Name: Energizing Matcha Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 cups frozen mango chunks; ½ cup frozen spinach; 2 tablespoons chia seeds; 1 tablespoon matcha; 2 cups plain oat milk ((see note)); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ((optional)); 2 teaspoons maple syrup or sweetener of choice ((optional))

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A thick and creamy Matcha Smoothie is exactly what you need for a little pick-me-up this afternoon! Blended mango, spinach, chia seeds, and green tea provide an energy boost with a kick of fruity flavor.

Matcha smoothie in front of a bowl of frozen mango chunks.

Do you ever feel your energy levels tanking mid-afternoon? There can be a lot of different reasons for this...skipping lunch, not drinking enough water, or spending hours in front of a computer screen to name just a few.

I wish I could say I'm always on top of hydration and eating a balanced meal for lunch, but you know, sometimes reality happens. Whenever I feel a midafternoon slump coming on, at least I know I can smooth things over with a thick and creamy matcha smoothie.

This isn't your typical green smoothie! There's so much flavor from the tropical mango and earthy green tea. Plus, matcha has the powerful duo of caffeine and an amino acid called l-theanine, which may help promote calm alertness.

The pair is ideal for working from home or staying focused through a long study session. You only need five minutes to make it, so it's convenient for students.

For all of these reasons, I knew this matcha smoothie needed to make an appearance in my new book, too!

The College Vegetarian Cookbook with green smoothies and a bowl of frozen mango.

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a finely ground green tea powder that is traditionally from Japan. Look for it in the coffee and tea section of your local grocery store.

Matcha Smoothie Ingredients:

frozen mango chunks
frozen spinach
chia seeds
matcha
milk (I use oat milk but any type works)
vanilla extract (optional)
maple syrup (optional)

Bowls of mango, spinach, matcha, and chia seeds to make a green smoothie.

How to Make a Matcha Smoothie

There are just a couple of minutes of prep work to make this matcha smoothie recipe. Just add all of the ingredients—mango, spinach, chia seeds, matcha, and oat milk—to your blender. Pour in a dash of vanilla and maple syrup if you want a little more flavor.

Then, cover and blend on high for one minute, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. This is best served immediately after blending.

overhead shot of green smoothie in a blender

Smoothie Troubleshooting Tips

The recipe as written makes a thick and creamy smoothie. You may want to thin it out a little bit by gradually adding more milk or water until you get the right texture.

If your blender is getting stuck and the smoothie isn't blending (I've had this issue especially with smaller and cheaper blenders), adding more liquid can help get things moving.

If your smoothie is too thin, add more frozen fruit or frozen spinach to help thicken things up again.

Green tea matcha smoothie with stainless steel straw.

Potential Ingredient Substitutions:

If you don’t have oat milk, try this smoothie with whatever type of milk you have on hand. Opt for soy or cow’s milk if you want to add more protein.

For an additional boost, try this recipe with a tablespoon of ground flaxseed.

Horizontal overhead image of green smoothie next to bowls of frozen mango and matcha.

If you like this recipe, you can find lots more like it in my new book, The College Vegetarian Cookbook. The Kindle version is available now!

Two matcha smoothies in glasses next to a copy of The College Vegetarian Cookbook.

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