Matcha Frosted Lemon Cookies

Matcha Frosted Lemon Cookies

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Matcha Frosted Lemon Cookies make the perfect springtime treat full of citrus and green tea. The frosting is naturally coloured with pure matcha tea powder and the soft, buttery cookies have fresh lemon zest for lots of flavour.

What do I need to make Matcha Frosted Lemon Cookies?

Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to make some amazing lemon and green tea cookies:

Plate of matcha frosted lemon cookies with a tea bag and lemon wedge

How do I make lemon sugar cookies?

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, softened cream cheese, sugar, and lemon extract until smooth and fully combined. There shouldn’t be any chunks of cream cheese left. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, flour, baking soda, and salt.

Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl of wet ingredients and stir until the dough comes together. Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough into balls and set them on the baking sheets, evenly spaced with a couple inches between the cookies.

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. They should be turning slightly golden on the edges when done. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Make sure the cookies are completely cool before frosting.

close up of matcha frosted lemon cookies with a half a lemon

How do I make matcha green tea frosting?

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the softened butter, powdered sugar, and green tea syrup (instructions below). Start mixing on low and gradually increase speed to medium. If you don’t have a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer will work too!

As the frosting comes together, add the half and half. Pause the mixer periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Finally mix in the matcha powder. If you want a more vibrant green frosting or a more earthy flavour, add a little extra. Also, if the frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar until it reaches your desired thickness. Similarly, if it is too thick, add some extra green tea syrup or half and half. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting over the tops of the cookies.

Matcha tea is special green tea that is ground up and whisked into milk or water, rather than steeping whole leaves. When selecting matcha powder, be sure it does not have any added ingredients. It is commonly sold as “matcha latte” but for this recipe, you’ll want pure matcha such as Navitas. It is a vibrant green and has a delicious earthy flavour.

Plates of cookies with lemon wedges and green tea

How do I make green tea simple syrup?

To make green tea syrup, bring eight ounces of water to a boil. Add three sachets of green tea and steep for 10 minutes. Before discarding the tea bags, squeeze them out into the mug to get the most flavour. Pour the tea into a small saucepan with one cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until is starts to thicken slightly. Transfer to a glass container and chill in the refrigerator before use.

Plate of matcha frosted lemon cookies

I hope you enjoy these Matcha Frosted Lemon Cookies! Be sure to leave a rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments. Happy baking!

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Matcha Frosted Lemon Cookies

Matcha Frosted Lemon Cookies make the perfect springtime treat full of citrus and green tea. The frosting is naturally coloured with pure matcha tea powder and the soft, buttery cookies have fresh lemon zest for lots of flavour.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Frosting Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies
Rachel Alexandra

Ingredients

Lemon Cookies

Matcha Frosting

Instructions

Lemon Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, softened cream cheese, sugar, and lemon extract until smooth and fully combined. There shouldn't be any chunks of cream cheese left.
  • In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl of wet ingredients and stir until the dough comes together.
  • Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough into balls and set them on the baking sheets, evenly spaced with a couple inches between the cookies.
  • Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. They should be turning slightly golden on the edges when done.
  • Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Matcha Frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the softened butter, powdered sugar, and green tea syrup (instructions below).
  • Start mixing on low and gradually increase speed to medium. If you don't have a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer will work too!
  • As the frosting comes together, add the half and half. Pause the mixer periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Finally mix in the matcha powder. If you want a more vibrant green frosting or a more earthy flavour, add a little extra. Also, if the frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar until it reaches your desired thickness. Similarly, if it is too thick, add some extra green tea syrup or half and half.
  • Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting over the tops of the cookies.

Notes

To make green tea syrup, bring eight ounces of water to a boil. Add three sachets of green tea and steep for 10 minutes. Before discarding the tea bags, squeeze them out into the mug to get the most flavour. Pour the tea into a small saucepan with one cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until is starts to thicken slightly. Transfer to a glass container and chill in the refrigerator before use.
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