn’t effect your sleep. Enjoy it when you want a little boost in natural energy and focus.

Creamy Matcha Smoothie Bowl

Aside from the many health benefits you can enjoy by digging into this creamy green tea smoothie bowl, let’s talk about the taste. Creamy, perfectly sweet with a subtle hint of matcha green tea…this sweet delight has it all! This smoothie is a great way to start the day or beat the afternoon slump. Just be careful eating it too late in the day if you’re very sensitive to caffeine.

Nutrition Details

This smoothie is quite low calorie, providing just 267 calories per serving. To make a more substantial meal, see my suggestions above such as adding almond butter or hemp seeds, or just load up on fun toppings such as coconut, berries and granola. As is, you’ll be getting 41 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fat and 24 grams of plant-based protein. It also has 8 grams of fibre and is high in iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin K and B vitamins.

More Healthy Smoothies

If you’re loving this matcha smoothie, check out my:

Vegan Carrot Cake Smoothie // Lemon Blueberry Smoothie // Mixed Berry Smoothie // Mango Pineapple Smoothie // Sweet Potato Smoothie // Peanut Butter Pumpkin Smoothie // Chocolate Banana Smoothie

For more matcha goodness, try my iced matcha recipe.

5 from 1 vote

Matcha Smoothie Bowl

By: Deryn Macey

Energize your morning with this creamy matcha smoothie! It provides a nice little boost in natural energy thanks to the caffeine in the matcha and the protein, zucchini, pineapple and banana will fill you up and keep you running all morning. To make this a drinkable matcha smoothie, add a bit more liquid until you reach your desired consistency.

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Total: 5 minutes mins

Servings: 1

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk of choice, plus more as needed to allow for blending
• ▢ 1 small frozen banana, 100 g
• ▢ 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks, 70 g
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped zucchini, fresh or frozen (75 g)
• ▢ handful of fresh spinach, 30 g
• ▢ 1 serving vegan vanilla protein powder, 30 g
• ▢ 2 tsp matcha powder , use 1 tsp for less caffeine

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Instructions 

• Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and turn on low. Once it starts to blend, slowly increase the speed and keep blending until it’s completely smooth and creamy. You may need to use the tamper for your blender or stop to keep mixing. Be patient. The whole process should take less than 2 minutes.
• Scoop the mixture into a bowl, add your favourite toppings and enjoy with a spoon.

Notes

To make this a drinkable smoothie, slowly add more liquid until you reach your desired consistency. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Topping Ideas: hemp seeds, shredded coconut or coconut flakes, almond or sunflower seed butter, cacao nibs, cashews, almonds, sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or banana.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 261kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 4g, Fiber: 8g

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