Dive into the sweetness of these wonderful matcha cookies! This easy, gluten-free recipe uses almond flour to yield a chewy cookie with crisp edges.
Jump to RecipeWhere Does Matcha Come From?
If you are unfamiliar with the word "Matcha", that's okay! Over recent years, you may have seen it on your social media or in the tea section of the grocery store. Matcha powder has continued to grow in popularity in the United States and is now offered at many coffee shops. But, what exactly is it? Well, matcha is a finely blended powder made from green tea leaves. This tea is traditionally consumed in East Asia, specifically China, but is primarily produced in Japan today.
The harvesting process for matcha powder is a bit different than that of other plants used to produce green or jasmine Trea. To harvest matcha powder, the green tea plant is shade-grown for three to four weeks before harvest. They are grown in the shade because the plant produces more theanine and caffeine. Theanine is also known as glutamine; which, is an amino acid known to relieve stress. Then, only the two leaves at the top of each green plant shoot is picked before being steamed and dried. The leaves are then powdered into the traditional matcha powder.
Matcha is usually blended in liquid, typically water or milk. Traditionally, serving matcha will come in a hot tea version as it embodies a meditative spirituality. Today, matcha is served in many forms, but also used for various reasons. Besides the taste and properties, it is used for its color. Matcha is used as a dye for mochi, green tea ice cream, soba noodles, and more. What makes matcha so amazing is its adaptability when it comes to various recipes. It can be used in just about anything!
Types of Matcha
There are actually a few different types of matcha. The manufacture and grade of the matcha powder will determine the price of it. Here is a breakdown of the different grades of matcha:
- Ceremonial Grade: This comes from the Ichibancha leaves (first harvest). They will have a smoother flavor that will best suit the traditional preparation of tea. This grade of matcha is the most expensive of the three. This grade is also notably more green in color compared to others.
- Culinary Grade: This comes from the Nibancha leaves (second harvest). The culinary grade still provides a richness in color and flavor. It yields a robust flavor to blended preparations and is usually used for lattes, smoothies and things alike.
- Ingredient Grade: This matcha powder comes from a later harvest. The ingredient grade matcha has a more yellow color and a very pronounced green tea bitter flavor. This grade is the most affordable option amongst the three. It is best used as an ingredient in food production and supplements.
All three grades can be used based on preference. The ceremonial matcha will yield a high caffeine and l-theanine content. These components will make the ceremonial matcha a good option for those who wish to focus. The later harvest grades will have a slightly higher antioxidant catechin content. You can bake your cookies with the ceremonial, culinary and ingredient grade depending on your desired results. Some prefer to bake with nothing lower than the ceremonial grade! For this recipe, I would recommend using the ceremonial or culinary grade. The ingredient grade matcha will not achieve the signature green color shown below.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This
Move over matcha latte, there's a new way to utilize matcha! If you're a fan of matcha powder, then I have the perfect recipe for you. These matcha cookies with almond flour are a fun and delicious way to bake with your favorite green powder. They yield a delicious flavor, vibrant color, and irresistible consistency that makes it hard to have just one cookie!
Thanks to the complex flavor profile of matcha, these cookies have a unique taste. The mellow, grassy notes combined with the subtle nuttiness are the components that matcha-lovers revere. Those components paired with the touch of bitterness and underlying notes of sweetness yields a savory finish. When these traditional flavors are added to a sweet cookie recipe, the result is a perfectly balanced taste that's difficult to replicate.
Besides its fun and vibrant color, these cookies yield a beautiful crisp exterior with a moist and chewy interior. Each bite of these cookies is somehow better than the last! The taste and texture of these matcha cookies it truly unlike anything you've tried before. These gluten-free cookies may just be the best use of matcha powder yet!
The Importance of Flour
With this recipe, it is imperative that we use almond flour. With other recipes you are able to swap out for multiple types of flour including gluten-free baking flour or a gluten-free all purpose flour. However, in this particular recipe, those flours will not work! After my long recipe testing process, I came to the conclusion that almond flour was by far the best. Using anything but an almond flour for these matcha cookies will yield a completely different flavor and texture.
The almond flour is light and yields a crispy cookie. Using this flour will produce a chewy middle and overall perfect texture! Furthermore, the nuttiness of the almond flour pairs well with the flavor of the matcha. For this recipe, I would recommend using this almond flour from Trader Joe's. I use that exact one for this recipe and it always produces the very best matcha cookies. Because we are using almond flour, our recipe lacks a binding agent that will thicken our cookie dough. To solve this issue, we will be including xanthin gum.
Why Xanthin Gum?
For starters, xanthin gum is a very fine powder made from the coating of xanthomonas campestris bacteria. This is a gluten-free ingredient that will mimic the effect of using gluten. Xanthin gum is used as the binding agent for the majority of gluten-free baking. It not only binds ingredients together, it also adds moisture and structure to the recipe. Finally, it will add thickness and viscosity to all gluten-free baked goods!
Opting out of xanthin gum, would result in a dry, crumbly, flat cookie. Because xanthin gum itself is gluten-free and vegan, it is the preferred thickener for tho with food allergies. I prefer using this xanthin gum linked here as it has always been a constant for me in my gluten-free baking! To summarize the importance of using this ingredient, without it our gluten-free matcha cookies lack that bonding agent required to thicken the dough and yield the desired texture. So, make sure to not miss this crucial step!
Ingredients
These cookies are easy and really don't require any super tedious steps. So without further ado, here is everything you need for these delicious matcha cookies!
- Almond flour: What will create the cookie dough consistency!
- Baking soda: Will help with the structure of the cookie
- Baking powder: This will allow the cookies to rise
- Salt: To taste
- Xanthin gum: Because this recipe is gluten-free, we need something to help bind the ingredients together. Xanthin gum is the perfect substitute for gluten.
- Unsalted butter, softened: Adding to the texture of the cookie. This will help make the dough!
- Cane sugar, plus more for rolling: We want sweet cookies!
- Egg, room temperature: Add some moisture into these cookies
- Matcha powder: The main star! Matcha is a wonderful flavor for cookies
- Vanilla extract: To add some sweetness into these cookies. Might turn out bland without it!
See recipe card for quantities.
Substituions & Variations
Whether you're missing a few of the above ingredients, or just looking for simple modifications, these tips below can help you adjust the recipe!
- Gluten-Free Flour: If you wanted to skip on using Xanthin gum, you can just pick up some Gluten-Free Flour, such as Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour. This particular flour doesn't require Xanthin gum!
- Add Nuts: If you are craving a crunchy nutty bite, I would suggest adding some nuts to this recipe! I recommend some walnuts as they will enhance the nutty matcha flavor!
Please note that this recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. Please be mindful that if you replace or add any new ingredients not mentioned above that the recipe results may change.
Equipment
For this recipe, you will need only a few kitchen items. An electric mixer is handy yet not necessary for this recipe. It will only help mixing the dough a lot easier. You will need a few mixing bowls and baking sheets to bake the cookies. That is pretty much it! Let's get started on the recipe now.
Making Our Cookie Dough
With those basics covered, it is finally time to make the cookie dough! First step is to combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. I like to do this step first to ensure the ingredients are hand and ready to go when I need them. In the bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and xanthin gum. Next, add in the softened butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the two together on medium speed for two minutes.
Once you have a creamy consistency, add in your egg and mix on low speed to combine. Then, it's time to add the matcha powder and vanilla extract. A little bit of vanilla extract will really bring out those sweet notes from the match powder. We add the matcha powder to the wet ingredients to ensure the color is really able to shine through! If we added it to the dry ingredients, the color would become diluted faster.
Now take half of your dry ingredients and add them into the large mixing bowl. Use the electric mixer to combine on a low speed. Once combined, add in the second half and mix again. This will ensure a properly and evenly mixed dough. The dough will begin to thicken as the ingredients combine, but should still be slightly sticky. Once your dough is ready to go, it's time to place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator to chill.
The Importance Of Refrigeration
For this particular recipe, it is very important to refrigerate the dough. I say a minimum of 90 minutes, but you can refrigerate the dough up to 120 minutes. Just remember that the dough must chill for at least an hour and a half. Any less time will result in cookies that will spread way too thin. A really undesirable outcome for such beautiful matcha cookies. We want our cookies to have those delicious crisp edges with a chewy interior!
While the cookies are in the refrigerator, I usually like to clean up the left over mess. I also like to prepare for the coming steps post refrigeration. After I have wiped down the cleaned dishes used, I will prepare the baking sheets. Taking two large baking sheets, simply line with parchment paper. This is going to allow our cookies to easily be removed from the baking sheet once fully baked. I would hold off on preheating the oven until it gets closer to the time you take out your dough.
Baking The Matcha Cookies
Once your dough is nearing the end of its time in the refrigerator, I would recommend you preheat the oven. Set the baking temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once your cookies have chilled for the allowed time, remove them from the refrigerator. Then, add one fourth cup of cane sugar to a shallow bowl. Roll the dough into small balls, then roll in the sugar and place on the baking sheet. Rolling the cookies in sugar will create a crispy exterior and added sweetness. Delicious!
Continue that step for the remaining dough. Once you have all of your cookies prepared, set into the oven and bake for 12 minutes. When the cookies are finished baking, allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving. Allowing them to cool will allow the flavors to mature and settle in. It will also harden the cookie a bit more for a more perfect cookie consistency and bite. Otherwise, you will be bitting into an ultra soft and ultra hot cookie, with probably not much flavor. Once your cookies are finished cooling, you are ready to enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This batch yields about 12 cookies. To serve these up, you can simply stack or throw them on a serving platter! To make things fun and more visually appealing, you can add in a side of the matcha powder solely for looks. If you are wanting to add in a garnish, I would suggest maybe some powdered sugar sprinkled right on top of the cookies for that extra sweetness!
Top tip
I really want to emphasize here chilling your dough before baking! This will ensure that the cookies do not spread thin and crisp to chips.
Storage
If there's any leftovers, store them in a ziplock bag or plate and wrap them with cling wrap. I recommend a plastic bag as it will seal them better thus lasting longer. These cookies will last about 5-7 days stored at room temperature.
FAQ
These cookies will not give you a caffeinated burst of energy in your day. It is different when you bake matcha versus stir it into a drink! I would not consider this to be any sort of concern.
Yes! Just double all of the ingredients to increase the serving size and you're good to go. No other modifications needed.
Desserts to Pair With
If you are in a dessert mood, I have a few other recipes that I think would be a fun pairing to these matcha cookies. All of my other baked goods are also gluten-free! So rest assured, you will most likely already have the ingredients you need for these:
Other Recipes to Pair With
If you are wanting to prepare a full meal I also have you covered! Maybe it's a date night, maybe it's a family night, or maybe you just want to treat yourself to a full meal paired with a delicious treat at the end. Here are my perfect dinner pairings for these matcha cookies:
Matcha Cookies with Almond Flour
Course: DessertDifficulty: Easy12
cookies10
minutes12
minutes90
minutesThis gluten-free cookie recipe yields a vibrant dessert with crispy edges and a chewy middle!
Ingredients
1 ½ cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon xanthin gum
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup cane sugar, plus more for rolling
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon matcha powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and xanthin gum.
- Add the softened butter and sugar to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream together on medium speed for two minutes.
- Add the egg and mix to combine before adding the matcha powder and vanilla extract. Mix again.
- Sift in the dry ingredients, half at a time and mixing between to incorporate.
- Once combined, refrigerate for 90 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add ¼ cup sugar to a small, shallow bowl.
- Roll the dough into small balls, then roll in the sugar and place on the baking sheet.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough, then bake for 12 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Store in an air tight container at room temperature up to six days.
Leave a Reply