• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Nutrition
  • Natural Living
  • Body Love
  • Sustainability
  • Lively Living
    • Baby Led Weaning
    • Pregnancy
    • Lively Littles Recipes
    • Baby Lifestyle
  • About
    • Contact

Lively Table logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Appetizers
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Main Dishes
  • Desserts
  • Sides
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten Free
  • Pork
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Desserts

By Kaleigh McMordie - March 8, 2021

Mini Matcha Cupcakes

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
mini matcha cupcake topped with matcha honey frosting with more mini cupcakes in the background, with text overlay.

Mini matcha cupcakes with honey matcha frosting easy to make and loaded with antioxidant-rich matcha for a delicious, adorable spring treat! The green color is perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

4 mini matcha cupcakes on a white platter covered with white parchment.

This post was originally published March of 2016 and has been updated.

Spring is in the air, and I have just the dessert to help you celebrate the warmer weather and all things green - these cute mini matcha cupcakes! They're perfect for when you just need a little something sweet, and the green color is so pretty for spring.

Why You'll Love These Mini Matcha Cupcakes

Matcha lovers will adore these cute little cupcakes. The batter is infused with a heaping 3 tablespoons of matcha. Then they get topped with more matcha in the form of honey matcha frosting, that contains both honey and powdered sugar - just a touch of honey for a delicate taste that's not overpowering, with the structure of powdered sugar for stability. These cupcakes are so easy to make, and are a little bit better for you with a couple of pantry swaps and their tiny size.

overhead view of ingredients needed to make mini matcha cupcakes on a white background.

Why Is Matcha Healthy?

You may already know that green tea contains antioxidants. It's got tons of free-radical fighting polyphenols to help keep your cells from getting damaged. Matcha is a powdered form of green tea in which the whole leaf is consumed, so it is super concentrated, meaning you get more of those powerful antioxidants.

Does That Mean Matcha Cupcakes Are Healthy?

Not saying these cupcakes are healthy, per se, but they do have the antioxidant power of matcha, and they're made with whole wheat flour and heart healthy vegetable oil. Plus they're adorably bite-sized! So you could do worse in a dessert!

How To Make Mini Matcha Cupcakes

four image collage showing steps for baking matcha cupcakes.

Bake the Cupcakes

  1. Sift together the dry ingredients.
  2. Whisk the wet ingredients and mix them into the dry.
  3. Scoop the batter into mini muffin liners and bake!
  4. Cool them completely before covering with matcha honey frosting.
four image collage showing steps for making honey matcha icing.

Make the Frosting

  1. Cream the butter, honey and almond extract.
  2. Beat in the powdered sugar and matcha, adding milk as needed to thin to a pipe-able consistency.
  3. Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles or any other decorations you like!
frosted mini matcha cupcakes lined up on a cooling rack.

Tips for the most delicious cupcakes 

  • Careful not to over-mix the batter, or cupcakes will be more dense and tough.
  • Try not to over-bake the cupcakes, or they will be dry. A toothpick inserted into the center should yield moist crumbs and the tops should spring back lightly when pressed once they are done.
  • Every oven is different. If you have a convection oven, they may take less time. If your oven tends to run a little cool, they may take more time. Adjust the bake time accordingly.
  •  Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.
two mini matcha cupcakes side by side on a white platter with a white napkin next to it.

Can I make full-sized cupcakes?

Yes! If you're making full-sized cupcakes, increase the baking time to 12-18 minutes. You may also need to use 1.5 times the icing recipe.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Print

Mini Matcha Cupcakes

mini matcha cupcake topped with matcha honey frosting with more mini cupcakes in the background.
Print Recipe

Mini matcha cupcakes with honey matcha frosting easy to make and loaded with antioxidant-rich matcha for a delicious, adorable spring treat!

  • Author: Kaleigh
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: About 36 mini cupcakes 1x
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cupcakes:

  • 2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted (or all-purpose flour)
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • 3 tbsp matcha powder
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 2  large eggs
  • ½ cup oil, such as avocado or canola oil
  • 2 tsp almond extract

For the Matcha Honey Frosting:

  • 1 stick butter, softened (I like salted butter)
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp matcha powder
  • 1-2 tablespoon milk of choice

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F . Line a mini cupcake tin with liners.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, sift together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, matcha, baking powder, salt).
  3. In another bowl, whisk the the wet ingredients (milk, eggs, oil, almond extract) until combined. Add to the large bowl with the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until combined.
  4. Pour batter into cupcake liners, about ¾ of the way full. I like to use a small cookie scoop for the mini cupcakes.
  5. Bake cupcakes 8-12 minutes. Cupcakes should lightly spring back on when the top is pressed once they are done. Remove from pan and let cool before frosting.

For the Frosting:

  1. Cream together the butter, honey and almond extract.
  2. Add the matcha and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and well blended, adding milk as needed to thin. 
  3. Scoop frosting into piping bag (or a plastic zip-top bag with the corner cut out) and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Notes

  • Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.
  • For regular sized cupcakes, increase the baking time to 12-18 minutes. 
  • Every oven is different. If you have a convection oven, they may take less time. If your oven tends to run a little cool, they may take more time. Adjust the bake time accordingly.
  • Careful not to over-mix the batter, or cupcakes will be more dense and tough.
  • Try not to over-bake the cupcakes, or they will be dry. A toothpick inserted into the center should yield moist crumbs and the tops should spring back lightly when pressed once they are done.
  •  Make sure the cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.

Keywords: mini matcha cupcakes, matcha cupcakes with honey frosting, green tea cupcakes

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @livelytable on Instagram and hashtag it #livelytable

« Asian Pork Meatball Lettuce Wraps
Healthy Carrot Cake Overnight Oats with Kefir »

About Kaleigh McMordie

Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian in Abilene, Texas, as well as a member of the Baby Led Weaning Dietitians Network. Kaleigh can be found at kaleighmcmordie.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Enza Palmer says

    June 06, 2024 at 11:06 pm

    can you freeze the cupcakes then ice them when you go to eat them?

    Reply
  2. Summer says

    March 30, 2022 at 3:52 pm

    I have no idea what I did wrong or what but when I made them they completely bubbled up out of the pan like the batter was trying to escape pretty much none was left in the liners. Then just to see if it was the pan or not I put the left over batter into 2 small mini cake pans same thing happened

    Reply
  3. Stephanie says

    May 19, 2021 at 11:23 am

    I don't have almond extract, what can I substitute with, or can I remove it from the recipe?

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      May 19, 2021 at 1:00 pm

      Hi Stephanie, you can replace it with vanilla, or just leave it out!

      Reply
  4. Phyllis Berry says

    December 12, 2019 at 4:18 pm

    HI; Can you use 1 stick of butter in place of vegetable oil?

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      December 17, 2019 at 6:59 am

      Hi Phyllis,

      I don't see why not. I'd cream together the butter and sugar first, then add the remaining wet ingredients, then the dry ingredients.

      Reply
  5. Marie says

    February 28, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    Cutest cupcakes ever! I don’t have whole wheat flour, how would the recipe be adjusted if I use all purpose white flour?

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      March 01, 2018 at 9:12 am

      Hi Marie,
      You can substitute all purpose flour just fine in this recipe! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  6. Carissa McCutchen says

    May 02, 2017 at 3:23 pm

    I have another question! I'm having a hard time finding Matcha Powder. I found it on Amazon online, but only 1 ounce was $10! Do you have any suggestions? Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      May 02, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      1 oz is much more than it sounds like, it is more than enough! You could also try the bulk spice and tea section at your grocery store or health food store!

      Reply
  7. Carissa McCutchen says

    May 01, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    I'd like to make these for an upcoming 'Cupcake Wars' I hold with my girlfriends each Spring. I need to make them full size however. If I doubled the recipe, how many full size cupcakes do you think I would get? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      May 01, 2017 at 4:45 pm

      That sounds so fun! I think if you doubled the recipe, you'd get 18-24 full size cupcakes. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Carissa McCutchen says

        May 02, 2017 at 12:19 pm

        Thank you, Kaleigh!

  8. Lucy @ Globe Scoffers says

    March 07, 2016 at 2:01 pm

    These cakes look like perfection. Great photos, I can't wait to try making them.

    Reply
    • Kaleigh M says

      March 09, 2016 at 9:13 pm

      Thank you Lucy, I hope you love them!

      Reply
  9. Amy @ Happy Healthy RD says

    March 07, 2016 at 9:13 am

    Those are the cutest cupcakes! I love the idea of making them for St. Patrick's Day.

    Reply
    • Kaleigh M says

      March 09, 2016 at 9:13 pm

      Thanks Amy, isn't the green just perfect for Spring? Happy RDN day!

      Reply
  10. thalia says

    March 07, 2016 at 12:43 am

    Love anything matcha related, and i bet these cupcakes are so delicious. They do look perfect!

    Reply
    • Kaleigh M says

      March 09, 2016 at 9:12 pm

      Thank you so much! They are pretty tasty! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Trending

  • Skinny margaritas with lime wedges.
    The BEST Skinny Margaritas
  • pinto beans a grey bowl with a black spoon beside it.
    The Best Easy Pinto Beans Recipe
  • piece of lobster ravioli cut in half on a black fork sitting on a plate of ravioli.
    Lobster Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce
  • closeup of the cut side of a BBQ rib on a cutting board.
    BBQ Ribs on the Charcoal Grill
  • cooked black rice in a small grey bowl.
    How To Cook Black Rice
  • two layer cake with a layer of frosting in the middle and a dollop of frosting on top.
    How To Make Basic Cake Frosting
  • wooden spoon of easy spaghetti sauce over a white pot of sauce.
    Easy Weeknight Spaghetti Sauce
  • closeup of simple roasted sweet potato cubes in a white bowl.
    Simple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
As Featured in Sidebar Image

Footer

↑ back to top

Latest Recipes

  • Almond Flour vs Almond Meal: Which Should You Use?
  • Cornmeal vs. Cornstarch: What’s the Difference?
  • Cobbler, Crumble, and Crisp: What’s the Difference?
  • High Protein Overnight Oats Peanut Butter Banana
    High Protein Overnight Oats - Peanut Butter Banana & 10 Flavor Ideas

Recipes

  • Breakfast
  • Gluten-Free
  • Vegetarian
  • Desserts
  • Grilling
  • Chicken & Turkey
  • Drinks and Cocktails
  • Sides
  • Main Dishes
  • Snacks

About

  • Contact
  • About

Copyright © 2024 Lively Table
Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions