These Matcha Cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and a vibrant green that makes you do a double take before you even take a bite. The matcha flavor is earthy, complex and perfectly balanced with pools of melty white chocolate. Every bite is a little contrast party: soft, crisp, sweet but not too sweet, making them completely irresistible for matcha lovers and newbies alike.
The best part about these cookies is that they’re totally approachable. No stand mixer, no special equipment or chilling for hours on end. All you need is a couple of bowls, a whisk and less than an hour to get low-maintenance, bakery-worthy matcha cookies!
Also, did I mention it can easily be made vegan and/or gluten free? Because cookies should be available to all. Friends. I gotchu. Read on for the recipe, storage tips as well as any substitutions that may help.
Table of contents
- Why these matcha cookies with white chocolate are worth making
- What is culinary grade matcha and why do I use it for these matcha cookies?
- Ingredients for these matcha cookies
- Why this matcha dough is the easiest cookie dough of all time
- What does milk do to a cookie dough?
- Ingredient substitutions
- Why is this recipe in grams?
- Storage Tips
- Looking for similar recipes?
- Old Version
Why these matcha cookies with white chocolate are worth making
- Matcha + white chocolate = the perfect balance. Earthy, slightly bitter matcha meets creamy, sweet white chocolate to give us that not too sweet but not too bitter situation we’re always chasing.
- Quick & easy: No chilling for 24 hours (just 5-10 minutes while the oven preheats) or complicated steps. You can have bakery-level cookies in just 30 minutes!
- No mixer or special equipment required: All you need is mixing bowls, a whisk and a spatula. No need to break out the stand mixer for cookies.
- They’re truly the only matcha cookie recipe you’ll ever need: they have soft centers, lightly crisp edges, a vibrant green color and pools of melted white chocolate. They’re balanced, reliable and ones you’ll make again and again.
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.
Ingredients for these matcha cookies
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (32g) whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (150g) densely packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon (180g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups and 2 tablespoons (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) matcha powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cup (270g) chopped white chocolate
Why this matcha dough is the easiest cookie dough of all time
Start by melting 1 cup of butter in a large bowl, either on the stove or in the microwave, until it’s just melted but not hot – you ideally want a few soft pieces still intact so you can whisk them in and create a glossy, milky texture. Whisk in 32 grams of milk, then crack in two eggs and mix until smooth. Add 150 grams of brown sugar and 180 grams of granulated sugar, whisking until everything is fully combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 300 grams of all-purpose flour, 30 grams of matcha powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two batches, mixing until a dough forms. Fold in 270 grams of white chocolate, saving about 1/4 cup to press on top later.
And yeah, that’s really all there is to it – melt the butter, mix in the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients and mix in the chocolate. Now you’re ready!
Scoop the dough into 15 equal balls, weighing about 85 grams each, and transfer them to the fridge to chill while you preheat the oven to 350°F convection (or 375°F standard).
When you’re ready to bake, arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and press a few extra pieces of white chocolate into the tops. Bake for 10–12 minutes, then give the sheet pan a firm smack on the counter as soon as they come out of the oven to help them spread and wrinkle slightly. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 15 minutes before transferring, then enjoy.
What does milk do to a cookie dough?
Ingredient substitutions
This recipe is really customizable! Here are some substitution suggestions:
- Butter: I initially developed this recipe as a vegan alternative so I have tested this recipe with multiple types of fat sources. Vegan butter versions have come out well and can be used in place of regular butter.
- Whole milk: Can be swapped for 2% milk or plant-based milks like oat, almond, or soy just make sure they’re unsweetened and unflavored.
- All-purpose flour: Can be swapped for King Arthur’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour if needed.
- Matcha powder: Culinary-grade matcha is by no means a “must” for this recipe, but it definitely helps the baking and cooking process! If you don’t have access to that, you can always opt for ceremonial grade.
- White chocolate: Can be swapped with white chocolate chips, regular chocolate chips, or you can omit.
Why is this recipe in grams?
Grams is always my preference for baking, and I hope it will be yours, too. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, not volume. One cup of flour can weigh all the way from 120 grams to 160 grams, depending on how it was packed. This ends up causing some volatility and miss-matched results.
I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe fool-proof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this particular recipe.
Storage Tips
Here’s the best way to store these cookies, based on each method:
To store the baked cookies in the fridge: These will keep in an airtight container for up to 7 days. I like to wrap each cookie in a layer of wax paper to prevent the from sticking to each other.
Looking for similar recipes?
Matcha Butter
Raspberry Matcha Pound Cake
Matcha Sourdough
And that’s it for these matcha cookies!
If you make them, 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.
You can also shop this video if you’re looking for the exact pieces I use – I’ve linked everything on my ShopMy! *some links may contain affiliate commissions
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
Equipment
- 1 whisk
- 1 medium bowl
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (32g) whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (150g) densely packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon (180g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups and 2 tablespoons (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) matcha powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups (270g) chopped white chocolate
Instructions
- Either on the stove or in the microwave, melt 1 cup of butter in a large bowl until just melted, but not hot. (Ideally you want some of it still not fully melted and you can whisk it in with the rest of the butter to melt into a nice milky texture).
- Whisk in the 32g of milk. Crack in two eggs and mix. Add 150 grams of brown sugar and 180 grams of granulated sugar and whisk until combined.
- In a medium bowl to the side, whisk together 300 grams flour, 30 grams matcha powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add this to the wet ingredients in two batches and mix into a dough. Fold in 270 grams of white chocolate, reserving about 1/4 cup for toppings.
- Scoop the dough into 15 equal balls, about 85 grams each.
- Place these in the fridge to chill while you preheat the oven to 350F convection (375°F standard).
- When you are ready to bake, place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Press a few pieces of white chocolate into each cookie, then bake for 10-12 minutes.
- When the cookies are done, give the sheet pan a smack on the counter to help them flatten. Let them cool for 15 minutes before transferring off the baking sheet, then enjoy!
Notes
Old Version
Below is the original recipe that was first developed in 2021. For the updated recipe, please see the above.
Makes 8 servings
Total cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150g) flour, plus extra for texture
- 3 tablespoons (24g) cornstarch
- 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 (113g) unsalted butter or vegan butter
- 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (110g) white sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or plant-based milk of choice
- 2/3 cup (140g) white chocolate chips
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. 🙂
Comments
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!
I saw this in your Insta post today and instantly had to get up and bake a batch at 9:00 PM! Matcha is my favourite ever and this recipe really does it justice! I can’t thank you enough! Looking forward to trying other recipes on your page! Such a big fan!
OMG thank you so much for making them (in general and so quickly) and I’m so glad you loved them!
Just made a half batch of these (and reduced sugar by 10g each brown and white sugar) into 16 cookies and they’re delicious. I don’t actually like matcha that much but these are yummy.
I actually accidentally made the old recipe by accident too (scrolled too far) and they were good, though I found the oven temp was a bit too high
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for your feedback and taking the time to leave a review!
hi justine and team! i tried this recipe last night and i loved the flavour! however, i did not get the same spread as you did in the photos which is something that i seek in a cookie. i did chill the cookies longer than the recipe. could that be why they did not spread as much? do you have any tips on how to get them to spread more? thanks and love from singapore!
Hi! I’m so so glad you liked them! Yes, the lack of spread is most likely due to the longer chill time. They only need to chill for about 5-10 minutes, while you’re waiting for the oven to preheat. If you make them again, please let me know if that helps <3
Seriously I love this recipe and I love this whole food blog! This recipe was so easy to follow and honestly the texture of were the perfect cookie texture if I’m being honest! Thank you so much Justine for all the recipes!!
Stop it, this is the sweetest comment ever! I’m so glad you love this recipe and the blog. Thanks so much for being here, it means everything to me <3
I saw them flash by on your Instagram and had to make them, so delicious and a really nice dough to work with. 10/10 will make again!!
I’m so glad you loved them! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
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