Matcha Cookies (Soft and Chewy)

Name: Matcha Cookies (Soft and Chewy Green Tea Cookies)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2½ cups all purpose flour; 2½ tablespoon matcha powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 1 cup granulated sugar; 1½ tablespoon brown sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 large egg (room temperature); ½ cup coarse sugar (such as turbinado)

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Matcha Cookies are soft and chewy sugar cookies with a beautiful bright matcha green tea flavor. These light, fluffy cookies are a delightful sweet that are made with real matcha powder and take 10 minutes to bake. Freeze a batch for future enjoyment!

Green tea matcha cookies with a chasen whisk.

Matcha cookies are delicious, buttery sugar cookies to make year round. This matcha cookie recipe only takes a few minutes of prep and 10 minutes of baking. Freeze the baked matcha cookies for when days when you want warm, fresh cookies without the prep.

We are longtime matcha drinkers. When Kat went to Japanese summer school in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, she learned how to properly prepare matcha with a chasen, or matcha tea whisk, and chawan, or tea bowl. Ever since, she has regularly prepared and enjoyed matcha.

Matcha is a delicious way to add unique flavor to desserts and drinks. This matcha cookie recipe is a great entry-level way to enjoy the bright and earthy matcha flavor!

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About Matcha Cookies
Ingredients
How to Make Matcha Cookies
Matcha Cookies FAQ
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Top tips for the Best Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Matcha Cookies (Soft and Chewy Green Tea Cookies)
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Top tips for the Best Cookies
Food safety

About Matcha Cookies

Texture - These matcha cookies are soft on the inside, and slightly crisp and chewy on the outside. The cookies are baked at a lower temperature. This yields a soft and chewy cookie.
Flavor - Matcha cookies taste like a sweet sugar cookie with a light and sweet matcha flavor.
Time - These cookies take less than 10 minutes to prep and an additional 10 to bake.
Effort - Matcha sugar cookies take very little effort, just some mixing, scooping, and rolling. This is a great recipe for beginner bakers.

Ingredients

All-purpose flour - all-purpose flour is the foundation for these matcha cookies.
Baking soda - baking soda helps the cookie dough spread.
Baking powder - baking powder helps make the matcha cookie dough soft and tender.
Kosher salt - salt balances the sweetness from the sugar. It also strengthens the dough's protein, making the cookies chewier.
Matcha powder - matcha is green tea leaves with a distinct earthy, sweet flavor. It comes in a variety of grades for cooking and drinking.
Butter - room temperature butter is best for the cookie dough texture and adds a buttery flavor. Use European or American butter. European has a higher fat content resulting in a crisper, buttery cookie. American butter has higher water content, which will make the cookie less buttery but still delicious!
Granulated sugar - sugar adds sweetness and helps the cookies spread as the sugar melts.
Brown sugar - brown sugar adds moisture to the cookie dough, resulting in a chewy texture.
Vanilla extract - vanilla extract adds complexity and sweetness to the matcha cookie dough. For a stronger vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean paste.
Egg - Egg binds the ingredients together. Use a room temperature egg so it spreads evenly in the cookie dough.
Coarse sugar - coarse sugar, such as turbinado, offers a nice texture and sweetness on the outside of the cookie after it bakes.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Matcha Cookies

Heat oven - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Sift dry ingredients - Whisk together flour, matcha tea powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
Mix wet ingredients - In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and mix until combined.
Combine dry and wet ingredients - Gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients are just combined. Do not over-mix the dough.

Green matcha cookie dough balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cookie dough rolled in coarse sugar in a bowl.

Prepare cookie dough balls - Place the coarse sugar in a shallow bowl. Use a small ice cream scooper, cookie dough scooper (this is the exact one we use!), or tablespoon to scoop the dough and form 1.7 tablespoon (26 ml) cookie dough balls. Use your hands to roll the dough into balls and gently roll each ball in the sugar bowl until covered. Place the dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Leave 1½-2 inches between each cookie to allow the dough to spread.
Bake the cookies - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookie will look soft in the middle and the edges will turn slightly golden. Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Hint: use an aluminum baking sheet for even heating and line the baking sheet with parchment paper to minimize sticking and cleanup time. Place a single baking sheet on the center rack for even baking.

Matcha Cookies FAQ

Can of Maeda-En match with green tea matcha cookies.

Matcha is an ingredient that has recently gained popularity in the last few years. It is commonly enjoyed as a tea or in ice cream. Now you can bake with it right at home! Here are the answers to the most common matcha questions:

What is matcha powder?

Matcha powder is ground young green tea leaves. The green tea plants used specifically for matcha are grown in the shade a few weeks before harvest. The stems and veins are removed during the process. The powder is then used to make tea using a chasen, or Japanese tea whisk.

What are the different matcha grades?

The three different grades of matcha are culinary, premium, and ceremonial. Culinary grade matcha is used for cooking and casual drinks, like smoothies. Premium matcha is a blend that is commonly used for lattes in cafes. Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest quality matcha that is strictly used for drinking and is made of premium leaves from the first tea harvest.

What matcha powder should I use for baking?

You can use any grade of matcha for these cookies, but culinary is the most economical and offers a rich matcha flavor.

Are matcha cookies caffeinated?

Yes, matcha cookies do contain some caffeine because matcha naturally contains caffeine. This recipe calls for 2½ tablespoons of matcha powder, which contains approximately 525 milligrams of caffeine, divided by 24 cookies.

Where can I buy matcha powder?

You can buy matcha at Japanese markets, like Mitsuwa or Nijiya, some common chain grocery stores, and online retailers, including Matcha Bloom (use code KAT for 10% off).

Substitutions

Gluten-free - use gluten-free all-purpose flour to make these cookies gluten-free. We recommend this gluten-free flour for the best results.
Vanilla bean paste - use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract for a richer vanilla flavor.
Hojicha powder - use hojicha powder instead of matcha powder for a rich hojicha tea flavor.

Variations

White chocolate chips - add white chocolate chips or toffee bits to the cookie dough for added sweetness. We do not recommend adding semi-sweet chocolate chips, which will overpower the matcha flavor.
Nuts - add chopped nuts, like walnuts or macadamia nuts, for an added crunch.
Miso glaze - glaze the finished cookies in a miso vanilla bean glaze from our Pumpkin Scones with Miso Glaze recipe.
Cinnamon sugar - instead of coarse sugar, roll the cookie dough balls in cinnamon sugar. Mix ½ cup of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a shallow bowl and roll the cookie dough balls in the mixture.

Equipment

This matcha cookie recipes requires common kitchen essentials. You will need a strainer or whisk to sift the flour, a mixing bowl, an electric handheld mixer or stand mixer, cookie dough scooper, parchment paper or silicone mat, baking sheet, and cooling rack.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

Store the baked cookies in an air-tight container and keep in a cool, dry place for up to 5-7 days.

Freeze these cookies for the future. To store, let the baked cookies reach room temperature then place them in a storage bag, press out the air, and seal them. Place them in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw them in the fridge or on the counter when you want to enjoy them. To warm them, heat the oven to 300°F and warm on a baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes.

Top tips for the Best Cookies

Use room temperature butter for soft and chewy cookies. Room temperature butter is soft and pliable, but not melted.
Use brown sugar to add moisture to the cookies. This maintains their soft and chewy texture for a few days.
Make your cookies the same size to ensure the cookies have the same texture. If you make all of the cookies larger (e.g. 2 tablespoons) or smaller (e.g. 1 tablespoon), be sure to adjust the bake time.
Don't over-mix ingredients to ensure the cookies spread evenly and have a light texture. Over mixing can make the cookies tough.
Bake on the middle rack for even cooking. If baking more than one sheet of cookies, place the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking to ensure the cookies bake evenly.
Cool down the cookies before storing to ensure the cookies maintain their texture. The steam from hot cookies will make the cookies soggy inside of the container.

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