If you’re a matcha lover, you’re gonna lovee this recipe. These soft and tender matcha mochi cookies are infused with the earthy notes of matcha green tea, balanced perfectly with the creamy sweetness of white chocolate chips. The addition of mochi pieces inside the cookies adds a delightful chewiness to each bite, creating a mixture of soft, chewy, and crumbly textures that just makes them super irresistible!
As you bite into these mochi cookies, the crumbly rich matcha-flavoured cookie crust gives way to the chewy, stretchy mochi inside, bringing the eating experience to the next level. If you’re a fan of mochi and matcha cookies, then this recipe will give you the best of two worlds.
Table of contents
- What are mochi cookies?
- Ingredients for matcha mochi cookies
- How to make matcha mochi cookies
- Success tips on making matcha mochi cookies
- Brown sugar vs white sugar in cookie recipes
- Can I use the microwave instead of steaming to make the mochi dough?
- How long do these matcha mochi cookies last?
- More sweet snack & dessert recipes
What are mochi cookies?
Mochi cookies are a delicious twist on traditional cookies, incorporating mochi, a Japanese rice cake made from glutinous rice, into the cookie dough. The addition of mochi gives the cookies a chewy and slightly sticky texture, creating a unique and enjoyable eating experience. There’s a popular store bought mochi cookies in Korea which is a double chocolate chip flavour with chewy mochi inside. That’s how I came to know this type of cookie!
Ingredients for matcha mochi cookies
For the cookie dough
- Matcha powder: The key flavouring ingredient for this cookie recipe.
- White chocolate chips: These balance out the earthy and subtle bitter flavour of the matcha green tea, and add a creamy sweetness to the cookies.
- Plain flour: Using plain flour for cookies helps to create a tender and crumbly texture, resulting in softer and more delicate cookies.
- Unsalted butter: This gives the cookies a rich buttery taste, and helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Brown sugar: This adds moisture and a slightly caramel flavour to the cookies, and can also result in a chewy and moist cookie texture.
- Egg: This acts as a binding agent that holds all the ingredients together. It also contributes to the structure of the cookies by helping to set the cookies when baking.
- Baking powder: This acts as a leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and spread when baking, leading to a more uniform shape and texture. It also produces a light and airy texture, and the overall tenderness of the cookies.
For the mochi
- Glutinous rice flour: This is an essential ingredient for making mochi as its high starch content is what gives mochi its characteristic sticky and chewy texture.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps create a softer and chewier mochi, acting as a tenderiser that leads to a more delicate and elastic texture. It also aids in shaping and handling the mochi dough to make it easier to work with.
- Sugar: This not only adds a pleasant sweetness to the mochi dough, but also helps tenderise it to make it softer and chewier.
- Milk: Adding in milk to make the mochi enhances its flavour and richness. It also makes the mochi smoother, more elastic, and softer.
- Unsalted butter: This is added when kneading the mochi to make it easier to handle. It also enhances its overall flavour profile by adding a rich, creamy, and buttery taste.
How to make matcha mochi cookies
Make the mochi dough
- Mix together glutinous rice flour, cornstarch, and sugar. Stir in milk to incorporate with the flour mixture.
- Pour the mixture to a deep plate, and steam for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the cookie dough
- In a large mixer bowl, beat the unsalted butter to soften them, adding in brown sugar 3 separate times. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in 1 egg, then mix well.
- Sift in plain flour, baking powder, and matcha powder. Use a cut-and-fold method to mix the ingredients until just combined.
- Roll the cookie dough into a cylinder, divide into 12 pieces, and roll each piece into a ball. Keep them chilled in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the mochi cookies
- Add butter to the steamed mochi and knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
- Divide the mochi dough into 12 pieces, and roll them into balls (about 22g each).
- Take out the cookie dough balls from the refrigerator. Make a dent in the cookie dough, and place a piece of mochi inside. Wrap the dough around it, and roll into a ball.
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
- Place the mochi cookies on a baking tray lined with baking sheet, leaving some space in between.
- Place white chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 190ºC for 12-15 minutes.
- Once they are baked, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Success tips on making matcha mochi cookies
Use a cut-and-fold method to mix the cookie dough.
The cut-and-fold method involves cutting through the dough with a spatula and then folding it over itself, repeating the process until the ingredients are just combined. This technique prevents overmixing the cookie dough, which could lead to tough or dense cookies. It helps to gently and evenly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without overworking the dough. This helps to maintain the desired texture of the cookies!
Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator.
This allows the cookies to retain their shape during baking, preventing them from spreading too much to result in thicker and chewier cookies. Chilled dough also allows the cookie flavours to develop, enhancing the taste in the finished cookies.
Dust with cornstarch when working with the mochi dough.
The mochi dough will be quite sticky as you work with it. If it gets too sticky and difficult to handle, you can dust the work surface, hands, and utensils with cornstarch for easier handling.
Brown sugar vs white sugar in cookie recipes
Using brown sugar vs white sugar when making cookies affects the flavours and textures of the finished cookies. Brown sugar adds moisture and a slightly caramel flavour to the cookies. This can result in a chewier and moister texture compared to using white sugar alone.
On the other hand, white sugar provides sweetness without adding additional moisture. It is more neutral in flavour and helps cookies spread more during baking, resulting in a crispier texture.
Understanding the differences in results will allow you to make cookies with the desired texture and outcomes. For this cookie recipe, I think a moist and chewy cookie texture will complement better with the chewy mochi inside, so I used brown sugar only. You can use white sugar instead, or a combination of both for a balance of flavours and textures to customise these mochi cookies to your preferences!
Can I use the microwave instead of steaming to make the mochi dough?
I’d recommend using the traditional method of steaming rather than the microwave. Steaming allows for more even cooking and heat distribution, resulting in a smoother and more consistent texture in the mochi dough. The gentle heat from steaming helps the glutinous rice flour to fully hydrate and gelatinize, creating the desired chewy and elastic consistency.
Microwaving, on the other hand, can sometimes lead to uneven cooking and the risk of overcooking or drying out the mochi dough. This method is quicker (it saves you some time, I get it!), but just be sure to carefully monitor the mochi dough to prevent it from becoming tough and rubbery. Microwave the mochi at 30 seconds to 1 minute intervals, stirring every time you take it out from the microwave, until you achieve a thick texture.
How long do these matcha mochi cookies last?
These homemade matcha mochi cookies can last for about 3-5 days when stored properly in an airtight container at room temperature. Be sure to keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources to maintain their freshness.
You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When storing in the freezer, make sure to wrap the cookies tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Combining the rich, earthy notes of matcha green tea with the delightful chewiness of mochi, these matcha mochi cookies offer you a unique and unforgettable experience. Each bite is a symphony of flavours, with the subtle bitterness of matcha perfectly complementing the sweet and chewy mochi pieces. Treat yourself to a moment of pure bliss with these irresistible cookies!
More sweet snack & dessert recipes
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Matcha Mochi Cookies
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 2g
- 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, add in glutinous rice flour, corn starch and sugar, mix well.
- Slowly stir in milk to incorporate with flour mixture. Pour the mixture into a deep plate.
- Steam for 20 minutes.
Make the cookie dough
- In a large bowl, cream the unsalted butter with a hand mixer to soften it.
- Add in brown sugar 3 separate times, and beat until light and fluffy. By adding sugar gradually, this helps create a lighter and more tender crumb as your are slowly incorporating air into the mixture.
- Add in 1 egg then mix well.
- Sift in plain flour, baking powder and matcha powder.
- Use the cut-and-fold technique to mix the batter – cut through the dough with a spatula, fold it over, and repeat the process until the ingredients are just combined. This method helps to gently and evenly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without overworking the dough, which could lead to tough and dense cookies.
- Take out the cookie dough from the mixer bowl, roll it into a cylinder, then divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, wrap with cling film, and keep them chilled in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Make the mochi cookies
- Add butter to the steamed mochi dough and knead until smooth. This takes around 10 minutes.
- Divide the mochi dough into 12 pieces, and roll them into balls (about 22g each).
- Take out the cookie dough balls from the fridge. Use your thumb to press on centre of each cookie dough to make a dent. Place a mochi ball in the centre, wrap the dough around it, and roll into a ball.
- Repeat the above step for the remaining mochi cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
- Place them on a baking tray lined with baking sheet, leaving some space in between to allow them to spread out when baking in the oven.
- Place white chocolate chips on top of the cookies.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 12-15mins.
- Place the baked cookies on a cooling rack and let them cool for 5-10mins.
- Enjoy the cookies when they are warm for the best experience!