Chewy Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
Bakery-style soft and chewy cookies that perfectly balance the earthy, slightly bitter notes of premium matcha green tea powder with the sweet, creamy richness of white chocolate chunks. The secret to the chewy texture lies in melted butter, an extra egg yolk, and a brief chilling period.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop (2-tablespoon size)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour — Spoon and leveled
- 1.5 tablespoons Matcha green tea powder — Use high-quality culinary or ceremonial grade for the best color and balanced earthy flavor
- 0.5 teaspoon Baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon Kosher salt
Wet Ingredients & Mix-ins
- 0.75 cup Unsalted butter — Melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup Light brown sugar — Packed; provides moisture and chewiness to offset the dry matcha powder
- 0.5 cup Granulated sugar — Helps create crispy edges
- 1 whole Large egg — Room temperature
- 1 whole Large egg yolk — Room temperature; adds dense chewiness
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract — Bridges the flavors of the matcha and white chocolate
- 1.5 cups White chocolate chunks or chips — High quality white chocolate (minimum 20% cocoa butter) balances the matcha's bitterness
Dry Ingredients
| 2 cups | All-purpose flour | Spoon and leveled |
| 1.5 tablespoons | Matcha green tea powder | Use high-quality culinary or ceremonial grade for the best color and balanced earthy flavor |
| 0.5 teaspoon | Baking soda | |
| 0.5 teaspoon | Kosher salt |
Wet Ingredients & Mix-ins
| 0.75 cup | Unsalted butter | Melted and slightly cooled |
| 1 cup | Light brown sugar | Packed; provides moisture and chewiness to offset the dry matcha powder |
| 0.5 cup | Granulated sugar | Helps create crispy edges |
| 1 whole | Large egg | Room temperature |
| 1 whole | Large egg yolk | Room temperature; adds dense chewiness |
| 2 teaspoons | Vanilla extract | Bridges the flavors of the matcha and white chocolate |
| 1.5 cups | White chocolate chunks or chips | High quality white chocolate (minimum 20% cocoa butter) balances the matcha's bitterness |
Instructions
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until thoroughly combined and evenly green. Sift the matcha if it is lumpy.
~5 minSifting the dry ingredients ensures no clumps of bitter matcha end up in your cookie. -
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smooth and slightly lightened in color.
~3 minUsing melted butter rather than softened butter guarantees a chewier, denser bakery-style texture. -
Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is glossy and ribbons off the beater, about 1-2 minutes.
~2 min -
Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry matcha flour mixture. Mix just until a few streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
~2 min -
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the white chocolate chunks until evenly distributed. Reserve a handful of chunks to press into the tops of the dough balls later.
~1 minChopped white chocolate bars melt into better 'puddles' than standard chips. -
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
~60 minChilling allows the flour to hydrate and prevents the cookies from spreading too thinly in the oven. -
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the chilled dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
~5 min -
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just set but the centers still look soft and slightly underbaked. For picture-perfect cookies, press the reserved white chocolate chunks into the tops immediately after taking them out of the oven.
~12 minThe cookies will continue to bake on the hot pan outside the oven, so pull them out when they look slightly underdone. -
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
~10 min
Tips & Storage
- Flavor Balance: High-quality matcha provides a grassy, vegetal earthiness that can become astringent. The heavy ratio of brown sugar adds caramel notes, while the pure sweetness and cocoa butter of the white chocolate cut directly through the bitterness to create a perfectly balanced bite.
- Color Preservation: To keep the cookies vibrant green, avoid overbaking, which will brown the tops and dull the color.
- Quality Matters: Use 'culinary grade' or 'ceremonial grade' matcha from Japan. Avoid matcha blends that already have sugar added.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze the unbaked dough balls in a zip-top bag and bake straight from frozen (add 1-2 minutes to the bake time).