Easy Coconut Milk Matcha Latte (AIP, Paleo)

Swap out your morning coffee with this Easy Coconut Milk Matcha Latte for an antioxidant boost that tastes delicious and takes less time than brewing a bag of tea! Plus, it’s AIP and paleo friendly!

Why I don’t drink coffee anymore

I used to drink up to three cups of coffee a day (and when I say “cups,” I mean 12 oz mugs, which is twice the industry standard of 6 oz, so really, I was drinking SIX cups of coffee a day!).

I’d get to work and pour myself a cup o’ joe before I could even think about working. A couple hours later, when my blood sugar and energy were crashing, I’d pour another cup and resist the urge to take a nap under my desk. Then, when the mid-afternoon slump would hit, I’d pour another.

After a long, exhausting day of work and downing coffee, I’d have absolutely no problem falling asleep. Staying asleep, on the other hand…Let’s just say I went multiple years without a full night’s sleep!

Before I found out I had celiac and Hashimoto’s, and before I began the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), I tried quitting coffee. What I discovered is that the less coffee I drank, the more energy I had! And the better I slept!

But a stressful day or a poor night’s sleep would always bring me back to the warm embrace of a cup of coffee (or three).

It wasn’t until I completed the elimination phase of AIP, completely eliminated coffee for 45 days, and then tried reintroducing it that I discovered all the negative effects coffee was having on my body. These are just a few of the issues coffee causes for me (your experiences may be different):

• racing, uncontrollable heartbeat
• increased anxiety
• headaches
• jitters
• blood sugar spikes
• blood sugar crashes (resulting in more exhaustion, and more need for coffee)
• dizziness
• acne (from increased inflammation and cortisol)

For more information, Precision Nutrition has a really good article about all the effects coffee can have on your body behind the scenes, that you might not even be aware of (both good and bad). Check it out here.

So, since I no longer drink coffee, but love the ritual of a warm drink in the morning, I have been experimenting with coffee alternatives.

Enter: this absolutely delicious Easy Coconut Milk Matcha Latte. ?

this recipe!

Benefits of matcha

While matcha does still have caffeine, it has a much lower amount than coffee (especially if you don’t drink three cups!). The average 12 oz cup of coffee has about 140 mg of caffeine, while a 1/2 teaspoon of matcha powder has about 35 mg. That’s 1/4 the amount of caffeine!

I’ve found that if I keep my serving of matcha to 1/2 tsp I don’t experience the caffeine jitters, or any other negative effect coffee seems to have on me.

Plus, matcha has many health benefits, including (but not limited to):

• matcha is packed with antioxidants and polyphenols.
  • antioxidants and polyphenols help protect against cell damage that can lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
  • matcha contains up to 10 times the antioxidants of a cup of steeped green tea!
• matcha contains L-theanine.
  • L-theanine is an amino acid that promotes relaxation and lessens the nervous jitters often associated with caffeine consumption.
• matcha is loaded with chlorophyll.
  • chlorophyll , the molecule that gives matcha its deep green color, is chock-full of vitamins and nutrients that help aide the body in detoxification.
• matcha has many anti-inflammatory properties.
  • anti-inflammatory agents can help reduce systemic inflammation, which can help everything from arthritis and autoimmune disease to Alzheimer’s!

Benefits of collagen

For an added boost of nutrients and gut-healing collagen, I also add grass-fed collagen peptides to my coconut milk matcha latte! Not only does it have its own set of health benefits, it also helps give the coconut milk matcha latte more of that dreamy froth! ?

I’ve talked before about the benefits of collagen many times before, as you can see here, here, here and here, but it never hurts to give a little refresher:

Collagen is a protein found in skin, hair, nails, bones, tendons, and ligaments, among other places in our bodies. It is the most abundant protein in our bodies, and is essential for bone and joint structure, as well as skin elasticity, strong hair and nails, and a healthy intestinal lining. Given that anyone with an autoimmune disease is likely suffering from leaky gut, an added boost of gut-healing collagen can’t hurt!

While collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, and our bodies do make their own collagen protein, collagen production diminishes as we age. Collagen production also requires certain precursors (such as vitamin C) that many of our diets are lacking.

Supplementing with grass-fed collagen peptides could help:

• Promote healthy skin, hair and nails.
• Support a healthy gut lining.
• Ease joint stiffness and pain.
• Improve bone strength and elasticity.
• Support brain health.

You don’t have to add collagen peptides to your Easy Coconut Milk Matcha Latte, but I like the added health benefits it provides!

How to make this Easy Coconut Milk Matcha Latte

Making this coconut milk matcha latte is even simpler that it sounds!

First, add matcha powder and ground ginger to a mug. Top with a few ounces of hot water and whisk until frothy. You can use a matcha whisk if you have one, but a small kitchen whisk, or even a milk frother or immersion blender work just as well. In fact, my favorite way to make this matcha latte is with my handy-dandy handheld milk frother. It blends the whole thing so beautifully, I have a delicious matcha latte in less time than it takes to brew a bag of tea!

Next, add the rest of the water, collagen peptides (if using), coconut milk and maple syrup, and whisk/froth again, until well-combined. Taste and add more water, coconut milk and/or maple syrup, if desired.

Another brilliant way to make this coconut milk matcha latte is to add all the ingredients to a Vitamix (or other high-speed blender) and blend on high for 2-3 minutes, until warm and frothy. The heat from the blades in the Vitamix heats your latte as it blends!

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