Confession time. I have a matcha addiction. It’s my daily source of caffeine. Matcha powder is on auto-delivery at my house and is a perfect addition to smoothies, pancakes, crepes, cookies, and more.

Needless to say, the first time I heard about the Starbucks Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink my first thought was… I need to try that!

Followed by… I need to figure out how to make this at home.

part of a pineapple in the background, iced pineapple matcha drink being poured into a large glass (handblown recycled glass with a bulky stem)

You’re going to love how easy it is to make with five simple ingredients, in well under five minutes! You can enjoy a Pineapple Matcha Drink in less time than it takes to hit the Starbucks drive-through.

Update: Starbucks has discontinued this drink, along with the pineapple syrup needed to make it, so it’s not even available on a secret menu. No worries! It’s a breeze to whip up at home.

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What was in a Starbucks Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink?

Starbucks plainly lists nutritional information and ingredients for all of its menu items (and often discontinued items) on the Starbucks website and in the Starbucks app. Here is the old ingredient list for the Iced Pineapple Matcha Drink:

COCONUTMILK [WATER, COCONUT CREAM, CANE SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, COCONUT WATER CONCENTRATE, SEA SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS, XANTHAN GUM, GELLAN GUM, CORN DEXTRIN, GUAR GUM, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, AND VITAMIN D2], ICE, MATCHA TEA BLEND [SUGAR, GROUND GREEN TEA], PINEAPPLE GINGER SYRUP[WATER, SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, POTASSIUM SORBATE]

glasses with coconut milk, pineapple juice, and ice, a teaspoon of green matcha powder, and a small square bowl (placed at an angle in diamond shape) with a pinch of ground ginger

It’s so simple to replicate this refreshing drink with just five basic ingredients: coconut milk, matcha powder, pineapple juice, ground ginger, and ice.

Ingredients

Matcha

Matcha green tea powder is the magical ingredient that gives this drink its bright green hue.

Note, you want the powder form of green tea, not tea in tea bags. The latter is not as intense in flavor, antioxidants, caffeine, or color as matcha powder.

According to a nutritionist with Good Housekeeping touting the health benefits of matcha, it:

is rich in antioxidants and packed with vitamins (including vitamin C)
contains amino acids that may boost brain function
gives calming energy: due to the amino acid L-theanine, which releases dopamine and serotonin, and caffeine, which energizes
may help heart health and have small cancer-fighting effects
may give you healthy glowing skin, and assist in weight loss

Anecdotally, I enjoy matcha daily and personally notice the calming energy effects. The weight loss… not so much.

There are different grades of matcha.

For this drink, the sweet spot is premium or latte-grade matcha. It pairs perfectly with the creamy coconut milk. The taste isn’t too bitter, yet it still stands out among the flavors of pineapple, coconut milk, and ginger.

I use or Encha Matcha: Latte Grade which is not labeled gluten-free. Because I have celiac disease and cannot eat even small amounts of gluten from cross-contact, I contacted the company to ask about gluten in its matcha. Encha Matcha responded that while it does not test for gluten, the processing plant only processes fruit and nuts and is cleaned between each product run.

Get 10% off Encha Matcha with my affiliate code: UMSCOSDBDM.

You can upgrade to ceremonial grade matcha (the highest quality), but I would not recommend moving down to culinary grade matcha, as it’s too bitter for this sweet beverage.

This is a caffeinated drink. The amount of caffeine will vary depending on the matcha brand you use. 1 ½ teaspoons of Encha Matcha contains approximately 90 mg of caffeine. A similarly sized, 12 oz cup of coffee contains approximately 136 mg of caffeine.

Coconut Milk

One sip and you’ll see why Starbucks opted for coconut milk in its matcha pineapple drink. Coconut milk is decidedly tropical and pairs perfectly with pineapple juice.

Use your favorite refrigerated coconut milk (not canned). I recommend Original Silk Coconut Milk (which has no gluten ingredients, per the carton). Similar to the coconut milk found at Starbucks, it is sweet and on the thinner side.

The recipe calls for sweetened coconut milk, which, together with the pineapple juice, adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the strong matcha and ginger flavors.

If you’re not a fan of coconut milk, you can substitute your preferred type of milk.

Keep in mind that switching out the coconut milk will change the flavor and consistency, as this pineapple matcha recipe is fairly heavy on coconut milk.

Regular milk will be creamier. Almond milk or Oatly oat milk (which is certified gluten-free) will have a slightly more neutral flavor than the more tropical coconut milk.

Pineapple Juice

Speaking of tropical, pineapple juice is what gives you the feeling you should be enjoying this drink in a hammock. And you should!

Use 100% pure pineapple juice, with no added sugar, as pineapple juice has plenty of natural sugar. Store-bought is fine. Or you can use fresh pineapple juice straight from a ripe pineapple.

For refreshing inclusions, add canned or fresh pineapple to the glass before you add the ice.

Ground Ginger

Ginger is the perfect spicy complement to the sweet blend of coconut milk and pineapple in this refreshing beverage.

The recipe calls for ground ginger powder, which most of us already have in our spice collections. Start with just a pinch of ground ginger. Ginger is very potent and a little goes a long way!

No Additional Sweetener

Starbucks adds sugar at every turn, in the coconut milk, matcha powder (Starbucks matcha contains more sugar than actual matcha powder), and in its pineapple syrup.

I don’t recommend extra sugar beyond what is already added to the coconut milk.

The sweetness is just right, thanks to the pineapple juice and sweetened coconut milk. It’s definitely a sweet treat, but all the flavors still have room to shine without being overpowered by sugar.

Equipment

Whip up this drink quickly and easily in your blender. Any home blender does a perfect job at mixing in matcha, which will not simply dissolve in liquid. It must be mixed in pretty vigorously, which is a breeze with a blender.

I use my Blendec Blender, the much-loved workhorse of my kitchen.

Alternatively, you can rely a little more on elbow grease and either:

use a matcha whisk to combine the ginger, matcha powder, and coconut milk before adding pineapple juice, or
mix the ingredients in a smoothie shaker bottle or a cocktail shaker

Instructions

coconut milk being poured into a blender, part of a pineapple in background

Add coconut milk, pineapple juice, matcha powder, and ground ginger to the blender.

Yep, everything (but the ice) goes in at once. It’s that easy!

Add the liquids before the powders. Matcha tends to clump, so adding it to the liquids helps it mix in thoroughly, rather than getting stuck to the blender.

I happen to have a ½ tablespoon measuring spoon. If you don’t, simply measure out 1 ½ teaspoons. It’s the same thing… 1 ½ teaspoons = ½ tablespoon.

blended blender blending yellow and green colored liquids

Blend ingredients until fully combined, about 20 seconds.

The matcha powder will take longer to blend in than the other ingredients. Everything else will be fully combined after a second or two. This is where you’ll love the blender, as it handles matcha with ease!

part of a pineapple in the background, a large glass (handblown recycled glass with a bulky stem) filled with ice cubes

Fill a glass with ice cubes and pour the Pineapple Matcha Drink over the ice.

part of a pineapple in the background, a large glass (handblown recycled glass with a bulky stem) filled with iced pineapple matcha drink

Find a hammock and enjoy!