Soft and chewy vegan matcha cookies with a light and buttery crumb are simple to make and an absolutely delicious treat! The earthy flavor of the matcha is refreshing and light. Enjoy with some warm tea for a mid-afternoon escape!
Matcha is my new obsession! I got a jar of Golde Premium Matcha Powder and it came with a special whisk that is used to make matcha drinks. Since then I’ve been experimenting with both drinks and sweets using matcha powder. So far I’ve created light and fluffy matcha muffins, a super slightly sweetened matcha lemonade, and a Copycat Starbucks Matcha Latte.
But today’s cookie recipe might be my favorite of all of them! Soft and chewy vegan matcha cookies! They turned out perfect, and are so easy to make too! They are definitely getting put into the cookie rotation here at our house! If you’re looking for a different kind of dessert, this is the one to try!
Why This Recipe Works
- Soft and Chewy Cookies
- Easy to Make
- Earthy and Balanced Flavors
- Buttery Melt in Your Mouth Texture
- Vegan Friendly!
- No Chill Time Needed
Ingredients and Notes
Matcha Powder: I started using Golde Pure Matcha. It is a superior matcha blend. There are many different brands out there and the quality varies greatly. For these matcha cookies, you can choose to use culinary matcha rather than ceremonial matcha. See the FAQS section for more information on the different grades of matcha.
All-Purpose Flour: I used regular all-purpose flour for this recipe. You could use white whole wheat flour if you prefer, but the cookies will be slightly denser in texture.
Organic Cane Sugar: I recommend using organic cane sugar instead of white sugar because it is not processed with bone char. If you are following a vegan diet, you want to be sure to always use organic sugar.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The combination of both baking powder and baking soda helps the cookies to rise. Be sure that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh and not expired. If you use an old leavening ingredient it will not do the job it is intended for.
Corn Starch: A little bit of added corn starch makes these cookies soft and chewy!
Vegan Butter: My favorite vegan butter to use is Earth Balance baking sticks. Make sure your butter is at room temperature. If you are not vegan you can use regular unsalted butter.
Dairy-Free Plain Yogurt: This is used to add some additional moisture, and help the cookies become moist and chewy. If you are not vegan you can use regular plain yogurt or one egg.
How to Make Vegan Matcha Cookies – Step by Step
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: In a medium-sized mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and matcha powder. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, add room temperature butter, and sugar. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix together for 1-2 minutes or until butter and sugar become light and fluffy.
Step 4: Add the vanilla extract and dairy-free yogurt to the creamed butter. Mix together until combined, scrape the sides of the bowl clean with a spatula.
Step 5: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients ½ a cup at a time, mixing in between each addition, until all the dry ingredients have been added. The mixture will be thick.
Step 6: Add half a cup of sugar to a shallow bowl. Scoop the cookie dough from the bowl using a cookie scoop. Roll into a ball, and then roll the ball in the sugar. Place on the prepared cookie sheet. Leave about 2 inches between each ball of dough to give the cookies room to spread. Continue until all the dough has been used. You should get about 32 cookies in total.
Step 7: Place the vegan matcha cookies on the middle rack. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown. When you remove them from the oven they will be a bit soft in the center, but they will firm up as they cool.
Step 8: Allow the vegan matcha cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Use a quality culinary matcha powder.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature before blending with the sugar.
- Use organic cane sugar if you’re vegan.
- Adding corn starch will give these cookies a chewy texture. For a crispier texture leave the corn starch out.
- Place the cookies on the middle rack for even cooking. You may need to bake the cookies in batches depending on the size of your oven.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. They will look a bit soft and unbaked in the center when you pull them out, but they will firm up as they cool.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before transferring them to an airtight container for storage.
Recipe FAQS
Matcha is a green powder that is made from ground green tea leaves. The type of leaves it comes from is called Camellia Sinensis. However, the process of making matcha tea powder is much different from other types of tea. It is made from shade-grown tea leaves. It is only the spring buds of the tea tree that are picked and used for matcha. The leaves are dried. The stems and the veins are removed, and what remains are stone ground. It originated in Japan. The making and drinking of matcha is ceremonial and somewhat therapeutic. What differentiates it in flavor and texture from regular green tea is that it is not steeped. Instead, the powder is added to the water of milk and then whisked together. It creates a frothy texture.
There are two grades of matcha; culinary matcha powder and ceremonial grade matcha powder. Ceremonial grade is the more expensive of the two. This is because there is a lot of attention to detail in making this grade. It has the most delicate, fresh, and smooth taste. Culinary grade matcha is pronounced in its flavor and is good to use when you are mixing it with other ingredients. Therefore, the culinary grade is used most often in cooking, while ceremonial is used for drinking.
Culinary grade matcha is the most cost-effective grade to use. It is also preferred to others since you are mixing it with other ingredients and the more robust flavor has a chance to stand out against the other flavors in your cooking and baking.
Yes, these cookies do have caffeine. Matcha naturally contains caffeine. This recipe calls for 2.5 tablespoons, which has 525 milligrams of caffeine. Divided by 32 cookies, that’s about 16 milligrams of caffeine per cookie.
Substitutions
Non-Vegan Version: Use unsalted butter, instead of vegan butter, and regular yogurt, or one egg, instead of dairy-free yogurt.
Gluten-Free: Make this recipe gluten-free by using 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
Brown Sugar: If you don’t have corn starch, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to achieve a chewy texture.
Variations
Chocolate Chips: Stir in a half a cup of dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips! Note: White chocolate chips are not vegan. Or melt dark or white chocolate and dip half the cookie in the melted chocolate, allowing it to cool and harden before serving.
Nuts: Stir in half a cup of chopped macadamia nuts, or sliced almonds.
Sugar Glaze: Make a sweet sugar glaze with half a cup of powdered sugar and one tablespoon of almond milk. Drizzle over the top.
How to Store and Keep
Room Temperature: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Don’t place the cookies in the refrigerator. This will dry them out!
Freeze: Make the vegan matcha cookie dough, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Roll the dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and then place it in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to make the cookies, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then cut the log into quarter-inch slices, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 F.
More Vegan Matcha Recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Matcha Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tablespoon matcha powder
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup vegan butter or regular unsalted butter
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup plain dairy-free yogurt or regular plain yogurt or 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and matcha powder. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add room temperature butter, and sugar. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix together for 1-2 minutes or until butter and sugar become light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and dairy-free yogurt to the butter and sugar. Mix together until combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients ½ a cup at a time, mixing in between each addition, until all the dry ingredients have been added.
- Add half a cup of sugar to a shallow bowl. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the batter from the bowl. Roll into a ball, and then roll the ball in the sugar. Place on the prepared cookie sheets. Continue until all the dough has been used. You should get about 32 cookies in total.
- Place cookies on the middle rack. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown. When you remove them from the oven they will be a bit soft in the center, but they will firm up as they cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Use a quality culinary matcha powder.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature before blending with the sugar.
- Use organic cane sugar if you’re vegan.
- Adding corn starch will give these cookies a chewy texture. For a crispier texture leave the corn starch out.
- Place the cookies on the middle rack for even cooking. You may need to bake the cookies in batches depending on the size of your oven.
- Don’t overbake the cookies. They will look a bit soft and unbaked in the center when you pull them out, but they will firm up as they cool.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before transferring them to an airtight container for storage. Store for up to 7 days at room temperature in a cool dry place.
- Freeze dough to bake later for up to 3 months.
Alison Corey
I gave these to friends and neighbors, and they couldn’t tell they were vegan!
Dionne
I have never made matcha cookies before. Love the recipe – so inviting!
Mirlene
Love these chewy matcha cookies. Pairs well with my matcha latte!
Sara
Delicious recipe, such a treat can’t wait to make again!
Vicky
You had me at soft cookies! I also love matcha tea so I was excited to see how you used the flavor in a cookie. A great after school snack for my kids!
Tara
These cookies have such a beautiful green color from the matcha! I love that soft and chewy texture too. Yum!