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Home » cookies

Published on November 28, 2022. Published by Megan

Matcha Cookies

17 shares
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These matcha cookies are soft, chewy and gooey with crisp edges. They’re made with brown butter, matcha green tea and white chocolate chips. These matcha white chocolate cookies are a fun twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie you will love!

Jump to:
  • Why Should You Make This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make
  • How To Make Ahead, Freeze, Thaw and Store
  • Ms’ Expert Tips
  • FAQ's
  • Matcha Cookies Recipe

Why Should You Make This Recipe

Take a look around my blog and you’ll find lots of fun chocolate chip cookie recipes. My Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bourbon Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies,  and Biscoff Butter Cookies are just a few of my favorites. These quick and easy brown butter chocolate matcha cookies are a wonderfully delicious addition to my growing collection of (white) chocolate chip cookies. I know you’ll love this recipe because: 

  • They are quick and easy. All you need to do is make the brown butter and bring the eggs to room temperature. Then simply mix everything up in one bowl, chill for half and hour and bake! 
  • You love cozy variations on classic cookies. These white chocolate chip matcha sugar cookies are an incredibly delicious variation on classic chocolate chip cookies. 
  • Layers of flavor and texture. These easy matcha cookies have lightly crisp edges, chewy centers, pockets of melted white chocolate. The brown butter brings a lovely nuttiness that beautifully balances the lemon-y, slightly earthy flavor of the green tea and the sweetness of the white chocolate. In other words, the flavors in these green tea cookies are perfectly matched. 

Ingredients

This green tea cookies recipe requires only a handful of pantry basics to make. Make sure you have these ingredients ready to go!

Dry ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and matcha powder.

Wet Ingredients: Gather brown butter, lemon zest, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, dark, and white chocolate chips.

Substitutions 

Here are my recommended substitutions to make these wonderfully chewy matcha white chocolate cookies:

  • All purpose flour: This recipe hasn’t been tested with an alternative flour. However, if you want to make this recipe gluten free, use a good 1-1 flour and measure by weight rather than cups. 
  • Baking Soda: A double acting baking powder is the best substitute for baking soda. The final texture of the cookie will be different, but it will still be a delicious cookie! For this recipe, use 3 teaspoons baking powder in place of the baking soda. 
  • Matcha Powder: In order to get the most vibrant green color and green tea taste, use a ceremonial grade green tea. 
  • Brown Butter: I love the nutty flavor from brown butter, but feel free to use regular melted butter. This recipe calls for 1 cup (226 g) regular butter, that when browned reduces down to ¾ cup (170 g) brown butter. If you want to use regular melted butter, melt ¾ cup unsalted butter.  
  • Light Brown and Granulated Sugars: A blend of both sugars is what creates that classic chocolate chip cookie taste and texture.  This recipe hasn’t been tested using alternative sugars. However, I love using maple sugar as a refined sugar free option in my other cookie recipes. Maple sugar bakes very similarly to light brown sugar. 
  • Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs. If you make this recipe without eggs or using an egg substitute, let me know! 
  • White Chocolate Chips: The flavor of the white chocolate pairs beautifully with the flavor of matcha green tea. Feel free to use white chocolate bars. Milk chocolate chips or semi sweet chocolate chips would also be delicious mix-ins.

How To Make

Let me show you how to make matcha cookies with white chocolate chips.

  1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and matcha powder together until well combined. 
  2. In another large bowl, whisk the warm brown butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. 
  3. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. 
  4. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
  1. Scoop about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of chocolate chip butter pecan cookie dough onto a small lined baking sheet or large plate. I like to use a medium cookie scoop to get perfectly portioned cookies. Place the cookie dough balls in the fridge to chill for 30-60 minutes. 
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 5-6 balls of chilled matcha cookie dough on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Top with more white chocolate chips if you like. 
  3. Bake the chewy matcha cookies for 10-12 minutes. The edges will be set and lightly golden brown. 
  4. Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack or stove top. After 3 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature and enjoy!

How To Make Ahead, Freeze, Thaw and Store

Make Ahead

These chewy matcha cookies are easy to make and come together rather quickly, but they can easily be made ahead of time. To do this simply prepare the cookies according to the recipe directions through step 5 for fridge storage or freezing the cookie dough balls.

Freeze And Thaw

Freeze the cookies: Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, place the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until the cookie dough is frozen. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place the frozen cookie balls into a ziplock bag. These cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Thaw the cookie dough: Transfer your desired amount of frozen cookie dough balls onto a lined plate or baking sheet. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bring the cookie dough balls to room temperature before baking. The frozen cookie dough can also be baked straight from the freezer. Just make sure to add about 2 - 3 more minutes to the baking time.

Store

Leftover cookie dough: Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Baked cookies: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. For the best cookie eating experience, heat the cookies in the microwave for 20 seconds for that “fresh from the oven taste.”

Ms’ Expert Tips

  • Brown the butter: This is such a simple step that really elevates the flavors in this butter pecan chocolate chip cookie. I highly recommend taking the time to brown the butter. However, if you want to simply melt the butter, use ¾ cup (12 tbsp) butter. 
  • Bring cold and hot ingredients to room temperature: This allows the cookies to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in a soft, chewy and delicious cookie. 
  • Use ceremonial grade match powder: To get the most vibrant color and flavor, it’s important to use a matcha powder that is ceremonial grade. 
  • Slightly under-bake the cookies: For cookies that are soft and chewy for days, the secret is to bake them until the edges are set and lightly golden brown. The centers will look slightly underbaked, but the cookies will continue to “bake” while on the hot cookie sheet.
  • For the best tasting cookies the next day: The easiest way to give your cookies that “fresh from the oven” taste the next day is to microwave them for about 15-20 seconds and enjoy immediately.

FAQ's

What does matcha taste like?

Matcha has a lightly grassy, lemon-y with a slight nuttiness. 

How do you make cookies stay soft and chewy?

Using melted butter is the secret to chewy cookies with crisp edges. Slightly underbaking the cookies also keeps them soft with chewy centers. Storing them in an airtight container also helps them to stay soft and chewy for longer.  

Why did my cookies spread?

Because this recipe uses melted butter, the cookie dough is more likely to spread while baking. To help the cookies spread less while baking, it’s best to chill the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes.

If you try this Matcha Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! - M

Matcha Cookies Recipe

Megan
These matcha cookies are soft, chewy and gooey with crisp edges. They’re made with brown butter, matcha green tea and white chocolate chips. These matcha white chocolate cookies are a fun twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie you will love!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Chill Time 35 mins
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Course Dessert, Holiday
Cuisine American, Japanese
Servings 18 cookies

Equipment

  • 1 sauce pan
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 flexible spatula or spoon
  • 1 medium cookie scoop
  • 2 large baking sheets
  • 1 parchment paper

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
  • 1-2 tbsp matcha powder
  • 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 large eggs (US), room temperature
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (140 g) white chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • In a sauce pan or pot, melt the butter on low heat. To turn this into brown butter, allow the melted butter to begin to foam. Once it starts to foam, whisk or stir the liquid butter frequently. The butter will begin to smell nutty and very fragrant. Once the foam has subsided, the butter should have some brown, lightly toasted bits floating at the bottom. Pour the brown butter in a heat safe bowl to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and matcha powder together until well combined.
  • In another large bowl, whisk the warm brown butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.
  • Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
  • Scoop about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of matcha cookie dough onto a small lined baking sheet or large plate. Place the cookie dough balls in the fridge to chill for 30-60 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 5-6 balls of chilled matcha cookie dough on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Top with more white chocolate chips if you like.
  • Bake the chewy matcha cookies for 10-12 minutes. The edges will be set and lightly golden brown.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven onto a cooling rack or stove top. After 3 minutes, transfer the cookies off the hot baking sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Notes

Matcha Powder: In order to get the most vibrant green color and green tea taste, use a ceremonial grade green tea.
Brown Butter: I love the nutty flavor from brown butter, but feel free to use regular melted butter. This recipe calls for 1 cup (226 g) regular butter, that when browned reduces down to ¾ cup (170 g) brown butter. If you want to use regular melted butter, melt ¾ cup unsalted butter.
Store leftover cookie dough: Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
Store baked cookies: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
 
Keyword Matcha cookies, Matcha Cookies Recipe, Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katharyne says

    December 31, 2022 at 10:34 am

    Your recipe calls for lemon zest, however I don’t see it used anywhere in the directions.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      January 02, 2023 at 8:47 pm

      Hi Katheryn,
      Apologies for any confusion. Mix in the lemon zest after the sugars and before the eggs and vanilla extract. I'll get that updated in the recipe asap!

      Reply

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Hi friends, I'm Megan!

Welcome to my blog, Olives + Thyme. I am a food photographer and blogger with a love of all things sweet.

Here you'll find mostly sweet recipes that are simple to make and full of flavor.

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