According to the Japanese, matcha is the healthiest drink. Luckily, I am also a huge matcha fan and love putting it in everything! Smoothies, lattes, tonics, baked goods, you name it. And that’s how the idea of this perfect Matcha Loaf recipe is born. But it wasn’t love at first sight. My first rendezvous with matcha was so bad, that I didn’t even try it again for almost a year… First impressions are crucial, so it’s essential you try a good quality for the very first time. A bad start can deter you from trying again (at least for a good while)… However truth to be told, everyone and everything deserves a second chance. If I hadn’t given matcha a second chance back then, this Matcha Loaf recipe wouldn’t have been born!

“The real matcha comes from Japan and has a beautiful, vibrant green color. (Anything that doesn’t come from Japan is just ground green tea, and it’s definitely not matcha!) It shouldn’t smell bad or have a fishy taste. If you come across something like that, unfortunately, it’s low-quality green tea powder. Make sure to check the packaging – it should say “made in Japan”, there’s no other option! I used to buy matcha from Müller and DM for a while, but they weren’t very good. I kept searching and found this fantastic tea house, where I’ve been ordering from ever since. Of course, there are multiple sources, and I’m not saying that only the one I use is good. Feel free to experiment and find the one that suits you best!”

You will need these ingredients for your Matcha Loaf:

Matcha is a type of Japanese green tea that is cultivated and processed differently than other teas. Before harvest, the tea bushes are covered to protect them from direct sunlight. This slows down photosynthesis and produces leaves rich in amino acids, resulting in a sweet and mellow flavor. After harvesting, the stems and veins are removed from the leaves, which are then finely ground into a powder. Matcha contains all the nutrients found in tea leaves, but has higher levels of antioxidants and caffeine than green tea. As a natural source of caffeine, it is released gradually in the body unlike coffee, providing long-lasting energy. It helps prevent cardiovascular and cancerous diseases, lowers blood pressure and speeds up metabolism.

Almonds are considered one of the healthiest nuts. They are rich in biotin, vitamins (especially vitamin E), and minerals like magnesium, copper, and manganese. The ancient Romans favored almonds due to their beneficial properties. Almonds are essential for expectant mothers because of their high folic acid content. Additionally, their high vitamin E content can prevent skin damage caused by UV rays.

Coconut oil: Coconut oil contains fewer calories than other oils, and its fat content is easily converted into energy. Coconut oil can help increase energy and endurance, as well as improve the performance of athletes. It also strengthens brain function, which can help alleviate and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Do I have to worry about these things when makin a Matcha Loaf?

1. A crack on the top of your baked loaf is completely normal. It’s part of the baking process. You do not have to stress if your loaf comes out of the oven with crack on top.
2. When making almond flour, make sure to blend the almonds only for a very short amount of time. It depends on your blender, but for me 6 seconds was enough time to the flour to form. The flour tends to turn into oil super quickly. Blend it for too long, and you will end up with a delicious almond butter instead of flour.
3. How to tell if the Matcha Loaf is done baking? Simply push a toothpick into the middle of the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean – or with just a few moist crumbs – it’s good to go!

How to make a perfectly soft and delicious loaf?

1. Banana. I know it may sound strange, but the secret to a perfect matcha loaf is to use very ripe bananas. Ripe bananas are not only softer, and therefore easier to mash and blend into a batter. They are also sweeter, which is why baking recipes specifically call for ripe bananas in ingredient lists. If you use unripe bananas, they are not sweet enough and their banana flavor isn’t very strong. If you must use green fresh bananas, you will need to increase the amount of sugar in the recipe.
2. Consistency. Be careful not to overmix the dough. Also avoid using a blender if you don’t want the end result to be a flat, dense bread. It’s better to mix the dough by hand. However it’s totally not necessary for this recipe!
3. Quality of the matcha. Make sure you use high-quality matcha. Jamie Oliver’s rule applies here too: you can’t make good food with bad wine! Using low-quality matcha will ruin your recipe. (Psst! Check out my Insta where I share lots of matcha recipes!)

xx
Orsi

PS. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, so I can see your beautiful creations!