Matcha Muffins Recipe

One of the trendier flavors to emerge in the last few years is matcha. While it's having a moment nowadays, matcha has been around for quite some time, and it's certainly not going anywhere anytime soon. This vibrant green powder is traditionally used to make tea, but matcha has also found a place in all kinds of culinary concoctions, from cocktails to homemade cheesecake and beyond. Now, recipe developer Hayley MacLean gives matcha fans another tasty reason to start the day with her matcha muffins recipe.

"I absolutely love all things matcha," MacLean says. "The sweet, earthy flavor goes so well in so many foods from drinks to sweet treats to baked goods! When thinking of a fun new way to enjoy this tea, muffins to enjoy in the morning was the first idea that came to mind — and it came out so deliciously!" Now you can enjoy a warm matcha muffin alongside your morning cup of matcha tea — keep reading to learn how to make them!

Baking goes much more smoothly when you have everything measured out. After you've set your oven to 400 F and lined your muffin tin with paper liners, gather up and prep your ingredients. You'll need flour, ceremonial-grade matcha powder, one egg, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, almond milk, coconut oil, lemon juice and zest, and some powdered sugar, if you'd like.

"I like the slightly nutty flavor that the almond milk gives these muffins," MacLean says. "It compliments the natural nuttiness of the matcha itself so well. It also keeps the muffins dairy-free!" But if almond milk isn't your thing, she notes dairy milk will work "just as well."

Start by getting two bowls. Put your dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, matcha, salt, and sugar — in one and give it a whisk. In the other, crack in the egg and mix in the vanilla, almond milk, coconut oil, and lemon juice and zest. Once you've done that, you're basically halfway there!

Take your wet ingredients and mix them into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until they're combined, but don't overmix. Then, put the batter into the muffin tin, until each muffin liner is ¾ of the way full. Pop them into the oven. About 15 minutes later, check them for doneness using a toothpick, and bake them for a couple minutes longer if need be. When they're done, let them cool for a bit in the tin, and then move them to a wire rack.

As MacLean explains, "transferring the muffins to a wire rack when they are cool enough to handle really allows the air to circulate completely around these muffins and cools them quickly and evenly. Keeping them in the muffin tin can cause them to retain extra heat and take longer to cool, potentially causing over-baking."

You've patiently waited for your matcha muffins to cool, and now it's time to be rewarded. But wait — if you want that extra touch of sweetness, dust them with some powdered sugar. If you want something more than that, MacLean suggests making a "lemon glaze of lemon juice, powdered sugar, and a bit of vanilla," or a matcha glaze made from "matcha powder, a bit of milk and powdered sugar."

This recipe makes 12 muffins. If you don't plan on eating them straight away, MacLean says they'll "keep up to 5 days in an airtight container on the counter. If refrigerating them, they can last up to a week, but will tend to get a bit stale in the cool environment." So, the next time you start your day with a matcha latte, you'll be able to pair it with a fluffy, moist muffin packed with the same great flavor. The more matcha, the merrier!