Matcha has taken over the health food world as of late, and I'll admit, I wasn't immediately sold on the trend. I've always taken coffee over tea, and I'm normally not keen on seeking out specialty ingredients. However, after experimenting with it for the Cooking Light blog, I'm pretty much hooked. It is SO good!

For those of you who are new to matcha, it is a stone-ground Japanese green tea that has an incredible variety of nutritional benefits. Because the green tea leaves are consumed in their entirety, it is a more potent source of antioxidants than a cup of steeped tea. It boosts energy, reduces stress, and promotes overall health—aka I've been sneaking it into my diet in as many ways as I can. First up? A Matcha Coconut Latte (serves 1).

1 1/2 teaspoons matcha powder
3/4 cup coconut milk, warmed
honey, to taste

Combine matcha powder with 1 tablespoon hot water in a cup or mug, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the warmed coconut milk (or milk of your choice). Sweeten with honey, to taste.

Next up: matcha yogurt! Yogurt is one of my go-to breakfast staples, which means I can seamlessly work matcha into my diet with this recipe. It pairs incredibly well with sunflower granola and raspberries.

Matcha Yogurt with Sunflower Granola
Yogurt serves 1, granola serves 8. (Store granola in an airtight container and serve with yogurt for a hearty and nutritious breakfast).

For the granola:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup raw sunflower seed kernels
1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the yogurt:

2 teaspoons matcha powder
1/2 cup plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh raspberries

Place oven rack on middle shelf, about 10 inches below the broiler. (This is important! If your oven rack is too high in the oven, the granola will burn.) Preheat broiler to high.

Combine oats, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, walnuts, and flaxseed meal on a baking sheet. Sprinkle on the cinnamon and salt, toss well. Place the baking sheet on the oven rack and broil 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring every 1 minute.

Combine the melted butter, honey, and vanilla in a small bowl. Drizzle the mixture over the oat mixture, tossing to coat. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and broil an additional 2 minutes or until well toasted, stirring after 1 minute. Remove the granola from the oven and let cool on the pan, stirring occasionally.

For the yogurt: Stir the matcha powder into the yogurt. Serve with 1/3 cup granola and the fresh raspberries.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

And finally—matcha pound cake! You can mix matcha powder into almost any dessert, from cookies to cupcakes to ice cream. But I haven't made pound cake in who knows how long, and I thought it'd be a fun experiment. Turns out, matcha pairs fantastically well with a light and fluffy vanilla cake. Plus, it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day. Enjoy!

Matcha-Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cake
Makes 1 8x4 inch loaf

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon matcha powder
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 large eggs (whisk the second egg in a bowl, measure it out, then add half)
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and matcha in a medium-sized bowl and stir with a whisk. Place the sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with a stand or hand mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beat well. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the large mixing bowl, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour the batter into an 8x4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray, smoothing it with a spatula. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.