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Prep 15 minutesmins
Cook 10 minutesmins
Total 55 minutesmins
Take one bite into these brown butter matcha cookies, and it will make everything better. These vibrantly green tea 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 recipe is for you. These matcha cookies are packed with delicious matcha flavor, rich and nutty browned butter, and sweet white chocolate chips. The texture of these cookies has a slight crispness along the edges that instantly meets a soft, chewy interior.
This recipe is one of my favorite matcha recipes, and I am really excited to share it with you. They are a fun matcha take on a classic chocolate chip cookie. These cookies won’t bake themselves. Let’s get started!
These white chocolate matcha cookies are an Asian fusion spin on a classic chocolate chip cookie. They are made with rich, nutty browned butter, earthy, vibrant Japanese ceremonial matcha powder, and white chocolate chips. They are crisp on the edges, gooey in the center, and full of matcha flavor.
You can find all the ingredients for this matcha cookies recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are in the recipe card below.
Unsalted butter: I use browned butter, heated on the stove until amber brown, with beautiful caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan, for an added nutty, velvety flavor.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar: brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness, while white sugar helps with even browning and even spread of the cookie.
Egg: binds the cookie together and gives it a soft, chewy texture without being cakey. Be sure to use room-temperature eggs for even incorporation.
Vanilla extract: adds a warm vanilla flavor to the cookie.
All-purpose flour: creates a tender yet hearty crumb. Be 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.
Matcha powder: When using matcha powder, use high-quality culinary or ceremonial-grade matcha. I always use ceremonial matcha for the best flavor and color.
Baking soda: aids in the subtle rise so the final texture is not too dense.
Salt: used to balance out the sweetness of the sugars.
White Chocolate chips: or a chopped white chocolate bar for more white chocolate ribbons.
Flaky sea salt: as a garnish and extra salty flavor.
Substitutions and Additions
Oatmeal: for an oatmeal version add 1 cup of old fashioned oatmeal.
Salted butter: if using, simply remove the salt from the recipe.
Vanilla: vanilla bean or vanilla paste.
Chocolate chips: milk, dark, semi sweet chocolate chips, or strawberry white chocolate chips.
Nuts: for added texture, add pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts or almonds.
How to Make
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this matcha cookies recipe.
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.
When the butter is cooled, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the butter with the brown and white sugar until incorporated. Then add the egg, milk and vanilla and whisk until until light, smooth and glossy.
Sift the flour, matcha powder, salt, and baking soda in a separate mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until everything comes together. Then fold in the white chocolate.
Scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes to 4 hours, ideally up to 72 hours.
Bake the cookies 2 inches apart for 10-11 minutes at 350 F (176 C), or until the edges are just lightly golden brown and the centers are puffed up. Gently tap the counter to deflate, then cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Sift the dry ingredients. Flour and matcha are known to clump if not sifted. Matcha also needs to be sifted to ensure a more even distribution.
Cool the browned butter before mixing it with the rest of your ingredients. You do not want to risk cooking your egg in the hot butter.
Bring your egg to room temperature. If the egg is too cold, it will shock the warm butter, hardening it immediately. To bring an egg to room temperature quickly, place it in a bowl of warm water for about 5-10 minutes.
Chill the dough. To prevent cookies from spreading too quickly, you will need to chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes up to 4 hours, ideally, to solidify the fat that will slow the spreading in the oven. They are safe to chill for up to 72 hours.
Do not over-bake. When in doubt, underbake 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.
After baking, gently tap the tray of cookies on the counter a few times to flatten the cookies.
For perfect rounds, use a cookie cutter that is slightly larger than the cookie, place it on top of each cookie right when it comes out of the oven, and rotate your hand in a circular motion to make a perfect circle.
Storage Instructions
You can store these white chocolate matcha cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: You can also freeze the cooled cookies at room temperature in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Alternatively, you can freeze the cookie dough and defrost it in the freezer overnight before baking.
Pairing Suggestions
These cookies can be served as dessert or as a snack, pairing well with the following.
No, you can skip this step and whisk room-temperature butter with the sugar instead. Browning the butter adds a nutty, toasty flavor.
Do I need to chill the cookie dough?
Yes, chilling the dough allows it to rest and gives the wet ingredients time to absorb the dry ingredients evenly. Moreover, the butter will solidify in the refrigerator, slowing the cookies from spreading too quickly.
How do I get perfectly round cookies?
If you want perfectly round, flat cookies, gently tap the pan on your work surface immediately after you take the cookies out of the oven. Then, working quickly, use a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie, place it on top of each cookie, and rotate your hand in a circular motion to make a perfect circle.
Can I make this matcha cookies recipe in advance?
Yes! You can scoop balls of the cookie dough and store them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the baked cookies.
Why are my 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.
The butter is too browned. Remove the butter from the heat the second it starts to have a few amber bits on the bottom.
They are over baked. Be sure to keep an eye on the cookies so they don’t over bake which will yield overly brown cookies.
These matcha cookies are perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside, and are packed with delicious browned-butter and matcha flavors.
¾cup(3 oz) white chocolate chipsor chopped white chocolate bar
Instructions
Brown the butter. Brown butter in a saucepan on medium heat, swirling the butter around, until it foams, develops brown bits on the bottom, and has a nutty aroma. As soon as the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, remove it from the heat, transfer it to a liquid measuring cup, and measure. You want 1/2 cup of butter. Stir in the 1-2 tablespoons of butter if needed. 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 sugar until incorporated and no lumps remain. Add in the egg, milk, and vanilla and whisk until light, 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 whisk the dry ingredients until combined.
Combine. Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until everything comes together. Then fold in the white chocolate.
Scoop and chill. Use a 1 oz cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 45 minutes to 4 hours, ideally up to 72 hours.
Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and place the rack in the center. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bake. Bake the cookies 2 inches apart for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden brown and the centers are puffed up. Remove and gently tap your cookies on the counter to lightly deflate. Cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
See the Expert Tips and the FAQ section for more guidance.
So impressed by this recipe! I didn’t have the right matcha powder and white chocolate isn’t my favorite, but the cookies still turned out fantastic – so dimensional in flavor. IMO, they’re tastier than some fancy/expensive bakery cookies. Thanks so much for the recipe! Will definitely try again with ceremonial grade matcha and use previous commenter’s recommendations to sub white for dark chocolate chips.
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!
So impressed by this recipe! I didn’t have the right matcha powder and white chocolate isn’t my favorite, but the cookies still turned out fantastic – so dimensional in flavor. IMO, they’re tastier than some fancy/expensive bakery cookies. Thanks so much for the recipe! Will definitely try again with ceremonial grade matcha and use previous commenter’s recommendations to sub white for dark chocolate chips.
I’m so happy you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for the high praise!
These cookies came out very well, but I found them a bit too sweet. I think I will use dark chocolate chips next time. Great recipe though!
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!