Not just beautiful to look at, these delicious matcha crinkle cookies are soft and indulgent with the perfect fudgy centre. If you like matcha, you will love these cookies. The matcha-flavoured inside is truly scrumptious with just the right amount of sweetness. And despite their impressive appearance, these cookies are very easy to make.
These cookies are great for enjoying at any time of the year. I was inspired to make them this spring by all of the beautiful green leaves growing outside. I think they would make a festively coloured treat for St. Patrick's Day, or even in winter with their snowball appearance.
If you love cookies, my cookies made with real, fresh strawberries are always a big hit. There are several delicious cookie recipes you can find in my baking recipes category!
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- All purpose flour
- Matcha - Japanese green tea powder that has a slightly nutty, a little bit vegetal, and a touch bitter taste with an umami finish. For this recipe, you can use culinary grade matcha which is more affordable the the ceremonial grade matcha used for making tea. The culinary grade's flavour is less nuanced and can stand up well to other ingredients in things such as baking.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Confectioner's sugar
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
These cookies are really quite easy to make. They do require an hour of freeze time, so make sure to plan for that. Let's get started.
Melt the butter. Set it aside for now to cool a bit.
Mix flour, matcha, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-sized mixing bowl until well blended.
In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined (be careful to not overmix or the cookies won't be as tender).
Split the dough in half. Separate each half into five even pieces (for a total of ten). Roll each piece into a ball and set on a tray.
Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for one hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Put the granulated sugar and confectioner's sugar for rolling into two separate small bowls.
Place each frozen cookie dough ball first in the granulated sugar, rolling to coat.
Then roll them in the confectioner's sugar. Try to do this fairly quickly - as the butter in the dough comes to room temperature, it can moisten the sugar coating and lessen the crinkle cookie look.
Place the sugar-coated balls onto the prepared baking tray. Bake for fifteen minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Equipment
Having a good kitchen scale is essential for baking. Or, a measuring cup set. You will also need a baking sheet and parchment paper to prepare this recipe.
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Storage
Once the cookies have completely cooled, store them in an airtight container for up to four to five days.
To freeze them, completely cool them first, then freeze them in single layers separated by parchment paper in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Allow to return to room temperature by setting out on the countertop.
Tips for Success
Don't overmix dough once you've added in the dry ingredients. This will make all the difference with how tender your baking comes out. Stop mixing as soon as everything is blended.
Also, the order of sugars that you roll the cookies in is important. The first layer of granulated sugar will help to protect the second layer of confectioner's sugar from absorbing too much moisture and fading.
📖 Recipe
Matcha Crinkle Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Freeze Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
Ingredients
Cookies:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ cup (185g) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons matcha
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For rolling:
⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (35g) confectioner's sugar
Instructions
Melt the butter. Set it aside for now to cool a bit.
Mix flour, matcha, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-sized mixing bowl until well blended.
In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined (be careful to not overmix or the cookies won't be as tender).
Split the dough in half. Separate each half into five even pieces (for a total of ten). Roll each piece into a ball and set on a tray. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for one hour.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Put the granulated sugar and confectioner's sugar for rolling into two separate small bowls.
Place each frozen cookie dough ball first in the granulated sugar, rolling to coat.
Then roll them in the confectioner's sugar. Try to do this fairly quickly - as the butter in the dough comes to room temperature, it can moisten the sugar coating and lessen the crinkle cookie look.
Place the sugar-coated balls onto the prepared baking tray. Bake for fifteen minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 13.4 g
- Sodium: 45.2 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.2 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 61.4 mg
Keywords: matcha crinkle cookies, crinkle cookies
Bernice says
These are so cute and very timely...they give me the snow in spring vibe! I do love baking with matcha and thanks for the tip on using culinary matcha. It can get pretty expensive!
Asha says
Thank you! Yes and kind of a waste to use ceremonial grade when you can't fully enjoy the flavour.
Elaine says
These are gorgeous, Asha! Thanks for the tip to freeze the balls first. Can you imagine how pretty these will look next to a jam thumbprint cookie at Christmas?
Asha says
Thank you so much 🙂 That's a fabulous idea!
nancy says
these are amazingly easy to make and so tasty!
Asha says
Thank you
Colleen says
These cookies are so pretty! They also look really easy to make and since I am a fan of matcha, I can't wait to give them a try.
Asha says
Thank you. Since you're a fan of matcha I really think you're going to enjoy 🙂
Sean says
Lovely recipe! They look great, and the powdered sugar exterior is perfect for that first little kick of sweetness before you get into that green/grassy matcha flavour. Thanks for the tip on working quickly too - definitely want to get the look right on these beautiful treats!
Asha says
Thank you so much 🙂
Terri says
What a creative and beautiful cookie! I seriously have some matcha powder in my cupboard I've been looking for a way to use. Can't wait to make these! pinned!
Asha says
Thank you! I really appreciate it 🙂