These Matcha Cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle and the best part is, they’re bright electric green! The matcha flavor mixed with the white chocolate chips makes these cookies irresistible. This recipe is plant-based, but you can also make them with what you have on hand.
And I just upgraded these cookies to include culinary-grade matcha! It’s a unique type of matcha that really brings these OG cookies up a notch.
These cookies were my first real foray into “impact minimizing” recipes, meaning I make plant-based swaps where they won’t be noticed. For example, these cookies are fully vegan because I knew I could make them easily plant-based without sacrificing any of the accessibility or flavor of the recipe. I’m not vegan, but I know it’s important to make choices in our food system that help us better reflect our values. It’s not much, but every small step matters.
Table of contents
What is culinary grade matcha and why do I use it for these matcha cookies?
Culinary-grade matcha is a form of matcha that is designed for baking, cooking and general culinary use. Unlike ceremonial grade matcha, it’s not designed for performance-enhancing qualities like energy and focus, but instead, it is created for color, texture and flavor.
I’m currently trying out Matcha Bar’s blend and really loving it.
Dry ingredients for this matcha cookie recipe
The star of this recipe is the culinary-grade matcha, while the other dry ingredients help bring the cookie together. Here’s what you need in the beginning:
- 1 cup and 2 tbsp flour, 150 grams
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 24 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 teaspoons matcha powder culinary grade, I prefer Matcha Bar’s blend!
Wet ingredients for this cookie recipe
The wet ingredients are arguably more important than the dry ingredients for these Matcha Cookies, (more on that below!) so make sure you have the following:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter or vegan butter, 113 grams
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, 40 grams
- ½ cup white sugar, 110 grams
- 2 tablespoons milk or plant-based milk of choice
- 2/3 cup white chocolate chips, 140 grams
The best way to prepare this cookie dough
I am an advocate for fluffy, soft cookies. And the absolute best way to achieve this is to aerate your cookie dough. I could talk about this for days.
When making these matcha cookies, the lift in the cookie comes from creaming together your butter of choice and the sugars. This essentially whips air into the butter, which will later translate to a soft and fluffy cookie. I like to do this on the lowest setting on my mixer for about 2-5 minutes.
After that, this recipe calls for milk to be added in. You might intuitively think this will cause your creamed butter to deflate, but in fact, the milk helps the butter and sugar. If you continue to use the mixer on the lowest speed, the milk will emulsify with the mixture, making a creamy, fluffy base for the matcha cookies.
Past that, it’s just your standard cookie recipe!
FAQ
It is by no means a “must,” but it definitely helps the baking and cooking process to opt for a culinary-grade matcha! If you don’t have access to that, you can always opt for ceremonial grade.
Absolutely. I initially developed this recipe as a vegan alternative, but I have tested this recipe with multiple types of fat sources (vegan butter, dairy butter, coconut oil, etc.) and all have come out well.
Great question! I’ve found that 1:1 GF Blend flour from King Arthur Baking works best!
They keep for 7-10 days in a cool, dark place.
I recommend storing these in an airtight container either in your pantry or your fridge.
Looking for similar recipes?
And that’s it for this Matcha Cookies recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Matcha Cookies
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour plus extra for texture, about 150 grams
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch 24 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 teaspoons matcha powder culinary grade, I prefer Matcha Bar's blend!
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter or vegan butter 113 grams
- 1/4 cup brown sugar 40 grams
- 1/2 cup white sugar 110 grams
- 2 tablespoons milk or plant-based milk of choice
- 2/3 cup white chocolate chips 140 grams
Instructions
- In one bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder.
- In a separate bowl, use a mixer to beat together the butter and sugars. Do this on the lowest setting for about 2-5 minutes, or until the batter is lighter in color and fluffy. Drizzle in the milk and restart the mixer. Mix until the batter is creamy and blended.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients, folding with a spatula. When no dry flour remains, pour in the chocolate chips and mix.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and chill the dough in your fridge while the oven preheats.
- Scoop the dough into 8 even balls, weighing about 75 g each.
- Evenly space out the dough on two parchment lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes at 400°F, or until the cookies have spread out and the edges appear slightly crisp.
- After removing the cookies from the oven, tap or smack the tray on the counter a few times to increase the cookie's spread to create a thinner cookie. This will help with the texture.
- Serve and enjoy. 🙂
These were so delicious that I ate them all in less than 3 days. Was so worried that they would be too bitter or too dry but they were PERFECT in every respect. Justine, you are a goddess for this recipe
Omg ily and I am so SO glad you liked the recipe!