Matcha comes from the green tea leaf, but the leaves are a little bit different from the kind you'd find in Sencha, the more common green tea leaf that you would find in tea bags. The green tea plants used to make matcha are grown for a longer time in the shade (resulting in a higher caffeine level), and after harvesting their stems and veins are removed, and the remainder of the leaves are stone ground into a fine green powder. Matcha tea, especially higher grade matcha known as ceremonial grade (as opposed to culinary, more on this shortly) when heated or blended, even in water, the tea is a creamy, smooth texture.

What Does Matcha Taste Like?

There are many different kinds of matcha with varying flavor profiles! But overall, matcha has grassy, vegetal, sweet, bitter, umami, and smooth notes. The flavor profile of this powdered green tea works perfectly with the richness and sweetness of the sweetened condensed coconut milk and the dairy-free white chocolate chips.

What's the Difference Between Culinary Grade Matcha and Ceremonial Grade Matcha?

Ceremonial grade is definitely more expensive as it's usually designated high enough quality to be used in Japanese Tea Ceremonies, but that's also because it has the best flavor. Culinary grade can be somewhat bitter if being used just as tea. It is commonly used in baked goods and other cooking

What Brand of Matcha Should I Buy?

I always recommend people to try Ippodo Tea if they've never tried matcha. I started with their Sayaka blend and it's wonderful especially for folks who are new to matcha. For this recipe, I'll recommend a middle-of-the-road (not too expensive and very decent flavor) matcha and that's the one I actually used in this recipe .

Matcha Fudge (Dairy-Free and Easy!)

Name: Matcha Fudge (Vegan)
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Cuisine: Christmas
Ingredients: 14.8 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk (see Note 1); 3 Cups Dairy-Free White Chocolate Chips (see Note 2); 1 Tablespoon Matcha Powder (Green Tea Powder) (see Note 3)

Description

Rich and delicious, this 3-ingredient Matcha Fudge is the perfect gift or dessert for any special occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

14.8 ounces Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk (see Note 1)
3 cups Dairy-Free White Chocolate Chips (see Note 2)
1 Tablespoon Matcha Powder (Green Tea Powder) (see Note 3)

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Instructions

Line Pan: We used a 9x9-inch square pan for this recipe, but a similar size should also work (the smaller your pan, the taller the fudge will be, though it will also take longer to set). Place two sheets of parchment paper (aluminum foil should work too) set crisscross to each other to get ready to pour the fudge mixture into.
Melt the Chocolate: Add the white chocolate chips and condensed coconut milk into a medium pot. Heat on medium-low and stir constantly to ensure an even melt.
Add the Matcha: Once the chocolate and coconut milk begin to combine, grab a sifter (or in a pinch, use a fine mesh strainer and spoon), hold it over your pot and then add the matcha powder through it. This will make sure the matcha will not clump up. Stir together until matcha is fully incorporated.
Pour into Pan: Cook the mixture until it is smooth and shiny. Pour fudge mixture into prepared pan. Let cool on the counter for several hours (depends on the temperature conditions of your home). Alternatively, place the pan on a flat shelf in the freezer and chill for at least one hour, though we had best results after a few hours.
Serve: Lift the fudge from the pan using the tabs of parchment paper and then slice into squares on a cutting board.
Store: Once fully set, you can store the matcha fudge in an airtight container on the countertop (at room temperature) for up to a week. You may have luck freezing it as well, though ours never lasts that long!

Notes

Note 1: This is the condensed milk we made to keep this matcha fudge recipe dairy-free and it is absolutely delicious! It does not have an overwhelming coconut flavor but it is lightly detectable. I've seen other non-dairy condensed milks (such as oat) out there and I think they'd probably work with this recipe if you can't have coconut.
Note 2: Our favorite brand of dairy-free chocolate chips is Enjoy Life Mini White Chocolate Chips. There are other brands, though we have not tested them with this recipe. If you're wondering if this recipe works with dark chocolate chips or dairy-free milk chocolate chips, the answer is: I think it should. But I will say that I have not tested it.
Note 3: Culinary grade matcha, while significantly less expensive than ceremonial grade matcha, will be less flavorful and sometimes even bitter. Ceremonial grade IS expensive, but if you love the taste of matcha, you may not be happy making your matcha fudge with culinary grade. You can of course use more or less to taste, but I found that 1 tablespoon is the perfect amount to detect matcha flavor without it overwhelming the palate. The fudge is definitely still very sweet, rich, and chocolaty, like fudge is supposed to be! For this recipe, I recommend a middle-of-the-road (not too expensive and very decent flavor) matcha and that's the one I actually used in this recipe.
Note 4: If you'd like, you can put anything (lightweight) you'd like on top of the fudge, such as cacao nibs, or even crushed candy canes for peppermint fudge! If you're really crazy for matcha, try a dusting of extra matcha powder (though I highly recommend using the sifter for this). Or for more sweetness, try a dusting of organic powdered sugar.

Cool Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Dessert, Snack, Christmas
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: Christmas, Holidays