Matcha Crinkle Cookies: A Fun Twist on a Classic Recipe

These green matcha crinkle cookies are a fun twist on a classic recipe. They are soft and chewy and rolled in powdered sugar before baking, creating the perfect crackled effect. Whether you’re a longtime matcha lover or just want to try something different, this easy matcha crinkle cookie recipe is a good one that you’ll probably want to bake again and again.

What is matcha?

Matcha is a powder that’s made from finely ground tea leaves. The plants are typically grown in the shade for much of the time. This boosts the plant’s chlorophyll and amino acids, which gives them their bright green color.

Matcha powder uses the entire tea leaf, which is why it has more nutrients like vitamins, fiber, and caffeine than regular green tea. You can use matcha powder in lattes, smoothies, teas, and even baked goods.

What is the difference between ceremonial-grade matcha and culinary-grade matcha?

Ceremonial grade matcha is often considered a higher quality matcha because it’s made from younger, more delicate leaves and is smoother, sweeter in taste, and a more vibrant green color. Culinary grade matcha is usually better for cooking because it has a stronger matcha flavor and can hold up to other ingredients in a recipe.

A few fun facts about matcha

According to WebMD, 1/2 teaspoon or 1 gram of matcha contains:

• 3 calories
• 1 gram of protein
• 0 grams of fat
• 0 grams of carbohydrates
• 1 gram of fiber
• 0 grams of sugar

What makes a crinkle cookie crinkle?

Two things make crinkle cookies crinkle; the combination of baking powder and baking soda. There’s some science there, but I’ll leave that to the scientists to explain. The other thing that makes cookies crinkle is rolling them in confectioner’s sugar. As the cookies bake, the dough begins to crack and pull apart a bit, and the confectioner’s sugar highlights those cracks in the surface of the cookies.

Helpful tip:

Make sure to roll the cookie dough balls in the granulated sugar before rolling them in the powdered sugar. If you don’t do this, the powdered sugar will melt and disappear into the the cookies while baking, and you won’t have the dramatic crinkled cookie look. 

What makes cookies chewy rather than crispy?

There are a few factors that determine whether cookies are chewy or crispy. They are the ratio of fats to flour (which is why there is 1/2 cup of butter in this recipe), the temperature at which you bake the cookies, and the amount of time you bake them. 

How long should you chill the cookie dough before baking it?

Chilling the dough is not a step in the process you can skip. If the dough isn’t chilled, your cookies will not crack and crinkle. So, if you want great looking and tasting crinkle cookies, you need to chill the dough for at least one hour. Two hours is even better. The dough can be chilled overnight. However, if chilled overnight, you’ll need to let the dough sit on your counter for about 10 minutes before forming the cookies into dough balls.

The equipment you’ll need for making matcha crinkle cookies

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment (electric hand mixer works too)
• Medium bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Parchment paper
• Cookie sheet
• Cooling rack/wire rack

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• Unsalted butter (room temperature)
• Sugar
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Lareg eggs
• All purpose flour
• Matcha

For rolling the cookies:

• Granulated sugar
• Powdered sugar

Directions for making matcha crinkle cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet or sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream room temperature butter on low speed for a minute or two. Add the sugar and beat on high for about 2 more minutes or until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs and mix until combined.
5. In a separate large bowl, sift the matcha powder into the flour and stir to combine.
6. Pour the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and mix on slow speed until all ingredients are incorporated.
7. Place cookie dough in refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
8. Pour granulated sugar and powdered sugar into separate small bowls and set aside.
9. Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and, using a medium cookie scoop, form cookie dough balls (you will have a sticky dough texture). Roll each ball of dough first in granulated sugar to coat and then in powdered sugar until the cookie has a nice powdered sugar coating. 
10. Place the cookies on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes. While the cookies are still warm, use the back side of a spatula and gently flatten each cookie just a bit.
11. Let the baked cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
12. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container or on a plate covered with plastic wrap for up to one week.

Here are a few more crinkle cookie recipes we enjoy

• Lemon crinkle cookies
• Gingerbread crinkle cookies

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