These matcha Christmas tree cookies are the perfect treats this holiday season that don’t include any food coloring! The beautiful green hue of the trees are all thanks to matcha green tea powder! Super easy to make, and even easier to decorate!
Matcha Christmas Tree Cookies
Crisp, buttery matcha cookies are cut out into that classic Christmas tree shape, and dipped into melted white chocolate, and sprinkled with white nonpareils for that snow-covered look!
What is matcha?
Matcha is a type of Japanese green tea. Green tea leaves are finely ground into a powder traditionally dissolved in hot water and frothed with a bamboo whisk to create a delicious and therapeutic drink. Nowadays it's more associated with sweet matcha lattes and matcha desserts.
Matcha vs Green tea
Although matcha is a type of green tea, the tea leaves are treated and processed very differently from other green teas like sencha or gyokuro. For the last 3-4 weeks before being harvested, the tea leaves are shaded to increase the amount of theanine. The tea leaves are steamed and dried, without being massaged like gyokuro, and then ground into a very fine powder.
Christmas cookies that are quick and easy to decorate!
Although decorating Christmas cookies is a fun holiday activity, especially if you have kids, it can be time-consuming. Whether working from home, wrapping a bunch of gifts, or just needing to take the time to do nothing to regain sanity at the end of this unbelievable year, many of us aren't in the mood to spend hours decorating cookies!
The faster we decorate, the faster we can eat them, right?
How to make matcha Christmas tree cookies
In a large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla and egg, and beat until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, matcha powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Cover the bowl and let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours.
While you're preheating the oven, roll out the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it’s ⅛ inch (⅓ cm). The cookie dough tends to soften quickly because of the butter, so stick it into the freezer for about 5 minutes to let it solidify again.
Cut the cookies out using a tree-shaped cookie cutter. If the dough starts to soften, put it back in the freezer for another 5 minutes before taking the cut-out cookies onto a baking sheet.
Bake the cookies for about 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to decorate the cookies
Chop the white chocolate and put it in a heat-proof bowl. Put the bowl over a pot of boiling water and let it melt completely while stirring occasionally. Dip the tops of the baked matcha cookies and lay them on a wire rack. Sprinkle with some white nonpareils (or any other sprinkle you like!) and let it solidify.
Other cookies to make this holiday season!
- If you're looking to make the cutest Christmas cookies, look no further than these reindeer cookies! They're adorable but super easy to decorate.
- Are you gluten-free? This gluten-free Christmas cookie recipe makes chewy cookies with crisp edges that have a hint of peppermint!
- Any fellow chocolate chip cookie lovers need to try my brown butter chocolate chip cookies and my gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Both recipes make soft chewy cookies baked to perfection.
- If you want a healthier cookie recipe, these chickpea cookies are for you. And I promise you won't taste the chickpeas!
- This coconut macaroon recipe only requires 2 ingredients and the chewy texture is hard to beat.
Matcha Christmas Tree Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup / 170g unsalted butter
- ½ cup / 100g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon / 5g vanilla extract
- 1½ cup / 188g all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup / 75g almond flour
- 2 tablespoons / 15g matcha powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3.5oz / 100g white chocolate
- white nonpareils
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla, egg, and beat until smooth. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, almond flour, matcha powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined. Cover the bowl and let it rest in the fridge for a couple hours.
- Put the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper and using a rolling pin, roll the cookie dough until it's ⅛in/⅓cm. Stick the rolled out cookie dough into the freezer for 5 minutes to let it solidify.
- Preheat the oven at 325°F/160°C while the dough is chilling.
- Cut the cookies out using a tree shaped cookie cutter. If the dough starts to soften, stick it back in the freezer for another 5 minutes before taking the cut out cookies onto a baking sheet. You can gather the scraps of dough and re-roll as much as needed.
- Bake the cookies for about 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler and dip the tops of the cookies and set them on a wire rack. Sprinkle with white nonpareils and let the chocolate cool to solidify.
Cindy says
Hey! This recipe looks amazing! I’m just wondering if I can sub the almond flour for regular all purpose flour?
Do the Christmas tree shapes also deform and lose its shape once it’s been baked? Do they spread?
Thank you!
Ai says
Hi Cindy! Although I haven't tried it, I'm pretty sure you can substitute more all purpose flour for the almond flour. The shape should hold in the oven. Because it doesn't use any baking soda or baking powder, it doesn't spread when baked. Hope you like it! Happy baking!
Katie says
Can the dough be frozen?
Ai Willis says
Absolutely!