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Healthy Vegan Matcha Cookies With Poppy Seeds

Healthy vegan matcha cookies with stress-reducing effectcrisp edges, chewy centers, made with oatmeal and poppy seeds – a recipe that’s both vegan and gluten free. These are basically vegan matcha sugar cookies tweaked to be healthier and without refined sugar.

Vegan Matcha Cookies Recipe Naturally Gluten Free

These healthy vegan matcha cookies are perfect for matcha lovers, they are slightly sweet, with a hint of green tea and complemented with a delicate crunch of poppy seeds. I love matcha due to its cognitive performance enhancing abilities, it really helps me focus during work.

These vegan matcha cookies can be categorized as healthy gluten free vegan matcha cookies, matcha oatmeal cookies or matcha sugar cookies – fully qualified to be all three!

Whenever you need something sweet and chewy with a subtle energy kick, these healthy vegan matcha cookies are perfect for a cozy afternoon snack, large gatherings, or just as a simple dessert with your cup of tea!

You might also like these gluten free vegan Cinnamon & Maple Sugar Cookies.

Healthy Vegan Matcha Cookies Recipe - Gluten Free Matcha cookies with oatmeal and seeds. Easy matcha cookie recipe without refined sugar and egg. Chewy, crisp and delicious #matchacookies #recipe #healthy #vegan #glutenfreecookies #matchasugarcookies

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Healthy Vegan Matcha Cookies Overview

I tried to make these matcha cookies recipe with egg and also with a vegan flax egg. Both worked really well!

The difference only happened when I sneaked it some apple sauce in the recipe, thinking that could be a good egg replacement as well. But it turned out this changed the entire texture of the cookie, they turned out more fluffy and soft and didn’t spread much. I have a picture below for comparison.

If you want a gluten free vegan cookie recipe with apple sauce then you can actually transform this recipe but matcha cookies will not be chewy and crispy.

Gluten Free Vegan Matcha Cookies Ingredients (Picture)

What you need:

Ingredients for matcha cookies. How to make matcha cookies with matcha powder and vegan ingredients
Ingredients For Vegan Matcha Cookies

Vegan Matcha Cookie Ingredient List

  • Vegan butter – I used Miyoko’s because it has a list of cleaner ingredients than the rest of vegan butters on the market.
  • Maple sugar – it helps with crispness and texture in general, and maple sugar is the closest best alternative to regular cane sugar. Coconut sugar will yield different results.
  • Oatmeal flour – used as a gluten free alternative to regular white flour. I just used a grinder to make the flour from gluten free rolled oats. I also tried replacing half of the amount with sorghum flour and it worked really well.
  • Matcha powder – in order to make this vegan matcha cookies healthy ( that provide natural energy ) and with a vibrant green color, you need high quality matcha green tea powder like this Organic Japanese Matcha Powder. If you use a simple culinary grade matcha powder then you will get a less vibrant green color with less health benefits, but it’s less expensive and more affordable.
  • Flax egg – a vegan egg replacement that consists of ground flax seeds and warm water – it works perfectly. Or if you’re not vegan use a regular egg.
  • Poppy seeds – for flavor and extra crunch, if you don’t want them, just omit their addition.
  • Salt – for flavor enhancing and sharpening.
  • Baking soda it gives these matcha sugar cookies a chewy, coarse texture.
  • Vanilla extract for a subtle vanilla flavor, but it’s totally optional.

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below.

Choose the best matcha powder for making healthy matcha cookies. These vegan matcha cookies are made with ceremonial grade matcha, flax seeds,  gluten free oatmeal, vegan butter and maple sugar: soft and chewy inside and crisp on the outside. #matcha #cookies #healthy #glutenfree #oatmeal #vegan

How To Make Vegan Matcha Oatmeal Cookies

1. Prepare the ingredients, heat oven to 350°F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cream together the softened vegan butter and maple sugar for about 3-4 minutes until it gets fluffy and aerated.

3. Add the rest of wet ingredients, and then incorporate the dry ingredients at the end. Mix well.

4. Chill the dough 20-30 minutes in the fridge. Chilling will solidify the fat in the cookies and will prevent spreading too much and too fast while baking. Plus a firmer dough is easier to work with and form balls.

5.  Shape the cookie dough into small balls using a small ice cream scoop (size of about 1/2 tablespoon). Arrange balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

6. Bake for exactly 12 minutes. Transfer the matcha cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely (cookies will continue to crisp as they cool).

How to make healthy vegan matcha cookies with gluten free flour and without egg. How to make chewy matcha cookies and matcha oatmeal cookies without eggs and refined sugar. #matchacookies #vegan #glutenfree #healthy #recipe #video
How To Make Chewy Healthy Vegan Matcha Cookies: Step By Step

Matcha Cookies: Recipe Alteration

Changing the type of ingredients will change the final result. For example I tried to make another version of a vegan egg, by mixing 1 tablespoon of applesauce with 1 table spoon of ground flax seeds and 1 tablespoon of water.

I also reduced the amount of sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cups and forgot to add the baking soda, see the result in the picture below (the cookies didn’t spread much and they are more airy and softer).

Soft fluffy matcha cookies - healthy, vegan gluten free recipe

Matcha Powder For Baking

Matcha is recently very popular due to it’s labeling as a mood-and-brain food and it’s rich antioxidant content. It was determined that matcha is up to 137 times greater in catechin (a type of antioxidant) than in other types of green tea [1]. Studies also show a reduction in anxiety after consuming matcha, by activating dopamine and serotonin receptors [2] and also anti-inflammatory effects [3].

There are two main grades of matcha: culinary and ceremonial. The former is best for cooking ( it has a less vibrant green color and is more bitter, which helps the flavor forming when added to baked goods). And the ceremonial is best for general drinking: the taste is light, smooth and sweet (with a mild earthiness) because the tea leaves were less exposed to heat (grown in shade), therefore it’s more pleasurable to enjoy it by itself.

High-quality matcha powders comes at a high price, of course, because it’s harder to harvest and process: they are stone ground for a smoother consistency and easier mixing. My favorite ceremonial grade Organic Japanese Jade Leaf Matcha, it never disappoints, I use it even in baking sometimes.

If you you’re looking to use a cheaper matcha powder then this organic matcha green tea (culinary grade) is the perfect option.

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Tip For Healthy Matcha Cookies

If you want healthy matcha cookies with a vivid green color and a smooth light green tea taste then use an organic ceremonial grade matcha. Otherwise use a cheaper culinary grade matha powder.

Add more healthy fiber by using oatmeal flour (ground oats) not just a premixed store-bought gluten free flour blend. in this recipe the oat flour works beautifully. The addition of flax seeds is an extra bonus!

Vegan Matcha Cookies: Variations And Substitutions

  • Make the matcha cookies smaller or larger, both taste great.
  • You can use a combination of flours: I tried oatmeal flour and sorghum flour (50:50), it works well too.
  • Add other seeds if you like (pumpkin, sunflower, chia, hemp etc.) or nuts.
  • Using an egg instead of vegan “flax egg” works the same. You could replace it with apple sauce or mashed banana as well.
  • You could cut the sugar in half if you want, but the texture will be less chewy or crispy.
  • Make ahead, and keep the raw dough up to 48 hours before baking.
Healthy Matcha Sugar Cookies-  vegan, gluten free, healthy matcha cookies with a nice soft chew. These vegan matcha cookies are made with oatmeal, vegan butter and sweetened with maple sugar #matchacookies #vegancookies

Storing The Vegan Matcha Oatmeal Cookies

Storing cookies: Keep in airtight container for up to 5-7 days.

Freezing: Freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months, in an airtight container. It’s best stash them in the form of cookie balls. This way you could place each ball on the cookie sheet and bake right away when needed without the hustle of waiting to thaw. Or freeze the cookies after baking.

Thawing: The best way to defrost your matcha cookies is to place them frozen on a cookie sheet and heat in a preheated oven at 300F for 20 minutes.

Other Vegan Oatmeal Cookies Recipes

Did you try this healthy vegan matcha cookies recipe?

Then please leave a comment and a rating below, it’s really helpful for me and readers. Thank you! 

vegan matcha cookies recipe
Print Recipe

Healthy Vegan Matcha Cookies With Poppy Seeds – Gluten Free Recipe + Video

Healthy vegan matcha cookies with crisp edges, chewy centers made with oatmeal and poppy seeds – a recipe that’s both vegan and gluten free. These are basically matcha sugar cookies tweaked to be healthier and without refined sugar.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Chilling Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Clean Eating, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Japanese, Vegan Inspired
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 100.9kcal
Author: HealthyTasteOfLife
Pin Recipe Save

Ingredients
 

  • 1/3 cup vegan butter - I used Miyoko's
  • 1/2 cup maple sugar
  • 1 flax egg - 1 tbsp fround flaxseeds (or chia) + 3 tbsp warm water, or use a regular egg if not vegan
  • 1 cup oatmeal flour - gluten free
  • 1 ½ tbsp matcha powder - ceremonial (or culinary grade, see notes)
  • 1/3 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tbsp poppy seeds
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract - optional

Instructions
 

Prepare the ingredients

  • Gather all ingredients and heat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Form the matcha cookie dough

  • Cream together the softened butter and maple sugar for about 3-4 minutes until it gets fluffy and aerated. Then add the matcha powder and blend in.
    step1 for making vegan matcha cookies
  • Add the rest of wet ingredients, and then incorporate the dry ingredients at the end. Mix well.
    step 2 making healthy vegan matcha cookies

Chill in the fridge

  • Chill the cookie dough 20-30 minutes in the fridge. Chilling will solidify the fat in the cookies and will prevent spreading too much and too fast while baking. Plus a firmer dough is easier to work with and form balls.

Shape the cookies

  • Shape the cookie dough into small balls using a small ice cream scoop (size of about 1/2 tablespoon). Arrange balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. You can also gently press each cookie but you don’t want to smoosh them totally down, just flatter rounds, they will melt and spread anyways.

Bake the matcha cookies

  • Bake for exactly 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they may not look fully set yet (the centers are still soft), but they will continue to cook a bit as they rest on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes. 
    Tip: to get perfectly round matcha sugar cookies, gently push the edges with a spatula toward the center while the cookies are still hot.
  • Transfer the matcha cookies to a wire rack, and let them cool completely (cookies will continue to crisp as they cool).

Video

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Notes

Vegan Matcha Cookies Recipe Variations & Tips

 
  •  Changing the ingredients will change the outcome: another version of a vegan egg: mix 1 tablespoon of applesauce with 1 table spoon of ground flax seeds and 1 tablespoon of water. I also reduced the amount of sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cups and forgot to add the baking soda: the cookies didn’t spread much and they came out more fluffy and softer.
  • Using an egg instead of vegan “flax egg” works the same. 
  • Add other seeds if you like (pumpkin, sunflower, chia, hemp etc.) or nuts.
  • If you want healthy matcha cookies with a vivid green color and a smooth light green tea taste, then use an organic ceremonial grade matcha. Otherwise use a cheaper culinary grade matha powder.
  • Add more healthy fiber by using oatmeal flour (ground oats) not just a premixed store-bought gluten free flour blend. in this recipe the oat flour works beautifully. The addition of flax seeds is an extra bonus!
  • Cooking Time: for softer fluffier cookies, cook a bit longer, for chewy cookies don’t bake more than 11-12 minutes.
  • You could cut the sugar in half if you want, but the texture will be less chewy or crispy.
 

Make Ahead

 
  • Make the cookie dough in advance and keep the raw dough in the fridge up to 48 hours before baking.
 

Storing The Vegan Matcha Cookies

 
  • Keep in airtight container for up to 5-7 days.
  •  Freeze the cookie dough for up to 2 months, in an airtight container. It’s best stash them in the form of cookie balls. This way you could place each ball on the cookie sheet and bake right away when needed without the hustle of waiting to thaw. Or freeze the cookies after baking.
  • The best way to defrost your matcha cookies is to place them frozen on a cookie sheet and heat in a preheated oven at 300F. You’ll get warm cookies in 20 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyTasteOfLife or tag #healthytasteoflife!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 100.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.4g | Protein: 1.7g | Fat: 5.6g | Sodium: 84.5mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 7.2g | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 2.4mg | Iron: 3.3mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.

Pint It For Later

Healthy Matcha Cookies Recipe - Vegan Gluten Free Matcha cookies with oatmeal and seeds.

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Recipe Rating




Yolda

Tuesday 2nd of February 2021

The cookies turned out perfect, thank you

HealthyTasteOfLife

Thursday 4th of February 2021

That's wonderful! Enjoy!

HealthyTasteOfLife

Tuesday 2nd of February 2021

You're welcome! Enjoy!