Matcha is not just for drinking - you can also bake with it, and it adds such a good flavor! I made matcha coconut muffins, and they were delicious. I also added spinach for extra vegetables and green color. I used Trader Joe’s matcha packets, since that is what I had at home, but you could use any type of matcha powder.
You could also use any milk you like in this recipe, but I used coconut milk to enhance the coconut flavor. I also found a great type of very finely shredded coconut that is reduced fat, which is great because I learned in some of my medical school classes about how coconut is super high in saturated fats, which are the kind of fats that can cause health problems in high amounts. I don’t notice a difference in taste, and it’s good to use in recipes for the coconut flavor with less saturated fat!
Ingredients
Dry:
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup finely shredded coconut
6 g of matcha powder (I used 4 Trader Joe’s matcha packets, which are 1.5 g each)
½ tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of salt
Wet:
2 eggs
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
2 cups spinach
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place muffin papers in a muffin tray, and lightly spray with oil.
2. Blend wet ingredients in a blender until the spinach is evenly, finely chopped and the ingredients are well mixed.
3. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, then pour in the wet ingredients
4. Mix everything together until smooth and evenly combined.
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins so they are almost, but not totally, full. They will rise when baking.
6. Sprinkle coconut on top of the muffins, then bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. For mini muffins, this takes about 12 minutes; for full size muffins, it takes 20-25 minutes.
7. Let cool and enjoy! These taste great with raspberries - I love the combination of matcha and raspberries (for another matcha raspberry recipe, check out my matcha raspberry overnight oats)!
I made a vegan and gluten free version as well! Here is the recipe! The steps are the same, except for preparing the flax egg before baking.
Ingredients
Dry:
1 ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
¼ cup finely shredded coconut
6 g of matcha powder (I used 4 Trader Joe’s matcha packets, which are 1.5 g each)
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of salt
Wet:
3 flax eggs (3 tbsp flax meal, mixed with 8-9 tbsp water and refrigerated until set)
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
2 cups spinach
1 ½ cup coconut milk (one 13.5 oz can from Trader Joe’s)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Follow the same steps as the earlier (non-vegan, non-gluten-free) recipe!