As someone who has spent the majority of my life proclaiming a distaste for baking, I have found myself hovering over my stand-mixer and setting the oven to 350º Fahrenheit a lot lately. My newfound bug for baking began with an attempt to perfect my favorite pizza dough recipe and has since turned into a full-fledged baking extravaganza. Although my overworked oven may not relate, my loved ones and coworkers with mouths full of homemade sweets don’t seem to mind my new hobby one bit! Now that I’ve come to grasp the basics of baking—with a few floury disasters sprinkled between—I’ve started experimenting by introducing unexpected flavors and textures into classic cookies, cakes, and confectioneries. My latest experimental success combined the blank canvas of the cookie world, sugar cookies, with the grassy-hued, umami-rich green tea we all know and love: matcha! 

This recipe is a product of procrastination in going to the grocery store, which wound up being a blessing in disguise for possibly the first time in my life. During a recent sweet tooth-induced pantry raid, I scanned each barren shelf with a disappointed stare—only finding the bare-bone ingredients of any halfway decent baked good. Plopping my flour, sugar, and baking soda on the counter, the sheen of a shiny gold label from Mountain Rose Herb’s premium-quality organic matcha caught my eye. After likely proclaiming aloud to myself, “Ooo yeah…that’s what I’ll do.” my matcha sugar cookie recipe was well on its way to my preheating oven.  

Baked to ever-so-slightly underdone perfection, the resulting bright green cookies became an instant revelation for my tastebuds. Slightly crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and infused with a subtle earthy flavor that perfectly balances the sweetness with every savored bite. This recipe not only invited me to explore unexpected flavor combinations, but also offered an unexpected reminder that creativity often flourishes within constraints. Admittedly, this notion sounds a tad silly when talking about cookies, but it’s true! Next time you find yourself staring with a puzzled gaze at seemingly dissimilar ingredients, try thinking outside the pantry a bit and seeing what your creative mind whips up—because going to the grocery can always wait, just for one more day.  

Vegan Matcha Sugar Cookies 

Makes about 24 cookies.   

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup cold vegan butter 
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar + 1/4 cup for rolling 
• 1 flax egg (1 Tbs. organic flax meal + 3 Tbs. water) *See Pro Tips  
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour  
• 2 tsp. organic matcha tea  
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/2 tsp fine granulated sea salt 
• 1 – 2 Tbs. cold water (if needed)  

 Directions 

1. In a large bowl, combine cold vegan butter and sugar. Using a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  
2. Add prepared flax egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.  
3. Sift flour, matcha, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into batter. Use a rubber spatula to fold in dry ingredients until a firm dough forms. If dough is too crumbly, add one tablespoon of water at a time until the dough comes together. 
4. Set covered dough in the fridge and allow to chill for at least 1 hour prior to baking. While dough is chilling, add extra sugar to small bowl and set aside for later.  
5. Once dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 
6. Using a spoon or melon baller, scoop cookies out and roll around in extra sugar. Gently roll cookies between your hands and place on baking sheet, gently smooshing each cookie down slightly to flatten. Make sure to leave about 2 inches between each cookie to account for spreading during baking.  
7. Bake cookies for 10 – 12 minutes until edges just slightly begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a metal rack.  
8. Once cooled, dig in immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. You can also store cookies in the freezer for up to 6 months.

• To make the flax egg, simply combine the ground flaxseed and water in a small dish and allow to sit for 5 – 7 minutes until a gel-like consistency is reached.  

• When initially testing this recipe, I did not have flax meal on hand. Instead, I used a coffee grinder to make a chia seed powder. This worked perfectly in place of flax meal, plus the method and measurements to make a “chia egg” are the exact same as a flax egg!  

• Try swapping out the matcha to create other delicious sugar cookie flavors such as cardamom, earl grey (ground into powder), chamomile, rose, lavandin, and any other herbal powders that strike your tastebud’s fancy!   

Can't settle your cookie cravings?

Give our Chai Spice Oatmeal Cookie Recipe + Vegan Option a try!

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