These soft and chewy matcha cookies pair earthy green tea with creamy white chocolate chunks. They have lightly crisp edges, soft centres and a vibrant green colour, with no chilling required before baking.
Made with simple vegan ingredients, this easy matcha cookie recipe comes together in one bowl and is ready in around 30 minutes. Use good-quality culinary matcha for the best colour and flavor.
💚 Why You’ll Love These Matcha Cookies
- Completely vegan: No eggs or dairy are needed.
- Soft and chewy: The cookies stay tender in the middle with lightly crisp edges.
- Sweet-meets-earthy flavor: Matcha balances the creamy sweetness of the white chocolate.
- Easy to make: The dough comes together with simple ingredients and straightforward steps.
- Naturally eye-catching: Good-quality matcha gives the cookies their distinctive green colour.
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Hi, I'm Romy 👋
I'm a vegan recipe developer & food photographer. I test recipes weekly and share what actually works (and what doesn't).
🍵 What Matcha Is Best for Cookies?
A good-quality culinary-grade matcha is the best choice for baking. It has a stronger flavor than ceremonial matcha, so it remains noticeable once combined with flour, sugar and white chocolate.
Look for a powder with a vibrant green colour and a fresh, grassy aroma. Dull or brownish matcha can give the cookies a muted colour and more bitter flavor. Ceremonial matcha also works, but it is more expensive and its delicate flavor is less noticeable after baking.
🍫 White Chocolate for Matcha Cookies
White chocolate works especially well with matcha because its creamy sweetness softens the tea’s earthy, slightly bitter flavor.
I prefer roughly chopped vegan white chocolate because it creates larger melted pockets, but white chocolate chips also work.
Keep some pieces aside to press into the tops of the cookies before baking for a more bakery-style finish.
🍵 Ingredients & Notes
You only need a handful of ingredients for this recipe:
- Butter - I use unsalted butter from Flora Plant Butter, which is a vegan butter, for most of my baking recipes. Make sure the butter is at room temperature. You can make this recipe with brown butter as well! Simply blend the brown butter and sugar in the first step until well combined, then continue with the recipe as per the instructions.
- Light Brown Sugar - I love using brown sugar for these cookies as I love them super chewy! These cookies are just as delicious using white sugar, however swapping the brown sugar for caster sugar will make them less chewy. You can also mix white and brown sugar for a crispy exterior and chewy center.
- Milk - I used soya milk for this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract - I used a liquid vanilla extract. You can also use ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste.
- Flour - For the cookies, I used all-purpose flour (plain flour).
- Matcha Powder - For best results, opt for a ceremonial grade matcha green tea powder, such as Clearspring.
- White Chocolate Chips - I've used a dairy-free white chocolate bar and chopped it into white chocolate chunks for these cookies. The chocolate chips add a delicious sweetness to the cookies that balance the lightly bitter green tea flavor just perfectly! You can swap out the white chocolate chips for dark chocolate chips.
Find the full quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Almond flour - if you love nutty cookies, then you might want to try this one! Stir 1-2 tablespoon or almond flour into the cookie batter!
- Nuts - for an extra crunch, add some chopped nuts, such as macadamia nuts or almonds to the cookies.
- Sprinkles - these can be a fun and colorful addition to these cookies!
🔪 Equipment
You need:
- large bowl + medium bowl
- electric mixer
- silicone spatula
- baking sheet (parchment paper) or a silicone baking mat
- cookie scoop or ice cream scoop (optional)
- cooling rack (optional)
🍪 How to Make Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
With just a few simple steps, the matcha cookie dough can be ready in just a few minutes! Here is what you need to do:
Step 1 - Using an electric hand mixer cream together the butter and brown sugar.
Step 2 - Add the milk and vanilla extract.
Step 3 - Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and matcha).
Step 4 - Fold in the white chocolate chips.
Step 5 - Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Step 6 - Place individual cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet. Add extra chocolate chips on top and transfer the sheet back into the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Step 7 - Preheat your oven to 180°C and bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes.
Bake until the edges are set but the centres still look slightly soft.
Step 8 - Leave the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes, where they will continue to firm up.
Why not serve these delicious cookies alongside a delicious drink, such as a tasty Vanilla Matcha Latte or homemade Almond Milk Tea? It's perfect for dipping!
⭐ Tips for Soft and Chewy Matcha Cookies
- Measure the flour accurately: Too much flour can make the cookies dry and prevent them from spreading.
- Use room-temperature ingredients: This helps the dough combine evenly.
- Do not overmix: Stop once no dry flour remains.
- Use fresh matcha: Older powder can taste bitter and produce a duller colour.
- Do not overbake: Remove the cookies when the centres still look slightly soft.
- Add extra chocolate on top: Press a few pieces into each cookie immediately after baking.
🔧 Troubleshooting
Why didn’t my matcha cookies spread?
The dough may contain too much flour, or the fat may have been too cold. Weigh the flour where possible and make sure the ingredients are prepared at the temperature specified in the recipe.
Why did my cookies turn brown?
Matcha naturally darkens slightly in the oven, but excessive heat or overbaking can make the colour dull. Use fresh matcha and remove the cookies as soon as the edges are set.
Why do my matcha cookies taste bitter?
The matcha may be old, poor quality or used too generously. A good culinary-grade matcha should taste earthy and slightly bitter, but not harsh.
📦 Cookie Storage
Store the cooled matcha cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. They will soften slightly as they sit.
You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to three months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature, or warm them briefly in the oven before serving.
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👉 More Matcha Recipes For You
If you love this matcha cookie recipe, then you might also enjoy my Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies or my zesty Vegan Lemon Cookies! You can also browse all sweet bakes here.
If you're a fan of matcha, then definitely give my Starbucks Matcha Latte a go, or for the summer months, try my Iced Matcha Latte or Matcha Lemonade for a refreshing sip.
Did you make this recipe? If so, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and star rating & let me know how you liked this recipe? THANK YOU! ❤️
📖 Recipe Card
Matcha Cookies
Equipment
- 1-2 large mixing bowl(s)
- 2 lined baking trays
- 1 electric hand whisk
- fridge
- 1 spatula
- 1 ice cream scoop optional
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter at room temperature (70 g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar (100 g)
- 2 tablespoon milk (30 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g)
- 2 tablespoon matcha powder
- ½ cup white chocolate chips + extra for the topping (80 g)
Instructions
- Using an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar, then add the milk and vanilla extract.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and matcha powder into a second mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Refrigerate the mix for at least 30 minutes, then gently shape the cookies and place them on a lined baking tray. Place the tray into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Transfer the cookie tray to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow for the cookies to cool down for at least 30 minutes before removing them from the tray.
Notes
- Matcha powder: Use a good-quality culinary-grade matcha with a fresh, vibrant green colour. Older or lower-quality matcha can taste more bitter and give the cookies a duller colour.
- Measuring flour: For the best texture, weigh the flour rather than scooping it directly from the bag. Too much flour can make the cookies dry and stop them from spreading properly.
- Coconut oil: Make sure the coconut oil is prepared exactly as stated in the recipe. If it is too cold, the dough may be difficult to mix; if it is very warm, the cookies may spread more.
- White chocolate: Roughly chopped vegan white chocolate creates larger melted pockets, but white chocolate chips also work. Keep a few pieces aside to press into the tops before baking.
- Baking time: Remove the cookies when the edges look set but the centres still appear slightly soft. They will continue to firm up on the baking tray as they cool.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
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Mali says
Made this today and was so happy it came out well!!. I did exactly what the instructions said. I kept it in the oven for 15 minutes.
Romy says
Thanks for the lovely review! Glad you enjoyed the cookies 🙂
Ioana says
Love this simple recipe!! Makes delicious cookies full of sweetness, but still has that classic matcha taste. Highly recommend!