Baked Matcha Cheesecake

This baked matcha cheesecake is super smooth, creamy, and easy to make without a water bath. A layer of rich, fluffy green tea cheesecake sits on top of a crunchy gluten free graham cracker crust. The earthy flavor of matcha compliments the tangy cream cheese perfectly!

Matcha is one of my favorite ingredients to bake with, and it's perfect in a cheesecake! Its bright, grassy flavor profile pairs beautifully with the cream cheese and the cinnamon in the gluten free graham cracker crust.

If you're unfamiliar, matcha is a powder made of green tea leaves. Traditionally, matcha is consumed in East Asia and is drank during tea ceremonies in Japan. To this day, most matcha production still happens in Japan, with the highest quality matcha coming from Uji, Japan.

The history of matcha can be traced back to the Chinese Tang Dynasty in the 7th-10th centuries before it was introduced in Japan between the 10th and 13th centuries.

Matcha is an integral part of East Asian and Japanese culture. I've linked articles about the history (I linked to Wikipedia so you can reference their sources), cultural appropriation, and white-washing of matcha. Here are some of my favorite Asian creators you should support: Veggiekins, The Heirloom Pantry , Bee the Love.

If you want to try more recipes with matcha, check out my matcha cupcakes and white chocolate matcha muffins.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredient Notes
• Step by Step Instructions
• Decorating the Cheesecake
• Expert Baking Tips
• Substitutions
• Additions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Storing and Freezing
• More Cakes & Pies to Try
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why This Recipe Works

• Creamy cheesecake- The texture of this cheesecake is super rich and creamy.
• Graham cracker crust- The crust is gluten free and has a buttery texture.
• Green matcha- Because of the matcha powder, this cheesecake is green in color and has an earthy taste.
• Vanilla buttercream- There is a smooth vanilla frosting on top of the cheesecake that balances the bitter matcha flavor.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about a few of the ingredients used. For the full ingredient list, see the recipe card below.

• Gluten free graham crackers- If you aren't gluten free, use regular graham crackers.
• Cream cheese- My favorite is full fat from Philadelphia. Pull this, the eggs, and Greek yogurt out of the refrigerator 2 hours before baking. The dairy ingredients have to be at room temperature so they blend together better.
• Greek yogurt- Use full fat Greek yogurt or skyr to add more fat and creaminess to the cheesecake.
• Honey- I prefer clover honey but any light colored honey will do. Light honey won't overpower the matcha flavor.
• Matcha powder- Choose an unsweetened, high quality culinary matcha powder as directed below.

How to Choose the Best Matcha Powder

Here are a few things to consider when choosing the best matcha for this recipe.

1. Color- Matcha should a be a vibrant, almost neon green. If your matcha is yellowish, brownish, or dark green, it means that the leaves were not shaded properly or that it was made from old leaves. The best matcha will be bright and vibrant green.
2. Texture- Matcha powder should be super fine and dissolve completely in hot water. It's normal for matcha to clump a bit, but if it is super clumpy, it's not good quality.
3. Matcha grade- There are 2 main categories or grades of matcha: culinary and ceremonial. Ceremonial is the highest quality, intended only for drinking. Within the culinary grade, there are 5 additional categories: kitchen, premium, ingredient, cafe, and classic. For this recipe, I recommend a premium culinary matcha. Yes, ceremonial is absolute best quality, but you don't need to splurge here! To make sure the culinary matcha is high quality, reference the label, texture, and color. Also check to see if it comes from Uji, Japan.

Step by Step Instructions

STEP 1: Prepare the graham cracker crust. Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse to a fine crumb. If you don't have a food processor, you can put the graham crackers in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted coconut oil, and coconut sugar together. Then, pour the crust into a 9 inch springform pan and compact the crust, making sure it goes up the sides of the pan a little. I like doing this with a measuring cup as pictured. You don't need to pre-bake the crust.

STEP 2: Beat the cream cheese. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer and beat the cream cheese on high. Then, add in the matcha and beat again.

STEP 3: Add in the wet ingredients. Beat in the Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, crack 4 eggs and lightly scramble them with a fork. Mix in the eggs slowly on low.

STEP 4: Bake the cheesecake. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula and bang the bowl against the counter to pop any air bubbles. Pour it into the springform pan and bake for 60 minutes. When it is done, the edges will be lightly browned and slightly puffy; they'll spring back when lightly touched. The center will be jiggly like Jell-O, but not soupy. The center will set while it cools.

STEP 5: Cool and chill the cheesecake. Let the cheesecake cool for 1-2 hours on top of the oven until it has reached room temperature. After 30 minutes of cooling, use a knife to release the crust from the pan. Then, let it chill the refrigerator overnight or for at least 6 hours.

STEP 6: Make the buttercream (optional). Before you serve the cheesecake, beat room temperature butter with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Then, add powdered (or confectioners') sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk. Beat on low for about 30 seconds and then on medium-high until smooth.

Decorating the Cheesecake

Prepare a piping bag with a large tip (I used Wilton 1M, which I also used to decorate my Prosecco cupcakes and apple cider cupcakes) and fill it with the buttercream. Then, pipe it onto the cheesecake. Do this by applying gentle yet firm texture to the piping bag, creating small swirls around the cake.

Additionally, you can dust the cheesecake with more matcha powder and add a honey drizzle!

Expert Baking Tips

• Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature before baking. This specifically applies to the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs.
• Don't overmix the batter. We want the filling to be smooth without any lumps or bumps, but we don't want it to be mixed too much. Overmixing can lead to the formation of air bubbles that rise to the surface and cause cracking.
• If your springform cake pan isn't leak proof, cover the bottom with aluminum foil. This helps catch any leaks and, since we're skipping the water bath, won't make your crust soggy.
• Don't open the oven door. Doing this can reduce the heat and cause the cheesecake to bake unevenly. Keep an eye on the cheesecake, though, since a lot can happen quickly near the end of baking.

How to Prevent Cracks

Mixing the ingredients- The cream cheese, Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla, and matcha have to be thoroughly beaten before adding the eggs. It should be smooth and not have any lumps. Using room temperature ingredients and scraping the sides of the bowl encourages the filling to be smooth.

Slowly add the eggs- Before adding the eggs to the batter, scramble them a little bit in a bowl with a fork. Then, add each egg slowly while mixing the batter on low. If there is too much air whipped into the eggs, air bubbles could form and the cheesecake will expand and quickly sink while baking. Both of these things cause cracks.

Pop air bubbles- This is super important since we're making this cheesecake without a water bath! After you make the filling, firmly tap the bowl on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles. Then, pour the filling slowly and steadily into the springform pan from high above to remove any additional air bubbles. Air bubbles that rise to the surface and pop in the oven can cause cracks. If you can't get them all, that's ok. You can also pop the ones on the surface with a toothpick.

Bake at a low heat- Baking at a low temperatures prevents the cheesecake from rising too quickly. A rapid rise is a common reason for cheesecake cracks. Baking low and slow is key.

Cool gradually- When your cheesecake is done baking, let it cool for 10 minutes on top of the oven (make sure to turn the oven off). This is the warmest spot to let your cheesecake cool, allowing it to cool gradually instead of having a drastic temperature change. Blasting the cheesecake with cold air will cause cracks.

Release the crust- After 10 minutes on the counter, run a knife around the inside of the springform pan to loosen the crust. The cheesecake will shrink while it cools, and doing this will help release tension.

Substitutions

• Melted, unsalted butter can be substituted for the melted coconut oil in the graham cracker crust.
• Brown sugar can be substituted for the coconut sugar in the graham cracker crust.
• Maple syrup can be used instead of honey to sweeten the cheesecake, but this will change the flavor slightly.
• For a more subtle matcha flavor, you can use 1 tablespoon of matcha powder instead of 2.

Additions

Instead of buttercream, you can top the cheesecake with fruit. Here are some ideas:

• Blueberries and blueberry compote or jam.
• Strawberries and strawberry jam.
• Raspberries and raspberry jam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storing and Freezing

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can store the whole thing in a cake container or slices in smaller containers.

Freezing

First, let the matcha cheesecake set in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Then, slice it up or leave it whole and store in an airtight container, plastic wrap, or bag. The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator to thaw for a few hours before eating (or you can eat it frozen).

More Cakes & Pies to Try

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