This chocolate matcha brownies recipe combines a rich and dark chocolate brownie with white chocolate chips and a matcha cheesecake swirl. These fudgy green tea brownies are the perfect level of sweetness and matcha flavour. They are also incredibly eye-catching.
Have you spotted my fresh raspberry brownies? They are equally striking.
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These chocolate matcha brownies, with a stunning green tea cheesecake swirl, are proof that there are seemingly endless ways to take a divine chocolate brownie recipe and have some extra fun with it.
I'm all for baking recipes that combine interesting flavours that play well together. When those ingredients wind up creating something that is also worthy of gazing over for a few extra seconds before setting about devouring it, then I'm in baking heaven. This recipe for green tea brownies is certainly taking me to that sweet spot.
Why you'll love this traybake
Ummm... take a look at them. These green tea brownies are eye-catching, aren't they? But if you need further convincing to make this dark chocolate matcha brownies recipe consider the following:
- They are very quick and easy to make.
- The rich chocolate flavour is wickedly delicious.
- And it's a great contrast to the fresh and vibrant matcha cheesecake swirl.
- They are decidedly fudgy.
All-in-all, the recipe for these matcha cheesecake brownies is a great way to introduce a more adventurous flavour to an ever-popular bake.
My triple chocolate brownies are a great option if you are after a simpler flavour. Try out brownies with espresso for an intensely-flavoured treat. And if you want to go all out on brownie indulgence look no further than my caramel cornflake brownies.
What is matcha tea?
- Matcha is green tea that has been ground into a fine powder
- Although originating in China, matcha is a green tea more commonly associated with Japanese cuisine.
- It is typically mixed with hot water before being drunk.
- Match powder can also be used to make lattes or hot chocolates - have you spotted my white chocolate matcha recipe?
What does matcha taste like?
Expect savoury vegetal grassy notes, a touch of nuttiness and some bitterness. This blend of flavours served straight up can be an acquired taste. But green tea combines with other flavours, especially chocolate extremely well.
What are matcha grades?
Matcha grades help define the quality and intended use of the matcha powder. They can be There are several grades of matcha:
- Ceremonial-grade matcha is a high-quality powder suitable for consuming as a drink brewed simply using hot water. This beverage is one for the purists.
- Premium-grade matcha is a subdivision of ceremonial grade matcha and it is even more special. It is made from the young leaves at the top of the plant, which impart a particularly fresh taste to the tea.
- Daily-grade matcha is lower quality than ceremonial-grade matcha. It has a lower price point and often a bolder flavour but it is still acceptable for consuming in drinks.
- Culinary-grade matcha is of lower quality still and is suitable for use in fun (less serious) matcha drinks and in baking. I've previously used culinary-grade matcha to make a gorgeous ombre matcha cake.
Ingredients notes
Matcha powder: it's fine to use culinary-grade matcha powder in this chocolate matcha brownies recipe. Of course, you're welcome to use higher grades, but they are more expensive.
Cream cheese: use full-fat cream cheese. I have not tested this recipe with low-fat versions, so cannot say with certainty that making such a substitution would work. And, let's be honest, brownies were never designed to be healthy. Just consume them in moderation rather than ending up with a substandard bake by taking the risk of an inappropriate ingredient substitution.
Chocolate: go with dark chocolate for the brownie batter. It's the perfect flavour partner to the matcha cheesecake swirl in these green tea brownies. Stirring white chocolate chips through the batter does, however, add lovely additional colour and flavour contrasts.
Muscovado sugar: this is essential for enhancing the fudgy nature of these brownies and it also imparts a great depth of flavour to the brownie base.
Eggs and egg yolks: adding in a couple of egg yolks along with the whole eggs also helps to amplify the fudginess of these chocolate matcha brownies.
Step by step instructions
- Make the cheesecake topping by beating the cream cheese, vanilla extract, matcha powder (sieved if lumpy) and 75g caster sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Next, melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl. Either use a bain-marie or heat on moderate power in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Beat until smooth.
- Add the remaining caster sugar and the dark muscovado sugar to the bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix them in then beat in the eggs and egg yolks along with the vanilla extract.
- Sieve the cocoa powder and flour into the bowl and use the balloon whisk to mix it in until just combined.
- Remove ¼ of the brownie batter and set aside.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the remaining brownie batter then ladle it into a lined baking tin and smooth out.
- Top with the matcha cheesecake mixture and then dollop the reserved brownie batter over the top.
- Use a cocktail pick to gently swirl the ingredients together.
- Bake for 30 minutes then let cool in the tin completely before cutting into portions.
Expert tips
- Sieve your matcha powder to remove any lumps. It will blend easily with the rest of the ingredients as a result.
- The white chocolate chips are optional (but highly recommended). You could use dark chocolate chips in their place if preferred.
- Your brownies will be easier to remove from the baking tin if you line the tin with baking parchment (even if the tin claims to be non-stick).
- Begin testing the brownies for doneness 5 minutes before the end of the specified cooking time. Oven temperatures do vary slightly, so it's best to keep on testing every few minutes from this point to ensure they come out of the oven at just the right point.
- They are cooked when a cocktail pick inserted into the centre comes out without liquid batter on it. A few crumbs may cling to the stick, but this is fine.
- This recipe produces fudgy matcha brownies. Do not cook them for longer to try to make them less fudgy as the cheesecake swirl will dry out.
- To get neat squares let the brownie cool entirely before cutting into it.
Frequently asked questions
The clue is in the title here, I'm afraid. Only matcha tea will do when making these green tea brownies. Of course, if you happen to have a fun-flavoured matcha tea (apologies to any purists reading this) feel free to include that. I've tried a raspberry version in my bakes before with great success.
I recommend storing these fudgy matcha cheesecake brownies at room temperature for up to, but no longer than, two days. The sugar in the bake will help preserve the cheesecake swirl.
I class myself as a risk taker when it comes to baking - meaning I am partial to raw cake batter. As a kid, my mum always let me have the pleasure of scraping the bowl once we'd baked and it's a delight I've never grown out of. I'm a true 1970's kid - I'm so out there.
However, those with concerns about the safety of storing cheesecake brownies at room temperature for any length of time should feel free to stash them in the fridge from the outset. Just ensure that you bring them to room temperature before serving.
When stored at room temperature these brownies stay fresh and perfectly edible for 2 whole days. After this time, they should be transferred to the fridge where they will continue to stay fresh for a further 2-3 days.
When stored in the fridge from the outset, these chocolate matcha cheesecake brownies will, however, stay fresh for longer (up to 7 days).
Once baked (and cooled) these brownies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Try slicing and wrapping individually so squares can be pulled out as and when required.
I'm afraid this chocolate matcha brownies recipe is definitely not healthy. The recipe contains butter, sugar and chocolate in large quantities. Enjoy the brownies in moderation but don't kid yourself that the green tea makes them healthy.
Have you made this green tea brownies recipe? Please consider leaving a comment and/ or rating - it really helps other readers know that they can trust my recipes. And why not show me your creation by posting a picture on Instagram. You'll make my day if you tag #littlesugarsnaps so I can see it too.
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Chocolate Matcha Brownies
Equipment
- 1 8-inch square baking tin
Ingredients
For the Matcha Cheesecake Swirl
- 200 g Cream cheese full-fat
- 75 g Caster sugar
- 1 Egg large, free-range
- 2½ teaspoons Matcha powder ciulinary grade is fine
- 1½ teaspoons Vanilla extract
For the Brownie Batter
- 170 g Dark chocolate
- 120 g Butter
- 100 g Caster sugar white
- 110 g Dark muscovado sugar
- 2 Eggs Large, free-range
- 2 Egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 30 g Cocoa powder
- 85 g Plain flour
- 60 g White chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM 4 and grease and line an 8-inch x 8-inch baking tin with baking parchment.
Make the Matcha Cheesecake Swirl
- Put the cream cheese, vanilla extract, matcha powder (sieved if lumpy) and 75g caster sugar into a small mixing bowl and beat, using a small handheld whisk, until smooth. Set aside.
Make the Brownie batter
- Put the butter and chocolate in a medium-sized heatproof bowl. Melt the ingredients either using the bain-marie method (suspending the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water) or heat on moderate power in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Beat until smooth.
- Add the remaining caster sugar and the dark muscovado sugar to the bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix them in then beat in the eggs and egg yolks along with the vanilla extract.
- Sieve the cocoa powder and flour into the bowl and add the salt. Use a balloon whisk to mix the ingredients in until just combined.
- Remove ¼ of the brownie batter, place in a small bowl and set aside.
- If including white chocolate chips stir them into the remaining brownie now then ladle the batter into a lined baking tin and smooth out.
- Top with the matcha cheesecake mixture, spreading it out to cover the base layer and then dollop the reserved brownie batter over the top - do not spread this out.
- Use a cocktail pick to gently swirl the ingredients together
- Bake for around 30 minutes, testing for doneness 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Poke a cocktail pick into the centre of the bake. If liquid batter is evident, keep on baking for a few minutes more and test again. Of not, it is cooked sufficiently (a few crumbs may attach to the pick, this is fine).
- Let the matcha brownies cool in the tin completely before unmolding and cutting into portions.
Notes
- Sieve your matcha powder to remove any lumps. It will blend easily with the rest of the ingredients as a result.
- The white chocolate chips are optional (but highly recommended). You could use dark chocolate chips in their place if preferred.
- Your brownies will be easier to remove from the baking tin if you line the tin with baking parchment (even if the tin claims to be non-stick)
- Begin testing the brownies for doneness 5 minutes before the end of the specified cooking time. Oven temperatures do vary slightly, so it's best to keep on testing every few minutes from this point to ensure they come out of the oven at just the right point.
- They are cooked when a cocktail pick inserted into the centre comes out without liquid batter on it. A few crumbs may cling onto the stick, but this is fine.
- This recipe produces fudgy brownies. Do not cook them for longer to try to make them less fudgy as the cheesecake swirl will dry out.
- To get neat squares let the brownie cool entirely before cutting into it.
Jane Coupland says
The green swirl along wins my heart but wait until you taste them - matcha and chocolate is a great combination.