Matcha Crinkle Cookies Recipe bakes up soft and chewy in the middle with crispy, powdered-sugar ridges and a bright green tea aroma. Anyone who loves bakery-style matcha cookies and chewy crinkles will enjoy this easy batch, and you can finish it in about 1 hour 45 minutes including chill time. I baked these during a rainy afternoon in Seattle and had to hide two from myself before dinner.
Why Choose This Matcha Crinkle Cookies Recipe
This Matcha Crinkle Cookies Recipe uses vibrant culinary matcha for bold color and clean, grassy flavor. A two-sugar coat delivers high-contrast crinkles and a not-too-sweet finish. Chilled dough keeps the cookies thick with tender centers and light crisp edges.
The batch baked up vivid green with rich tea flavor, chewy middles, and a crackly coat that looked bakery-level ★★★★★
Ingredients You Need
- All-purpose flour: 1 3/4 cups 220 g; spoon and level or weigh for accuracy
- Baking powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Fine sea salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Matcha powder: 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons 10 to 15 g; use culinary grade with a bright green hue; brands like Jade Leaf or MatchaBar keep flavor clean
- Unsalted butter: 1/2 cup 113 g, softened; pantry shortcut: cube cold butter and beat a minute longer
- Granulated sugar: 3/4 cup 150 g
- Light brown sugar: 1/4 cup 50 g for extra chew note: swap with more granulated if needed
- Large eggs: 2, room temp note: set in warm water for 10 minutes if cold
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
- Almond extract: 1/4 teaspoon optional but tasty
- White chocolate: 3 ounces chopped or chips optional mix-in
- Granulated sugar for rolling: 1/2 cup helps set the crinkle pattern
- Powdered sugar for rolling: 3/4 cup
- Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon mix into the powdered sugar for long-lasting crinkles
- Lemon zest: 1 teaspoon optional brightness
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer, mixing bowls, and a whisk
- Fine-mesh sieve for matcha
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap
- #40 cookie scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons or a tablespoon measure
- 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats
- Wire rack
How to Make Matcha Crinkle Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Whisk dry ingredients 2 minutes
Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha in a medium bowl until uniform. Sift the matcha if it looks clumpy for even color.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugars 2 to 3 minutes
Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl so everything mixes evenly.
Step 3: Add eggs and flavorings 1 to 2 minutes
Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth. Mix in vanilla and almond extract.
Step 4: Bring the dough together 30 seconds
Add the dry mix in two additions on low speed until no dry flour shows. Fold in white chocolate if using.
Step 5: Chill the dough 60 minutes
Cover the bowl and chill until the dough feels scoopable and firm. This step boosts thickness and keeps color vivid.
Step 6: Prep pans and sugars 5 minutes
Heat the oven to 350°F 175°C. Set up two shallow bowls: one with granulated sugar, one with powdered sugar mixed with cornstarch.
Step 7: Scoop and coat 10 minutes
Scoop dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon portions. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, then bury it in the powdered sugar mix for a heavy coat. Double coat if you want extra contrast.
Step 8: Bake 10 to 12 minutes
Space cookies 2 inches apart on lined sheets. Bake until tops crack and edges set while centers still look soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Pull the pans and let the cookies rest on the sheet 5 minutes.
Step 9: Cool
Move cookies to a wire rack to cool. The crinkles set as they cool, and the matcha flavor deepens.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- Pick bright green culinary matcha; dull color often means flat flavor and bitterness.
- Weigh flour or use the spoon-and-level method to avoid a dry, cakey texture.
- Mix only until the flour disappears; overmixing toughens the crumb.
- Chill the dough fully; warm dough spreads and loses the crinkle look.
- Roll generously in powdered sugar; a thin coat melts away in the oven.
- Bake until edges set but centers still look soft; carryover heat finishes the middle.
- Keep pans cool between batches to control spread.
- If the powdered sugar looks patchy, roll a second time right before baking.
Variations I've Tried
- White chocolate chunk matcha crinkles with a pinch of flaky salt on top.
- Lemon zest and vanilla with a simple lemon glaze for zing.
- Black sesame sprinkle in the dough or on top for nutty depth.
- Coconut flake add-in and a hint of almond extract.
- Gluten-free swap: use a 1:1 baking blend with xanthan gum and chill 15 minutes longer.
- Dairy-free swap: use plant butter or refined coconut oil and chill 15 to 20 minutes extra.
How to Serve
Serve these green tea cookies slightly warm for a soft center and crisp edges. Pair with a matcha latte, cold milk, or toasted rice tea for a cozy vibe. Plate with sliced strawberries or a scoop of vanilla ice cream when you want a dessert feel. A festive tin keeps the powdered sugar intact and travels well to parties.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days with parchment between layers.
- Refrigerate unbaked dough, covered, up to 3 days; scoop straight from the fridge.
- Freeze scooped dough balls up to 2 months; coat in sugars after a brief thaw of 10 minutes, then bake and add 1 to 2 minutes if needed.
- Refresh baked cookies in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes to revive edges while keeping the center tender.
Matcha Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha until uniform, sifting the matcha first if it is clumpy.
- In a large bowl beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and light brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth, then mix in the vanilla and almond extract if using.
- Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low speed, mixing just until no dry flour remains, then fold in the white chocolate if using.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for about 60 minutes, until firm and scoopable.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Place the rolling granulated sugar in one shallow bowl. In a second bowl combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch.
- Scoop 1 1/2-tablespoon portions of dough and roll into balls. Coat each ball in granulated sugar, then roll generously in the powdered sugar mixture, pressing to create a thick coating.
- Arrange the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are cracked and the edges are set while the centers still look soft. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely; the crinkles will set and the matcha flavor will deepen as they cool.
Notes
Approximate per 1 cookie (24 cookies total, without optional white chocolate): 130 calories; fat 5 g; saturated fat 3 g; carbohydrates 20 g; fiber 0 g; sugars 13 g; protein 2 g; sodium 70 mg. Values will vary based on specific ingredients, optional add-ins, and portion size.