5-minute matcha pudding only requires you to boil the mixture! Luscious, super easy, and a creamy green tea pudding that I can never get enough of!

Green tea matcha pudding served with azuki beans and vegan yogurt.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Matcha powder: Culinary-grade matcha is enough here. Safe the more expensive ceremonial-grade for your oat matcha latte or vanilla matcha latte.
- We will be boiling the matcha anyway so that’s why culinary-grade matcha green tea powder is good enough for this matcha pudding.
Warm water: Be sure to use warm, and NOT boiling water. You don’t want to ‘burn’ the matcha accidentally.
Plant-based milk: Adds creaminess and richness to our pudding. Any type works here, even regular milk.
Water: Lightens the mixture to get that smooth, silky texture.
Agar-agar powder: A plant-based alternative to gelatine, used to firm up the mixture
- I used the Swallow brand with its characteristic yellow packaging
- You can swap with another brand too. Just be sure to follow the liquid-to-agar-agar powder ratio as per the package instructions!
Liquid sweetener: I used agave syrup but any (liquid) sweetener works, including plain old sugar!

Ingredients for vegan matcha pudding with labels.

Step-by-step Instructions

Whisk matcha powder with warm water until smooth. You can use a bamboo matcha whisk, or use a regular whisk like what I did here.

In a large pot, mix plant-based milk, water, agar-agar, and sweetener. Make sure that the pot can hold at least twice as much as the mixture. So use a 2-liter pot (or larger) just to be sure.

Add the matcha shot to the pot and stir well. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat immediately once you see bubbles forming.

Remove the foam on top of the mixture, pour into glasses, and cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Chill in the fridge for 2-8 hours until set.

Making matcha shot by mixing matcha powder and warm water. — The foam forming on top of the mixture.

Marbled look of green tea pudding mixture. — The foam forming on top of the mixture.

Enjoy as is or top your matcha jelly with matcha yogurt, fruits, red bean paste, or mochi!

Top Tips

Different agar-agar powder brands can yield slightly different textures.
- If you’re not using the Swallow brand, follow the package instructions for the correct liquid to agar-agar powder ratio.
- Note that after your first try making this recipe, you can always adjust the amount of liquid use to get the desired texture for your pudding. Add more water to get a smoother, softer, and silkier texture while reduce the liquid for a firmer, jelly-like texture.
Use a large pot. Like, really.
- When boiling, the mixture might rise and double or even triple in volume (if you’re not quick enough to turn the heat off). To prevent the mixture from boiling over the pot, use at least a 2-liter pot.

Three glasses of matcha jelly served on a wooden plank.

Storage and Meal Prep Instructions

This green tea pudding stores well and therefore is great for meal prep too!

Feel free to pour the jelly mixture into separate small containers, or simply use one large container so you can cut just enough to eat exactly how much you feel like eating!

Experiment with different toppings like matcha yogurt, quark, lavender syrup, fruits, nuts, mochi, bubble tea (tapioca) pearls, or ice cream so you don’t get bored!

FAQ

Matcha pudding contains matcha, which contains caffeine. So yes, matcha pudding has caffeine in it. You can read more about it in this Healthline article.

As answered above, matcha contains caffeine just like coffee. This is also the substance that keeps people awake and help some focus better, as explained in this other Healthline article. So yes, matcha will keep you awake, similar to how coffee would.

It has a light, earthy, slightly bitter flavor with a subtle sweetness. Its texture is similar to any other jelly texture.

Matcha jelly pudding served on a wooden coaster, with red bean paste and yogurt as toppings.

Want More Japanese Recipes?

For more matcha dessert recipes, try my mochi green tea ice cream or this 2-ingredient affogato matcha. You might also like my Nutella mochi where I simplified mochi-making so you can DIY at home easily!

If you’d like a healthier pudding recipe that’s perfect for breakfast, check out my matcha flax pudding, which is a great alternative to chia pudding!

EASY Matcha Pudding (Creamy Green Tea Jelly)

Matcha green tea pudding, served with azuki beans and vegan yogurt.

5-minute matcha pudding only requires you to boil the mixture! Luscious, super easy, and a creamy green tea pudding that I can never get enough of!

Jem @ The Fruity Jem

Cook Time 5

Chill Time 3

Total Time 3 5

Serving Size 4 servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon matcha powder
2 Tablespoons warm water 60 to 80℃ (140 to 176℉); see notes below
2 cups plant-based milk 473 ml
½ cup water 118 ml
½ packet agar-agar powder (Swallow brand, in its characteristic yellow packaging) ½ Tablespoon / 3.5 grams (see notes below for measurement notes & substitutions)
4 teaspoons liquid sweetener more to taste

Instructions

First, make the matcha shot. Add the matcha powder into your matcha bowl or any small bowl. Pour in the 2 Tablespoons of warm water into the matcha, then whisk to combine until smooth and you don't see any more clumps.
1 teaspoon matcha powder, 2 Tablespoons warm water
In a large pot, combine your plant-based milk, water, agar-agar powder, and liquid sweetener. Stir to combine, using a whisk if needed.
2 cups plant-based milk, ½ cup water, ½ packet agar-agar powder (Swallow brand, in its characteristic yellow packaging), 4 teaspoons liquid sweetener
Then pour the matcha shot into the pot and mix well.
Bring the pot to a boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally as the mixture starts to boil.
Once it starts to boil (when you see bubbles forming), turn the heat off immediately. Do NOT let the mixture boil further because of two things:
a) The mixture might rise and boil over the pot, causing things to overflow which is messy.
b) Your milk might curdle.
Remove the foam that forms on top of the mixture (optional, only purely for the aesthetic as it won't affect the taste). Then pour into 4 serving glasses.
Let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to cool down to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours until they firm up.
Note that it's okay if the pudding looks a little bit grainy, as you can see in the pictures too. It's totally normal and won't affect the taste at all!
Enjoy as is, or add toppings like some matcha yogurt, fruits, red bean paste, and mochi balls. Enjoy!

Notes

Notes:

When making the matcha shot, make sure that your water is warm, about 60 to 80℃ (140 to 176℉) and NOT boiling (at 100℃/212℉). Boiling water will burn the matcha, downgrading its quality.
To measure the agar-agar powder quantity correctly, transfer all of the powder from the packet into a small plate. Then divide into two and just use one half.
- I don’t recommend weighing out the agar-agar powder using a kitchen scale, since most kitchen scales are only accurate up to 1 gram, and they usually don’t work as well with small quantities.
- Otherwise, use a proper measuring spoon to measure, leveling any excess powder.

Different brands of agar-agar powder may create slightly different textures.
- If you’re not using the Swallow brand, check the package for the correct liquid-to-powder ratio. After your first attempt, adjust the liquid amount as needed—more water for a softer, silkier pudding, less water for a firmer, jelly-like texture.