Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

Name: Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Ingredients: 110 g Unsalted butter (1/2 cup); 70 g Brown sugar (1/3 cup); 100 g Granulated sugar (1/2 cup); 200 g All-purpose flour (1 2/3 cup); 1/2 tsp Baking powder; 1/2 tsp Baking soda; 2 tsp Matcha powder; 1 Large egg; 1 Egg yolk; 200 g White chocolate (3.5oz); Flakey salt

July 7, 2021 by Catherine Zhang 43 Comments

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Soft and slightly chewy matcha white chocolate cookies with a crisp exterior. If you're a matcha lover these cookies are the perfect ones for you.

Jump to:

What is Matcha?
What is the difference between ceremonial matcha and culinary matcha?
How do I adjust the matcha intensity?
Create the perfect matcha cookie
Ingredients in Matcha Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

This recipe has been a long time coming. I can't believe as a matcha lover that I didn't have a matcha white chocolate cookie recipe up on my blog! These are the perfect cookie. Why? Because the matcha takes away the sweetness and adds a depth of flavour. And, just because it's matcha!

What is Matcha?

Matcha is essentially ground dried green tea leaves. Originating in Japan, this tea is smooth, bitter and a great antioxidant.

It has so many great health properties with abilities to promote heart and liver health, prevent cancer, boost brain health and metabolism, etc. And on top of all that it tastes delicious!

What is the difference between ceremonial matcha and culinary matcha?

When it comes to matcha there are two distinct types. Culinary grade and ceremonial grade.

I am lucky enough to have access to premium culinary grade and ceremonial grade matcha because I love it so much, but any kind of matcha you can get your hands on will work in these cookies!

Ceremonial Grade

Ceremonial grade matcha is the highest quality matcha, made from the youngest matcha leaves. The result is a very fine powder with a delicate taste and vibrant green color!

This kind of matcha powder is usually consumed as a drink with hot water so you can truly experience the complexity of the flavor.

Culinary Grade

On the other hand, there is culinary grade matcha, which is predominantly used for cooking!

It's a little more bitter, and a little less vibrant in color, but it pairs amazingly with ingredients like milk for lattes. Of course, there are other grades within the "culinary" matcha and the prices vary accordingly.

I like to use high-quality culinary grade matcha when baking so my desserts turn out a bright green color and have a strong matcha flavor.

Lower-quality matcha powders have the tendency to brown when cooked and have a less distinct flavor. I highly recommend spending a little more on a high-quality matcha powder for a better flavor.

Looking for other matcha recipes?

Here are a couple of my favorites...

Two-toned baked green tea cheesecake — Baked Matcha Cheesecake

Buttery soft and fluffy matcha bread buns knots with matcha spread — Matcha Buns

Matcha Raspberry Lamington Swiss Roll — Matcha Raspberry Lamington Roll

Soft, crisp and chewy matcha green tea white chocolate cookies

How do I adjust the matcha intensity?

Matcha is quite a strong flavour, and everyone has their preferred intensity. Some people love the intense bitter flavour it can add. Other people prefer a sweeter, balanced bitterness. Here is how you can adapt the amount of matcha in this recipe for the perfect intensity.

Light matcha flavor

For those that want background notes of matcha, the use 1 tsp of matcha powder. This will give the cookie more sweetness and bring the white chocolate flavour forward.

Well-balanced matcha

This is the perfect amount of matcha for me. A balance between bitter and sweet. To achieve the cookies pictured in this recipe use 2 teaspoon of matcha powder.

Intense matcha

For a more intense matcha forward cookie use 3-4 tsp of matcha powder. This will produce a more bitter cookie, but the sweetness of the white chocolate should still balance it out.

These are rough guidelines and the best way to achieve your perfect matcha intensity is to taste as you go. Add 1 teaspoon matcha powder to your cookie dough, give it a taste, and if you need more you can always add it!

Here are a couple of tips that are catered specifically to this recipe!

Taste the dough

Since everyone has their own preferences make sure to taste your cookie dough for the matcha intensity. See 'How do I adjust the matcha intensity?' above for more detail.

Chill the dough

This recipe creates a soft, yet thick cookie. To recreate this texture make sure to chill your dough. Chilling the dough allows the butter to set up, reducing spreading during baking.

Press your cookie dough balls down

After chilling this dough holds its shape relatively well. If baking the dough as balls you will have very thick cookies. Make sure to flatten your dough balls down to create the picture-perfect cookie.

Ingredients in Matcha Cookies

Unsalted butter: We are browning the butter so there is no need for it to be at room temperature. Just make sure they are cut into cubes so they melt consistently
Brown sugar: Brown sugar gives the cookies a slight chewiness as well as a light caramelized flavor
Granulated sugar: Also known as white sugar, gives the cookies sweetness without the dense and chewiness that brown sugar does.

All-purpose flour: Also known as plain flour, flour gives these cookies their structure!
Baking powder: Baking powder gives these cookies a little rise, preventing them from becoming rock-hard.
Baking soda: Baking soda also acts as a rising agent, giving the cookies a little more air.

Matcha powder: Matcha gives these cookies their green tea flavor. You can adjust the amount used according to your matcha preferences.
Egg: An egg is needed to bind all the ingredients in these cookies together as well as give them a lighter texture
Egg yolk: Egg yolks add extra fat and flavor to the cookies, increasing their chewiness and richness.

Vanilla extract: This is optional! Vanilla always works well with matcha to round out the flavor and add an extra flavor dimension.
White chocolate: I like to cut a block of chocolate into white chocolate chunks. However, feel free to use white chocolate chips if you'd like.
Flakey salt: A sprinkle of flakey salt over the top of these cookies is a game changer. It balances out the sweetness of the white chocolate and brings out the matcha flavor for the perfect bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do these last?

These cookies will last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature or up to a week when stored in the fridge.

If you store them in the fridge make sure you let them sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes or so before eating. This allows the butter, sugar, and chocolate in the cookies to come closer to room temperature before eating.

When chilled the cookies will be a lot harder, denser, and chewier, doing this ensures a better eating experience!

Can I freeze these?

Yes, you can! There are two ways to freeze these:

Shape the cookie dough into balls and freeze: When you're ready to eat the cookies just preheat your oven and bake! This way your cookies are super fresh.
Freeze the baked cookies: This way is ideal when you need an easy snack. Simply take the cookie out and let it come to room temperature, or pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds for a quick thaw.

Can I make these with different add-ins?

Definitely! These cookies are so versatile they'll work no matter what you add in. A couple of my favorite add-ins are nuts like walnuts or macadamia nuts, dried fruits like cranberries, or just dark chocolate chips!

Why did my cookies spread?

There are a couple of reasons why your cookies spread:

The dough wasn't chilled: Chilling the dough is essential to prevent the cookie dough from spreading too much. During the chilling period the butter can firm up and the dough can rest.
The cookie dough balls were flattened too much: The cookies will always spread a little when baked. If the shaped cookies are already flat, they will flatten out even more. I always bake my cookie dough as balls for a thicker cookie.

Can I bake these on a silicone mat?

Yes, you can! Silicone mats are great for baking cookies because they are a little thicker than baking paper. This gives the bottoms of your cookies a little more insulation, preventing them from browning too quickly.

Should I use a kitchen scale to make these for better results?

When baking I always recommend using a kitchen scale as you can get more accurate measurements of all your ingredients, but it isn't always necessary.

Baked goods like cookies and brownies are usually quite forgiving and will work fine when the ingredients are measured with measuring cups and spoons.

Let's Get Baking

If you're a matcha lover like me you will LOVE these matcha chocolate chip cookies.

One of the best matcha combinations is with white chocolate. Something about that sweet, creamy chocolate matches so well with bitter matcha. Trust me this will become your go-to matcha cookie recipe!

If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went.

Also, don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and TikTok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy baking!

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