Sugar-Free Lavender Matcha Latte

Floral-infused beverages are having a major moment, and one of the most common ways to create a floral beverage, alcoholic or otherwise, is by making a flower-flavored simple syrup or creating a flower sugar by pulsing sugar with dried flowers. While these methods are effective for delivering sweet, distinctly floral flavors, they both rely on sugar, something many of us aim to limit or avoid entirely. As someone who's sensitive to sugar in various forms, I'm always looking for ways create low-glycemic recipes that are just as delightful as their sugary counterparts. When I tried a lavender matcha latte at a local cafe, I was smitten with the delicate floral flavor paired with the umami of matcha--but the sugar in the flavored syrup took its tool on my blood glucose. Enter this homemade sugar-free lavender matcha latte. I first attempted to make this lavender matcha latte with a "stevia simple syrup" (I know, I was skeptical, too), but that was a bitter disaster. So I borrowed a few techniques from traditional matcha making, including adding hot water to sifted matcha powder (rather than hot milk). Before doing so, I made a strong lavender tea (with a hint of rose for good measure) with the hot water before adding it to the matcha. And the lavender was unmistakenly present, from the first sip to the last. Notes: Any unsweetened dairy-free milk will work. My personal favorites are homemade almond milk (which seems to have a light floral note that the store-bought version doesn't) and Silk soy milk--the gold standard for luxuriant foam, in my experience. I used ceremonial-grade matcha to create this latte, but culinary matcha will work, too. This recipe is easy to double or triple and makes a lovely treat to share with a friend!