These matcha white chocolate cookies pair earthy green tea flavor with sweet white chocolate chips in a soft, chewy cookie. The dough includes milk powder and makes seven large cookies, portioned before chilling so they are ready to go straight into the oven.
Why You'll Love These Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
- Seven generous cookies: A four-tablespoon scoop gives each cookie a substantial portion of dough.
- Portion before chilling: Scoop the dough while it is easy to handle, then refrigerate the whole tray.
- One tray for the batch: All seven cookies bake together, with some of the white chocolate reserved for the tops.
A small café I used to visit served matcha desserts in the afternoons, and its cookies were always the first to sell out. I remember their soft centers and lightly crisp edges, but it was the combination of earthy matcha and sweet white chocolate that stayed with me. Those café cookies inspired me to make my own version at home, keeping that pairing at the heart of the recipe.
The method starts with softened butter beaten with sugar, so there is no butter to brown or cool before mixing. If you enjoy my brown butter chocolate chip cookies, this is another way to make the dough itself part of the flavor, with matcha taking the lead. Allow time for both chilling and cooling: the bake is short, but these green tea cookies need more than the oven time alone before they are ready to serve.
Key Ingredients in Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
The exact quantities are in the recipe card below. Here is what the key ingredients contribute and how to prepare them.
- Matcha powder: Gives the dough its green color and earthy green tea flavor. Use matcha powder rather than a sweetened matcha drink mix, which introduces additional ingredients and sugar.
- White chocolate chips: Add sweetness to complement the matcha. Reserve a few from the measured amount for topping, then fold the rest into the dough.
- Milk powder: Adds milk solids and a milky flavor without adding liquid to the dough. It is part of this recipe's formula, rather than an optional finishing ingredient.
- Butter, sugar, and egg: Softened unsalted butter can be beaten with the sugar to make the base of the dough. The egg brings the mixture together; use it at room temperature as specified in the card.
- Flour and leavening: All-purpose flour provides structure. This recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder, so include both rather than treating them as interchangeable.
How to Make Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
Here is an overview of the method. The printable recipe card includes the full ingredient list and instructions.
1. Mix the dry ingredients and beat the butter: Whisk the flour, matcha, milk powder, both leaveners, and salt together. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Bring the dough together: Beat the egg and vanilla into the butter mixture. Gently stir in the dry ingredients, stopping once combined, then fold in the white chocolate chips while keeping a few aside for topping.
3. Scoop, then chill: Divide all the dough into seven equal portions on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space for spreading. Refrigerate the whole tray for 30 minutes, then press the reserved chips onto the tops.
4. Bake and cool: Bake at 311°F convection / 155°C fan for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft. Leave the cookies on the tray for five minutes, then transfer them to a rack for the remainder of the 30-minute cooling period.
Tips for Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
- Start with softened butter: The butter should be soft enough to beat with the sugar, rather than melted. This keeps the mixing method consistent with the recipe.
- Keep the portions consistent: Use the same scoop for every cookie and divide any remaining dough among the seven portions. Uneven sizes can make it harder to judge when the whole tray is ready.
- Leave room to spread: Choose a tray that holds all seven portions with the spacing given in the card. Squeezing them together can cause the cookies to join as they bake.
- Check the edges and centers: Look for set edges with centers that are still soft. Do not wait for the middle to look firm in the oven; the cookies continue to set as they cool.
Storage
Let the cookies cool completely before putting them in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to four days.
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Recipe
Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons matcha powder
- 1 tablespoon milk powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 115 g unsalted butter - softened
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg - at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g white chocolate chips - with a few reserved for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the convection/fan oven to 155 °C. Line a baking sheet large enough to hold all seven cookies with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 180 g all-purpose flour, 1½ tablespoons matcha powder, 1 tablespoon milk powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- In a large bowl, beat 115 g unsalted butter, softened, with 150 g granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 large egg at room temperature and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then beat until smooth and combined.
- Gently stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until combined. From the 100 g white chocolate chips, reserve a few for topping, then fold the remaining chips into the dough.
- Using a 4-tablespoon scoop, divide all the dough into seven portions on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) between them. Refrigerate the tray for 30 minutes.
- Press the reserved white chocolate chips onto the tops of the chilled dough portions. Bake all seven cookies together for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
- Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack. Allow about another 25 minutes to cool completely, making 30 minutes of cooling in total.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Tom says
Loved this matcha cookies recipe, so simple, and the matcha adds such a nice earthy flavor and color!