Chewy and tender white chocolate matcha brownies make a fabulous holiday dessert (just look at those festive colors!), but they can be enjoyed any time of year.
They’re naturally colored (thanks to the matcha powder), with a light and fragrant green tea flavor that’s unique and delicious. Plus, it pairs so well with the sweet white chocolate chips!
White Chocolate Matcha Blondies
These matcha blonde brownies have everything you’d want in a dessert bar: chewy edges, fudgy centers, and a fabulous crackly top. They aren’t overly sweet, but they’re studded with melty bits of sweet white chocolate for a nice balance.
You don’t need any special equipment to make them – not even an electric mixer. Just a bowl, whisk, spatula, and baking pan. I’m all about keeping things simple. 🙂
I like to top these bars with an icing drizzle and crushed freeze-dried strawberries to celebrate the holiday season, but feel free to make them your own!
(Here are more white chocolate desserts you might enjoy.)
Ingredient Notes
A few notes on some the ingredients you’ll need for these matcha blondie bars:
- Matcha powder gives these brownies their unique color and green tea flavor. Culinary-grade matcha powder is the best kind to use in baked goods.
- We’re using light brown sugar to sweeten these bars and help create a fudgy texture. If needed, you can use white granulated sugar instead.
- You can use white chocolate chips or a chopped white chocolate bar for these brownies. Not a fan of white chocolate? Feel free to substitute semisweet, milk, or dark chocolate instead.
- For the optional icing drizzle, powdered sugar gets mixed with a splash of milk (or water). Crushed, freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries make a fun topping for natural Christmas colors!
For more holiday baking ideas, check out these ginger molasses crinkle cookies or these chocolate chip pomegranate cookies!
How to Make Matcha Brownies
Start by whisking together the dry ingredients (flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt). Set that aside for now.
Next, melt butter, then whisk in brown sugar until a thick paste forms. (This helps the sugar dissolve, which creates that crackly top!).
Lightly whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. Then, sift in the dry ingredients you combined earlier and stir with a spatula until just combined. The batter should now be a rich green color!
Gently fold white chocolate chips/chunks into the batter. Spoon the mixture into a square baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use the spatula to smooth it out on top.
Then, bake! These matcha bars are done when the edges turn lightly golden and start to pull away from the pan, and the top looks crackly.
Let cool, then slice into bars with a sharp knife.
If desired, add a quick icing drizzle on top! Just mix powdered sugar with a splash of milk, then either use a spoon or a ziploc bag with a tiny corner cut off to drizzle the icing over the bars.
Then, sprinkle with crushed freeze-dried strawberries or raspberries and enjoy!
Tips for Baking Matcha Bars
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together long enough to form a paste-like mixture (for that crackly top!)
- Use room temperature eggs (cold eggs won’t combine with the other ingredients as well)
- Once you add the flour, don’t over-mix the batter (this causes gluten to build up, and makes the texture tough)
- Avoid over-baking, especially if you want brownies with a soft and fudgy texture
Storage Tips
Store these bars like any other brownies: in an airtight container at room temperature. They should keep for 3-4 days, but have the best texture the same day they’re made.
What do matcha brownies taste like?
These matcha brownies don’t have cocoa powder or melted chocolate in the batter, in order to keep matcha the most prominent flavor. (Technically, they’re more of a blondie!).
They have a subtle earthy green tea flavor, which is balanced with a light sweetness from the brown sugar and white chocolate chips.
Can I freeze white chocolate matcha brownies?
You can individually wrap these bars in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container (or freezer bag) for up to 3 months.
What kind of matcha should I use?
Culinary-grade matcha powder is best for baked goods. (For drinking matcha/matcha lattes, on the other hand, ceremonial-grade matcha is often used.)
More Mix-In Ideas
You can add a total of one cup of mix-ins to these brownies – whatever you want to use! Here are some ideas:
- chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, etc.)
- semisweet, milk, or dark chocolate chips
- dried fruit
- chopped/crushed Oreos (or other pantry cookie)
If you make these white chocolate matcha brownies, I’d love if you shared your thoughts with a rating and comment below!
More dessert bars to try:
- Peanut Butter Banana Brownies
- Blueberry Walnut Blondie Bars
- Raspberry Almond Blondies
- Almond Butter Cookie Bars
- Pecan Sweet Potato Blondie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Matcha Brownies with White Chocolate
Ingredients
For the Matcha Bars:
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled to measure)
- 2 Tbsp matcha powder (culinary grade)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
For the Icing Drizzle/Topping (optional):
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- splash of milk (or water)
- 2 Tbsp freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit (176° Celsius). Line a square 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, matcha powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and brown sugar until a paste forms. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Lightly whisk until combined.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula until just combined. Gently fold in white chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into the baking pan. (Smooth out on top with the spatula.) Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and pulling away from the pan and the center is set.
- Let cool for 20 minutes. Slice into bars with a sharp knife.
- Optional topping: Stir powdered sugar with a splash of milk to make icing. Use a spoon or a ziploc bag with a tiny corner cut off to drizzle icing over the bars. Sprinkle with freeze-dried strawberries and enjoy!