These matcha muffins with white chocolate chips are light, fluffy, and have a gorgeous green hue. Sweet white chocolate pairs so well with green tea! They're the perfect breakfast treat for matcha lovers!
I love matcha green tea. I had matcha for the first time back in 2011. It was love at first sip and I was hooked. The latte was not the best quality, though. It was a sweetened, pre-made matcha latte blend, but I was hooked regardless!
Another thing I absolutely love is a good muffin! They're such a yummy treat, and I'm down for them morning, noon, and night. So, why not combine these two loves of mine to make some delicious matcha muffins with white chocolate chips! The natural green color makes them a perfect morning treat for St. Patricks Day, but I'll eat them any day!
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What is Matcha?
For those of you who are unfamiliar, matcha is made of green tea leaves that have been ground into a fine, vibrant green powder. Matcha has a bright, somewhat grassy taste. The tea leaves are grown in the shade for 3-4 weeks before they are harvested and ground into a powder. Matcha was traditionally consumed in East Asia and was drank as part of the traditional tea ceremony in Japan. Because of its history, most production of matcha still happens in Japan today. However, matcha powder is now used in a variety of drinks and food, like matcha lattes, ice cream, mochi, and matcha muffins!
What are the Benefits of Matcha?
Matcha is different from green tea because it includes nutrients from the entire tea leaf and more caffeine and antioxidants. Matcha is considered a "superfood", which means that it has a variety of awesome health benefits! Here are a few worth noting:
- Matcha is a source of chlorophyll.
- L-theanine is found in matcha. This is an amino acid that promotes relaxation to counteract the caffeine.
- Matcha can boost the immune system.
- Catechins is an antioxidant found in matcha. It can counteract the effect of free radicals in the body.
How to Choose the best Matcha Powder
There are a few different things to consider when choosing a matcha powder to use for these green tea muffins and for everyday drinking.
Matcha Grades
Matcha powder is available in 3 different grades: ceremonial grade (highest grade), premium grade (middle grade), and culinary grade (lowest grade). For drinking, I recommend choosing a ceremonial grade matcha. But for cooking and baking, I recommend a culinary grade matcha. Buying a good culinary matcha will save you money and still taste great!
Color
When choosing a matcha powder, make sure the powder is bright green. It should be almost neon green!! Dull matcha = low quality.
The highest quality matcha is often sourced from Uji, Japan. To help you choose the right matcha powder, here are some of my favorite matcha brands:
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For quantities, see the recipe card below.
- Matcha green tea powder
- Gluten free flour - I used my trusty Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour
- Coconut sugar
- Unsalted butter - melted and cooled
- Egg - at room temperature
- Milk - dairy or non-dairy milk will work in this recipe.
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Pure vanilla extract
- White chocolate chips - I used Guittard's Choc-Au-Lait White Chocolate Chips.
Substitutions
- You can use melted coconut oil instead of melted butter. Make sure that it is at room temperature.
- You can use dark or milk chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips.
- If you don't have coconut sugar, you can use light or dark brown sugar.
Helpful Equipment and tools
Instructions
- Firstly, reheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with muffin papers.
- Secondly, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and matcha together in a bowl and set aside.
- Whisk the melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla extract together in a separate large bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula. Then, fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Fill the muffin papers ⅔ of the way full with batter, leaving a little room for the muffins to rise.
- Bake the muffins until they are domed and golden brown. Begin checking the muffins at 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the middle of a muffin. When removed, the toothpick should only have a few moist crumbs on it.
Expert Baking Tips
Use room temperature ingredients. This is so important when baking. It helps the ingredients to come together beautifully and create a super fluffy muffin.
Measure your flour correctly. I recommend fluffing the flour up in the container and then spooning it into your measuring cup. Then, scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
Don’t overmix the batter. This is sooo important! Mixing the batter too much can cause a ton of different problems with your muffins, even when they are gluten free. We do not want a tough or sunken muffin. Make sure the ingredients are just combined.
Use a cookie scoop to portion the muffin batter. Evenly portioned batter will allow for evenly baked muffins.
Use muffins liners. They just make everything so much easier. They are easier to transport and don't get stuck in the muffin pan. If you don't have any muffin liners on hand, grease the muffin in with a little butter or oil before pouring the batter in the wells.
Additions
- Sugar - add a little sugar on top of the muffins before baking.
- Nuts - walnuts or pecans would be delicious.
- Sprinkles!
Storage and Freezing
You can store your muffins in an airtight container on the counter. The muffins should keep for about 3-5 days.
Freezing
The muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure they are stored in an airtight container. Double-check that the muffins have completely thawed before you eat them. You can leave them out on the counter for a couple hours or microwave them on a microwave-safe plate for about 30 seconds on high.
More breakfast recipes to try
Matcha Muffins with White Chocolate Chips
These gluten free matcha muffins with white chocolate chips are the perfect breakfast treat, loaded with white chocolate chips and fresh green tea flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon culinary matcha powder
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and matcha together in a bowl and set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Slowly fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula until they are just combined.
- Fold the white chocolate chips into the batter gently.
- Fill muffin cups ⅔ of the way full with batter, leaving room for the muffins to rise.
- Bake at 350°F until domed and golden brown. Begin checking the muffins at 15 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the middle of a muffin. When removed, the toothpick should only have a few moist crumbs on it.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
Make sure your milk, eggs, and melted butter are all at room temperature. Let them sit out on the counter for about 15 minutes to reach room temperature.
Granulated cane sugar can be used instead of coconut sugar.
Dairy or non-dairy milk is suitable for this recipe.
Matcha muffins will last 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container on the counter.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 249Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 249mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 4g
Arica Aspenson
These look yummy! I've never baked with matcha, but I'll have to try these out! I love that they're gluten free too 🙂
Mariah
Looks delicious!