Here's What You Need To Know Before Baking With Matcha For The First Time

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Matcha is an age-old Japanese ingredient and culinary tradition that has become a global sensation in recent years. The finely ground green tea powder has morphed into many drinkable forms, appearing in an iced lavender oat milk tea at the top of our rankings for Starbucks tea drinks, for example. But matcha's versatility also extends to baked goods. We spoke to Jerrelle Guy, author of the James Beard Award-nominated cookbook, "Black Girl Baking" and creator of The Dinner Ritual newsletter, for some expert tips on how best to use the ingredient in baking.

Guy goes over the best ingredients, flavor pairings, and ways to incorporate matcha into any dessert. There are different types of matcha, so we wanted to know which is the ideal one to use for baked goods. She says, "Use culinary-grade matcha. It's made for cooking and baking, the flavor holds up to heat, and it's way more affordable than the ceremonial grade. It will still give you that nice green color and earthy flavor." Culinary-grade matcha like this Jade Leaf brand on Amazon has an intense earthiness and more bitterness than the type for drinking. It's meant to be combined with other complementary flavors for balance.

Culinary-grade matcha is also coarser and grittier than the super-fine, sweet and mellow ceremonial-grade variety, bringing us to Guy's preparation tip for when you're adding the soluble dry ingredient to dessert mixes. She suggests, "Either sift the matcha in with the dry ingredients or dissolve it in liquid before mixing it in so you don't get clumps." 

Whether you sift matcha in with the dry ingredients or use it as a wet ingredient ultimately depends on the type of dessert you're making. To that effect, Guy talks about the best flavor pairings for matcha's grassy, vegetal, and slightly bitter flavor profile. "Pair it with complementary ingredients like white chocolate, lemons, mint or berries, and remember that using too much makes bitter desserts," she says. Matcha has a very robust and distinctive flavor, that a creamy, sweet white chocolate would help balance. Our recipe for squash muffins with matcha buttercream icing blends matcha with white chocolate and heavy cream.

Lemon and berries are tart and zingy complements that brighten the earthy bitterness of matcha; try our matcha muffins, which use both lemon juice and lemon zest for a well-balanced matcha match. Matcha's distinctive pop of green is a festive color combination and flavor pairing in this matcha berry pavlova wreath. And this recipe for matcha strawberry tiramisu kills two birds with one stone by pairing matcha with white chocolate whipped mascarpone cream and macerated strawberries.

Whereas white chocolate, berries, and lemon offer a softer, lighter foundation for a matcha pairing, mint mirrors the intensity of matcha, but also brings a bright, refreshing complement to its almost savory herbiness. If you're incorporating matcha into a dessert recipe that doesn't already call for it, Guy says, "you might need to add a little more sugar to balance out the bitterness of the matcha."