Name: Matcha Brownies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 12 tbsp salted grass-fed butter; ¾ cup organic sugar; ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder; ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt; 2 tsp pure vanilla extract; 3 large pasture raised eggs; 1 cup organic all purpose flour; 4 oz full fat cream cheese, (softened); 1 stick (½ cup) salted grass-fed butter, (softened); 1 cup organic powdered sugar; 2 tbsp good quality matcha powder ((green tea powder)); ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

The BEST Matcha Brownies Recipe made in one pot with NO white chocolate! So easy and completely delicious.

These easy matcha brownies are the perfect way to get your matcha and chocolate fix at the same time.

Fudgy brownies on the bottom, ultra flavorful matcha cream cheese buttercream frosting on top!

These are made without white chocolate. So if that isn’t your thing (raises hand), or you don’t have any on hand, these are perfect for you!

Bonus: the brownie batter is made all in one pot (you heard me right), keeping these super easy to make.

If you’d like to see the process of how I tried out 4 different recipes to find the BEST matcha brownies, make sure to watch the video above!

Okay, let’s make them already!

NOTE: Some links are affiliate. All opinions are my own. If you click a link and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. This has zero impact on the price you pay, and helps Buttered Side Up out!

I’ll go over the step by step instructions, and the full recipe will be at the end of this post.

I recommend reading over the steps first so you can get all of my tips and tricks.

Ingredients:

These are made in two parts, so of course we have two sets of ingredients!

Brownie Base:

Butter: I don’t use unsalted butter in this recipe because I usually don’t have it on hand. It doesn’t need to be softened since you’ll melt it anyway. And of course I use grass-fed butter.
Sugar: I use organic sugar, but regular granulated sugar will work as well!
Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder. I like Equal Exchange cocoa powder, which is Dutch processed.
Eggs: No need to bring them to room temperature! Pastured eggs are 👌
Vanilla Extract: Make sure to use pure vanilla extract, NOT imitation vanilla!
Salt: I use unrefined Redmond Real Salt, but kosher salt should work as well.
Flour: Unbleached all purpose flour is best here. I use organic.

Matcha Buttercream Frosting:

Butter: Again, I use salted butter. I like the flavor better. This time it does need to be softened.
Cream Cheese: You’ll need to bring your cream cheese to room temperature as well.
Powdered Sugar: Don’t sift it before you measure it! That will come later…
Matcha Powder: Make sure to use a good quality matcha (AKA green tea powder). There’s no need to use the expensive ceremonial grade here. But I do recommend going a step above culinary and getting a latte grade. This helps the matcha flavour to stand out. You’ll also get a more vibrant green color. Mizuba Tea Co. has an excellent culinary matcha that’s more like a latte grade. Or you could get Encha Latte Grade Matcha on Amazon.
Vanilla Extract: Again: use the real stuff!

How to Make Matcha Brownies:

First steps:

Preheat your oven to 350° F (177° C). Line an 8×8 or 9×9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Making the Brownie Batter:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low to medium heat.

Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk well.

Add the eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and beat very well. You want to whisk it well enough that the sugar dissolves.

Add the flour and salt.

No need to whisk the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately! Woohoo!

Whisk just until combined.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake Time:

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Now, if you prefer a really fudgy texture, you can under bake these slightly. Or if you prefer a cakey brownie, cook until a toothpick comes out clean.

Me? I like it just in the middle.

But you can adjust the baking time to your personal preference!

Allow the brownies to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting them.

Making the Matcha Frosting:

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer (AKA hand mixer) until smooth.

Sift the powdered sugar and matcha powder over the butter/cream cheese mixture.

Beat until smooth, then beat in the vanilla extract.

Spread evenly over the cooled brownies.

Slice into squares for serving.

Yes, these have almost equal ratios of brownie and frosting.

You’re welcome.

Serving:

I like to have these matcha brownies with a tall glass of cold milk.

You could also serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Storing Matcha Brownies:

Store any leftover matcha brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

You can either serve them cold (they’ll have a texture kind of like fudge), or let come back to room temperature.

Variations:

You can also add 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips to the batter to up the chocolate factor.
If you really must, you could also fold white chocolate chips into the brownie batter.
If you prefer a more mild matcha flavor, feel free to decrease the amount to 1 tablespoon.
I already reduced the sugar levels a good bit. But feel free to experiment with reducing them further! Just know that it will probably mess with the texture of the brownies.

More Matcha Desserts and Recipes:

Until next time, happy baking!

Matcha Brownies

Fudgy brownies topped with a matcha frosting!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Japanese

Keyword Brownies, Chocolate, matcha

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Cooling time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 16

Calories 250 kcal

Author Erica Kastner

Ingredients

For the Brownie Base:

12 tbsp salted grass-fed butter
¾ cup organic sugar
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp unrefined sea salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large pasture raised eggs
1 cup organic all purpose flour

For the Matcha Frosting:

4 oz full fat cream cheese, softened
1 stick (½ cup) salted grass-fed butter, softened
1 cup organic powdered sugar
2 tbsp good quality matcha powder (green tea powder)
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Brownie Base:

Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C). Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Melt the butter over medium low heat in a medium saucepan.
Add the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
Allow to cool until just warm. Add the eggs and whisk very well, until the sugar starts to dissolve. Add the flour and whisk just until combined. You can also use a wooden spoon.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs (see note). Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the Matcha Frosting:

Place the butter and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Sift the powdered sugar and matcha together over the butter/cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat.
Spread the frosting evenly over the brownies with an offset spatula. Serve.

Recipe Notes

If you like really gooey brownies, you can underbake them slightly. If you prefer a drier/cakey brownie, bake them until a toothpick comes out clean.
To store, place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can either serve them cold (they will have a texture kind of like fudge), or let them come back to room temperature.