Matcha Pistachio Madeleines

I’ve baked plenty of madeleines. But with Matcha Pistachio Madeleines, I dared to reinterpret the classic recipe by adding not-so-usual ingredients. At least for traditional madeleines. To say the buttery flavor of the teacakes paired well with the sweet crunch of pistachios and earthy taste of Matcha is an understatement. 

Vibrant green, softly fluffy, and like small vessels of joy, the madeleines came out looking pretty as a picture. And the soothing grassy Matcha taste is so delicate that you’re almost looking for it. For those who’re not huge fans of the green tea powder, these vegan madeleines will come as a delicious surprise. 

If you enjoy matcha, do try my decadent matcha Basque cheesecake, refreshing mango matcha latte, and baked matcha donuts!

How to make Matcha pistachio madeleines?

There isn’t much to making madeleines. As long as you have a madeleine mold or pan, they are easy to bake, and the trick to getting that telltale hump on one side is chilling the batter. My advice is to give it at least two hours in the refrigerator, but the batter can last up to 2 days.

• Start by sifting all-purpose flour, salt, and Matcha. 
• Add some baking powder to accentuate the characteristic hump further, and then stir in raw sugar.
• For the wet ingredients, combine lukewarm almond milk with coconut oil and vanilla extract. Using lukewarm milk makes the batter absolutely lump-free.  
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix till you have a homogenous batter. Never overbeat madeleine mixture.
• Fold in very finely chopped pistachios (you want the texture, not chunky bits in the mouth).
• Cover the batter and then refrigerate. The lower temperature solidifies the oil, giving rise to that unique bump during baking. 

Baking the madeleines

With this recipe, I tried a new metallic madeleine mold with cavities so gorgeously deep that the teacakes were nearly the size of smallish cupcakes. I made 10, but with a standard size mold, this recipe will give you 14 to 15 madeleines. 

If you’re using a metal pan too, remember to liberally grease the cavities with oil or butter. Then dust it with flour, so the madeleines don’t get stuck in the grooves. For those baking in a silicone mold, skip the greasing. 

• Whisk the chilled batter once and then spoon it into the cavities only 3/4th of the way. If you go beyond, the madeleines will lose their distinguishing shape. Also, don’t even the batter, let it sit right in the middle of each cavity. 
• Bake for 14 to 15 minutes till the tops are springy, and a skewer comes out clean. 
• Let them cool for a minute, then turn the mold over a cooling rack and the madeleines will pop out.

Serving the matcha madeleines

The best time to enjoy madeleines is straight out of the oven: fragrant, crisp-edged, and warm. And because they're so lovely, you can serve them just like that. Or dust a bit of Matcha powder or icing sugar on top. 

I never, ever pass up an opportunity to dip my bakes in chocolate. Why not, when you can? So, half of each madeleine was dipped in melted dark chocolate and dusted with pistachio pieces. And, since I like a pop of color with my green, I scattered a few dried rose petals on top.

But all of this is completely optional. Feel free to skip the rose petals, pistachio topping, or even chocolate. Although experience with vegan matcha tart tells me you’ll be missing out.

In case you’re more of a white chocolate lover, you can dip the madeleine in that too, as I did with my chocolate madeleines. Matcha complements white chocolate, and my matcha white chocolate bark attests to it. 

Variations of matcha pistachio madeleines

Pistachios: Almonds are a great substitute here. For those allergic to nuts, omit them entirely from the recipe. If you want that extra textural dimension, try folding in chocolate chips. Both dark and white chocolate will pair well. 

Oil: Replace the coconut oil with melted and cooled butter. To keep the recipe vegan, you can also substitute it with olive oil. 

Milk: Being lactose intolerant, I prefer almond milk. But it’s okay to use any milk here. 

Sugar: Since the madeleines are not overly sweet, you’re adding only a small quantity of sugar. So, feel free to experiment with any: cane sugar, regular sugar, or raw sugar.

Toppings: All of them are purely discretionary. Leave everything out. Or dip half the madeleines in white chocolate. Or dunk just one side of the madeleine in dark chocolate. The choice is entirely yours. 

My one piece of advice is to make the batter the day before, refrigerate it overnight, then bake it the next morning. Most of the time is spent waiting for the matcha pistachio madeleine batter to cool. This way, you save it and have a delicious snack ready in no time.

📖 Recipe