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If you love matcha and you love cookies, these matcha chocolate chip cookies are about to become your new favorite recipe! They’re soft, chewy, and packed with real matcha flavor, not just a hint of green, but that earthy, slightly bitter, grassy matcha taste that actually comes through in every single bite.
I’ve been working on this recipe for a while because I wanted to get the texture just right. We’re talking bakery-style thick cookies with soft, chewy centers and slightly crisp edges. The kind of cookie that looks like it came from an expensive bakery but you made it in your own kitchen in under 30 minutes. And the best part? No chill time required!
The secret to these matcha cookies is a combination of an extra egg yolk (for richness and chew), a tablespoon of honey (for moisture and a subtle floral note), and a touch of cornstarch (for that soft, almost underbaked center). Add in semi-sweet chocolate chunks that get all melty and gooey, and you’ve got yourself the best matcha chocolate chip cookies ever.
Let’s Chit Chat — Why These Matcha Cookies Are Different
Okay so I have to be honest, I’ve tried a LOT of matcha cookie recipes and most of them disappointed me. Either the matcha flavor was barely there, the texture was cakey and dry, or they spread into flat little discs. I wanted a matcha chocolate chip cookie that actually tasted like matcha AND had that thick, chewy, bakery-style texture I’m obsessed with.
So I developed this recipe from scratch, testing different amounts of matcha (too little and you can’t taste it, too much and it gets bitter), adjusting the flour and cornstarch ratios to nail the texture, and figuring out the exact oven temp and bake time. The result? A soft, chewy matcha cookie that’s vibrant green, packed with flavor, and holds up beautifully for days.
I also switched from corn syrup to honey in this recipe, which adds the tiniest floral note that pairs so well with the earthiness of the matcha. It’s one of those small changes that makes a big difference!
Love matcha? Try out my Matcha brownies, this salted maple matcha latte, as well as this Starbucks matcha frappuccino!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Matcha Cookie Recipe
- Real matcha flavor – 2 & 1/2 tablespoons of culinary-grade matcha means you can actually taste the green tea in every bite. No wimpy matcha flavor here!
- Perfectly soft and chewy – The extra egg yolk, honey, and cornstarch create the dreamiest, chewiest cookie texture.
- No chill time needed – Mix, scoop, bake. These are ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
- Bakery-style thick cookies – Not too thick, and not too thin, just perfect bakery looking cookies every time.
- Loaded with chocolate – Semi-sweet chocolate chips folded in AND pressed on top right out of the oven for that gorgeous bakery look.
Ingredients for Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here’s what you’ll need to make these chewy matcha cookies (full measurements are in the recipe card below!):
- Unsalted butter — Softened to room temperature. This is important for getting that light, fluffy cream with the sugars. Don’t melt it!
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar — The combo gives you the best of both worlds, crisp edges from the granulated sugar and chewy centers from the brown sugar.
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk – The extra yolk is the secret weapon for rich, fudgy, chewy cookies. It adds fat and moisture without making the cookies cakey.
- Honey – Adds moisture and chewiness with a subtle floral note that complements the matcha beautifully. You can substitute corn syrup if you prefer.
- Vanilla extract – Rounds out the flavors and adds warmth.
- All-purpose flour – The base of the cookie. Make sure to measure by weight or spoon and level your cups for accuracy.
- Matcha powder – Use culinary-grade matcha. Not ceremonial (too expensive and the flavor gets lost in baking) and not the cheap stuff (it’ll taste bitter and look dull). A good culinary-grade matcha will give you that vibrant green color and grassy, earthy flavor.
- Cornstarch – Just half a tablespoon keeps the centers soft and slightly underbaked even after they cool.
- Baking soda and salt – For lift and flavor. Don’t skip the salt, it makes the matcha and chocolate pop.
- Semisweet chocolate chips or chunks – The slight bitterness of semi-sweet chocolate pairs perfectly with the earthy matcha. You’ll also want extra to press on top after baking!
How to Make Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies
These matcha cookies come together really quickly! Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough:
- Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the softened butter with the white sugar and brown sugars on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. This step is important, don’t rush it!
- Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, honey, and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
- Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, matcha powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. If your matcha is clumpy, sift it! You don’t want pockets of dry matcha in the dough.
- Step 4: Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough should be a gorgeous vibrant green.
- Step 5: Fold in the chocolate. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips by hand until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Step 6: Shape and bake. Scoop the dough using a 4-tablespoon scoop (about 65-70g each) onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- Step 7: Top with chocolate. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press extra semi-sweet chocolate chips into the tops while they’re still warm and soft. Let them cool on the pan or cooling rack for 8-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Tips for the Best Matcha Cookies
- Press chocolate on top right out of the oven. This gives you that gorgeous bakery presentation with melty, gooey chocolate on every cookie.
- Use culinary-grade matcha. This is the #1 thing that will make or break your matcha chocolate chip cookies. Ceremonial grade is too delicate (and expensive) for baking, and cheap matcha tastes bitter and looks brownish-green. A good culinary-grade matcha is bright green and has a smooth, earthy flavor.
- Sift your matcha! Matcha clumps easily. A quick sift before adding it to the dry ingredients makes a huge difference.
- Don’t overbake! Pull them at 10 minutes even if they look underdone in the center. They’ll continue to set as they cool on the pan. Overbaked matcha cookies lose that beautiful green color and turn brownish.
- Bang the pan! If your cookies haven’t spread much by the 8-minute mark, take the pan out and bang it on the counter 2-3 times. This helps them spread and creates those beautiful crinkly tops.
Substitutions and Variations
- White chocolate: Swap the semi-sweet chips for white chocolate chunks for a classic matcha and white chocolate pairing. No need to adjust the sugar.
- Corn syrup instead of honey: A 1:1 swap that works perfectly. You’ll lose the subtle floral note but the texture stays the same.
- Smaller cookies: Use a 2-tablespoon scoop and reduce bake time to 8 minutes. You’ll get about 22-24 smaller cookies.
How to Store Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies
Store your matcha cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They’ll stay soft and chewy! Just know that the matcha color may fade slightly over time, that’s totally normal and doesn’t affect the flavor.
To freeze, place baked and cooled cookies in a freezer-safe bag or container with parchment between layers. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to eat!
You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag once frozen. Just make sure to press them down just a tab so they spread evenly when baked. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the bake time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Matcha adds an earthy, slightly bitter, grassy green tea flavor to cookies. In this recipe, the matcha flavor is prominent but balanced beautifully by the sweetness of the sugars and the richness of the semi-sweet chocolate. It’s not overpowering, it’s that perfect balance where you can really taste the matcha without it being too intense.
You can, but I don’t recommend it. Ceremonial grade matcha is designed for drinking and has a more delicate flavor that gets lost when baked with butter, sugar, and chocolate. Culinary-grade matcha is specifically made for baking, it has a stronger, more robust flavor that holds up in the oven and it’s much more affordable.
If your cookies turned out brown or dull green, it’s usually one of two things: either your matcha powder is low quality (it should be bright, vibrant green before baking) or your cookies overbaked. Matcha is heat-sensitive, so pull your cookies at exactly 10 minutes even if they look soft. They’ll set as they cool and keep that pretty green color.
Nope! That’s one of the best things about this recipe. The dough bakes right away at 350°F with no chill time.
I wouldn’t recommend it. Matcha latte mixes contain added sugar and sometimes milk powder, which will throw off the sweetness and texture of the cookies. Use 100% pure matcha powder for the best results.
Semi-sweet chocolate is my favorite because it has just enough bitterness to complement the earthy matcha without being too sweet. White chocolate chips are the other classic pairing, it’s sweeter and creamier, which creates a nice contrast with the grassy matcha flavor. Both are great!
Matcha Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 2 & 1/2 ounces culinary-grade matcha powder Also called Organic Chef's Choice Matcha (Culinary Grade) on the link I shared!
- 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream unsalted butter, softened, softened butter, granulated sugar, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar, brown sugar together on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- Add large egg egg, egg yolk egg yolk, honey honey, and vanilla extract vanilla extract. Beat until well combined, about 1 minute.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour flour, culinary-grade matcha powder, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. Sift if your matcha or flour is clumpy, you want no dry pockets of matcha in the final dough.1 & 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour, 2 & 1/2 ounces culinary-grade matcha powder, 1/4 teaspoons baking soda, 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough should be a vibrant green.
- Fold in the semisweet chocolate until evenly distributed. Scoop dough using a 4-tablespoon scoop (about 65-70g each) and place 4-5 cookies per sheet, spacing 3-4 inches apart.1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks
- Bake for 10 minutes until edges are set but centers still look soft and slightly underdone. If cookies haven't spread much by the 8-minute mark, remove from oven and gently bang the pan on the counter 2-3 times, then return to oven.
- As soon as cookies come out of the oven, press extra chocolate chunks into the tops while they're still warm and soft. Add a sprinkle of flakey sea salt if desired. Cool on baking sheet for 8 minutes (they'll continue setting up), then transfer to a wire rack.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
