Matcha Cake Cookies
Curious about matcha? These Matcha Cake Cookies are the perfect introduction! Their soft, chewy texture and subtle sweetness, balanced by creamy richness, made them a top seller at Bento Picnic—and now you can recreate them at home!
This recipe uses a simple gluten-free cake mix as the base, making it quick, easy, and irresistibly good. The combination of whipped cream cheese and matcha tea powder gives these cookies their tender richness, perfectly balanced sweetness, and vibrant green hue that makes them a show-stopping addition to any dessert spread.
Why This Recipe Works
Using cake mix as a base takes the guesswork out of baking, especially for gluten-free baking. Instead of stocking your pantry with multiple specialty flours and experimenting to find the perfect ratios, the cake mix does all the heavy lifting for you. This built-in efficiency guarantees consistent, foolproof results every time, letting you enjoy the process (and the cookies!) with ease. Not only are they quick to make, but they’re also freezer-friendly so you can keep the dough on hand for just-baked cookies anytime!
Matcha Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1-lb box yellow cake mix, gluten-free if desired
- 1 Tbsp matcha powder (7 grams)
- 8-oz pack cream cheese, softened
- 4-oz stick butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Whisk matcha powder and cake mix in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Blend cream cheese, butter, egg and vanilla in another bowl. PRO TIP: A stand mixer or food processor works great for this!
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until a thick dough forms.
- Cover dough and refrigerate for about an hour, or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 300 F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Scoop the dough into 1-ounce portions (about a heaping tablespoon each) and dust the tops with powdered sugar.
- Dust the tops of each cookie with powdered sugar.
- Bake for 12-16 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges.
- Cool the cookies on a wire rack before storing them in an airtight container.
Notes
Chilling is Key: Don’t skip the chilling step! It helps the dough firm up, so the cookies hold their shape while baking.
Freezing Dough for Later: Love freshly baked cookies? Freeze portioned scoops of dough on a parchment-lined tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag.
Baking From Frozen: No need to thaw! Preheat your oven to 300°F, dust the frozen cookies with powdered sugar, and bake for 16 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through.