Easy Vegan Matcha Crinkle Cookies
These delicious, bright green Matcha Cookies are beautiful, delicious, and so festive! Made completely vegan and gluten-free, these crinkle cookies are perfect for holiday swaps or to celebrate any occasion with a matcha lover!
Servings: 12 cookies
Equipment
- Nonstick Baking Mat or use parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar I use organic cane sugar
- 1/3 cup vegan butter room temp, softened
- 1/4 cup aquafaba (chickpea brine)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour I used Bob's Red Mill 1-1
- 2 tbsp matcha powder ceremonial grade
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- To prepare your dough, start by whipping softened butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until smooth.
- Quickly whip your aquafaba using a small whisk until nice and frothy, then add to the bowl along with vanilla. Using a spatula, stir together until incorporated. It's okay if there is some chunkyness in the batter at this point.
- Next add dry ingredients. Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir again until a dough forms and no dry flour spots remain. Cover the bowl with an airtight seal and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or about 30 minutes in the freezer.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350F while you prepare the dough balls. Prepare a baking sheet (or two) with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper.
- Have two bowls ready, one with powdered sugar and the other with granulated sugar. Using a cookie scoop, take a scoop of dough, roll it quickly between your palms to create a ball. Cover the dough with granulated sugar followed by powdered sugar. Transfer the dough to your baking mat and repeat with remaining dough, leaving 2-3" between each cookie.
- You can bake the cookies as is, or you can flatten with the bottom of a drinking glass or bowl to about an inch in thickness. Personally, I think the cookies turn out in a more uniform shape when flattened down but you can also bake them as balls if you prefer a puffier cookie. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until edges have crisped up. They will continue to cook as they cool on the sheet! Repeat until all cookies are baked.
- If the sugar coating melts away after baking, you can dust your cookies with a touch of powdered sugar to finish.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Chilling the Dough: It's very important to chill your dough before baking for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, in an airtight container. The butter in the dough must be very cold when you bake the cookies. If it's not chilled, the dough will spread like crazy in the oven!
- Baking Prep: Before baking, line your baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat. Then use a cookie scoop to divide the chilled dough between baking sheets.
- Press the Dough: I recommend pressing each cookie down with the bottom of a glass slightly. Otherwise, the cookies tend to poof and crack on top. But if you prefer a taller, chewier cookie, you can bake them as balls.
- Shape after Baking: Immediately after baking, while the cookies are still hot on the baking sheet, use a ring mold or upside-down glass to shape them into perfect circles if you'd like. Then, let them cool completely to room temperature.
Storage Tips
- Store fully-cooled matcha cookies in an airtight container in a cool dark place. The matcha will oxidize and cookies will turn white or grey if they're exposed to the sun. You can also use a metal cookie tin (whatever keeps the sun out).
- To freeze, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.