Why I Love This Recipe

These light and fluffy Matcha Muffins are a lovely treat for any green tea lover. The batter comes together easily and bakes into tender, moist muffins with a gentle matcha fragrance.

• **Vibrant green color – **The lovely matcha hue makes these muffins perfect for tea time, gifting, or green holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, Earth Day, or Christmas!
• Easy to make – No special tools beyond a mixer and muffin pan.
• **Soft and fluffy – **The texture is light and moist, never dry.
• Perfect balance of flavor – The slight bitterness of matcha pairs beautifully with the sweet, buttery muffin base.
• A little boost of antioxidants – Matcha is rich in antioxidants like catechins, plus vitamin C and fiber—so you can enjoy a treat with a few natural benefits!

I love them fresh out of the oven with a cup of tea or coffee—they make your kitchen smell wonderful!

Love matcha sweets? Try my Matcha Cookies, Matcha Mille Crepe Cake, and Matcha Basque Cheesecake recipes next!

Table of Contents

• Why I Love This Recipe
• Ingredients for Matcha Muffins
• How to Make Matcha Muffins
• Nami’s Recipe Tips
• Variations and Customizations
• What to Serve with Matcha Muffins
• Storage and Reheating Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe Card
• Did you make this recipe?

Ingredients for Matcha Muffins

• matcha (green tea powder) – see my Matcha page to learn about different “grades” of matcha powder like so-called ceremonial grade matcha
• all-purpose flour (plain flour)
• baking powder
• whole milk + **lemon juice **(or apple cider vinegar) – for the buttermilk substitute; Using full-fat milk produces a thicker, richer buttermilk substitute that adds moisture to the muffins. While you can use low-fat or skim milk, the muffins may not be as moist.
• unsalted butter
• sugar
• large eggs
• optional white icing – confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract (optional)

*Find the printable recipe with measurements below. *

Jump to Recipe

How to Make Matcha Muffins

1. Prep milk and mix dry ingredients. Stir lemon juice into milk and let it sit for a few minutes until slightly curdled. Sift and whisk together flour, baking powder, and matcha in a large bowl.
2. Cream butter and sugar. In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar in three parts, beating well after each addition until pale and creamy.

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1. Add eggs. Beat eggs in a separate bowl, then add them to the butter mixture one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently after each addition.
2. Combine the wet mixture and dry mixture. Add the flour mixture and milk in three parts, mixing on low speed until just combined and gently folding the final addition by hand. Do not overmix.

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1. Bake. Scoop batter into muffin cups prepped with paper liners. Tap the muffin tin lightly to release air bubbles. Bake in a preheated 340°F (170°C) oven for 30–35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Nami’s Recipe Tips

• Use room temp butter and eggs – This helps create a smooth, fluffy batter. See how to speed up the process in my Recipe Notes below.
• Sift flour and matcha – This step aerates and removes lumps to keep the muffins light and even.
• Don’t overmix – Overmixing can make the muffins dense and tough.
• Fold gently – When combining at the end, fold softly with a spatula to keep the air in the batter.
• Preserve the beautiful green color – Bake at a low temperature of 340°F (170°C) and use the buttermilk substitute to maintain matcha’s bright hue.
• Don’t overbake – They’re ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Every oven bakes differently, so keep an eye on yours!
• Measure flour accurately – Too much makes muffins dense. Weigh it with a kitchen scale for accuracy, or see how to measure flour so you don’t scoop too much.

Variations and Customizations

• Citrus twist. Add lemon zest for a refreshing note.
• White chocolate chips. Sprinkle these mix-ins before baking for extra sweetness in each bite.
• A different drizzle. Drizzle with melted white chocolate or make matcha icing by sifting 2 tsp matcha into the confectioners’ sugar before mixing with the milk.
• Mini muffins. Use a mini tin and mini muffin liners and bake 18–20 minutes.

What to Serve with Matcha Muffins

These muffins pair beautifully with:

• a hot cup of Hojicha Latte
• Iced Matcha Latte or Strawberry Matcha Latte for a refreshing pick-me-up
• Colorful Japanese Fruit Sandwich for breakfast or snack time

Storage and Reheating Tips

**To store: **Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Reheat in the microwave for 15 seconds before serving. To freeze, wrap individually and store in the freezer up to 2 weeks. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm briefly before serving.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use plant-based milk and vegan butter?

While the flavor of the muffins will change, soy or oat milk works as long as it’s unsweetened. We have not tested this recipe with vegan butter, so please let us know how it turns out if you try it!

Why did my muffins turn out brown instead of green?

The oven may be too hot. Lower the temperature to 340°F (170°C) and avoid overbaking to preserve the color. The buttermilk substitute also protects the vibrant green color, so please don’t skip it.

Can I add a pinch of salt to the batter?

Yes, if you’d like.

Can I use gluten-free flour?

I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but you can check the comments to see if other JOC readers have had success with it. Many have had success using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure (One-to-One) Gluten Free Flour in other baking recipes.

I’d love to hear how your green tea muffins turned out! 💛 Please leave a star rating and comment below to share your experience. Your feedback not only supports Just One Cookbook but also helps other home cooks discover recipes they can trust.

For the Dry Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) (please weigh your flour; click the Metric button for weights; or see how to measure flour with a measuring cup)
• 1½ tsp baking powder

For the Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk (at room temperature)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon; or use apple cider vinegar)
• 14 Tbsp unsalted butter (¾ cup + 2 Tbsp;** at room temperature**—it takes about 30–60 minutes)
• 1⅓ cups sugar
• 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (at room temperature—it takes about 30 minutes**)**

For the White Icing (optional)

• ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1 Tbsp milk

• 2 drops pure vanilla extract

Before You Start: Weigh your ingredients with a kitchen scale. Click the Metric button above for weights. If you don’t have a scale, here’s how to measure flour with a measuring cup so you don’t scoop too much: Fluff the flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into the measuring cup, and level it off.

Now, gather all the ingredients. The butter and eggs must be at room temperature so the butter is soft enough to leave a finger imprint when pressed. See Notes below on how to speed up the process.

Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.

**Nami’s Tip: **We bake at a lower temperature to preserve the matcha’s bright green color.

Mix 1 tbsp lemon juice into 1 cup whole milk at room temperature and stir well. Let it sit for a few minutes until it slightly curdles, like buttermilk. Set aside.

Nami’s Tip: This buttermilk substitute prevents the matcha from reacting too strongly with the baking powder, keeping the green color vibrant.

Add 3 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) and 1½ tsp baking powder into a fine-mesh strainer set inside a large bowl. Sift to aerate. Then, add 6 Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) into the same strainer and sift.

Mix the dry ingredients with a hand whisk until evenly combined. Set aside.

To Make the Batter

Add 14 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or to a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Beat on high speed **(Speed 8 or 10) **until light and fluffy. Reduce to medium (Speed 6) and add 1⅓ cups sugar in **three portions, **beating well after each addition.

After you beat in the final portion, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Continue to beat well until creamy and pale.

Crack 4 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) into a separate bowl and beat well with a hand whisk.

Add the eggs to the butter mixture one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition on low (“Stir” or Speed 2)* just until the egg is incorporated and disappears.* Do not overmix.

**Nami’s Tip: **Don’t add the egg all at once, as this may cause curdling and a coarse texture.

Add one-third of the dry mixture and one-third of the milk into the butter-egg mixture. Stir on low (“Stir” or Speed 2) until just combined. Do not overmix.

Repeat with a second addition of dry mixture and milk, stirring until just combined. Remove the mixing bowl from the stand mixer.

Add the final addition and gently fold with a rubber spatula without deflating the air in the batter. Do not overmix.

To Bake

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin liners (I used a large cookie scoop here).

Wipe off any batter that gets on the paper liners. Tap the muffin pan on the counter from about 3 inches high to release any large air bubbles.

Bake in a preheated 340°F (170°C) oven for 30–35 minutes (mine was 32 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Every oven bakes differently, so keep an eye on yours!

Take out the pan and let the muffins rest in the tin for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins to a wire rack and cool completely.

To Decorate (optional)

Add ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 Tbsp milk, and 2 drops pure vanilla extract (optional) to a medium bowl.

Mix well. Drizzle the icing with a fork or pipe it onto the muffins. To make a piping bag, set a zip-top bag inside a cup, pour in the icing, and push it to one corner.

Snip a small corner (about 1 mm) and drizzle on the muffins.

Nami’s Tip: Other toppings include melted white chocolate, matcha powder, powdered sugar, or matcha icing made by sifting 2 tsp matcha into the confectioners’ sugar before mixing with the milk.

To Serve

These muffins are best enjoyed slightly warm, or serve them at room temperature. I paired it with the pastel serenity dessert plate in pink from JOC Goods.

To Store

Store in an airtight container and consume within 2–3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 15 seconds. You can also store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm in the microwave for 15 seconds.

How can I quickly bring butter or eggs to room temperature?

Butter:

1. Fill a tall glass (that fits the butter) with hot tap water.
2. Wait 30 seconds and dump the water.
3. Cover the butter with the warm glass. The butter will soften in a few minutes.

Eggs:

1. Submerge cold eggs in lukewarm water (not hot) for 10–15 minutes. Change the water once if it cools.

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