Matcha Cupcakes

These gluten free matcha cupcakes are soft, tender and made in one bowl! They’re topped with a simple vanilla matcha buttercream frosting and are the perfect dairy free cupcake for any occasion!

Cupcakes are one of my most favorite desserts ever. And it’s no secret I’m a huge matcha fan. Matcha muffins, cookies, pancakes and now fluffy matcha cupcakes!

If you’re not familiar, matcha is powdered green tea leaves. It has about three times the antioxidants of traditional bagged green tea leaves, as is often consumed in Latte form.

These cupcakes can have as strong or as mild of a matcha flavor as you like, so don’t worry if you aren’t the biggest matcha fan.

Matcha is great to use in baking since it pairs well with flavors like vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and lemon. It adds such a pretty green color to baked goods! In these cupcakes, we’ll be using a lot of vanilla and plenty of sugar to balance out the earthy flavor of matcha. Try my gluten free red velvet cupcakes next!

How to make matcha cupcakes

Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients.

Step 2: Whisk in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour. Whisk until no clumps remain.

Step 3: Add to your prepared tin, filling each about 3/4 of the way up.

Step 4: Bake for 16-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 19 is usually perfect in my oven, but all ovens are different.

Step 4: To make the buttercream frosting, add the softened or room temperature butter to a bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes on low speed.

Step 5: Add in the powdered sugar and beat until well combined. Add in a splash of milk as needed to thin.

Step 6: Mix in the matcha, vanilla and pinch of salt.

Step 7: When the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost and enjoy!

Keep the color vibrant!

There are various types of matcha on the market, some have bright green colors and some have very dull green and almost brown color.

Culinary grade matcha is usually used in baking and cooking, but I recommend sticking with a ceremonial grade matcha. Ceremonial grade is higher quality and will have a better flavor and brighter green color.

Matcha can turn brown when it bakes for too long, so it can be an issue with baked goods like cake where the bake time is on the longer side.

For these matcha cupcakes, you do not have to worry about the color getting dull because the bake time is only about 20 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

How should I store cupcakes?

Once frosted, you will want to store these matcha cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for 5.

If you live in a warm climate, they will do best in the fridge since the butter in the frosting can melt into the cupcakes and make them a bit soggy.

Can I make them vegan?

I do not recommend making this recipe without eggs. They’re key to getting a fluffy texture and nice rise. Instead, you can try add a few teaspoons of matcha to my vegan vanilla cupcakes!

Can I make them refined sugar free?

This recipe calls for white granulated sugar, but you can safely sub with coconut sugar if you prefer. However, and this is a big however, the color of the cupcakes will not be a vibrant green if you use coconut sugar.

A safer bet is to use erythritol or another 1:1 sugar substitute that still has a white color.

What flour should I use?

I used gluten free all purpose flour for this recipe, but if you are not gluten free, regular all purpose flour will work just fine!

More cupcakes you’ll love!

• Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Almond Flour Chocolate Cupcakes
• Vanilla Cupcakes
• Lemon Cupcakes

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