Matcha Green Tea Cookies (Gluten Free)
These Matcha Green Tea Cookies marry a chewy sugar cookie with the earthiness of matcha and the nutty flavor of brown butter. They are simple to make, undetectably gluten free, and such a fun treat! The beautiful bright green color also makes them perfect to enjoy for Halloween, St. Patrick's Day or Christmas.
Equipment
- kitchen scale (optional)
- medium pan
- spatula
- medium bowl
- whisk
- plastic wrap
- 2 tbsp cookie scoop (optional)
- baking sheet
- parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Ingredients
For the Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, 113g)*
- ¾ cup cane sugar or granulated sugar (155g)**
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour (155g)***
- 2 tsp matcha powder ****
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- pinch of kosher salt
For Topping (Optional):
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- small candy eyeballs
Instructions
- First, let's prepare the brown butter. Cut your butter into large chunks and then add them to a medium-sized pan. Bring it to medium heat. Swirl the butter around so that it melts evenly. Once fully melted, stir constantly with a rubber spatula and let cook for about 4 more minutes until browned. You'll know it's ready when it starts to have a strong nutty smell and brown sediment begins to form on the bottom of the pan. Immediately transfer brown butter to a large bowl and let it cool down for about 10 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter
- While the brown butter is cooling, add all of the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.1 ¼ cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour, 2 tsp matcha powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp baking powder, pinch of kosher salt
- Add the sugar to the bowl with the cooled brown butter. Whisk until combined. Then, add in the egg and vanilla and whisk again.¾ cup cane sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and use a spatula to incorporate. The dough won't be very thick. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer it to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop out ~2 tbsp (40g) of the dough and roll into a ball. I usually have enough to make 11 cookies, plus one mini one. Optionally, roll the dough balls in some cane sugar. Then, place them at least 2" apart on the prepared baking sheet.2 tbsp cane sugar
- Transfer baking sheet to the oven and bake for 11-12 minutes. Smack the baking sheet on your countertop several times to help them flatten and get crinkly tops. Then, immediately top them with candy eyeballs. These cookies have somewhat firm, crinkly tops so you will have to press the eyeballs in slightly to make them stick. Enjoy!small candy eyeballs
Video
Notes
GENERAL NOTE: For all baking recipes, I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. This will yield the most accurate results. But if you don't have one, just be sure to measure your flour via the spoon & level method (do NOT pack it). *NOTE: I used Kerrygold brand which is technically a European-style butter with a slightly higher butterfat content than standard American butter. The results may vary slightly if you choose to use standard butter. Also feel free to use salted butter instead if that's all you have on hand, and then just omit the kosher salt. **NOTE: I have also tested this recipe with coconut sugar and while it works logistically, the color is impacted. Since coconut sugar is brown, it turns these cookies into a not-so-appetizing shade of brown-green. ***NOTE: My favorite brands of gluten free 1-to-1 flours are Bob's Red Mill & King Arthur Flour, both of which contain xanthan gum - a crucial ingredient to replicate gluten-filled baked goods. If you're not gluten free, you can substitute an equal amount of normal AP flour. ****NOTE: Typically culinary grade matcha is used for baking recipes but I always keep ceremonial grade on hand to drink so that's what I used! Here are a few brands I like: Pique (this link will get you 15% off) and Amelia Matcha (code MADDIE20 for 20% off). NUTRITION INFO: The nutrition info listed below is an estimate for 1 cookie and does not account for the candy eyeballs or the additional sugar that you roll the cookies in.
Nutrition
Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg