Matcha cookies blend the delicious aromatic flavor of green tea with vanilla and the sweetness of sugar cookies for a Japanese-inspired treat you are going to love. These make a change from other cookies, but are no harder to make!
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These matcha cookies pair wonderfully with anything from a glass of milk or a cup of green tea. Crumble them over ice cream for a unique dessert or pair one or two with your morning coffee.
Matcha has an earthy, almost grassy flavor that contrasts with the sweetness in the recipe. If you like these Asian-inspired cookies, I know you'll also want to make these matcha brownies or maybe these mochi brownies next.
Main Ingredients
These matcha cookies don't call for a lot of ingredients and most are typical store-cupboard ingredients anyway. Let's take a look at what you'll need:
- Matcha green tea powder: The key flavor. Unless you're already familiar with this ingredient you might be wondering which type to buy. I recommend you get high-quality matcha powder, but you don't need to invest in the very best "ceremonial grade" unless you plan to drink it too. Matcha tastes different from green tea and is a much finer consistency, so those 2 ingredients are not interchangeable here.
- Granulated sugar: For the sweetness of course. Not only does granulated white sugar add the right amount of sweetness, but it's also a light-colored ingredient so the cookies will still come out a pretty light green.
- Baking powder and baking soda: To get the right texture. Both of these will ensure your matcha cookies have a perfect, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a contrasting flavor. The sweet, light flavor of vanilla beautifully complements the matcha taste. You could even add a few extra drops if you're a fan!
Instructions Overview
First, you will combine the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and matcha. Next, cream the butter and sugar and then you can mix in the vanilla and egg and then the flour mixture bit by bit.
Roll 1-inch balls from the dough and flatten them a bit to shape the matcha cookies. Arrange these on cookie sheets and bake them until golden. After a few minutes, you can transfer them onto wire racks to cool completely.
Common Questions
Matcha is great in baked goods. You can use it in anything from cookies to brownies and cakes. It doesn't lose its flavor during baking and complements many other flavors from vanilla to lemon, chocolate, and ginger.
No, the matcha you buy from Starbucks is already sweetened so it's not the best choice for making matcha cookies.
No wire rack? No problem. Let the cookies cool on paper towels on the countertop instead. The reason racks are usually recommended for cookie recipes is the air can freely circulate around them and moisture escapes easily, resulting in the crispest cookies.
They do because the powder does. There is about 35mg of caffeine in half a teaspoon of matcha powder.
Oops! It's annoying when this happens! If you left them in the oven a little too long, you might still be able to rescue them. Let the cookies cool completely then grate or shave off the burnt part. This will work if they're only a little burnt. Any worse and you'll need to throw them out and start again.
Keep it in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It will stay fresh for up to a month and then begin to lose its flavor.
Chopnotch Tips
- If you like matcha, buy the best quality you can find so you can experiment with matcha drinks as well as other green tea cookies and brownie recipes.
- The cookies are done as soon as you spot the edges turning golden. Take them out of the oven at this point and they will be crisp on the outside with a delicious chewy inside.
- Don't press the uncooked cookies down too much on the baking sheets. You don't want them to get too thin because they're delicate.
Matcha cookies make a change from plain vanilla or chocolate chip cookies. If you like matcha, you're going to love these mouthwatering little treats.
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Recipe
How to Make
Matcha Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons matcha green tea powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and matcha powder to a small bowl and then mix until well incorporated. Set it aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and then beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Then blend in the matcha powder dry mixture gradually.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and slightly flatten them to create round discs. Place them onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for about 8 – 10 minutes until they turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven, let stand for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you like matcha, buy the best quality you can find so you can experiment with matcha drinks as well as other green tea cookies and brownie recipes.
- The cookies are done as soon as you spot the edges turning golden. Take them out of the oven at this point and they will be crisp on the outside with a delicious chewy inside.
- Don't press the uncooked cookies down too much on the baking sheets. You don't want them to get too thin because they're delicate.