Need to make dessert, but don’t have a lot of time? These Easy Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes are just what you need. The perfect blend of sweetness and earthy goodness. A unique and flavourful dessert.
Matcha green tea powder is the secret ingredient in these pretty tea cupcakes. The mint-flavoured frosting just happens to pair perfectly too.
Everyone loves dessert. Sometimes made from scratch isn’t an option, especially if you don’t like to bake. These matcha cupcakes are made with a cake mix. Easy, simple and always delicious.
I love adding flavours of tea to recipes. Chia cupcakes are perfect with a latte. Mint tea works great in this watermelon cooler on hot summer days. Homemade lemon tea popsicles with blackberries are a great summer treat.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for these green cupcakes can be found at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients For Green Tea Cupcakes
- vanilla
- boxed white cake mix
- matcha green tea powder
- icing sugar
- butter
- mint flavouring or some mint simple syrup
- green food colouring
Easy Matcha Cupcakes From A Box
No one will ever know you didn’t bake these cupcakes from scratch. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Prepare a muffin tin with liners and preheat the oven.
- Mix the cake mix according to the package directions.
- Add in the matcha green tea powder and additional vanilla.
- Fill the liners ⅔ full with batter and bake.
- Remove when done and allow to cool before frosting.
- Make the buttercream according to the recipe below.
- Add the green food colouring.
- Place frosting in a piping bag and have fun.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
For decorating, I used a 1M and #32 tip to create cute spring-like flowers on top of these pretty cupcakes. You can make the frosting any colour you like. Change the flavouring too.
Vanilla cake mix or just a white cake mix is best if you want to see the green colour in the cupcakes.
You and use mint flavouring, or try adding some spearmint simple syrup instead.
Cupcakes will keep for 3-4 days in a sealed container. You can freeze unfrosted baked cupcakes for several months. When needed, defrost and top with buttercream frosting.
FAQ’s
Both are made from the same plant, but the cultivation and process are different.
Most green tea comes from China and is grown in the sun. Matcha comes from tencha leaves grown in Japan. The tea is shade grown in the final weeks before harvesting.
It has a sweet grassy flavour. Perfect for lattes, added to oatmeal, soups, hummus and of course baked goods.
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Here are a few more cupcakes to try:
- Sesame Street Cupcakes are a hit at any child’s birthday party.
- Love the flavour of Reese’s? You will want to make these filled cupcakes.
- These pretty purple Ube cupcakes are perfect for any celebration.
Vanilla Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 store bought cake mix (I used a White Cake Mix)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons matcha green tea powder
For the Buttercream:
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- ½ teaspoons salt
- 5 cups icing sugar (sifted)
- ⅛ teaspoons mint flavouring
- milk (thin to desired consistency)
- green gel colouring (enough to achieve desired colour)
Instructions
- Preheat oven according to box directions. Line a muffin tin with liners.
To make the Cupcakes:
- Mix cake mix according to package directions.
- Add the vanilla and mix.
- Add the matcha green tea and mix well.
- Fill muffin liners ⅔ full with batter.
- Bake according to package directions. Test with cake tester. When done, remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer cupcakes to cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Buttercream:
- Using a stand mixed, cream the butter and salt until fluffy.
- Start adding the sifted icing sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Blend well each time.
- Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency of frosting.
- If you are going to make different coloured icing, divide buttercream into bowls. For this recipe I just removed some of the buttercream into a bowl, since I was using both white and green for the colours.
- Tint the buttercream to the desired colour.
- Place your desired tips onto piping bags, and fill the bags with buttercream.
- Pipe frosting.
Laura Arteaga
These cupcakes look amazing. We have some matcha powder at home, so we will be definitely giving these a try!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Matcha is such a great indgredient to work with. Enjoy the cupcakes.
Lisa
I love easy dessert recipes and these cupcakes are super easy to make!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Yes they sure are.
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli
They are so pretty with the mint buttercream which marries well with the matcha vanilla cupcake. Easy to make and delicious!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I like the addition of mint in this frosting too. Goes well with the matcha for sure.
Amy
These are such delish cupcakes! I made a batch and froze them for my upcoming book club meeting. Thanks for the tip. My decorating was not as pretty as yours, but everyone still loved them.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Decorating is not my forte either, but I think it is the taste that counts the most.
Anna
This was my first time baking with matcha, and your recipe did not disappoint! I also loved that mint flavour in the buttercream, such a great addition!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much. These really are cute little treats for sure.
Silvia
These are the easiest green tea cupcakes ever. I always have a cake box at home, aren’t they great? I frosted them with vanilla whipped cream instead of the buttercream and they were so delicious.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
So glad you enjoyed these green tea cupcakes.
Nicole washington
I’ve made Matcha cupcakes before and their pretty tasty. I did t add the mint like you did though. Such a nice touch.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much, enjoy these tasty green cupcakes.
Amy Liu Dong
I made these cupcakes and it was so easy and delicious. Everyone in our house loves them!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Easy recipes are the best, less stress.