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Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

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Discover the simple pleasure of matcha green tea meeting creamy white chocolate in these matcha white chocolate cookies. A simple twist that feels both familiar and new!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 34 minutes
Matcha chocolate chip cookies scattered on a marble surface.

I love white chocolate (as you can see with these blueberry white chocolate scones or this raspberry white chocolate loaf cake). Marrying green tea powder and white chocolate together in these soft matcha white chocolate cookies is a gorgeous combination! The matcha adds a grassy, slightly bitter, earthy flavor, while the white chocolate chips are creamy and rich.

If you’re not familiar with matcha, it’s a powder made by grinding green tea leaves. A cherished part of Japanese culture, matcha has been gracing tea ceremonies in Japan for centuries. Its unique taste varies by region of production and is usually sold in two grades: culinary for cooking and ceremonial for special occasions.

I always use less expensive culinary-grade matcha rather than higher-quality matcha powder for baking. Culinary-grade matcha isn’t as smooth in flavor as ceremonial-grade matcha, but the green color and grassy notes still work. One thing to keep in mind—matcha powder can be high in caffeine so don’t eat too many cookies before bed!

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💞 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✔️ Matcha chocolate chip cookies are striking to look at!
✔️ White chocolate is a nice change from regular chocolate chips.
✔️ Matcha has a unique flavor that sets it apart.

📋 Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

  • All-Purpose Flour: This is a versatile flour suitable for almost all of your baking needs. Be sure to use relatively fresh flour as old flour can leave behind a stale taste.
  • Matcha Green Tea Powder: Matcha powder is a Japanese ingredient derived from grinding green tea leaves. A quick search on Amazon yields a range of matcha quality and price points. Opt for culinary-grade for baking; it’s cost-effective and retains good color and flavor.
  • Eggs: I use large eggs for all of my recipes.
  • White Chocolate Chips: I use standard store-bought white chocolate chips. Any brand will do.

It’s important to note when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavor may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options if you are looking to change the original recipe.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • All-Purpose Flour: You can substitute whole wheat or light spelt flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour.
  • Matcha Powder: To achieve a similar result, you can grind bagged green tea into a fine powder, however, it may not have the same vibrant green color or intense flavor.
  • White Chocolate Chips: You can substitute an equal weight of chopped white chocolate chunks or bar for the chips. You can also use milk or dark chocolate chips if you prefer.

Variations

  • Flavor Variation: For a different flavor profile, substitute coconut or almond extract for vanilla extract.
  • Texture Variation: For a crunchy texture, add up to 1 cup of chopped almonds or macadamia nuts when you add the chocolate chips.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

STEP 1—Whisk the flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.

STEP 2—In another bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla. Mix well.

Process shots 1 to 4.

STEP 3—Add the flour-matcha dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

STEP 4—Switch to a wooden spoon or spatula. Stir in the flour halfway.

STEP 5—Add the white chocolate chips to the bowl.

STEP 6—Stir the cookie dough together until the flour is just mixed in. A few streaks of flour are ok!

Process shots 5 to 8.

STEP 7—Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

STEP 8—Lightly wet the heel of your hand and gently flatten the top of each scoop of dough. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, and then set them to cool on a wire rack.

Matcha cookies laid on top of piece of parchment paper on a wooden teardrop-shaped board.

🗣 Expert Tips

1. Use culinary-grade matcha—it’s cheaper.
2. For best results, stir the flour in by hand and stop when the flour is just mixed in.
3. Keep your eye on the edges of the cookies as they bake. If they brown you will lose the beautiful green color!

📝 Recipe Notes

  • You can use milk or dark chocolate chips if you want.
  • Let the matcha cookies cool on the baking pan. Leaving them on the pan holds moisture in rather than having it evaporate through a wire rack. If you prefer crunchier cookies, transfer them to a cooling rack immediately after baking.
  • Take your cookies to the next level by making a batch of this homemade pistachio ice cream to make cookie ice cream sandwiches.
  • Storage: To keep your matcha white chocolate cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container for up to one week. They also freeze beautifully. Just ensure you place them in a well-sealed container or zipper-top freezer bag.

🙋‍♀️ Recipe FAQ

Why are my matcha cookies not green?

This usually happens when you over-bake matcha cookies. Next time, bake the cookies at a lower temperature and remove them from the oven at the first hint of gold on the edges.

Do matcha and chocolate go together?

Absolutely, yes they do! Both are intense, earthy flavors, plus the color contrast is quite beautiful. For a softer, creamier touch, use white chocolate. Combined with matcha it’s quite special!

Do matcha cookies contain caffeine?

Though not as much as coffee, matcha powder does contain caffeine. Check the package of matcha you purchased for a general estimate and don’t eat too many matcha cookies before bed.

Did you make these matcha white chocolate cookies? Please rate the recipe and tell me how it went in the comments below. Also, stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more delicious food and recipes!

Printable Recipe Card

Matcha cookies laid on top of piece of parchment paper on a wooden teardrop-shaped board.

Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

Author: Kelly Neil
Discover the simple pleasure of matcha green tea meeting creamy white chocolate in these matcha white chocolate cookies. A simple twist that feels both familiar and new!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Course Cookies & Bars
Cuisine American / Canadian
Servings 30 servings
Calories 139 kcal

Special Equipment

  • 2 Baking sheet(s)
  • Parchment paper
  • 1 Medium-large mixing bowl
  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • Electric hand mixer optional
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • 1 1-tablespoon capacity cookie dough scoop optional
  • Wire cooling rack
Need Metric Measurements?Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams.

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons matcha powder, culinary grade
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, room temperature to soft
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, tightly packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Whisk together the flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
  • Place the butter and both sugars in a second mixing bowl. Use a hand or a stand mixer to beat the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
  • Add one egg to the butter and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat with the second egg, then mix in the vanilla extract.
  • Using a wooden spoon or hard-edged rubber spatula, stir the flour-matcha mixture into the butter by hand. When the cookie dough is about halfway mixed, add the white chocolate chips. Continue to stir and fold the cookie dough until the flour is just mixed in. Ideally you want a few streaks of flour remaining to ensure the cookies stay chewy. Over-mixing can lead to tough cookies.
  • Use a medium-sized cookie scoop (approximately 1 ½ tablespoons) to scoop the dough, then press the scoop firmly against the side of the mixing bowl to pack the dough into the scoop. Release 12 scoops of cookie dough onto each baking sheet, spacing them about 2-inches (5-cm) apart. Lightly wet the heel of your hand, and gently press the top of each cookie to flatten it into a 2 to 2 ½ inch (5 to 6-cm) round. The bit of water on your hand will help prevent the dough from sticking.
  • Once all of the cookies are flattened, place them in the preheated oven and bake them for 12 to 14 minutes. When the edges show even the slightest hint of browning, remove the cookies from the oven. If they over-bake the matcha will lose it’s green hue and turn brown! Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer the pans to wire racks. Leave the cookies on the pans to cool completely before storing.

Recipe Notes

  • You can use milk or dark chocolate chocolate chips if you want.
  • Let the matcha cookies cool on the baking pan. Leaving them on the pan holds moisture in the cookies rather than having it evaporate through a wire rack. If you prefer crunchier cookies, transfer them to a rack immediately after baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 42gCalories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 79mgPotassium: 61mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 81IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!

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