Matcha Christmas trees and coconut buttercream frosting are the perfect match for this buttery cookie.

This easy homemade cookie is perfect for the holidays and easy to whip up. For the frosting, we used coconut buttercream “snow” and pomegranate seed “ornaments” for the toppings. You can easily make your own buttercream frosting at home or find a Paleo brand at your local health food store. Also, feel free to experiment with different toppings like cacao nibs or sliced almonds. For the cookie base, matcha mixes with coconut flour and ghee to create that signature shortbread texture.

To get started, whisk the coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha powder together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the ghee, honey, egg, and vanilla extract until it becomes creamy and liquefied. Sift the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well to combine. This should create a wet dough that will serve as the cookie base.

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Next, let the dough sit for five minutes so that the coconut flour can absorb the moisture. Add in the tapioca starch and mix until you get a smooth and pliable dough. Tip: Since the dough will be quite sticky, it’s best to dust your hands with extra tapioca starch for kneading. If necessary, add one additional tablespoon of tapioca starch and continue kneading to reach the desired consistency (the dough should no longer stick to your hands).

Then, let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, covered. Roll the dough between two pieces of dusted parchment paper, so that it is ½-inch thick. Use a Christmas tree cookie cutter (dusted with tapioca) to cut out 12 cookies. Place onto a prepared baking sheet and set them in a single layer, leaving at least two inches of space between each cookie.

When ready, bake the cookies for at least eight minutes at 300°F. Once the cookies are fully baked, allow them to cool completely on a baking rack. Make sure they are fully cooled before spreading the buttercream frosting on each tree. Top the frosting with pomegranate seeds, then serve and enjoy!

Felicia Lim

Matcha Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies

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Total time:1 hr
18 mins

Inactive Time:30 mins 30 minutes

Cook Time:8 mins 8 minutes

Prep Time: 40 mins 40 minutes

Serves:12

Matcha Christmas Tree Shortbread Cookies

Recipe by: Felicia Lim

Brighten up your holiday dessert table with these unbelievably cute Christmas tree cookies.

Tools

• Small mixing bowl
• Large baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• 3” x 4” Christmas tree cookie cutter

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• ½ t baking powder
• 1 t fine salt
• 1 T matcha powder
• ¼ cup grass-fed ghee, softened
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 1 t vanilla extract
• ½ cup tapioca starch, or more as required
• 1 cup coconut buttercream frosting
• ½ cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk the coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and matcha powder together until well combined.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the ghee, honey, egg, and vanilla extract until you get a smooth and creamy mixture. Make sure there are no lumps and the consistency is liquid in texture.
• Sift the coconut flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well to combine. Let the dough stand for five minutes, so that the coconut flour can absorb more moisture.
• Sift in the tapioca starch and fold until the dough becomes smooth and easy to handle. If needed, dust your hands with extra tapioca and knead in one additional tablespoon to the dough.
• Shape the dough into a round disc and cover with aluminum foil. Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Once the dough is chilled, dust two sheets of parchment paper with tapioca starch. Place the dough between the two sheets (dusted sides on the inside) and roll until it is ½-inch thick.
• Dust the rims of a Christmas tree cookie cutter with extra tapioca starch and cut out 12 cookies. Place them onto a prepared baking sheet (about 2 inches apart) and bake for 8 minutes. When ready, let them cool on a baking rack to firm up.
• Once cookies are completely cool, spoon a small amount of coconut buttercream frosting onto the top of each cookie. Use wet fingers to smooth out the frosting and create the “snow”.
• Top the frosting on each cookie with about five pomegranate seeds, making sure to space them out evenly. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Looking for Paleo ingredients? Here are a few we’d recommend:
Coconut flour (Nutiva)
Baking powder (Hain)
Matcha green tea powder (Matcha Tea)
Ghee (Pure Indian Foods)
Raw honey (Bee Farms)
Vanilla extract (Frontier)

(You’ll Also Love: Matcha Brownies with Green Tea Frosting)