Pistachio Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting
on Mar 11, 2015, Updated Mar 05, 2025
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You won’t find any artificial green food coloring in these delicious and moist matcha cupcakes! Matcha powder naturally colors both the cupcakes and matcha cream cheese frosting. They’re perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!
If you love matcha be sure to try my Chocolate Cupcakes with Matcha Frosting and for a healthy snack, these Chocolate and Matcha Chia Pudding Parfaits.
Happy Wednesday everyone! Since St. Patrick’s Day is nearing and you are all excited about four leaf clovers, rainbows with pots of gold at the end, corned beef, beer, potatoes, and all things green, I thought I better share a recipe to add to the excitement! So here you have it, Pistachio Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting!
These cupcakes are a healthier replica of the ones my mom used to make my sister and I every St. Patrick’s Day. Those cupcakes used boxed pistachio pudding mix, and I’m not gonna lie, I love the stuff. However, I knew there had to be a better alternative, hence, matcha powder.
Not only does the matcha turn the cupcakes a natural lovely shade of green, but it also adds a delicious green tea flavor. Pair it with chopped pistachios, vanilla and almond extract, and you have one tasty cupcake!
Don’t even get me started on the matcha cream cheese frosting, I ate so much I nearly made myself sick! If you are looking for the perfect dessert to make for St. Patrick’s Day try these Pistachio Green Tea Cupcakes with Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting!
Matcha Cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 2% or whole milk at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Other Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces low fat cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon matcha powder
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Matcha Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with parchment paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and fold them together with a rubber spatula.
- Add in the chopped pistachios and stir just until combined.
- Divide batter evenly into 12 muffin cups using a large cookie scoop. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached.
- Remove the cupcakes from the pan and let them cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting them.
Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand held mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and combined. About 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add in the powdered sugar, salt, and extracts and beat on low until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Once it's incorporated, turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Use a piping bag or knife to frost the cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would love to try these recepies
I’ve never had Matcha, but I am sure my Matcha loving friends will love this!
Uhhhhhhhhhhh yuuummmmmm! I love every single flavor in these cupcakes. I’m pretty sure I should buy stock in matcha and I just stocked up on green tea ice cream! You know the way to my heart. Heading over to get the recipe now!
Thanks pretty lady! Ummm did you say you stocked up on green tea ice cream? Save me some to try next week!
Thank you so much for sharing this creative recipe! I love that you made green cupcakes with matcha powder and pistachios. Two of my favorite flavors in one cupcake is genius!
Thanks for having me again Ashley! I’m so glad you like the cupcakes, I wish I could bring you a plate of them!
These are so so pretty! Isn’t it funny how things from your childhood like using box mixes just take you back to a different time? Although, by the looks of that icing I would so just spoon the frosting right into my mouth, minus the cake!
Thanks Abby! Many spoonfuls of frosting ended up in my mouth before making it to the cupcakes…the one downside or should I say upside to baking! ;-)
Wow these are beautiful. I love the boxed pudding too but this recipe is worth chucking the box.
Thanks Stephanie! The boxed pudding will always have a spot in my heart, but these were a great alternative!