Featured Comment:
“Another revelation!!! Thank you for this delicious recipe!!! They turned out beautifully, only difference was the color, because my matcha was not as green… A keeper!!!”
– Maria
What are Matcha Muffins?
Matcha muffins are simply muffins flavored with Japanese green tea powder. Matcha has a distinct earthy, slightly bitter taste and is one of the most loved flavors for sweets and desserts in Japan. I would say that matcha is probably one of the most common flavors you can find here.
Because of matcha’s bitterness, it pairs well with the highly sweet yet mild flavor of white chocolate. It’s one of my favorite flavor combinations in sweets!
This muffin recipe is one of my go-to baking recipes; I make them often. It’s quick, easy and fail-free so if you’re looking for soft, light, and delicious matcha muffins, this is the recipe for you!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cake flour
- Baking powder (I used Rumford)
- Baking soda
- Matcha powder
- Cinnamon powder
- Salt
- Large eggs
- White sugar
- Plain natural yogurt
- Whole milk
- Vanilla essence
- Vegetable oil
I recommend measuring out your ingredients in advance and leaving the egg, yogurt and milk out of the fridge for 30 minutes before making the batter. This makes it easier for the ingredients to incorporate into each other, resulting in a smoother batter that is less likely to be overmixed.
If you’re not big on white chocolate, you can also replace it with something else. Here are some ideas.
- Dark chocolate
- Milk chocolate
- Cooked adzuki beans
- Nuts
- Dried strawberries
Note: This recipe has a reduced amount of sugar because white chocolate is very sweet. If you swap it for nuts, you might need more sugar to make them sweeter. Of course, this is all down to preference.
The sweetness of the white chocolate with the bitterness of the matcha works really well together! I hope you enjoy this muffin recipe with a Japanese twist!
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Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make The Best Matcha Muffins at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
To make light and fluffy muffins, it’s important not to over-mix. When we talk about over-mixing, it refers to the flour coming into contact with wet ingredients, and the more you mix it, the more the gluten develops, creating dense and chewy muffins. This is certainly something we want to avoid! One way to prevent this is to mix the dry and wet ingredients separately.
The first step is to sift the flour and matcha into a bowl and then add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Sifting helps aerate the flour and break down any lumps of matcha before combining them with the other ingredients.
Use a whisk to mix until everything is well combined and then make a “well” in the center; we will pour the wet ingredients into the well later.
Mixing the sugar into the egg will help it dissolve which will ensure it is mixed evenly into the batter. Whisking also incorporates air into the eggs which adds to the light and fluffy texture of the muffins!
In the bowl with the egg/sugar mixture, add the natural yogurt, whole milk, vanilla extract and oil. Mix until well combined.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and use a spatula to combine them gently. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all the dry ingredients are incorporated and be careful not to mix too much! The batter should be slightly thick.
Once combined, add your chocolate chips! One tip to stop them from sinking is to toss them in a very light coating of flour, but this is optional. I also save a few chocolate chips to sprinkle on the top.
Lightly grease 6 muffin cases and fill each case 2/3 of the way up.
Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (390°F) for 5 minutes. This high temperature will give the rising agents a boost helping form beautifully cracked muffin tops. After 5 minutes, lower the heat to 180°C (360°F) and bake for another 15 minutes.
Baking too long will result in dry muffins. Be sure to check them frequently and test them with a toothpick to check they’re done!
Alternatively, you can divide them into 12 mini muffins, but be sure to adjust the baking time as smaller muffins cook faster. I recommend 180°C (360°F) for approximately 12 minutes.
Once cooked, leave to cool on a wire rack.
When they’re cool, they’re ready to eat!
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How to Store
You can keep these muffins in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Any longer than that and I recommend freezing them. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before eating and heat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds if they seem a little dry.
I hope you enjoy this Matcha Muffin recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Matcha Recipes
- Matcha and dark chocolate brownies
- Matcha and white chocolate cookies
- Iced matcha latte
- Homemade matcha ice cream
Want more inspiration? Explore my Japanese Dessert Roundup Post for a carefully selected collection of tasty recipe ideas to spark your next tea party!
Matcha and White Chocolate Muffins
Equipment
- 6 Cup Muffin pan
- Steel Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 180 g cake flour
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg
- 100 g white caster sugar
- 120 ml whole milk
- 3 tbsp plain yogurt
- 60 ml cooking oil
- ½ tsp vanilla essence or half the amount of vanilla extract
- 100 g white chocolate chips
My recommended brands of ingredients and seasonings can be found in my Japanese pantry guide.
Can’t find certain Japanese ingredients? See my substitution guide here.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (392 °F). While it heats, sift 180 g cake flour and 1 tbsp matcha powder into a mixing bowl. Add the 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp cinnamon powder and 1 pinch salt and whisk all the dry ingredients until well distributed.
- In a separate bowl whisk 1 egg and 100 g white caster sugar for about 1 minute or until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add 120 ml whole milk, 3 tbsp plain yogurt, 60 ml cooking oil and ½ tsp vanilla essence to the whisked egg and sugar, and gently whisk until well incorporated.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Carefully fold them together with a spatula until well incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Add 100 g white chocolate chips to the mixture, fold through a few times to distribute the chocolate but try to mix as little as you possibly can.
- Spoon the mixture into about 6 standard sized muffin cases about 2/3 of the way up.Bake at 200 °C (392 °F) for just 5 minutes to give them a rising boost, then lower the heat to 180 °C (356 °F) and bake for a further 15 mins. (Or until cooked through – test with a toothpick if unsure. If it comes out clean then they're cooked.)
- Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 6 standard sized muffins or 12 mini muffins.
- If making mini muffins, skip the 5 minutes of baking at a higher temperature and bake for 12 minutes at 180°C (or 350°F).
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
What is weak flour in your recipe ingredients ?
Weak flour is a type of flour with low gluten content used for cakes and pastry, it’s also known as cake flour or soft flour. If you can’t find it, you can also use all purpose flour but the result won’t be as light and fluffy. Hope it helps!
Another revelation!!!
Thank you for this delicious recipe!!!
They turned out beautifully, only difference was the color, because my matcha was not as green…
A keeper!!!
Hi Maria,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m happy that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Yuto