Ingredients
- 12 g (2 tbsp) culinary matcha; use less for a lighter flavor
- 100 ml (7 tbsp) hot water at 175°F / 79°C
- 15 g (1 tbsp and ⅔ tsp) maple sugar, or cane sugar
- a pinch of sea salt
- 118 ml (½ cup) whole milk
- 120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream*
Equipment
- 1-Quart (950 ml) saucepan
- Metal whisk
- Spatula, heat-safe
- Scale
- Glass measuring cup, or katakuchi (bowl with spout)
- Sifter
- Chashaku (bamboo tea scoop)
- Chasen (bamboo whisk)
- Spoon
- Small glass storage jar, with air-tight seal; 6 to 8 oz capacity
Directions
Sift matcha into a heat-safe measuring cup. Add hot water, and whisk with a chasen for at least 30 seconds. Slowly stir in sugar with a spoon until the matcha mixture is a smooth texture. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine whole milk, heavy cream, and salt over medium-low heat; stir occasionally with a metal whisk. Once milk reaches a simmer, reduce to low heat, and stir-in matcha mixture.
Set a timer for 20 minutes, and continuously stir with a metal whisk. The mixture will be reduced by about half; texture should be thick, yet smooth and creamy. Adjust the heat as needed—if the mixture is getting too bubbly, reduce the heat.
Scrape the side of the saucepan with a heat-safe spatula as needed.
Once the timer stops, turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stove. Allow the jam to rest for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Carefully pour jam into a heat-safe storage jar; stir the jam gently to ensure a smooth surface. Let jam cool to room temperature (about 1 to 2 hours) before sealing the lid.
Refrigerate overnight. Matcha Milk Jam will continue to thicken to a custard-like texture. Keep refrigerated, and enjoy within a week.
Yield: approximately 172 g (6 oz)
Notes
General
When you are cooking the jam, if the heat is too low, then the jam will be too runny. If this is the case, continue whisking for an additional 5-10 minutes.
The color of the jam will change from light to dark as it cooks, and it will darken in refrigeration.
I prefer a matcha-forward, and less sweet jam. If you’d prefer a lighter matcha flavor, reduce the culinary matcha amount to 6 g (1 tbsp), and hot water to 60 ml instead. Adjust the sugar ratio to taste.
It’s best practice to use a chasen (bamboo whisk) with matcha and water only, to avoid cross contamination. The whisk can be easily rinsed clean with warm water—no soap necessary. See my reels section on Instagram for more chasen usage and care tips.
Substitutions
Heavy cream can be substituted with heavy whipping cream—both have at least 36 percent milk fat. Whipping cream (also called “light whipping cream”), however, is NOT a good substitute because it has less milk fat (30 to 36 percent). Click here for more information on heavy cream.
You can make homemade heavy cream with just two ingredients:
* Homemade Heavy Cream
- 88 ml (3 oz) of whole milk
- 45 g (3 tbsp) of melted unsalted butter
Warm milk in the microwave for 30-45 seconds on high; melt butter in the microwave or stove top. In a heat-safe glass measuring cup, stir together milk and butter until combined. Keep the homemade heavy cream refrigerated while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
If you would like a vegan alternative, use the following substitutions:
- heavy cream—use full fat coconut milk as a substitute; be sure to refrigerate the product for several hours (or overnight) before using it for the recipe
- whole milk—use full fat oat milk as a substitute
Resources
Here is a list of ingredients and equipment I like for this recipe:
Hekisuien Deluxe Chiyo no Sakae Matcha, purchased from Sazen Tea
Chasen Hyappondate Kubo Sabun, purchased from Sazen Tea
Ippodo Tea Strainer (Chakoshi)
Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless 1-Quart Saucepan with Cover
Kerr Wide Mouth 8 Oz. Glass Mason Jars
Story
I first shared this recipe in July 2017, inspired by a Sift & Simmer blog post. After a few months of experimenting, I increased the matcha to 6 g (1 tbsp)—that was then. I revisited this recipe at the beginning of 2023, retested it for a few more months, and I’m pleased with the current version of matcha (12 g) to sugar ratio.
When I share the Matcha Milk Jam to friends, they often ask how it should be used. Here are some suggestions:
- on waffles or pancakes
- on a baguette or croissant
- on milk bread
- paired with maple syrup and pine nuts; on challah bread
- paired with cashew butter; on brioche bread
The possibilities are endless. What’s your favorite combination? Let me know in the comments below.
Enjoy and matcha cheers,
jz
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Mostly Matcha 
Awesome! I’ve never seen matcha jam anywhere except at Craftsman and Wolves and I’ve always wanted to try it but it is not cheap! This recipe doesn’t look too hard. Thank you for sharing and clarifying that heavy cream is not the same as heavy whipping cream. I totally didn’t know that. >_<
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Thank you, B! I’m glad to hear it. I have had the matcha jam at CAW once, and I’m sorry to say it was too sweet for me. 😦 That’s the problem with most matcha desserts in the US, and it’s a part of the reason I started making my own treats. I usually use about half the sugar that’s recommended in most recipes. Let me know if you have any questions with this recipe later. Thanks again, and enjoy the jam!
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