Matcha Cream Cheese Cookies

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If you are a fan of matcha, you will LOVE these matcha cream cheese cookies!  They are crispy on the outside, chewy and fudgy on the inside, and tastes exactly like matcha cheesecake!  With such a perfect combination of flavour and texture, these cookies make the best little indulgence for any matcha lover.

I have been dreaming of these matcha cream cheese cookies for so long.  Now that I have finally made them, I am so pleasantly surprised that they came out even better than I had imagined! 

Do you love thin crispy yet chewy chocolate chip cookies?  Yes?  Well, same here!  They are the best kind of chocolate chip cookies, I reckon.  These matcha cookies have the perfect texture – a crispy outer shell with a chewy, gooey, and fudgy body.  And don’t forget the cream cheese filling that make these cookies so unique.

Now to the flavour… These matcha cookies with cream cheese filling tastes exactly like a matcha cheesecake.  The flavour of matcha is refreshing and light, and the cream cheese filling make these cookies taste like a creamy cheesecake. 

Have I sold you on these incredibly matcha cookies yet?  Well, what are you waiting for?  Give them a try!  Oh, and I’d love to hear how you find these cookies, so don’t forget to let me know in the comments below!

What is matcha?

Matcha is young green tea leaves that is ground into a fine powder. Matcha is traditionally from East Asia. You can find the finest matcha in Japan, where it has been grown for centuries and is a part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

What does matcha taste like?

Matcha has a delicate and earthy flavour. I often find that many matcha desserts are quite refreshing and pleasant to eat. However, it is important not to use too much matcha in this recipe, as your cookies may end up tasting too bitter.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE

FOR COOKIE DOUGH

All purpose flour

Matcha powder

Baking soda

Salt

Butter Unsalted, softened to room temperature

Granulated sugar

Egg At room temperature

Milk Any milk of your choice, either dairy or plant-based milk will work

Vanilla extract

FOR CREAM CHEESE FILLING

Cream cheese Full-fat block, at room temperature

Confectioners’ sugar

All purpose flour

Vanilla extract

FOR ROLLING

Granulated sugar

HOW TO MAKE MATCHA CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

MAKE COOKIE DOUGH

Mix the flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, use a hand-held or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.  Add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, beat for 1 minute or until combined.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed.

Set the mixer on low speed, and slowly add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl until combined.  The cookie dough should be slightly sticky.  Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1.5 hours and up to 3 days.

MAKE CREAM CHEESE FILLING

In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, flour, and vanilla extract.  Using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat for about 3 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

Spoon teaspoonfuls of the cream cheese filling onto a lined baking sheet.  Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 1.5 hours or up to 3 days.

Remove cream cheese from the freezer.  Place them back onto the baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to assemble the cookies.

ASSEMBLE THE COOKIES

Pre-heat oven to 350F (177C).

Remove cookie dough from refrigerator.*  Roll the cookie dough into balls, about 1 teaspoon.

Remove cream cheese from the freezer.

To stuff the cream cheese filling in cookie dough, make two bowl shapes from two cookie dough balls. Do this by using your thumb to make an indent in the ball, then pinch the sides to make a small bowl shape.**  Repeat for another cookie dough ball.  Place a cold cream cheese ball in the indent of one cookie dough ‘bowl’, then cover the cream cheese ball with other cookie dough ‘bowl’.  Seal in the cream cheese filling by gently pinching the sides of the two pieces of dough together.  Lightly roll the stuffed cookie into a round circle. Roll the stuffed cookie ball in some granulated sugar. Repeat for remaining cookies.

Arrange the stuffed cookies on a lined baking sheet about 3-inches apart.  Bake for 12-13 minutes or until edges appear set, but the centers still soft.

Remove from the oven and leave the cookies to cool on the baking trays for about 5-10 minutes.  After this time, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

PRO TIPS FOR MATCHA CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

Milk – You may use any type of milk, dairy or non-dairy.

Cream cheese – It is important to only use full-fat block cream cheese.  Stay away from low-fat or spreadable cream cheese.  If not, your cream cheese filling may be too runny!

*Keep everything cold – It is important to keep the cookie dough and cream cheese filling balls cold for ease of assembly.  If they become too soft and hard to work with, simply place the cookie dough balls and cream cheese balls back in the refrigerator to chill until hardened again.

Rolling out cookie dough – If your cookie dough has been chilling for more than 3 hours, allow the dough to sit in room temperature for about 20 minutes.  This will allow the dough to soften slightly, making it easier to roll into balls.

**Assembling the cookies – When shaping the cookie dough balls before adding the cream cheese filling, make sure you only pinch the sides of the cookie dough ball.  You do not want the dough to be too thin around the bottom (the indent area).   

Make ahead – You can make the cookie dough and cream cheese filling up to 3 days before assembling and baking.  Alternatively, you can freeze the dough and cream cheese filling for up to  week.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…

• Matcha Brownies
• Matcha Latte
• Homemade Chai Tea Latte
• One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
• Strawberry and Cream Cake