Why you’ll love this recipe

• Dietary-Friendly: These cookies are plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, and grain-free, making them a versatile treat for many preferences.
• Quick and Simple: Ready in under 20 minutes and made with just 8 simple ingredients, these cookies are perfect for a hassle-free dessert.
• Delicious Texture: Chewy in the center with crispy edges, they deliver a satisfying bite every time.
• Eye-Catching Appearance: Bright green and vibrant, these cookies are as visually appealing as they are tasty.
• Versatile Cooking Options: Bake them in the oven or air fry them for equally delicious results!
• Check out my matcha chia seed pudding or Matcha overnight oats for some other yummy ideas!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Matcha-Flavored Almond Butter: For the best flavor, use matcha almond butter. If unavailable, substitute with regular almond butter and add extra matcha powder to enhance the flavor.

Maple Syrup: A liquid sweetener that works perfectly in this recipe. If needed, substitute with honey, agave, or date syrup.

Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle yet lovely flavor that complements the matcha.

Almond Flour: The primary flour in this recipe, providing a light texture. While oat flour may work as a substitute, it hasn’t been fully tested.

Gluten-Free Flour Blend: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill if almond flour isn’t an option. Alternatively, all-purpose flour can be used, but this will make the cookies non-gluten-free.

Salt: A pinch helps balance the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.

Baking Powder: Essential for helping the cookies rise and achieve a light texture.

Matcha Powder: Adds vibrant green color and a rich matcha flavor to the cookies.

White Chocolate Chips: Use vegan white chocolate chips to keep the recipe plant-based, or regular white chocolate chips if preferred.

How to make

Make the cookie dough: Combine the matcha almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Then add in the almond flour, gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, salt, and matcha powder to the bowl. Mix with a spatula until a thick, dense dough forms—this texture is exactly what you want for these cookies.

Incorporate White Chocolate Chips: Fold in the vegan white chocolate chips, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Shape the Cookies: Scoop a portion of the dough into your hands and roll it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet and flatten gently with the palms of your hands.

Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. The cookies will still be soft to the touch when you remove them, but they will firm up as they cool.

Cool Completely: Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to a serving plate or storage container. This step helps them set and ensures the best texture.

Taste and Texture

These cookies feature crispy edges that give way to a soft, gooey center, making every bite irresistible. The sweetness of the white chocolate chips perfectly complements the earthy flavor of matcha, creating a balanced and delightful treat. I absolutely love these cookies, and I’m sure you will too!

What Is Matcha?

Matcha is a finely ground powder made from specially grown and processed green tea leaves. It originates from Japan and has been a key part of Japanese tea ceremonies for centuries. Unlike regular green tea, where the leaves are steeped and discarded, matcha involves consuming the whole tea leaf in powdered form, which gives it its vibrant green color and distinctive flavor.

Key Features of Matcha:

• Flavor: Matcha has a unique, earthy taste with notes of sweetness and a hint of bitterness. Its flavor can vary depending on the quality and preparation.
• Types: It comes in two main grades:
  • Ceremonial Grade: High-quality matcha, used for traditional tea ceremonies and enjoyed on its own with water.
  • Culinary Grade: Slightly less delicate and used for cooking or baking, such as in lattes, desserts, and recipes.
• Preparation: Traditionally, matcha is whisked with hot water using a bamboo whisk (chasen) to create a frothy drink.

Matcha is widely appreciated for its versatility in beverages and recipes, offering both a unique flavor and a visually striking green hue.

Tips And Tricks

• Start with Wet Ingredients: Mix the wet ingredients together first to ensure they are well combined before adding in the dry ingredients. This helps create a smoother dough.
• Expect a Thick Batter: Don’t worry if the batter feels thick and dense—this is the intended consistency for these cookies.
• Adjust White Chocolate Chips: For a flatter cookie (like those pictured), use extra white chocolate chips. If you prefer a fluffier cookie, reduce the amount of white chocolate chips slightly.
• Use Runny Almond Butter: Opt for a runny, all-natural almond butter for the best texture and flavor. This consistency helps bind the ingredients and creates a smoother dough.

Other recipes you may like:

• Matcha chia pudding
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Snickerdoodles
• Strawberry Shortcake Drop cookies
• Chocolate Chunk Tahini Cookies

If you make these vegan matcha cookies, I would really appreciate a comment and rating down below, under the recipe card. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram, Tiktok or Pinterest!

photos by: Ashleigh Scott

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Vegan Matcha Cookies

4.88 from 8 ratings

Hannah Kling

Vegan Matcha Cookies are a gluten-free and vegan cookie recipe that is made with simple ingredients like almond flour, maple syrup and matcha flavored almond butter. These cookies are so quick to make and come together in just about 30 minutes!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cookies

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup matcha almond butter (may sub regular almond butter but use one that is natural and runny)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanila extract
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (may sub AP flour but won’t be gluten-free.)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3-4 tsp matcha powder (use 4-5 tsp if using regular almond butter)
• 1/2 cup vegan or regular white chocolate chips

Instructions

• To start, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a baking dish by lining it with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
• Then, in a large mixing bowl combine the matcha almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract together. Mix with a spatula or whisk until ingredients are well combined.
• Next, add in the almond flour, gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, salt and matcha powder. Once again, mix with a spatula until a dough starts to form. The batter will be thicker and more dense than your average cookie batter, that’s exactly how we want it!
• Add in the vegan white chocolate chips last and once again mix until white chocolate chips are well incorporated into the batter.
• Now, this is the fun part. I typically like a bigger cookie than small. So you have a decision to make here, you can either use one cookie scoop or two. I used a double cookie scoop and my end result was a bigger shaped cookie. Scoop the dough into your hands and roll into a ball. Place them on the baking sheet and flatten with the palms of your hands.
• These will spread only slightly during baking time, so make sure they’re shaped perfectly before going in.
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes. The cookies will be soft to the touch, but that’s okay. They will continue to bake slightly while cooling.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Store cookies on the counter in an airtight container and enjoy up to 3-4 days.

Notes

• Start with Wet Ingredients: Mix the wet ingredients together first to ensure they are well combined before adding in the dry ingredients. This helps create a smoother dough.
• Expect a Thick Batter: Don’t worry if the batter feels thick and dense—this is the intended consistency for these cookies.
• Adjust White Chocolate Chips: For a flatter cookie (like those pictured), use extra white chocolate chips. If you prefer a fluffier cookie, reduce the amount of white chocolate chips slightly.
• Use Runny Almond Butter: Opt for a runny, all-natural almond butter for the best texture and flavor. This consistency helps bind the ingredients and creates a smoother dough.

Did you make this recipe?Don’t forget to tag @lovelydelites across all social media platforms!