We love breakfast, and we love matcha – so it seemed a no brainer to incorporate our daily dose of superpower green tea with the most important meal of the day.
Now we know how amazing matcha is, but to add a bit of extra oomph to our claims – whilst researching and writing the Book of Matcha, we worked closely with nutritionists and authors of the bestselling book The Sirtfood Diet, Aidan Goggins & Glen Matten to really expand on the varied and notable health benefits of matcha. They even helped us come up with a number of super healthy recipes which all have carefully selected ingredients with their own added advantages.
Take a look at 3 of our favourite go-to breakfast ideas – simple, tasty and packed full of goodness.
Matcha overnight oats
Aidan and Glen helped us devise this hearty breakfast combining oats, apples, nuts and matcha – four key foods that they say 'help to lower cholesterol levels and slash the risk of heart disease.' Plus it will leave you feeling full until lunch, is super simple to prepare, can be made in bulk and is tasty to boot - always a winner.
Serves 2 (can be made in bulk - simply adjust quantities as needed)
For the oats:
- 80g (3oz) rolled oats
- 2 tsp chia seeds
- 375ml (13fl oz) almond milk (or hazelnut, rice or oat milk)
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 2 pinches of ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp runny honey
For the topping:
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 tsp pumpkin seeds
- handful of mixed nuts
- Prepare the oats in advance – ideally the night before you wish to eat them. Place the oats and chia seeds in a bowl or container.
- In a separate bowl or jug, add 1 tbsp of the almond milk to the matcha powder and whisk with a hand-held whisk to make a smooth paste, then top with the rest of the milk. Mix well.
- Pour the matcha milk mixture over the oats, then stir in the cinnamon and honey. Cover and pop in the fridge overnight.
- When ready to eat, transfer the oats to two bowls and top with the chopped apple, pumpkin seeds and nuts.
Matcha granola with berries
Aidan & Glen say:
‘A fantastic breakfast for sustained energy as the oats provide ‘slow-releasing’ energy. We devised this recipe after exciting research has shown that natural compounds found in berries, green tea and cinnamon all have the ability to promote healthy blood sugar and insulin levels.’
Serves 4
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup (100g) rolled oats
- ½ cup (80g) mixed nuts - chopped
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp runny honey
- 1 ¾ cups (400g) Greek yoghurt
- 1 cup (140g) strawberries, halved or quartered
- 2/3 cup (100g) blueberries
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- To make the granola, heat the coconut oil gently in a saucepan until it melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the oats, nuts and seeds. Add the matcha powder, cinnamon and honey and mix together well.
- Spread the granola mixture evenly over the lined baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, turning it 2–3 times, until crisp and toasted.
- Remove from the oven and cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.
- To serve, layer the yoghurt, granola and berries in glass dishes or individual glass kilner jars or pots.
Variations:
- Experiment with other seasonal berries such as blackberries or redcurrants, or try dried cranberries, blueberries or Goji berries.
- Add any of the following to the granola mix: sunflower and flax seeds, chopped dried figs or raisins, desiccated or dry shredded coconut, chopped Brazils or walnuts or vanilla extract.
- This granola also tastes delicious with almond milk and fresh fruit.
Matcha yogurt with blueberry compote
Aidan & Glen say:
‘This combo is designed to give your skeletal health a big boost. We need sufficient calcium for healthy bones, and research shows that natural plant compounds have a dramatic benefit too, with berries, punes and green tea being three leading contenders.’
Serves 2
- ½ cup (50g) blueberries
- 4 prunes, chopped
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 2 cups (500ml) natural yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Handful of flaked almonds for garnish
- To make the compote, place blueberries and prunes in a small saucepan and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil then simmer, stirring continuously until all the water has evaporated and you have a compote/jelly consistency. Set aside to cool.
- For the matcha yogurt – add matcha powder to 2 tbsp of the yogurt and whisk to make a paste. Then add the remaining yogurt and vanilla extract.
- Once compote is cool, transfer into two glasses/bowls, top with yogurt and flaked almonds, and enjoy!
All these recipes, as well as lots more yummy creations can be found in The Book of Matcha - the second book written by our co-founders, Nick & Louise. If you give any of these recipes a try, we'd love to see! Be sure to tag us (@teapigs) on Instagram, twitter or Facebook
Don't forget, throughout January you can also pick up our entire matcha range with 20% off - Visit our matcha page (discount applied automatically at checkout)
