It seems that the entire world has gone mad for matcha, and once again I am late to the culinary bandwagon.  Last week I visited the Mind Apples pop-up health farm, then went to the Japan Centre for some of their splendid (and very affordable) sushi and spied lots of matcha.  I remembered reading about Matcha Madness Month on Catty’s blog and decided that it was time to get some fuss free matcha madness in my kitchen.   Bewildered by the choice of matchas on offer I choose a 10g pouch for £2.
For those not in the know, matcha is finely ground Japanese green tea.   It is made from tencha, which is stoneground to a bright green talc like powder.  It is fairly labour intensive process, taking up to an hour to grind 30g. The tea bushes are covered for several weeks before harvest; the shade slows down growth, resulting in darker leaves and more amino acids giving a more intense flavour.   Matcha is packed full of all sorts of things that are good for you; antioxidants, betacarotene and vitamins A, B & C. And matcha is also delicious, like green tea, but more intense and sweeter in flavour.
When I bake there is a high chance that I will make muffins, and my first foray with matcha is no exception. I used Kara coconut milk which added a hint of coconut flavour, but any milk (dairy or non dairy) would work here.   My full muffin method is here, if you eat eggs throw one in with wet ingredients, if not, leave it out.  I did not measure the buttercream ingredients – too much buttercream is not a bad thing and is delicious straight from the bowl!
Matcha Muffins
Ingredients
Vegan Matcha Muffins
- 4.5 oz plain flour
- 1.5 oz sugar
- 1 tsp matcha powder (heaped)
- 1 tsp baking power
- pinch salt
- 4.5 oz coconut milk drink
- 1.5 oz sunflower oil
Vegan Matcha Frosting
- 1 tsp non dairy spread
- 1 tsp milk (I used Kara)
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 4 tbs icing sugar
Instructions
For the matcha muffins
- Whisk the oil and milk mixture with a fork. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together briefly (the batter should be lumpy, and not fully mixed).
- Bake at GM5/190C/375F in your favourite muffin pan for 20 – 25 minutess until risen.
Matcha Vegan Frosting
- Beat the butter & milk together for a minute with an electric mixer, add the matcha and icing sugar and beat for at least 5 minutes until fluffy. You may need to add more liquid or icing sugar.
- Wait until the muffins are cold before frosting.
Amber Shea @Almost Vegan
I love the simplicity of those recipes :] Mmm, green tea frosting!
Choclette
These look fun – I love the shade of green you’ve managed to get. Like you, I’m a little late with matcha and baking, but I’ve just posted my Matcha Madness attempt too.
Is there something different about Kara coconut milk, or is it just a brand name?
jodye
I’m on a matcha kick lately, as well. These look wonderful! I love the color matcha imparts to anything it’s added to
Heidi R
I remember being introduced to Matcha by my friend, I had no idea what it was or where it came from, but it was very enjoyable. Really like the idea of these Matcha muffins, they would be a great make.
Donna G
Such a great colour with the matcha, these look simply delightful.
Kiara C
I love all muffins, so easy to make and so many different ways of making them. These matcha muffins sound delicious, particularly with the added buttercream.
Melanie
A delicious recipe, can’t wait to try it out myself. These are the kind of muffins that are perfect for filling hungry tummies ie. kids on school holidays.
Susan Robinson
I love eggless muffins. I often make them to take to work. Perfect with my morning coffee.
Gemma
I love the flavour of matcha, so these muffins would be perfect. Brilliant colour.
Rach Gillian
Homemade muffins are the best. So easy to make and everyone loves them.
Isla T
So good that these are vegan. I’m definitely saving this recipe to make.
Steven
I’m not a great fan of Matcha, although I have to admit these muffins do sound pretty tasty. Probably a better way to enjoy it too.
Brenda
We always like to have homemade muffins, they are so good for an easy breakfast, hungry mouths at lunchtime and taking out with us. This is a lovely recipe, the green is just wonderful.