100-Hour Fudgy Matcha Brownies

These super moist and gooey Matcha Brownies are inspired by Alvin Zhou’s 100-Hour Fudgy Brownies recipe! It uses fine green tea powder for the deepest flavor and comes out wickedly decadent. Every bar has pockets of white chocolate that just melts in your mouth!

Decadant dessert bliss

If you’re wondering why anyone would need to wait 100 hours for Matcha Brownies, here’s what you need to know: they’re worth EVERY second.

I’m not normally one who makes recipes based on trends or the latest craze, but when I watched the original chocolate version by Alvin Zhou, I knew I had to make a green tea version.

You don’t get the light bitterness you would with Chinese Herbal Tea (涼茶) or the refreshing bitter kick Sương Sáo (Grass Jelly) has. Instead, the earthy flavors in these bars slowly unfold in your mouth and melt over your taste buds.

After one bite, you’ll be left with nutty brown butter magic that lingers like velvet. The top is beautifully crinkly and creates such a perfect balance to the fudge that you’ll be reaching for seconds!

Why this recipe works

• Using white chocolate balances the bitterness of the green tea powder.
• Letting the Matcha Brownies rest for 100 hours means the ingredients infuse for the fudgiest bar.
• The brown butter adds a gorgeous nutty richness that’s unmatched by any other ingredient.

What you’ll need

About the ingredients

• Matcha powder. Different brands and types will produce different flavors and bitterness levels, so adjust accordingly.
• White chocolate powder. In Alvin’s original recipe, he used espresso powder to bring out the chocolate’s richness. I substituted it for white hot chocolate powder because I felt that would work better with green tea.
• White chocolate powder ice cubes. Make these the day before so you have them ready when you need them. Mix 16.5g (0.6 oz) white chocolate powder with 200 mL (0.8 US cup) hot water, let it cool in an ice tray then put it in the freezer to freeze overnight.
• Matcha chocolate. I could only find Meiji Matcha Chocolate at my local Asian supermarket, but if you have a favorite then you can use that. Juts keep in mind the sugar levels would be different so will need to be adjusted to taste.
• Sugar. Alvin uses 450g (1 1/2 US cup) sugar, but I found that by opting to just use white and green tea milk chocolate instead of including dark chocolate, there wasn’t enough bitterness to balance the sweetness. So our Matcha Brownies recipe uses slightly less sugar.

How to make this recipe

Day 1

Melt the unsalted butter on a low heat for 5 minutes or until it becomes brown butter and turn off the heat.

Add the white chocolate powder and stir until dissolved.

Put the ice cubes into the mixture and stir until melted, then set aside for later.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla paste and sugar until it becomes fluffy.

Sift in the matcha powder, white chocolate powder and salt into the egg mixture, then fold in until well incorporated.

Pour in the brown butter and mix well.

Melt 225 g (8 oz) of the green tea chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water on low heat, then add the melted chocolate into the batter and stir to combine.

Sift in the flour and fold in until mixed.

Roughly chop the remaining green tea chocolate bars and stir into the batter.

Line a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13”) with baking paper, then smooth the batter out until it covers the entire tray.

Roughly chop all the white chocolate, then top it over the uncooked batter.

Cover the uncooked brownies with glad wrap and refrigerate for 3 days.

Day 4

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Take the batter out of the fridge and bake for 30 minutes.

Note: Keep it on the middle or bottom oven rack because the white chocolate can burn easily.

Tightly cover the tray with foil and put the cooked batter into the freezer while it’s still hot for 30 minutes, then transfer it to the fridge for another 24 hours.

Day 5

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Remove the tray from the fridge and take the Matcha Brownies out. Trim the edges away to make it neat and even.

Tip: Dip the knife in hot water with each cut to make it a cleaner slice. Also, if you have trouble taking the brownie out, run a small knife along the edges to loosen it from the baking tray.

Divide the brownie into 9 pieces, or to preference.

Heat the Matcha Brownies up for 3 minutes or until warm. Serve immediately as is!

FAQs

Final thoughts

I must admit, waiting 100 hours for Matcha Brownies isn’t easy! I did sneak a small batch into the oven on the first day (which would’ve made them the 0 Hour Matcha Brownies). Here’s what I noticed:

Day 0

The green tea flavor was sharp. Very strong and bitter with the batter on the crumbier side. If you enjoy a lingering bitterness, this would be ideal.

Days 1 and 2

At this point, the cooked brownies had had a full day to relax in the fridge. This time the bitterness was MUCH mellower and had infused beautifully into the bar. The fudginess had already started and it wasn’t as crumbly.

If you don’t want to wait the full 100 hours, enjoying them after 24 hours would be a great option.

After another day, the matcha brownies tasted very much the same as they did in Day 1.

Day 5

Oh. My. Goodness.

I have never had a brownie like this before. Fudgy, gooey and all but MELTS in your mouth. Definitely going to make these again; they’re worth every effort!

Modifications for the best results

• Keep the tray away from the grill. White chocolate burns at a much lower temperature. Make sure to use the middle or bottom rack if you want to keep the chocolate looking white.
• Use a good quality matcha powder. We used Nature’s Way Matcha Green Tea Powder because that’s what we could find locally, but if you have a favorite that you love, go ahead and use that instead.
• Avoid overmixing. Mix until you have just formed a dough, otherwise you run the risk of adding too much air into the Matcha Brownies.

Satisfy all your dessert cravings!

• Kem Chuối (Vietnamese Banana and Coconut Ice Cream) – If you want something cold, rich and refreshing, these are the perfect solution.
• Bánh Kẹp (Coconut Pandan Waffles) – As warm and toasty as our Matcha Brownies, you’ll never want to say no to waffles fresh out of the waffle maker.
• Sinh Tố Sầu Riêng (Vietnamese Durian Shake) – Thick, creamy and luscious, it’s a refreshing fruity treat that all the locals love.
• Taro and Sweet Potato Balls Dessert (九份芋圓) – This is a fun way to get the whole family involved in the kitchen. You’ll end up with a simple yet delicious dessert soup.
• Yum Cha Mango Pancakes (芒果班戟) – Take advantage of fresh mangoes with this light and classic family favorite!

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This post was originally published on 12/11/20 and updated with new photos in August 2021.

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