Vegan Matcha Sugar Cookies

Soft, chewy, and packed with bold matcha flavor—these vegan matcha sugar cookies are easy to make, dairy-free, eggless, and perfect for matcha lovers and curious newcomers alike. All you need are 8 simple ingredients and 1 hour of chill time!

Just like with our Matcha Chia Pudding and our Matcha Crème Brûlée, if you’re a fellow matcha lover, you’re going to love these Vegan Matcha Sugar Cookies. They’re soft, chewy, and packed with that rich, earthy matcha flavor. These cookies are great for holidays, afternoon tea, or anytime you want something a little special.

Ingredients you will need

• Matcha Powder: We recommend using a ceremonial-grade matcha. Our favorites are Frauth or Ippodo.
• Hot water: Dissolves the matcha and eliminates clumps, ensuring the matcha is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
• Flaxseed Meal: Since this recipe is eggless, flaxseed meal acts as an egg substitute to help bind the dough together. When combined with water, it forms a gel-like substance, mimicking the texture and binding properties of an egg.
• Vegan Butter: When baking, it is best to use buttery sticks as opposed to butter spreads because they are more consistent with the texture and thickness of dairy butter and are typically higher in fat. This will ensure your cookies don’t overspread. We usually use Country Crock Plant Butter and highly recommend the brand.  
• Sugar: You’ll need granulated, white sugar for the cookie dough itself as well as for rolling the cookie dough balls. To ensure your sugar is vegan-friendly, opt for organic sugar. While sugar itself is defined as sugarcane or sugar beets and is vegan, it is often produced using refining processes that utilize animal products. Organic versions, however, do not use these same refining processes and are therefore vegan-friendly. 
• Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the flavor and enhances the sweetness and depth of the matcha.
• All-Purpose Flour: We have only tested these vegan strawberry cookies using regular all-purpose flour and have unfortunately not tested a gluten-free version. If you’d like to experiment with a gluten-free strawberry cookie recipe, we’d recommend using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. We’ve used it before in several of our recipes and it typically works well with a slight variation in texture and density. 
• Baking Powder: A leavening agent to help the cookies rise slightly and get that crackly top.
• Salt: Don’t skip the salt! It is essential in this recipe, as it enhances and balances the sweetness, helping the overall cookie taste more dynamic and less flat.

How to make matcha sugar cookies

1. Sift matcha powder into a small bowl and add hot water. Using a bamboo matcha whisk, whisk the matcha in a “W” or “M” formation until smooth and frothy, about 15 seconds.
2. Add flaxseed meal to the matcha. Mix and set aside for 10 minutes to thicken.
3. Cream the butter and sugar. Add vegan butter and sugar to a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the wet ingredients. Add the matcha flaxseed mixture and vanilla extract, and mix again until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix with a spatula until uniform.
6. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
7. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line 2 baking sheets and add the remaining sugar to a small bowl.
8. Shape and coat the dough. Scoop the dough, roll it in your hands to form a smooth ball, then toss it in the sugar bowl until covered. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
9. Bake. Place into the oven for 12-14 minutes or until cracks begin forming on the cookies’ surface and the bottoms and edges start to brown.
10. Bang the tray. Remove the tray from the oven and immediately bang it on the counter 3 times.
11. Cool. Allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Is matcha vegan-friendly?

Yes! Matcha is powdered green tea leaves, and on its own, it contains no animal products. Just be sure you get pure, 100% matcha powder with no additives, flavors, or milk powders.

What matcha should I use?

We recommend using a ceremonial-grade matcha for its high quality and vibrant green color. Our favorites are Frauth or Ippodo. Culinary-grade matcha, while cheaper, can be very bitter.

Can I skip the chilling?

While you can technically bake these cookies without chilling the dough, the texture and flavor will be affected. Chilling the dough not only keeps the cookies from spreading too much but also enhances their chewiness. Baking before chilling will result in the cookies spreading too much in the oven, becoming thinner and crispier than intended.

How to store freshly baked cookies?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes! You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls after shaping and rolling in sugar for up to 3 months. Just bake straight from frozen and add 1–2 extra minutes to the baking time!

More Matcha recipes You May Enjoy

Beverages

Matcha Latte Recipe

Dessert

Vegan Matcha Crème Brûlée

Dessert

Vegan Matcha Banana Pudding

Breakfast

5-Ingredient Matcha Chia Pudding

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