Matcha Crinkle Cookies
Made with green tea powder, and simple baking ingredients, these Matcha Crinkle Cookies are easy to whip up and give you that perfect mix of chewy, soft centers and crisp edges. Whether you’re a matcha lover or just want to try something new, these green cookies are great for Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, or any time of the year!
Back when I lived in Hawaii, I fell in love with Japanese culture which included matcha. Matcha is a finely ground powder made from specially grown green tea leaves, and it’s known for its vibrant green color and unique flavor. Unlike regular green tea, matcha gives you the whole leaf, which is why it’s packed with antioxidants and has that deep, earthy taste. It’s slightly bitter, with a touch of sweetness and a smooth, creamy finish.
After I got a hang of making matcha at home with my many Iced Matcha Lattes, I decided to start using it in baked goods like these delicious crinkle cookies! Not only do the cookies have a beautiful naturally green color, they also have a texture that is soft on the inside with a perfect chew on the outside.
They’re a fun addition to a Christmas holiday cookie tray (especially when made with Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies) or for St. Patrick’s Day. Serve them with milk, tea, coffee, or dip them into Hot Chocolate!
🍵Best Matcha For Baking
When it comes to baking with matcha, it’s best to go for culinary-grade matcha. It’s made specifically for cooking and baking, so it’s a bit less expensive than the higher-grade ceremonial matcha, but still has that vibrant green color and bold flavor. I like using Paromi Matcha with Vanilla because it gives it a bit more warmth and balances the flavor well.
🧾 How To Make Crinkle Cookies with Matcha
1️⃣Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 350F. Add parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to two baking sheets. Set aside.
2️⃣Combine the wet ingredients: In a stand mixer or large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter with the sugar for 1-2 minutes or until it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds or until smooth and combined.
3️⃣Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, add the all-purpose flour, matcha, baking powder, salt, and matcha. Whisk until fully combined and the mixture is a pale light green color.
4️⃣Mix the cookie dough: Turn the mixer on medium-low speed and add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches just until combined. Do not overwork the dough.
5️⃣Roll the cookies in sugar: Roll the cookie dough into balls that are 1.5-2 tablespoons large. Add the remaining granulated sugar to a bowl and add the powdered sugar into a separate bowl. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, then coat it generously into the powdered sugar. It may look like there is a lot of powdered sugar on the cookie dough, but it will spread out when baked.
6️⃣Bake the matcha crinkle cookies: Add the sugar-coated cookie dough balls onto the prepared sheet pan and space about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies have “cracked”. You want to make sure you take them out after they have finished spreading and the edges get slightly crispy. This will ensure the cookie stays soft.
7️⃣Remove and serve: Remove the cookies from the oven. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the sheet pan before moving them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
👩🏻🍳 Chef Val’s Cooking Tips
- This recipe scales really well without much change in the outcome, so feel free to double or triple as needed.
- Make sure not to over mix the dough because this will make it tough and less crinkly when baked.
- Roll the matcha crinkles in granulated sugar before the powdered sugar because it gives them a better crinkle texture and also helps prevent the matcha powder from coming off too easily when you’re handling the cookie dough.
- Gluten-Free Matcha Crinkle Cookies: Substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour for the regular all-purpose flour and use a certified gluten-free baking powder. The gluten-free flour blend should be a 1:1 ratio with all-purpose flour and should already contain xanthan gum such as King Arthur Brand or Krusteaz.
🍫Add Ins
Change up the flavor and texture by folding a handful of your favorite add ins!
- White chocolate chips
- Coconut flakes
- Almond extract
- Crushed pistachios
- Lemon zest
- Matcha glaze
- Sesame seeds
- Dried cranberries
- Macadamia nuts
- Vanilla bean
🧊 Storage Instructions
Storing: Store your matcha crinkle cookies for up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container.
Freezing: You can freeze the matcha crinkle cookies in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw them on the counter at room temperature before serving and enjoying. To freeze unbaked cookies, roll them into balls without coating in sugar and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer the cookies to an airtight container or bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling in granulated sugar and then powdered sugar.
❔FAQs
This can happen if your dough is too warm or there is not enough powdered sugar on the outside. Make sure to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking to get those perfect cracks.
Chilling the dough is important for the crinkle effect. Skipping this step might result in flatter, less cracked cookies.
Yes! You can substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure it’s a 1:1 substitution for best results.
Yes, matcha contains caffeine, but the amount in each cookie is small, making these cookies a gentle pick-me-up.
🍪 More Crinkle Cookie Recipes
Matcha Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 4 tsp Matcha Powder
- 1 cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
For Rolling The Cookies:
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Add parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to two baking sheets. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter with the sugar for 1-2 minutes or until it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds or until smooth and combined.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the all-purpose flour, matcha, baking powder, salt, and matcha. Whisk until fully combined and the mixture is a pale light green color.
- Turn the mixer on medium-low speed and add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches just until combined. Do not overwork the dough.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls that are 1.5-2 tablespoons large. Add the remaining granulated sugar to a bowl and add the powdered sugar into a separate bowl. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, then coat it generously into the powdered sugar. It may look like there is a lot of powdered sugar on the cookie dough, but it will spread out when baked.
- Add the sugar-coated cookie dough balls onto the prepared sheet pan and space about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies have “cracked”. You want to make sure you take them out after they have finished spreading and the edges get slightly crispy. This will ensure the cookie stays soft.
- Remove the cookies from the oven. Let them cool for 10 minutes on the sheet pan before moving them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Came out great! Not too sweet. I made for Obon Japanese festival and they were a hit. They don’t seem done when you take them ou,t but do as she says and leave on the pan for 10min and they come out perfect.
I compared several green tea cookie recipes and chose this one for the simplicity of ingredients and presentation. They did not disappoint! Thank you!