Take one bite into these brown butter matcha cookies and it will immediately change your life. These brilliantly green matcha white chocolate cookies are perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside and are packed with delicious browned butter and matcha flavors.
Take one bite into these brown butter matcha cookies and it will immediately change your life. These brilliantly green matcha white chocolate cookies are perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside and are packed with delicious browned butter and matcha flavors.
Matcha lovers this one is for you. These matcha cookies will honestly be the best thing that has ever happened to you today. They are of course filled with delicious matcha flavor and contain rich undertones of vanilla and nutty aromatic browned butter. The texture of these cookies has a slight crisp along the edges that instantly meets a soft and chewy interior. The brilliant green and white colors are perfect for your curated Instagram feed. So what more can you ask for in a matcha cookie recipe?
If you have been following along my food journey here on Takes Two Eggs, I am quite a bit of a matcha addict myself. I love adding it to all of my drinks and bakes like my matcha pineapple drink, matcha lemonade, matcha basque cheesecake, matcha madeleines, and matcha brownies. This brown butter matcha cookie recipe is the newest addition to my matcha arsenal and I am really excited to share it with you all. These matcha chocolate chip cookies are not going to bake themselves, let’s get started!
Matcha is a type of tea packaged in a powdered form. It is sometimes referred to as Japanese matcha green tea or Japanese matcha tea. Matcha is a high-grade form of green tea using young leaves grown in the shade and then ground into vivid green powder.
What does Matcha taste like?
Matcha powder has an addicting earthy, smooth green tea flavor. It adds deep complexity to baked goods and complements the sweetness of white chocolate beautifully. Depending the grade of matcha purchased, there are flavor and color differences between each of the following types: ceremonial, premium, and culinary grade matcha.
What is the difference in grades of Matcha?
Ceremonial gradematcha is the highest quality matcha with the richest bright green color, the most caffeine content (34mg of caffeine per 1g of matcha powder), and has the least amount of bitter flavor.
Culinary gradematcha is the lowest grade matcha generally used for baking because of the lower price point being more economical. However the flavors are not as pure, it tends yield a more bitter flavor, and the green matcha color is dull and less vibrant.
Premium gradematcha characterics fall right in between culinary and ceremonial grades.
I generally like to use ceremonial grade for my baked goods for the best color and taste but you can always opt for culinary grade as well.
The Best Matcha Cookies Recipe Ever
This is a bold assertion, but I have the evidence to back it up. These matcha cookies are absolute perfection.
These brown butter matcha white chocolate cookies have crisp edges, gooey centers, with melted white chocolate chips, and are packed with a delicious earthy matcha flavor with hints of nutty undertones.
Easy-to-follow recipe
Includes all the tips and tricks for a full-proof bake
Plus, an added FAQ section for additional clarification
Basically, this brown butter matcha cookie recipe is an all-inclusive guide to making the most addicting matcha cookies you’ve ever experienced. You’ve been warned.
Kitchen Equipment
For these matcha cookies, there is no fancy equipment necessary.
Kitchen Scale: for every baking recipe, you will notice that the ingredients are listed by measurement and by grams. Trust me, you will want to follow the grams for the most exact fool proof recipe. I love my cute pink little kitchen scale that is incredibly accurate!
Fine Mesh Sieve. You will need a fine mesh sieve or sifter to sift the dry ingredients and matcha powder.
Half Sheet baking sheet: the half-sheet baking sheet is a universal kitchen essential. I use it for almost all of my bakes and dinner recipes. I bought these Nordic ware aluminum baking sheets and they’ve lasted for years.
Slipmat Silicone Baking Sheet: a slipmat silicone baking sheet is a LIFE SAVER. When my mom introduced me to this in college I never went back to parchment paper ever again. This slipmat is truly nonstick and all of my baked goods slide right off.
Mixing Bowls: for every bake you always need a set of nesting mixing bowls to hold all of your ingredients to keep you organized. I use these glass mixing bowls for all of my recipes. They are super strong and durable.
Cookie Scoop: if you want that perfect circle cookie without using cookie cutters using these cookie scoops are your new best friend! Alternatively, you can roll the cookies into balls with your hands and use a cookie cutter when the cookies are baked to round out the cookies.
Ingredients
These matcha white chocolate cookies use everyday pantry staples and you can even sub out the white chocolate with any other chocolate chip of your choosing!
Unsalted butter: use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt going into your cookies and ensure that it will brown evenly.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar: This recipe uses 3x as much brown sugar to white sugar to have a sweet and richer molasse-y taste.
Egg: binds the cookie together and gives the cookie their soft, chewy texture.
Vanilla:vanilla extract is a MUST to add to the flavor profile of the cookie. I suggest using a high quality vanilla extract for the purest taste!
All-purpose flour: creates a tender yet hearty crumb. Make sure to measure your flour with a kitchen scale! If you don’t have a scale, make sure to fluff up the flour before spooning it into your measuring cup and lightly leveling it off with a knife. Do not pack the flour into the cup!
Matcha powder: Use the best culinary or ceremonial grade Japanese matcha powder that you can find. I love using Matchabar, Matcha Bloomor Junbi matcha my matcha recipes. For this recipe, I used ceremonial-grade matcha for a richer matcha flavor with a more brilliant green color.
Baking soda: aids in the subtle rise of the cookie to let some air in so the final texture is not too dense.
Salt: used to balance out the sweetness of the sugars. The salt pushes a baked good from good to great.
White Chocolate chips: these are optional but if you opt for them use high quality milk chocolate for the best taste like Ghiradelli or Callebaut. Alternatively you can substitute these out for milk, or dark chocolate chips as well.
How to Make Matcha Cookies
This matcha cookies recipe made with browned butter is everything you could possibly want in a cookie. It is easy to make and even more satisfying to devour.
Brown the butter. Brown butter in a saucepan on medium heat, swirl the butter around the saucepan, until butter foams and starts to have brown bits on the bottom of the pan and has a nutty aroma. As soon as the butter starts to turn golden brown and smell nutty, take it off the heat to prevent any more liquid from escaping. Set aside to cool.
Mix wet ingredients. When the butter is cooled, whisk in the brown and white sugars until incorporated with no lumps remain. Add in the egg and egg yolk, miso and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
Sift and whisk the remaining dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, matcha powder, salt and baking soda in a separate mixing bowl. Then using a whisk, mix together the dry ingredients until combined.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold in half the dry ingredients into wet ingredients until everything comes together. Slowly add in the remaining flour and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate.
Scoop then chill the cookie dough. Use a 1 oz cookie scoop and scoop out into balls placing them parchment paper, or slipmat lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Before baking, press the cookie dough balls down to slightly flatten the dough, about 3/4 inch thickness. Bake the dough 2 inches apart until golden brown and firm around the edges, 10-11 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown and the center is puffed up and gooey.
Tips for the Best Matcha Cookies
Sift the dry ingredients. Flour and matcha are known to clump up if you do not sift them. For even distribution of the matcha without any clumps, make sure to sift the matcha with the dry ingredients.
Make sure the browned butter is not too hot. Make sure to cool the butter before mixing it with the rest of your ingredients. You do not want to scramble your egg by cooking it in the hot butter.
Bring your egg to room temperature. If the egg is too cold it will shock the warm butter and harden the butter immediately. To bring an egg to room temperature quickly, place the egg in a bowl of warmed water for about 5-10 minutes.
Do not over-mix the batter. Over-mixing the batter will run the risk of drying out the cookies and adding too much air into the cookies yielding an extra puffy cookie.
Chill the dough.To prevent cookies from spreading immediately into flat sad discs, you will need to chill the dough in the refrigerator to solidify the fat which will slow the spreading in the oven. Before you bake slightly flatten the cookies to a 1 inch thickness for an even bake.
Do not over bake. When in doubt, UNDER bake the cookies. The cookies will continue to bake and solidify when they cool. I recommend taking them out right when they have puffed up and are slightly golden brown on the edges.
Storage Instructions
You can store these browned butter matcha white chocolate cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Q’s and A’s
Can matcha tea be used for baking?
Yes, all matcha tea grades can be used for baking to add the same rich earthy flavor enjoyed when used in drinks. Depending on the grade of tea, the intensity of flavor and color results will vary when used in baking.
Why is my matcha cookie bitter?
Matcha should have a smooth, earthy flavor that isn’t bitter. Having a bitter flavor could mean your matcha is expired or you did not use a high-quality matcha powder. Matcha generally expires within 30 days of when you opened the sealed container. Make sure to use a fresh and high-quality trusted matcha brand.
Why do I need to brown the butter?
Browning butter adds an extra layer of complexity with toasted nutty flavor notes. It takes the traditional sweet and rich flavor of these cookies to another level of enjoyment. Plus, browning the butter saves time as you don’t need to set the butter on your counter and wait until it reaches room temperature.
Why do I need to chill the matcha cookie dough?
Chilling the dough allows the dough to rest and for the wet ingredients to absorb the dry ingredients more evenly. Moreover, the butter will solidify in the refrigerator and slow down the process of the cookies spreading too quickly. Without chilling, your cookies will spread too quickly and may melt into each other forming one massive cookie.
How do you get a flattened perfectly round matcha cookie?
If you want a flattened perfectly round matcha cookie, tap the pan on your work surface immediately after you pull the cookies from the oven. Then working quickly, take a cookie cutter that is slightly larger than the cookie, place it on top of each cookie and rotate your hand in a circular motion as you lightly nudge the cookies.
This soft nudging technique will allow you to shape your soft cookies back into a perfect circle.Pleasenote: This will only work immediately when you take the cookies freshly out of the oven.
Can you make this matcha cookies recipe in advance?
Yes! You can scoop out the balls of this browned butter matcha cookie dough and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the already baked cookies as well.
Why are my matcha cookies not green?
This recipe should yield a warm green-colored cookie. If your cookies seem too brown this could be caused by a few things:
The grade of matcha powder will yield different results. For the richest green tone, ceremonial grade matcha tea is best.
You might have added too much brown sugar.
True oven temperature always varies. Be sure to keep an eye on the cookies so they don’t overbake which will yield overly brown cookies. Look for the edges to crisp to avoid overbaking.
Take one bite into these brown butter matcha cookies and it will immediately change your life. These brilliantly green matcha white chocolate cookies are perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside and are packed with delicious browned butter and matcha flavors.
Brown the butter. Brown butter in a saucepan on medium heat, swirl the butter around the saucepan, until butter foams and starts to have brown bits on the bottom of the pan and has a nutty aroma. As soon as the butter starts to turn golden brown and smell nutty, take it off the heat to prevent any more liquid from escaping. Transfer butter to a liquid measuring cup and see how much water content you lost. You want to have 1/2 cup of butter, so stir in the 1-2 tablespoons of butter if you need it. Set aside to cool.
Mix wet ingredients. When the butter is cooled, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the butter with the brown and white sugars until incorporated with no lumps remain. Add in the egg, milk and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
Sift and whisk the remaining dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, matcha powder, salt and baking soda in a separate mixing bowl. Then using a whisk, mix together the dry ingredients until combined.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold in half the dry ingredients into wet ingredients until everything comes together. Slowly add in the remaining flour and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate.
Scoop then chill the cookie dough. Use a 1 oz cookie scoop and scoop out into balls placing them parchment paper, or slipmat lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake. Before baking, press the cookie dough balls down to slightly flatten the dough, about 3/4 inch thickness. Bake the dough 2 inches apart for 10-11 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and slightly crisp and the center is puffed up and gooey. (For a more flattened cookie, lightly tap the tray on the counter when you remove it from the oven.) Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
Sift the dry ingredients. Flour and matcha are known to clump up if you do not sift them. For even distribution of the matcha without any clumps, make sure to sift the matcha with the dry ingredients.
Make sure the browned butter is not too hot. Make sure to cool the butter before mixing it with the rest of your ingredients. You do not want to scramble your egg by cooking it in hot butter.
Bring your egg to room temperature. If the egg is too cold it will shock the warm butter and harden the butter immediately. To bring an egg to room temperature quickly, place the egg in a bowl of warmed water for about 5-10 minutes.
Do not over mix the batter. Over mixing the batter will run the risk of drying out the cookies and adding too much air into the cookies yielding an extra puffy cookie.
Chill the dough. To prevent cookies from spreading immediately into flat sad discs, you will need to chill the dough in the refrigerator to solidify the fat that will slow the spreading in the oven.
Do not overbake. When in doubt, UNDER bake the cookies. The cookies will continue to bake and solidify when they cool. I recommend taking them outright when they have puffed up and are slightly golden brown on the edges.
They turned out great! I made two batches, one with purely white choco chips, another mixed with semi sweet chocolate chips. Also opted for soy instead of dairy milk. Amazing recipe, thanks for sharing!
Hi, I made the cookies yesterday for the first time. I realized that I’m not a big fan of very sweet things, and I was afraid that others won’t like it either but everyone else loved the cookies. I used slightly less sugar (5 grams less for each type), and a generous amount of matcha powder, and baking powder instead of baking soda. Color and consistency turned out great as well! Thank you so much for the recipe (and special thanks for providing the amounts in the metric system, saved a lot of time! 🙂
Super delicious and easy to make too! I chilled all the dough (didn’t have enough fridge space to roll and then chill) but they turned out great. The matcha helps cut through the sweetness of the white chocolate and the addition of brown butter is such a cheat code!
They turned out great! I made two batches, one with purely white choco chips, another mixed with semi sweet chocolate chips. Also opted for soy instead of dairy milk. Amazing recipe, thanks for sharing!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and put your own twist on it too. I can’t wait for you to share it with your friends and family 🙂
Hi, I made the cookies yesterday for the first time. I realized that I’m not a big fan of very sweet things, and I was afraid that others won’t like it either but everyone else loved the cookies. I used slightly less sugar (5 grams less for each type), and a generous amount of matcha powder, and baking powder instead of baking soda. Color and consistency turned out great as well! Thank you so much for the recipe (and special thanks for providing the amounts in the metric system, saved a lot of time! 🙂
Yay! We’re so glad you and everyone else enjoyed them 🙂
such a great recipe!! used dark choc chips and still tasted delish :))
So glad you enjoyed them. That version also sounds delicious! 🙂
Can I use oat milk or omit the milk altogether?
Yes, you can substitute an alternative milk 🙂
These are so good. I’ve made them twice already and my friends ask for them all the time.
Yay! We’re so happy everyone loves them as much as we do! We can’t wait for more of your friends and family to try them ✨
Super delicious and easy to make too! I chilled all the dough (didn’t have enough fridge space to roll and then chill) but they turned out great. The matcha helps cut through the sweetness of the white chocolate and the addition of brown butter is such a cheat code!
So happy you enjoyed them and we can’t wait for you to share them with friends and family!