18 Must-Try Ways To Cook With Matcha
Matcha is a high-quality, finely ground green tea powder made popular by Japanese cuisine. It's pleasantly bitter and earthy on its own, but goes far beyond a cup of tea. Matcha powder can be utilized to add unique flavor and vibrant color to a wide variety of recipes (both sweet and savory). Scroll on for a few of our favorite places to incorporate the healthful green tea—from ice cream to seafood dishes.
Supercharged Kale-Avocado Smoothie
Supercharged Kale-Avocado Smoothie Recipe
This hydrating smoothie is jam-packed with nutrients, delivering one-third your daily goal of vitamin A and 100% of vitamin K—two important nutrients many of us don't get enough of. Matcha green tea powder delivers a jolt of caffeine without the jittery side effects, helping you power through your to-do list with sustained energy and alertness.
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Frankenstein Cookie Bars
Frankenstein Cookie Bars Recipe
These bars make a fun Halloween (or anytime) treat, and they're very flavorful: the green tea frosting cloaks a chewy-soft coconut-lime cookie. They're easy enough that the kids can help you make them.
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Matcha Profiteroles
Vanilla is, well, vanilla. Give it an injection of sweet, vegetal matcha powder to really enliven the timeless combination of puffy choux pastry, ice cream, and chocolate ganache.
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Matcha-Glazed Donuts
These easy baked donuts benefit from matcha in the batter and in the glaze, where it lends beautiful color. If you’re unfamiliar with matcha, it’s high-quality green tea that’s ground into a fine powder. Matcha has a powerfully earthy, bitter flavor, so a little goes a long way. We love the color and flavor of the coconut and goji berry garnishes; if you can’t find goji berries, you can use dried cranberries instead.
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Avocado Matcha Banana Bread
Avocado Matcha Banana Bread Recipe
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with banana bread. It’s a breakfast classic, like a plain bagel or a glazed doughnut. However, there are times when a classic just doesn’t thrill. That’s when we pull out the green stuff. Avocado and matcha green tea powder may not be part of your regular baking routine, but not only do they dye banana bread a delightful deep green, they add earthy flavors that tone down the banana-ness of the loaf.
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20-Minute Baked Matcha Doughnuts
20-Minute Baked Matcha Doughnuts Recipe
Invest in a doughnut pan and you can whip up a batch of these earthy baked goods in just 20 minutes. The forever-trendy Japanese green tea powder matcha is packed with antioxidants, and studies show it can reduce stress, boost metabolism, lower cholesterol, and even lower the risk of cancer. Its bright, emerald color shines in these soft, cakey donuts, which are coated in a simple, sweet, powdered-sugar glaze. With a quick clean-up and no oil splattering all over your kitchen, you won’t miss the deep-fried version.
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Sparkling Matcha Mint Cocktail
Sparkling Matcha Mint Cocktail Recipe
Floral honey, fresh herbs, and verdant green-tea powder make for an effervescent springtime sipper.
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Matcha Baked Doughnuts
These bright green baked goods will give you all the delight of a doughnut without any of the regret afterwards. Baking makes these vegan doughnuts delicate and soft without excess oil and the matcha has a range of health benefits.
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Matcha Green Tea
Matcha, a traditional Japanese tea, is one of the most nutritious beverages you can consume. Bonus: It's pretty yummy, too.
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Matcha-Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches
Matcha-Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches Recipe
The French macaron is a simple cookie made with almonds, sugar and egg whites. The recipe here includes green tea powder (matcha), which gives it a delightful flavor. Chef Way David Myers's complex dessert parfait combines matcha crème, gelée, mochi and macaron with muscovado and vanilla crème. These ice cream sandwiches layer store-bought green-tea and vanilla ice creams on crispy, chewy green tea macarons.
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Matcha Whoopie Pies
"I grew up inhaling whoopie pies, bless my mother's soul," says Bay Area cookbook author Eric Gower, the creator of these fantastic, tender little cakes. "While I would like to offer her recipe, I'm afraid that just reading the quantities of trans fats (Crisco) called for might incite immediate cardiac arrest! This relatively healthier version tastes even better."
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Japonica Ice Cream Sundaes
Japonica Ice Cream Sundaes Recipe
For this gorgeous combination of green tea ice cream and ripe red plums poached in sweet sake, be sure to use fresh matcha (Japanese powdered green tea) and keep it tightly covered in the fridge--it oxidizes very quickly.
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Scallops with Green Tea Cream
Scallops with Green Tea Cream Recipe
This dish makes a uniquely delicious first course. Look for matcha, a Japanese green tea powder with a vibrant color and deep, somewhat bitter, flavor in Asian grocery stores or gourmet markets. If you can't find it, pulverize regular green tea in a spice grinder.
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Matcha-Steeped Salmon With Ginger-Toasted Panko
Matcha-Steeped Salmon With Ginger-Toasted Panko Recipe
Matcha is a powder-fine green tea, quite intense in flavor, with tannins dominating the mouth-feel (think red wine). It's rendered glorious with a splash of cream, and its boldness is a striking companion to salmon's richness. The trick in this recipe is to cook as gently as possible. If you can get your hands on truly fresh wild salmon, feel free to undercook this dish to your liking.
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Green Tea-Honeysuckle Cake
Green Tea-Honeysuckle Cake Recipe
Matcha, a Japanese green tea powder, adds vivid green color and a delicate flavor. Look for it in Asian grocery stores and gourmet markets, or order online. Store tightly covered in the fridge. (It oxidizes quickly.) If you can't find matcha, pulverize regular green tea in a spice grinder.
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Spring Salad Smoothie
This simple smoothie is a blend-and-go morning treat. The smoothie gets sweetness from carrot juice and avocado, while providing a powerful punch from spinach, cilantro, and matcha powder.
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Green-Tea Fortune Cookies
Green-Tea Fortune Cookies Recipe
Joanne Chang likes having fun with the fortunes she puts inside these large cookies, like "Give the chef a big kiss." Shaping the tuiles while they're hot can be tricky, so consider using cotton gloves.
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Emerald Palmers
Susan Feniger's refreshing green tea–based mocktails would also be great spiked with gin. While the ingredients can be prepped in advance, it's best to blend everything together just before serving for the most vividly green drinks.