Throughout the year I receive many requests for Japanese desserts, especially with matcha (green tea) as an ingredient. I hope this Matcha Pudding (抹茶プリン) will satisfy some of the readers’ cravings. The Japanese enjoy this dessert all year round, and it’s a perfect little sweet to end a meal.
Easy Matcha Pudding Recipe
This pudding dessert is very easy to make. As long as you have a few hours before guests come, you can quickly make it and still have enough time to chill the pudding in the fridge. It requires just a few ingredients and if you never made pudding desserts before, this is a perfect one to try.
The way I make it results in 3 different layers so it’s quite pretty. The very bottom layer is Japanese anko (red bean paste), the soft bean texture of the red beans contrasts really well with the smooth pudding.
As the pudding settles, the heavy red beans stay at the bottom. The middle layer is created by green tea powder settling, resulting in a darker color and more intense flavor than the top layer. As you scoop your spoon through the different layers, you enjoy both the delicate texture a well as the aromatic green tea with sweet red bean in one bite.
Use Gelatin Sheet for Matcha Pudding
As I mentioned in the Orange Jelly post, I’ve been using gelatin sheets (or gelatin leaf) since I can’t stand the gelatin powder’s strong smell. The strong smell ruins the taste and smell of the desserts or the dishes it’s used in. The brand of gelatin sheet that I like is this PerfectaGell from Amazon.
The gelatin sheets are very thin and almost translucent. Each sheet is 2.5 grams and there are 20 sheets in the package.
The best part about these gelatin sheets is there is almost no smell at all (at least for me). The instructions are also very easy so if you have been reluctant to make jelly because of the awful gelatin powder smell, definitely try the gelatin sheets!
Ever since I started using gelatin sheets, I’m really enjoying making pudding and jelly desserts that I was hesitant to make before.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can use Kanten powder which is plant-based. In general, 1 tsp gelatin powder gelatin is about the same as ½ tsp kanten powder.
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Matcha Pudding
Ingredients
- 1½ Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (1 Tbsp matcha powder weighs 6 g)
- 2 gelatin sheets (or use 5 g gelatin powder; I highly recommend PerfectaGell gelatin sheets, which are nearly odorless and available on Amazon; see the blog post for how to use kanten powder for vegetarian)
- 2 Tbsp hot water
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup sugar (4 Tbsp)
- 3 Tbsp sweet red bean paste (anko)
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Before You Start…Please note that this recipe requires 2 hours of chilling time.Gather all the ingredients.
- Sift 1½ Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. If you have a chasen (bamboo tea whisk), you can whisk the powder in the sieve so there will be no green tea powder left inside. Set aside.
- If you are using gelatin sheets, cut 2 gelatin sheets into thin ½-inch (1.3-cm) strips in a separate medium bowl. Please use a heat-resistant bowl as we will dissolve the gelatin using a double boiler (Step 2). If you are using gelatin powder, put 5 g gelatin powder in a medium bowl. Once the gelatin sheet/powder is in the bowl, pour 2 Tbsp hot water and mix.
- In a small saucepan, bring roughly ½ cup water to a simmer and place the bowl of gelatin mixture over the saucepan. The steam will immediately warm up the glass bowl and start dissolving the gelatin. Once dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside.
- Pour 1¼ cups whole milk into a small saucepan and bring it to a near boil. When you see small bubbles around the edge of the saucepan, turn off the heat.
- Add ¼ cup sugar (4 Tbsp) to the milk and whisk well to dissolve the sugar.
- Add 3 Tbsp of the milk mixture into the sifted green tea powder. Whisk with a chasen or small whisk until the mixture is silky smooth and you don’t see any lumps of dry green tea powder left—very important!
- Pour the green tea mixture into the milk mixture and whisk it together. If you blended the powder well in the previous step, this step should be easy and the matcha mixture should combine smoothly with the milk.
- Add the gelatin liquid to the green tea mixture and whisk well.
- Put 3 Tbsp sweet red bean paste (anko) in a medium bowl and pour a small amount of the green tea mixture into the red bean paste. Combine well. The green tea mixture will loosen up the anko. Divide and add the red bean and green tea mixture to each serving cup.
- Pour the green tea mixture on top. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Once the pudding has solidified, add whipped cream on top and sprinkle with matcha powder to decorate. Serve chilled.
To Store
- You can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- 1 sheet gelatin = 2–3 g gelatin powder, or approximately 1 tsp
- 3½ sheets gelatin = approximately 1 envelope Knox gelatin
- 4 sheets gelatin = approximately 1 Tbsp gelatin powder
- 1 tsp gelatin powder = ½ tsp kanten powder
- 1 tsp gelatin powder = 1 tsp agar powder
Nutrition
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