Matcha has taken the world by storm, with this powdered green tea spreading like wildfire on social media and at tea shops abroad. However, matcha is for more than just drinking and is usable in a variety of treats and goodies–and not just as a topping. The world of matcha sweets and desserts is huge, so we put together a list of some of our favorite matcha treats for you!
Read on to hear MiauMall’s own matcha sweets recommendations! Of course, our tastes are probably different to yours, so feel free to agree or disagree with us. We split the list into matcha chocolates and matcha baked treats (with a little bit of overlap) for your green tea preferences.
And if you’re as matcha obsessed as we are, you can check out our Matcha selection for a variety of Japan-grown matcha teas and snacks; and our Japanese Sweets section for plenty of matcha treats, including the ones mentioned on this list!
Why Matcha is so Perfect for Sweets
There's just something magical about the combination of matcha and chocolate, even for those who don't like matcha on its own. Image via Instagram
If you’re reading this, you probably already know that matcha is great in sweets, but we wanted to take a moment to delve into why that is. Really, it’s all about the fact that the flavor profile of this powdered green tea naturally balances with a variety of sweets.
For starters, matcha is famous for its natural bitterness. This bitterness, however, works as a bit of yin to the yang that is sweetness, both balancing it and enhancing it. It’s much the same way that a sip of coffee between bites of dessert helps the flavors in the dessert to stand out.
Much like espresso is used in some recipes to enhance the flavor of chocolate, matcha can accomplish the same with various sweets. Image via Instagram
Matcha is also well-known for its umami and earthiness. When that green powder is incorporated into your favorite sweets, it will help to add complexity and depth to the overall flavor profile.
Plus, it also just looks great. While many folks psychologically associate green with vegetables, when mixed into desserts and sweets, it often creates a whiter green that is more visually appealing to the brain than, for example, broccoli green. It can even add a more healthy and natural feel to a dessert with its greenness. (Elphaba would be pleased.)
Matcha Chocolate Recs
Takaoka Matcha Chocolate Ganache
A bag of these hates to see me coming.
Let’s kick off our list with a treat that’s easy to share number-wise but also easy to eat all by yourself in one night (source: experience). The Takaoka Matcha Chocolat is a super affordable take on the nama chocolate treat featuring a thin chocolate outer shell that encases a small amount of nama chocolate made using Uji matcha.
The sweetness of the milk chocolate, the creaminess of the nama chocolate and the slight bitter, earthy flavor of the matcha work together in harmony for a delicious bite-sized treat. And with a melting point of about 22℃ (71.6°F), these treats literally melt in your mouth. Plus, one bag has quite a few of these chocolate cubes, making them easier to share with friends.
A great, tasty alternative is the Melty Kiss Matcha Nama Chocolate which is a very similar treat but is also more of a solo treat with a smaller amount of chocolates in the boxes (a perfect excuse not to share).
Meiji Matcha Chocolate
Matcha cream-filled chocolates and desserts are great with the way the matcha flavor hits your tastebuds after the initial bite.
A powerhouse among Japanese chocolate brands, Meiji has been in the game since 1917. They're really popular in Japan for their Meiji chocolate bars, Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato, and Apollo lines.
However, today, we're talking about the mini Meiji Matcha Chocolates. These mini bars have a tasty matcha cream filling that is encased in milk chocolate. The matcha cream adds the rich flavor and scent of matcha for depth and umami while maintining the sweetness of a chocolate treat, creating a complex flavor profile. Plus, the zip from the bitter matcha also makes for a refreshing snacktime.
Nestle Itohkyuemon Uji Matcha Mini KitKats
Kit Kat has several variations of matcha flavor, including but not limited to the Adult Sweetness Matcha, the Matcha Latte and the Itohkyuemon Uji Matcha. Image via Instagram
Japanese Kit Kats are a totally different ball game compared to other countries, with the huge variety of staple flavors, regional varieties and limited-time flavors eclipsing others. And while the matcha flavor is one of the staples available all over Japan year-round, the Kyoto regional Kit kats, part of the “This Place” regional series, are a special treat usually only found in souvenir shops and the Don Quijote chain.
These Kit Kats are also a collab item with Itohkyuemon, a popular Uji matcha teahouse and shop, meaning that you’re getting a powerhouse of a combination of Uji matcha and white chocolate. According to the Itohkyuemon website, they went through a plethora of prototypes to perfect the Kyoto Uji matcha flavor.
This is a perfect and more affordable matcha chocolate treat that our staff here at MiauMall loves. You can also try the Dark Matcha Kit Kats for a more concentrated green tea flavor than the standard Matcha Kit Kat.
NANAYA Matcha Craft Tea Chocolate
If you look in the top corner, Nanaya actually won the International Chocolate Awards for the Asia-Pacific region in 2019 for their Craft Tea Chocolate. Image via Instagram
Nanaya is a popular matcha and matcha sweets shop from Shizuoka, where most of Japan’s green tea is made. And while their matcha is popular, their sweets are really what people are talking about. Their popular Black Cup series (and the sample set) is popular for its variety, having seven levels of matcha concentration so snackers can have their desired matcha flavor.
However, for a more straight-forward experience, Nanaya’s award-winning Matcha Craft Tea Chocolate is the way to go. Handmade from cocoa butter, each bar is meticulously made and has a perfect combination of rich matcha and chocolate-y goodness. “Rich matcha” isn’t just an embellishment, with each bite being packed with that delicious matcha flavor.
The Craft Tea Chocolate is actually a whole line that includes Hojicha, Genmaicha and Japanese Black Tea!
CHOCOLATE BAR R Matcha Nama Chocolate
This very popular chocolate actually comes from a small business and is made to pair perfectly with an adult beverage (optional). Image via Instagram
Chocolate Bar R is actually a small bar, formerly known as Fooding Bar R, in Tochigi Prefecture run by a husband and wife. This bar has typical bar-style drinks, coffee, pizza, and strangely, high-quality chocolate. They would sell this chocolate, particularly nama chocolate, on their menu to customers, and it was popular enough that they were able to start selling it nationwide.
One of their very popular flavors is their matcha nama chocolate. This matcha nama chocolate has that amazingly rich, creamy, mild flavor of cream from the nama chocolate combined with the luxurious taste of Uji matcha. It also makes use of Hokkaido’s famous butter for added richness and creaminess and a velvety finish.
Matcha Baked Treats Recs
Glico Bitte Matcha Chocolat
These cookies are a great treat after work or a stressful day.
This treat may be a controversial option, with some of our staff debating whether it’s more chocolate or cookie. Either way, I personally believe that Glico’s Bitte Matcha Chocolat is more of a cookie, and a delicious one at that. Glico is a powerhouse in the Japanese snack world and is famous worldwide for the Pocky (and Pretz) brand.
In their lineup is the Bitte line which features two biscuit cookies that sandwich a chocolate cream and is finished with an outer coating. In this version, Bitte makes use of matcha biscuits and swap the chocolate cream for a matcha cream, all made with Uji matcha from the popular brand Tsujiri.
All of this works together to make a matcha dessert or snack that is a harmonious blend of rich, sweet and bitter–a must-try.
Speaking of Glico, you can also give the Sakura & Matcha Pocky, a hanami season exclusive, or the Kyoto Regional Uji Matcha Pocky a try. They release only in spring for hanami season! The Fujiya Country Ma'am Rich Matcha Cookies are also a great rich matcha cookie treat perfect for casual snacktime!
Ishiya Saqu Langue de chat Cookies
While Shiroi Koibito is the most famous Langue de Chat cookie in Japan, the Saqu line by the same brand is just as good and has unique flavors. Image via Instagram
Ishiya is a brand that we’ve talked about before on our blogs. This Hokkaido chocolate brand makes use of the island prefecture’s famous dairy to make tons of chocolate treats with their most famous being the iconic Shiroi Koibito. Shiroi Koibito usually comes in the form of a langue de chat cookie with both a white chocolate cookie outer and a white chocolate filling.
However, they also have the Saqu Langue De Chat line, which puts a spin on the classic Shiroi Koibito with unique flavors. For this list, we want to shine a spotlight on their Saqu Matcha Milk Langue de Chat. This treat features matcha from Nishio City in Aichi prefecture combined with their signature white chocolate for a light matcha flavor.
One bite into these and you get that perfectly light sweetness that you would get from a matcha latte.
MILK BATON Kyoto The Matcha Sand
This tasty treat is all about making the most of Japanese ingredients from places like Hokkaido and Kyoto! Image via Instagram
Milk Baton is a brand under the Hokkaido Development Group, a group that focuses on creating new products using Japan’s best ingredients. In this case, the best ingredients are Kyoto matcha and Hokkaido dairy, both known for their high quality. These two iconic ingredients are combined with French baking techniques to create The Matcha Sand.
This sandwich cookie features langue de chat cookies made with plenty of whipped egg whites for crispiness. Meanwhile, the inside is a matcha cream that is both sweet and bitter. All of this works together to make a treat that hits you with a subtle matcha cookie flavor before the long-lasting matcha flavor of the cream comes in.
Wakou Kyo Madoka Monaka Wafer Cream Cookies
This Kyoto-based sweets shop has plenty of traditional sweets, including Japanese sweets with more modern twists! Image via Instagram
Let’s move onto another cream-filled sandwich–this time from Wakou. Wakou is a Kyoto-based sweets shop, and they have a wide variety of tasty baked treats and traditional sweets.
These Kyo Madoka Monaka Wafer Cream Cookies combine Japanese traditional monaka-style wafers made with butter and Uji matcha for a buttery, sweet yet bitter and perfectly crisp outer cookie. The cream inside uses high-quality Uji matcha for its amazing aroma and the way it complements the sweet cream.
Kyoto Veneto Choberrycha Strawberry Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Kyoto Veneto is best known for their treats that combine matcha, chocolate and cheese for a rare and complex flavor profile. Image via Instagram
We’ve featured Kyoto Veneto on other lists before, but it’s because they really do make some great treats using Uji matcha, which is probably easier to get since they’re right in Kyoto. Kyoto Veneto is a unique brand in that it focuses on a fusion of Kyoto and Italy in the form of unique snacks.
The fusion goes even deeper with the Choberrycha Strawberry Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, featuring a fusion of white chocolate, strawberry and matcha for a deep, complex flavor. The matcha cookies have the mild bitterness the powdered green tea is known for. Meanwhile, the white chocolate filling features Amaou strawberry (a famously delicious strawberry from Fukuoka) and mascarpone for a sweet yet gentle and refreshing flavor profile.
You might also want to check out their Gracha Matcha Cheese Sandwich Cookies, langue de chat-style cookies with a matcha cookie and an almost cream cheese-like icing filling.
While Kyoto Veneto's most popular products have their cheesy secret weapon, they also have treats sans cheese, like the white chocolate matcha cookies (left). Image via Instagram
And that’s our list! Like we mentioned earlier, this is just our opinion! If you have a favorite that wasn’t on our list (or even isn’t on our site), let us know with a message or a tag on our socials!
And don’t forget to check out MiauMall’s Matcha Collection for plenty of options to satisfy your matcha treats! You can also check out the Food & Drinks section where there are even more matcha-related treats to enjoy!
