Matcha macarons has green tea infused into the shells making them extra flavorful. White chocolate ganache is sandwiched in between for a delicious Japanese-bakery-inspired flavor pairing.

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Tea Infused Macaron Shells
Matcha green tea macarons is one of the most popular macaron flavors and for good reason. Matcha green tea has a slightly bitter taste and is a great contrast to sweet macaron shells which are comprised mainly of sugar and almonds. Green tea and white chocolate filling is a great pairing, especially so for those who find macarons to be "too sweet". The astringency from the matcha powder will help to balance out the sweetness.
Matcha powder is one of my favourite flavourings to use in baking because the flavour is so stable and comes out true to taste across a variety of different baked goods. This is the case for matcha macarons as well.
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a powdered tea specially cultivated from green tea leaves that have been shaded from the sun for several weeks before undergoing a special processing technique which involves stem removal and de-viening. It is then ground up into a fine green tea powder that has a beautiful vibrant green tea color. Popular culinary usage of matcha can be seen in a wide range of drinks an desserts like matcha latte, matcha crepe cakes and matcha cookies. It is also a beloved flavor used in desserts because the earthy profile and astringency contrasts extremely well with the sweetness in desserts. Here are a couple of my most popular matcha recipes: Matcha cake roll with red bean cream, Matcha pound cake.
Where Can I Buy Matcha Powder for Baking?
Matcha powder is an easy product to find in Japan where it is used for the elaborate traditional tea ceremony or for regular use in brewing everyday tea or baking desserts. I am able to find Matcha powder that is sourced from Japan in my hometown of Vancouver, Canada because we have a large population of Asians here. I can usually found it in Japanese convenience stores and other well-stocked Asian food stores. If you have difficulty finding matcha powder in your city, try this highly rated one with Japanese origns which you can find online.
The packaging will usually tell you if it's either ceremonial grade or culinary grade Matcha. Ceremonial grade matcha is usually reserved for drinking on its own so many discerning connoisseurs look for the very best. For our use in matcha macarons, a culinary grade matcha is sufficient, especially if you want to cut down waste if you're in the practice stage of macaron baking.
What Filling is Best for Green Tea Macarons?
I've tried pairing this matcha macaron with both a chocolate ganache and white chocolate "ganache". The white one was the hands down winner because it did the best job in highlighting the distinct characteristics of the bitter matcha flavour. This will be the recipe that I will be sharing with you today.
Another classic flavor inspired by Japanese baked goods is matcha macarons filled with Adzuki red bean cream. I don't have a dedicated recipe for this yet but the red bean cream can be easily made with this recipe for Matcha cake roll with red bean cream. Just make the red bean paste portion only and then use the white chocolate filling in this recipe to pipe a hollow circle to create a dam. In the center, add a dollop of the red bean cream. (I don't recommend using the paste on it's own as will be too soft.)
I hope you enjoy this new recipe for Matcha green tea macarons too.
XOXO,
Mimi
Recipe
"Matcha" Green Tea Macaron Recipe
A beloved Japanese flavor in macaron form. Matcha green tea is infused into the shells making the macaron extra flavorful. White chocolate ganache is sandwiched in between for a delicious flavor pairing.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Shells:
- 65 grams almond flour (Read: How to make your own almond flour)
- 65 grams powdered sugar
- 45 grams castor sugar (or a.k.a “berry” sugar or extra fine granulated sugar)
- 50 grams egg white - aged* (Read: How to age egg whites)
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- Green GEL Colour of your choice (DO NOT use liquid color)
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
Ingredients for the Filling:
- 100 grams chopped white chocolate
- 30 grams heavy cream
Instructions
Matcha Macaron Shells Instructions
- Set aged egg whites out at room temperature.
- Print out free macaron template in the Subscriber's Only Area.
- Pulse almond flour, icing sugar, and matcha powder together in a food processor.
- Sift dry ingredients. Discard big pieces of almond that can't be sifted.
- IF YOU ARE NEW TO MAKING MACARONS, please read the instructions to my BEST MACARON RECIPE before attempting to follow the rest of the instructions since it is condensed for the advanced macaron baker.
- With the balloon whisk attached, whip the room temperature egg whites on low-medium speed.
- Add cream of tartar when it becomes foamy.
- Turn up the speed to medium.
- Once the whisk starts to leave tracks in the egg whites, add sugar a little at a time.
- Turn the speed up to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks.
- Add green gel colour if desired to meringue.
- Fold the almond flour and meringue together until the batter becomes a "lava" or honey-like consistency.
- Transfer batter into piping bag fitted with a round piping tip.
- On parchment paper or silicone mats, pipe the round macaron shells.
- Wait until the shells have developed a "skin" and have become completely dry before baking. This is critical to prevent cracking.
- Bake at 325F for 12-14 minutes. Every oven is different, you may need to adjust your own temperature settings. Please read How to Use Home Oven Properly for Baking Macarons if you are unsure.
- Once baked, let cool completely before removing from the baking mat/parchment paper.
White Chocolate Ganache Macaron Filling Instructions
- Chop up or grate white chocolate into fine pieces.
- Heat up the heavy cream in a small sauce pan on low heat, watch it so that it doesn’t over boil.
- Once it starts to steam and small bubbles appear on the side, immediately pour it over the chopped white chocolate.
- Blend well with a spatula until fully incorporated.
- Let it cool and firm up a bit before piping
Assembly:
- Find two similar sized macaron shells.
- Pipe a dallop of the the ganache in the center of one of the shells, assemble with the other shell.
- Place in an airtight container and let mature for 24 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
*Egg whites should be measured first and then aged. DO NOT use meringue powder as a substitute.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Jade Leaf Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder - Authentic Japanese Origin - Culinary Grade - Premium 2nd Harvest [3.53oz]
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Oven Thermometer
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Digital Scale
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McCormick Gourmet All Natural Cream Of Tartar, 2.62 oz
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Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Gluten Free Almond Flour, 3 Pound
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Round Piping Tip #10
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Wilton Icing Bag Ties, 12-Count - Rubber Icing Bag Ties
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Ateco Disposable Piping Bags, 12-Inch, Pack of 100
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USA Pan Rimless Baking Sheet for Better Airflow to Macaron Shells
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Regular Sized Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 123Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 5mgSodium 15mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 14gProtein 2g
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although indulgewithmimi.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
madi says
we only got 17 singular cookies and the batter was very thick. too thick
Mimi says
Hi Madi
Yes it does sound like something is wrong with the batter as it was too thick making the total count of the macarons decrease at the same time. Sometimes the meringue and dry ingredients don't incorporate together properly when the meringue is not properly prepared. This can happen due to to overwhipping or adding sugar at the incorrect time. I hope you were able to try again or if not, find a recipe that work better for you.
XOXO,
Mimi
Heather says
Can you freeze them?
Mimi says
Definitely! You can freeze macaron shells by itself or assembled. Just take a look at my guide for that. "how to make macarons in advance and freeze"
XOXO,
Mimi
Leni says
hi Mimi! lately I've been obsessed with matcha. And I tried these and they tasted so good, but they turned out hollow and lopsided.also can you add less castor sugar in the egg whites? and also can you create a red bean butter cream.
Mimi says
Hi Leni,
Please take a look at the troubleshooting guide for how to deal with hollows and lopsided macarons. You can reduce some of the castor sugar but sugar is an integral part of the macaron, it will be less stable the more sugar you have. For red bean buttercream, I will create a recipe once I find a bit more time. In the meantime, you can make the Adzuki bean paste from this Matcha Adzuki Bean Cake Roll and then fold it into the Swiss Meringue Buttercream or add it into another type of base.
Isabelle says
How many does this recipe make? It says 12 but does not specify if it is 12 filled macarons, or 12 singular shells?
Mimi says
12 assembled macarons XoXo Mimi
Lai Chin Yap says
Hi, may i know how to achieve nice green colour? It is very hard to achieve nice green colour if matcha powder is used in the recipe. It tends to brown during baking. Pls share your tips. Thank you!
Mimi says
Hi Lai,
As per the recipe, I also added some green gel food coloring. It's not necessary to add it if you are looking for a natural macaron color but if you want to achieve the same look as the stores, then a bit of food color is needed. As for the browning, you'll need to control the oven temperature a bit better. Have you ready my Oven Guide for Baking Macarons yet?
XOXO,
Mimi