Matcha and White Chocolate Cookies

Learn how to make the ultimate soft and chewy cookies with a Japanese twist with this delicious matcha and white chocolate cookie recipe! Flavoured with matcha green tea powder and a hint of classic vanilla then loaded with white chocolate chunks, this cookie recipe is perfect for matcha lovers with a sweet tooth!

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Jump to:

• What is matcha?
• What kind of matcha is used in baking?
• Ingredients to make Matcha and White Chocolate Cookies
• Instructions on how to make delicious and chewy Matcha and White Chocolate Cookies
• Substitutions
• Storage
• Community feedback

What is matcha?

Before I get started with this cookie recipe, you might be wondering about matcha. What is it? What does it taste like? Well, matcha is a type of green tea that has been ground into a fine powder. Although it's famous for drinking as part of a Japanese "tea ceremony", it is also one of Japan's most popular flavours used for sweets and desserts. It is bright green in colour with an earthy yet refreshing taste.

What kind of matcha is used in baking?

There are three different kinds of matcha powder which vary in quality, price and usage.

• Ceremonial - High quality matcha made with the first leaves of the harvest. Only used for drinking (especially during Japanese tea ceremonies).
• Premium - High quality matcha blend often used in coffee shops.
• Culinary - Lower quality but great flavour for desserts and drinks like smoothies.

In short, high quality matcha should be used for drinking and enjoyed simply with hot water to appreciate its taste. Since baking uses other ingredients (such as sugar, butter etc) that might mask the taste of the matcha, it would be a waste to use ceremonial or premium here.

Don't be put off by culinary matcha being "lower quality", it is made especially to mix with other ingredients and is more reasonably priced. It also adds a delicious and balanced matcha flavour to baked and chilled desserts alike!

Ingredients to make Matcha and White Chocolate Cookies

In this recipe, I use the following typical cookie ingredients:

• Soft room temperature butter - I prefer unsalted so that I have more control of the salt content, but salted butter also works (just omit the added salt later)
• White sugar - caster or granulated, either is fine
• Light brown sugar - necessary for that all important chewy texture!
• Vanilla essence - essence is easier to find in Japan, but feel free to use half the amount of vanilla extract instead.
• Egg - room temperature will incorporate more easily into the dough.
• Plain flour - measured in grams for better accuracy.
• Matcha powder - Good quality, culinary grade matcha that is bright green in colour.
• Baking soda - helps the cookies spread and improves the texture (do not substitute for baking powder!)
• Salt - balances the flavour in the cookie, omit this if you use salted butter.
• White chocolate - I use a bar of chocolate cut into rough chunks, but white chocolate chips also work just as well.

Instructions on how to make delicious and chewy Matcha and White Chocolate Cookies

Here are my step by step instructions on how to make the ultimate soft and chewy matcha and white chocolate cookies with some tips and tricks to get them perfect every time! See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for ingredient quantities.

Mix butter and sugar

First, add both the white and brown sugar to a mixing bowl with room temperature butter cut into cubes. (If you forgot to take the butter out of the fridge in advance, microwave it for 20-30 seconds or until softened but not melted.)

Mix together until combined. I do this by hand but feel free to use a mixer if you prefer.

Add egg and vanilla

Crack the egg into the bowl and add a small amount of vanilla essence or extract.

Mix thoroughly until evenly distributed. If you're using a mixer, use a slow setting so that the egg doesn't become too airy.

Combine the dry ingredients

Add the plain flour, matcha powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt to a separate bowl.

Whisk thoroughly until all the ingredients are evenly distributed through the flour.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients

Pour the contents of the bowl of dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Mix until a firm but slightly sticky dough forms.

Once there's no more dry flour visible, add the chocolate. I personally use a chocolate bar cut into chunks, but chocolate chips are also perfectly fine.

White chocolate works well with matcha because it doesn't overpower the flavour, but if you don't like white chocolate you could use milk chocolate, nuts or even boiled adzuki beans.

Shape

Shape the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or a silicone baking mat (these tend to help prevent too much spreading). I usually make 16 cookies from this dough, approximately 2 tbsp (40g) of dough per cookie.

Place 8 balls of cookie dough on each sheet with plenty of space between each one, they will spread as they cook. I also recommend baking each sheet separately to ensure even cooking.

Place the baking sheet in the fridge (or freezer for a short time) and preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). The time it takes for the oven to preheat (10 minutes or so) is the perfect amount of chilling time for the cookies.

Bake

Once the oven is heated, place the tray of cookies on the middle shelf and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Shape and cool

Remove the cookies from the oven and while they're still soft, use the edge of a knife or a large glass/cookie cutter (larger than the actual cookies) to neaten the edges. This will improve the presentation but is not essential. (Don't cut the cookies though!)

Once you're happy with the shape, leave them to cool on the baking tray for about 20 minutes. You will not be able to move them because they will be too soft when they're warm. (Patience is needed here, sorry!)

Enjoy!

Once the cookies have cooled and firmed up, tuck in and enjoy!

Substitutions

Not a fan of white chocolate? Try some of these ideas instead!

• Milk chocolate
• Dark chocolate
• Dried fruits - dried strawberries or raspberries etc.
• Nuts - pistachios, macadamia nuts etc.
• Boiled adzuki beans

Storage

These cookies can be stored in various ways both before and after cooking, here is my advice for storing these matcha and white chocolate cookies.

Before baking (cookie dough)

Storing the dough before baking means that you can enjoy freshly baked cookies anytime without all the fuss! Just roll the dough into balls and store it using the instructions below.

• Refrigerate - to be safe, chill and use within 2-3 days.
• Freeze - place on a tray spaced apart and freeze for a few hours, then transfer to a freezer bag or similar and store for up to 2 months. (Thaw for a few hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.)

After baking

Once the cookies are baked, make sure to let them cool completely before storing. Here are my storage instructions for baked cookies.

• Room temperature - store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days
• Refrigerate - store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week
• Freeze - place in a freezable container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature

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