Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Personal Twist on a Classic Recipe
How a random baking experiment turned into a new favorite treat—and the recipe to make your own.
I never set out to be a matcha person.
It started with a friend—one of those effortlessly cool people who introduce you to things you didn’t even know you needed in your life. Being Chinese, she has a deep knowledge of East Asian bakeries and specialty stores, and she would introduce me to the most elegant matcha-flavored chocolates, pastries, and cookies in Austin and wherever else we traveled in the U.S. These weren’t your average grocery store sweets; they were delicate, complex, and almost too pretty to eat. I appreciated them, sure, but I didn’t crave them.
Then came the coffee crisis.
My doctor, with zero regard for my feelings, told me I needed to substantially cut back my coffee intake. I handled this news with the grace and composure of a toddler being told they can’t have ice cream for dinner. In my desperate search for a replacement, I remembered matcha. Maybe it was time.
The first time I actually paid for a matcha drink was in Maui, on a weeklong vacation. I found myself at a Starbucks, strategically choosing a matcha latte because I had already planned for a cold brew later—with my açaí bowl, from a proper local café (balance). That latte was fine, but what really pulled me in was the process of making matcha at home. Something about the whisking, the slow ritual of it, felt grounding. Did this mean I was a full-blown matcha convert? No. My heart still belongs to coffee. But never say never, I guess?
Now, my husband? Very much a never.
And that’s putting it mildly. He thinks matcha tastes like henna. (We agree to disagree.) His dislike for matcha, combined with my general indifference toward desserts, meant that I had never—not once—baked a matcha-based treat. Until last week.
So, what changed?
Well…
It was my mother’s birthday eve.
I had all the ingredients just sitting there, staring at me.
Guests were coming over from out of town, which meant I wouldn’t be left to finish the batch alone.
Life felt empty after watching the Severance Season 2 finale, and with no new White Lotus episode on the horizon for another four days, I needed something—anything—to fill the void.
After dinner, I made a grand announcement to my audience of one: “I’m baking cookies tonight! But nothing fussy.” I conveniently left out the flavor from the conversation, though. Sitting next to me, my husband, fully immersed in some YouTube rabbit hole, barely looked up. He just knew. Or he surmised.
“Pistachio White Chocolate?”
Not really a question. More of an assumption. Because that’s the cookie I’ve been making on repeat, all winter long. Because that’s his favourite. And because most of my cooking and baking adventures are centred around the pleasures of his taste buds. Personally, I could not care for food less. I eat to live and not the other way around.
“Pistachio White Chocolate without the pistachio cream filling!”
I smiled. Maybe even shook my head. Clearly, the YouTube rabbit hole was far more captivating than the mystery of what kind of cookies I was making. No complaints, though—I got to work. This time, I gave my usual pistachio-white chocolate cookies a twist, swapping in matcha for an earthy kick that perfectly married the rich, creamy sweetness of white chocolate. It was the warm, buttery aroma of cookies wafting through the kitchen and into the living room that finally snapped my husband out of his content coma. He pranced into the kitchen, eyes locked on the oven, fully expecting to snag a cookie (or one in each hand) the second it hit the cooling rack..
“Why are they so green? Pistachios aren’t this green, are they?”
I smiled. This time around, definitely shook my head.
“What are they?”
And that’s how my Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies came to be—much to my husband’s surprise and my own amusement.
I have shared the recipe below, and it’s egg-free!
Ingredients (about 15 large egg-free cookies)
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt (or more if you love that sweet-salty vibe)
3 tbsp ceremonial-grade matcha powder (adjust to taste)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar (castor sugar works best)
¾ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup yogurt
1 tbsp vanilla extract (or go fancy and scrape vanilla beans for extra richness)
1-2 tbsp milk (only if needed)
1 cup white chocolate chips (or chop up a good-quality white chocolate bar for extra gooey pockets)
Steps
Step 1: Brown the butter.
If you’ve never browned butter before, prepare to have your life changed. In a light-colored pan (so you can see what’s happening), melt your butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. It’ll foam, then turn golden, and finally, tiny brown flecks will appear. That’s your flavor jackpot. The second it smells nutty and amazing, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temp.
Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together your cooled brown butter, brown sugar, castor sugar, yogurt, and vanilla. It should look glossy and smell like heaven.
Step 3: Prep the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, matcha, and baking soda. Stir in the sea salt.
Step 4: Bring It All Together
Gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring just until a dough forms. If it feels too dry, add a tablespoon or two of milk to help it come together. Then, fold in the white chocolate (try not to eat half of it straight from the bag—no judgment).
Step 5: Chill (Both You and the Dough)
Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Yes, this step requires patience, but it’s worth it. The flavors deepen, and the cookies bake up so much better.
Step 6: Bake to Perfection
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, scoop out cookie dough balls, and space them apart (they’ll spread!). Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges turn lightly golden but the centers still look a little soft.
Step 7: Cool & Enjoy
Let them cool on a rack—or don’t, and just burn your mouth on a molten white chocolate bite. Either way, these are dangerously good.