Healthy Holiday Recipe Countdown – Day 3

Matcha Gingerbread Cookies



  1. Yield: 1 dozen cookies
  2. Prep Time: 10 minutes
  3. Cook Time: 10 minutes
  4. Total Time: 20 minutes
  5. Ingredients
  6. 1 cup sweet rice flour
  7. ½ cup finely ground almond flour
  8. ½ cup chestnut flour
  9. 1½ teaspoons matcha tea, divided
  10. ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  11. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  12. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  13. ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  14. ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  15. ⅔ cup, plus ½ cup, sugar, divided
  16. ⅓ cup mashed avocado (½ medium avocado)
  17. ⅓ cup olive oil
  18. 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  19. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  20. ½ cup roughly chopped candied ginger


  1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, 1 teaspoon of the matcha tea, the baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice and pepper, and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat ⅔ cup of the sugar with the avocado, olive oil, fresh ginger and vanilla until creamy and smooth, 2 minutes.
  4. Beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture in 2 additions and, when almost combined, stir in the candied ginger. It will be a thick, tacky dough.
  5. Combine the remaining sugar and matcha on a large plate. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces and roll in between your palms, forming a compact dough ball. Press each ball into the matcha sugar and flatten to a ¼-inch-thick disk, coating the bottom and sides with the sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheet, sugar-side up, and spaced evenly apart. (Note: The cookies won’t spread during baking.)
  6. Bake, rotating halfway through, for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on the sheet tray for at least 5 minutes, and serve.