Delicious and delicate melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies that taste like a delicious cup of milky matcha green tea. Slice and bake matcha cookies are rolled in pistachios for added crunch.
While I’ve been craving and eating way too much chocolate and mint flavored confections this December, I thought I’d switch it up and use something I’ve never baked with, but enjoy drinking: matcha! Matcha has a delicate green tea flavor that I crave, so of course, why not put that into a simple and easy cookie?
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I endorse products that I love and use daily.
What is matcha?
Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder made from tea leaves. You can mix it directly into hot water for a delicious tea. I like to add honey and milk of any kind to make it a little sweet & creamy. Matcha tea flavored sweets and baked goods are more commonly found in Asian stores and bakeries.
Baking with matcha
I like to mix my powdered ingredients together for a smooth mixing process. In this recipe, I blend the matcha powder with the flour first so there are no large green clumps of powder. Matcha will clump together quite easily so this step is essential.
You can add ¼-1/2 teaspoon of green food coloring and ¼-1/2 teaspoon of yellow food coloring to punch up the green color if desired. If your matcha has been opened for more than a few months, the green color will be less vibrant than when the package was first opened.
How to make matcha slice and bake cookies
Matcha cookies come together easily with a stand mixer or handheld mixer and use one bowl. With slice and bake butter cookies, once the dough is mixed and formed into logs, it chills in the refrigerator to harden 1-2 hours.
Make the dough
- Sift together the flour and matcha powder and set aside.
- Beat butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- Add flour and matcha mixture and beat on low speed just until combined.
- On a lightly floured surface, work the dough until it comes together. Shape the dough into a log that is 1.5 inches in diameter. Roll log into finely chopped pistachios (if the dough is too soft and difficult to handle, do this after refrigeration).
- Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for at least 1-2 hours until firm. Dough can be left in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Slice and bake the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 pans with parchment paper.
- Once the dough is cold enough, use a sharp knife to slice the logs into ¼ to ½-inch thick rounds. If the dough is too crumbly and breaks, leave it for a few minutes to soften and squeeze any broken bits back into each cookie.
- Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets, placing them 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges. When done, the cookies should appear soft and bright. Allow cookies to cool on a wire rack.
- Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, bringing to room temperature before serving. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Matcha Cookies
Slice and bake matcha cookies are rolled in pistachios. Delicious and delicate melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies taste like a delicious cup of milky matcha tea.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ stick (200g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ⅛ cups (300g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 3 Tablespoons (18g) Matcha powder
- Pistachios, for rolling, optional
- Green and yellow food coloring, optional
Instructions
-
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour with the matcha powder and set aside.
-
In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, powdered sugar, and salt on medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat for about 30 seconds until combined. Add flour and matcha mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. *Add in any green food coloring if desired. Do not over mix the dough. If dough is too dry, add water, 1-2 teaspoons at a time. To check if the dough is done, take a piece of dough and press it between your thumbs – the dough should stick well together without feeling dry.
-
On a lightly floured surface, work the dough until it comes together. Shape the dough into a log that is 1.5 inches in diameter. Roll log into finely chopped pistachios (if the dough is too soft and difficult to handle, do this after refrigeration). Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for at least 1-2 hours until firm. Dough can be left in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
-
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 pans with parchment paper.
-
Once the dough is cold enough, use a sharp knife to slice the logs into ¼ to ½-inch thick rounds. If the dough is too crumbly and breaks, leave it for a few minutes to soften and squeeze any broken bits back into each cookie.
-
Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets, placing them 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges. When done, the cookies should appear soft and bright. Allow cookies to cool on a wire rack.
-
Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, bringing to room temperature before serving. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
*If your matcha is a lighter green color, you can add ¼-1/2 teaspoon of green food coloring and ¼-1/2 teaspoon of yellow food coloring to punch up the green color if desired. If your matcha has been opened for more than a few months, the green color will be less vibrant than when the package was first opened.
Orit says
I love all things Matcha, so was very glad to find this recipe. I baked the cookies today. I’m very very pleased with the results. The cookies are buttery and full of Matcha flavor. The texture is perfect, and the addition of Pistachio is wonderful. The dough was super easy to work with, no crumbling or difficulties when cutting. I baked half of the cookies today, and stored the rest of the roll in my freezer for future baking, which is awesome!
I highly recommend this recipe to all Matcha lovers!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Orit! I so appreciate the matcha love!!