Super Easy Matcha Muffins - Vegan!

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Light, fluffy, and beautifully vibrant, these vegan matcha muffins are a delicious fusion of flavour and texture! They’re topped with a luscious vegan white chocolate drizzle that adds just the right amount of dreamy sweetness. Perfect for breakfast, a midday snack, and a great addition to your dessert table, these matcha muffins are guaranteed to brighten your day and satisfy your cravings!

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Calling all the matcha lovers today! Light, fluffy, and infused with the earthy and sweet taste of matcha, these matcha muffins are made entirely dairy and egg-free! Can you believe that? These are a delightful treat to brighten up your day I am sure, every time I have one of these my day becomes a little brighter!

Like any other matcha lover, I love the combination of matcha and white chocolate, so I made a drizzle of vegan white chocolate for that added touch of indulgence, and it sooooo good! They’re perfect for a sweet breakfast, a midday snack, or even dessert after a meal. Plus, they’re super easy to make. The recipe is beginner-friendly, quick to prepare, and uses only simple pantry ingredients you already have on hand.

Must Read: The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Muffins – A complete guide to baking your perfect vegan muffins with easy and delicious muffin recipes!

Recipe overview – why you’ll love this vegan matcha muffin recipe

Level: Easy
Taste: Earthy and sweet matcha
Texture: Soft, moist, and fluffy

Diet: Plant-based, dairy-free, eggless, nut-free, can be gluten-free
Time: 35 mins
Occasion: Breakfast, dessert, picnic, snack

Main ingredients and substitutions

Making these muffins is easy and fun! The ingredients are straightforward and combine to create that perfect fluffy texture with the matcha aroma and beautiful green colour. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need.

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain flour: The base of the muffins, plain flour. Substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if you want to make this gluten-free.

Caster sugar: I used regular caster sugar to add sweetness and balance to the matcha’s earthy flavour. Feel free to use granulated sugar if you don’t have caster sugar. Coconut sugar or date sugar can be used as a less refined alternative too, though the colour of the muffins might become a little darker.

Vegan butter: I used some vegan butter from Naturli for this recipe and it went very well! It brings richness and moist texture to the muffins. Feel free to use other vegan butter brands if Naturli is not available to you. I love vegan butter from Flora, Stork, etc. Miyoko’s should be great if you are in the US!

Soy milk: I like using soy milk in my baking because I feel like it makes the best vegan buttermilk that creates that soft and moist texture I like in baked goods. Feel free to use almond or oat milk instead if you don’t want to use soy milk, it works perfectly with no issues.

Matcha powder: The star ingredient that gives the muffins their beautiful green colour and unique flavour, matcha powder! Use good quality matcha for baking, I use Uji matcha for its taste and colour.

Vegan white chocolate: I love the taste of creamy white chocolate but you can also use milk chocolate or dark chocolate as well, they will be as delicious!

Other ingredients: Coconut oil, baking powder, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and cornflour.

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Mixing bowl: A large mixing bowl is essential for combining your ingredients evenly.

Large wooden spoon or silicone spatula: I always use either a large wooden spoon or a silicone spatula, it is perfect for stirring together the batter without overmixing.

Muffin tray: I used my 9-cup muffin tray but I have a bigger oven in my flat now so I guess it’s time to upgrade to a 12-cup muffin tray!

Paper muffin cups: I always use paper muffin cups/paper liners to prevent the muffins from sticking to the tray, it makes cleanup such a breeze. And I think muffins look cuter in muffin cups!

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan matcha muffins

Creating these light and fluffy matcha muffins is actually super simple and easy. Just follow along, and you’ll be savouring these treats before you know it.

Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line your muffin tray with paper muffin cups. This ensures the muffins come out cleanly and helps with easy cleanup!

First, let’s mix all the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, caster sugar, matcha powder, cornflour, baking powder, and baking soda. Do not forget to sift the matcha powder and flour! Sifting ensures no lumps are in the batter, especially with the matcha powder. Matcha power’s consistency is unique and can oftentimes clump together even with a thorough mixing process. So always sift before combining dry ingredients.

Step 2: Add the Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl or a jug, whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar until well combined to create vegan buttermilk. Slowly pour the vegan buttermilk and melted vegan butter into the dry mixture and stir gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough and dense muffins, which we don’t want for our muffins. It’s okay to see little lumps or flour here and there in the batter, I will incorporate it in the oven!

Step 3: Bake

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tray using an ice cream scoop, filling each cup about 1/3 full. Don’t fill the cups to the brim otherwise, they will overflow! Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. If a toothpick comes out with wet batter, bake for another 3-5 mins and test again. Once they are baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 4: Make the White Chocolate Drizzle

While the muffins cool, bain-marie the vegan white chocolate and coconut oil together in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until smooth and glossy. Easy peasy!

Once the muffins are completely cool, drizzle the white chocolate over the tops using a spoon or piping bag. Let the drizzle set before serving. Enjoy!

Expert tips and tricks

Choose good quality matcha powder

I say this every time I share my matcha recipes so you might be tired of hearing this but I will say it again, for the best colour and flavour, use good-quality matcha powder. Great quality matcha works best for baking, I use matcha power produced in Uji, Kyoto, where the best matcha in Japan is produced.

Sift dry ingredients

Don’t skip sifting the dry ingredients when making matcha recipes, matcha powder can easily clump, and sifting ensures a smooth, even batter. You don’t want to bite into a bit of matcha lump in a muffin, trust me!

No over-mixing!

Avoid overmixing the batter, as this can lead to tough, chewy, or dense muffins, we are aiming for moist and fluffy here! Stir just until the dry ingredients are combined with the wet ingredients with a large wooden spoon or a silicone spatula. I tend to avoid using a whisk as I find it easy to over-mix unless the recipe is gluten-free.

Cool the muffins before icing

If you’re decorating with white chocolate drizzle, make sure the muffins are completely cool. Adding the drizzle while the muffins are warm will cause it to melt and be runny and won’t set well.

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

Turn these into matcha chocolate chip muffins by folding in vegan dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips into the batter before baking! The chocolate flavour actually goes really nicely with the earthy matcha flavour and it’s one of my favourite combinations.
Swap the white chocolate drizzle for simple powdered sugar dust in a pinch, it adds a subtle sweetness to the muffins.
Add some white chocolate chunks to make the muffins even more indulgent and chocolaty! Perfect for anyone who loves their muffins extra sweet and dessert-like.
Nuts and seeds are also a fantastic addition to these matcha muffins. Try mixing in walnuts, pistachios, or pine nuts for added texture and flavour. They’ll make your muffins more wholesome and the perfect option for a satisfying breakfast!

How to store

Refrigerating: If you want to store the muffins for more than 1 day, place the muffins in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2-3 days. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving, or warm them slightly in the microwave for a freshly baked feel!

Freezing: You can also freeze the muffins for longer by freezing them individually wrapped in clingfilm or foil and placing them in a freezer-safe airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. To enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature or reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 5-10 minutes and you will be having delicious muffins in no time!

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Why did my muffins sink in the middle?

This can happen for multiple reasons. It could be that the muffins are underbaked, the oven temperature is too high, too much leavening agents, or mixing the batter too much.

If the toothpick test comes out with wet batter then the muffins are underbaked, so try baking them longer next time. High oven temperature can raise the muffins too quickly, baking the outside of the muffins faster and leaving the middle uncooked, so make sure to have the temperature right before baking. Adding too much leavening agent can do the same too.

Lastly, don’t over-mix the batter as over-mixing can develop too much gluten and can cause the middle to sink.

Why are my muffins dense instead of fluffy?

Dense muffins can happen if you overmix the batter, this is probably the reason your muffins come out dense, chewy, or rubbery. Be sure to gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Also, check that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh, as expired leavening agents won’t give the muffins the rise they need. To check the freshness of your leavening agents, simply add vinegar to a small amount of leavening agents and if they bubble up, they are still good to go.

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious apple and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

Visit the matcha recipe page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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