I absolutely love this Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe because it combines the earthy, vibrant flavor of matcha with a chewy mochi center and a buttery cookie exterior. When I first tried making these, I was surprised by how the soft mochi surprise inside adds such a wonderful textural contrast that you just don’t get with regular cookies. It’s a little piece of cozy happiness in every bite!
You’ll find that these cookies are perfect for an afternoon tea or when you want to impress friends with a unique dessert. Plus, the recipe is straightforward enough that even if you’ve never worked with mochi before, you’ll get great results without stress. This Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe is honestly a fun twist on traditional cookies that makes every baking session feel special.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unique Texture: The mochi center keeps the cookies irresistibly chewy and soft.
- Delicious Flavor Harmony: Earthy matcha blends beautifully with sweet white chocolate chips.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: These cookies impress both at casual gatherings and as a thoughtful gift.
- Beginner Friendly: Clear steps make the mochi dough approachable, even if it’s your first time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For this Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe, the ingredients come together beautifully to create layers of flavor and texture. From glutinous rice flour for the mochi to fragrant matcha and creamy butter, each plays a key role.
- Unsalted butter: Use good quality for a tender, rich cookie dough.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and a slight caramel note to balance matcha bitterness.
- Egg: Binds the cookie dough while giving it structure.
- Plain flour: The backbone for the cookie base; sift for a light texture.
- Matcha powder: Choose culinary grade for true vibrant flavor and color.
- Baking powder: Helps cookies rise just enough without becoming cakey.
- White chocolate chips: Sweet pockets that pair wonderfully with matcha.
- Glutinous rice flour: Essential for chewy mochi, not to be confused with regular rice flour.
- Corn starch: Improves mochi dough texture for softness and elasticity.
- Sugar: Sweetens the mochi dough gently.
- Milk: Moistens the mochi dough smoothly.
Variations
I love mixing things up with this Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe depending on the season or my mood. Feel free to customize the fillings and toppings to suit your taste or dietary needs – it’s fun and makes the recipe your own.
- White chocolate substitution: I’ve swapped white chocolate chips for dark or milk chocolate to balance matcha’s slight bitterness in some batches.
- Matcha intensity: Increasing matcha powder for a stronger flavor works well if you love bold green tea notes like I do.
- Dairy-free option: Use coconut oil or vegan butter in both doughs for a delicious plant-based treat.
- Extra fillings: Adding sweet red bean paste or a small piece of mochi fruit jelly inside the mochi ball adds a surprise twist.
How to Make Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Make the Mochi Dough
Start by combining glutinous rice flour, corn starch, and sugar in a large bowl, mixing them well. Slowly stir in the milk until everything is just incorporated. Pour this mixture into a deep plate or a heatproof dish for steaming. Steam for 20 minutes — this part is really important to transform the flour mixture into that soft, chewy mochi texture you’re aiming for.
Step 2: Prepare the Cookie Dough
While the mochi dough steams, cream the unsalted butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until soft and fluffy. Add the brown sugar gradually in three parts, beating well between each addition — this little trick helps air infuse into the dough for tender cookies. Next, mix in the egg fully. Sift in the plain flour, baking powder, and matcha powder, then fold them into the wet ingredients gently with a cut-and-fold technique using a spatula. This keeps the cookie dough light and prevents it from getting tough.
Step 3: Chill the Cookie Dough
Shape the dough into a cylinder and cut it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, wrap them individually in cling film, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. This resting period is key — it helps the dough firm up so it’s easier to work with when you’re assembling the fillings.
Step 4: Finish the Mochi Dough and Assemble Cookies
Once the mochi dough has steamed, add the unsalted butter and knead it for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth and pliable. Divide the mochi into 12 little balls, roughly 22 grams each. Take the chilled cookie dough balls, press a dent in the center with your thumb, place a mochi ball inside, and wrap the cookie dough around it, rolling everything into a neat ball. This is where the magic happens — sealing the chewy mochi inside the buttery cookie shell.
Step 5: Bake Your Matcha Mochi Cookies
Preheat your oven to 190ºC (375ºF). Place the assembled cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat, giving each cookie room to spread a bit. Top each cookie with a few white chocolate chips; they melt slightly during baking and create delicious pockets of sweetness. Bake them for 12-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 5-10 minutes. I always recommend trying one warm — it’s pure bliss!
Pro Tips for Making Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe
- Gradual Sugar Addition: Adding brown sugar in parts while creaming butter helps achieve a light, airy cookie texture.
- Cut-and-Fold Mixing: This gentle method prevents overworking the dough, so your cookies stay tender, not tough.
- Chill the Dough Well: Resting the dough makes it easier to wrap around mochi and prevents spreading too much in the oven.
- Kneading Mochi Patience: Knead mochi dough thoroughly after steaming for the best chewy texture — rushed mochi turns crumbly.
How to Serve Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
When serving, I like to add a delicate dusting of additional matcha powder or powdered sugar to bring out the green tea flavor and make the cookies look extra special. Sometimes, a few extra white chocolate chips scattered around the plate add a lovely visual touch and hint at the sweet surprise inside.
Side Dishes
These cookies pair beautifully with a warm cup of green tea or matcha latte — the flavors echo each other perfectly. I’ve also enjoyed them alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a light fruit salad for a balanced dessert spread.
Creative Ways to Present
For special occasions, I’ve arranged the cookies in a bamboo steamer basket lined with parchment paper to highlight their Asian-inspired flair. Wrapping a few in parchment tied with twine makes a charming gift, especially dusted lightly with matcha for a thoughtful, handmade feel.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once cooled, I store leftover Matcha Mochi Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. To keep the mochi center soft, avoid refrigerating unless necessary, as cold air can firm it up. If you must refrigerate, let the cookies come to room temperature before enjoying.
Freezing
I’ve frozen these cookies successfully by wrapping each individually in plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature and gently warm them in your oven or microwave to bring back the soft, chewy magic.
Reheating
To reheat, a few seconds in the microwave works wonders, but be careful not to overheat or they’ll get too soft. Alternatively, warming them in a 160ºC oven for 5 minutes refreshes the cookie crispness while keeping that mochi center irresistibly chewy.
FAQs
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Can I use regular rice flour instead of glutinous rice flour for the mochi dough?
Glutinous rice flour is essential for that chewy mochi texture — regular rice flour won’t give you the same elasticity or softness. It’s best to stick with glutinous rice flour for this recipe.
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How important is chilling the cookie dough before baking?
Chilling the dough is very important since it firms up the dough, making it easier to wrap around the mochi balls and helping prevent the cookies from spreading too thin during baking. I don’t skip this step!
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Can I make the mochi dough ahead of time?
You can make the mochi dough a few hours in advance. Store it covered at room temperature and knead again before assembling the cookies. Avoid refrigerating it as it can become too firm.
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Why do the cookies sometimes turn out tough?
This often happens if you overmix the dough after adding flour. Using the cut-and-fold method gently combines the dry ingredients with minimal gluten development, keeping your cookies tender every time.
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Is matcha powder interchangeable in this recipe?
I recommend using culinary-grade matcha powder for the best flavor and color — higher grades used for drinking tea are more expensive but work if you have them. Avoid substituting with green tea powders not labeled as matcha.
Final Thoughts
This Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe holds a special place in my baking repertoire because it’s a delightful fusion of textures and flavors that always surprises and delights anyone I share them with. If you’re looking for a fun baking project that yields unique, pretty, and scrumptious cookies, I wholeheartedly recommend giving this a try — you’ll love how the chewy mochi and vibrant matcha complement each other. Baking these has become one of my favorite ways to treat myself and my loved ones, and I hope you enjoy making and eating them as much as I do!
Print
Matcha Mochi Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Matcha Mochi Cookies combine the earthy flavor of matcha with a unique surprise inside—a soft, chewy mochi center. Featuring a tender, buttery matcha cookie exterior with a sweet glutinous rice mochi filling and topped with white chocolate chips, they offer a delightful texture contrast and a perfect balance of flavors. Ideal for tea time or as a special treat, these cookies are sure to impress with their elegant appearance and delicious taste.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 90 g unsalted butter
- 90 g brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 180 g plain flour
- 15 g matcha powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (2 g)
- 50 g white chocolate chips
For the Mochi Dough
- 70 g glutinous rice flour
- 20 g corn starch
- 15 g sugar
- 140 ml milk
- 15 g unsalted butter
Instructions
- Make the mochi dough: In a large bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, corn starch, and sugar. Mix well to evenly distribute the ingredients. Slowly stir in the milk until fully incorporated into the flour mixture. Pour the mixture into a deep plate suitable for steaming. Steam the mixture for 20 minutes until set.
- Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, cream the unsalted butter using a hand mixer until softened. Gradually add brown sugar in three separate additions, beating thoroughly each time until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well until fully incorporated. Sift together the plain flour, baking powder, and matcha powder, then gently fold these dry ingredients into the wet mixture using the cut-and-fold technique to avoid overmixing, ensuring a tender cookie dough. Remove the dough from the bowl, roll it into a cylinder, divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, wrap in cling film, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Prepare mochi balls: Add the unsalted butter to the steamed mochi dough and knead by hand until the dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Divide the mochi dough into 12 equal pieces, rolling each into a ball weighing approximately 22 grams.
- Assemble mochi cookies: Remove the cookie dough balls from the fridge. Using your thumb, create a dent in the center of each dough ball. Place one mochi ball into the center, then carefully wrap the dough around it and roll gently to form a smooth ball enclosing the mochi inside. Repeat for all 12 cookies.
- Preheat the oven and bake: Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the prepared cookie balls on the tray, spacing them to allow for spreading during baking. Press white chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges.
- Cool and serve: Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Enjoy the cookies warm to experience the perfect combination of chewy mochi center and tender matcha cookie exterior.
Notes
- Chilling the cookie dough helps prevent excessive spreading during baking and makes it easier to wrap the mochi balls.
- The steamed mochi dough should be kneaded thoroughly with butter until smooth to ensure a soft chewy texture.
- Use good quality matcha powder for the best flavor and vibrant green color.
- White chocolate chips add a lovely sweetness contrast and visual appeal but can be omitted if desired.
- Enjoy the cookies warm for the ideal texture, or store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
