I tried matcha lattes from Starbucks, Dunkin', and Tim Hortons. One was bitter, one was too milky, and one was just right.

Over the last decade, matcha has gained popularity in the US.
Now, most major coffee chains across the US offer their own version of a matcha latte.
I tried matcha lattes from Dunkin', Starbucks, and Tim Hortons, and one got the flavor just right.

Move over iced coffee — mypreferred drink for quenching my thirst on a hot day is iced matcha.

Matcha, a type of powdered green tea, has steadily been gaining popularity in the West after being a staple in Japan for centuries. In fact, it's become so popular so quickly on TikTok that the country has experienced shortages.

With the rise of matcha and its health benefits (it's high in antioxidants, making it a superfood, and can bolster immunity and help with inflammation), it's no wonder that some of the most popular coffee chains in the US have hopped on the matcha train.

Starbucks has had matcha on the menu since 2006, but the chain has acknowledged that 20 years later, "matcha is having a moment." Dunkin' and Tim Hortons embraced matcha much more recently, adding it to their menus in 2020.

Matcha, to me, seems like the perfect springtime drink. So, to celebrate the end of what seemed like the longest winter on record, I tried the iced matcha lattes at Starbucks, Dunkin', and Tim Hortons.

Here's what I thought.

My first stop was Starbucks, which I was surprised to see had an entire collection "inspired by matcha."

The sign read, "We love it as much as you do. It's why we made this collection that captures matcha's unique vibrancy and energy."

I was particularly fond of the mug on the far left, with the paint splatters, and the mug second from the right.

We were off to a strong start, but the good vibes didn't last long.

I was already dubious before taking a sip, after noticing how separated the latte was.

A grande iced matcha latte at my local Starbucks costs $6.25 for 16 fluid ounces.

I only needed to take one sip to know something did not taste right to me.

Matcha, a type of green tea, is not sweet — it's bitter. So I usually add a little bit of sweetener to it (most frequently a pump of vanilla).

Starbucks adds, by default, three pumps of classic syrup to a matcha latte, so if I added more syrup, it could be disgustingly sweet.

However, this drink was so bitter that I had to double-check that the syrup had been added. It had — I just couldn't handle it, I guess.

It looked good, but overall it wasn't for me.

This drink looked thick and creamy, precisely what I would want, but it ended up being a bit more watery than I thought.

Ultimately, it felt like I was drinking bitter, watery green tea. The chain uses unsweetened powder, which I think threw me off.

Starbucks confirmed that in January 2025, it switched from sweetened matcha powder to an unsweetened one to give customers more customization options.

Once I shook it up and stopped drinking from the straw, the latte got better, but it still wasn't for me.

Of the three chains I visited, Starbucks easily had the most options to customize its drinks, and it has the most expansive matcha menu, with 16 different types, including Dubai chocolate, banana bread, and lavender cream. Clearly, the chain is responding to customer demand for its matcha.

In the future, I think I would add vanilla syrup or try another flavor combination to reach my preferred level of sweetness. But as it stands, I didn't love the basic option.

Onto the next!

If Starbucks was too bitter, Dunkin' was on the opposite end of the spectrum.

A medium matcha latte from Dunkin' set me back $5.49, so it was slightly cheaper than Starbucks and came in a larger size at 24 fluid ounces.

However, it really just tasted like matcha-flavored milk to me.

Both Starbucks and Dunkin' use three scoops of matcha powder in their standard drinks, but while Starbucks uses syrup to sweeten it, Dunkin' uses cane sugar.

The drink was on the thinner side.

This didn't taste bad, but if I was really craving the earthy taste of matcha, I wouldn't go back to Dunkin'.

That said, I would recommend this to someone who has never had matcha before and is looking to ease into it. They'll be shopping for the ceremonial grade stuff in no time.

Dunkin' did not respond to a request for comment regarding its matcha recipe or use of sweeteners.

To my surprise, my favorite matcha latte came from Tim Hortons.

This cost $5.27 for 16 fluid ounces, placing it in the middle of the three in terms of cost per fluid ounce.

Tim Hortons uses a sweetened matcha powder, which I think made all the difference. They don't add any additional sweeteners, so this struck the perfect balance of being slightly sweet, not too milky, and still having that earthy flavor.

Tim Hortons did not respond to a request for comment regarding its matcha recipe.

I felt like Goldilocks sipping this.

Not too sweet, not too bitter, a reasonable price — what more could I ask for?

I was also into the little maple leaf Tim Hortons puts on its cups. Thank you, Canada!

Sadly, there's only one Tim's in all of Manhattan (in addition to two in Brooklyn and four in Staten Island). The Midtown location isn't the most convenient from my apartment or office, so I don't think I'll be able to add it to the rotation.

I really enjoyed the Timbits I ordered with my drink, too.

Please expand, Tim Hortons! I'll become a dedicated Horton Head and drink matcha every day if one were closer.

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