Name: Matcha Chocolate Covered Caramel Almonds
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Asian-inspired
Ingredients: 30g cane sugar; 15g water; 100g almonds (raw or roasted); 5g vegan butter; 90g vegan white chocolate chips; 1 tbsp matcha powder (1/2 tbsp for making matcha chocolate coating, and 1/2 tbsp for dusting); A few mixing bowls (I like these set of 3 nesting pyrex bowls)

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Matcha Chocolate Covered Caramel Almonds – Deliciously crunchy with a hint of matcha, these almond snacks are perfect for matcha lovers!

What is matcha chocolate?

Matcha is a finely ground powder made from green tea leaves harvested specifically for the purpose. This powder is is left suspended in liquids or foods to give a unique bright green color, and differ in its use from regular green tea leaves which are steeped and then removed to infuse flavor.

Although matcha was traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremony, in modern times the use of matcha has become increasingly popular, now being used for food items such as mochi, ice cream, noodles, lattes and many confectionary.

Matcha chocolate is made by mixing white chocolate with matcha powder, resulting in chocolate that is bright green in color. In this recipe, I mixed matcha powder with vegan white chocolate to create a matcha chocolate version of my chocolate covered caramel almonds recipe.

What do you need to make these matcha chocolate covered caramel almonds?

You only need the following 5 ingredients to make these matcha chocolate covered almonds!

Cane sugar (organic)
Vegan butter
Almonds
Vegan white chocolate
Matcha powder (culinary grade)

There aren't many vegan white chocolate brands available, so you may have to order it online. I used these vegan white chocolate chips from Pascha. Unfortunately vegan white chocolate doesn't melt the same way as vegan dark chocolate, probably because they contain rice syrup (I found that they were more sticky/gummy than dark chocolate, which is more velvety). Just something to bear in mind for cooking with vegan white chocolate for the first time.

How do you make these matcha chocolate covered caramel almonds?

You can make these matcha chocolate covered caramel almonds the same way you make my dark chocolate covered caramel almonds! You just need extra matcha powder to make the matcha chocolate.

How to make caramelized almonds:

Heat up the sugar mixed with a small amount of water in a pan on medium heat. Wait until the sugar mixture bubbles.
Add the almonds into the pan and coat the almonds in the sugar mixture by stirring.
Keep stirring the almonds until the sugar becomes crystalized on the surface of the almonds. Stop stirring and keep heating the almonds on medium heat.
Watch over the almonds and start to gently stir the almonds once you see the sugar melting again. The sugar should be a brown liquid from the caramelization. Keep stirring the almonds gently until all of the almonds are coated in a glossy layer of caramel. Turn off the heat and add the vegan butter to the pan. Stir until it is well incorporated.
Take a sheet pan (or a flat plate) lined with parchment paper and pour out the caramelized almonds onto it. Flatten any clumps of almonds and separate them as best as you can. Leave the almonds to cool at room temperature for 2-3 minutes and then place the sheet pan in the freezer for the almonds to cool down rapidly.
Take out the almonds from the freezer after 2-3 minutes and break up any clumps with your hands so that there are only individual almonds pieces left. Place these in a bowl in preparation for coating. Melt the vegan white chocolate in either a microwave or a double boiler. If you are using a microwave, heat the chocolates on max setting in 15 second intervals for 1 min 15 seconds or until the chocolate is melted. Add the matcha powder to create melted vegan matcha chocolate.

How to coat the almonds in matcha chocolate:

Take a few teaspoons of melted matcha chocolate and drizzle it over the almonds in the bowl.
Stir the almonds until they are well coated in the chocolate. Keep stirring until you see that the outsides of the chocolate are matte. The almonds should be hard to the touch and no chocolate should come off on your fingers. Place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to chill the almonds.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 until you use up all the chocolate. The almonds should now be thicker and there should be no pieces where the surface of the almond is still visible.
Move the almonds to a clean bowl and add the cocoa powder for dusting. Stir the chocolate almonds until they are evenly coated in matcha powder.

Tips and tricks...

Use the freezer. Using the freezer to rapidly chill the almonds really helps to cut down on the time. Also, chilling the almonds in between the coats of chocolate is helpful for achieving an even coating as the melted chocolate will more quickly bind to the almonds.
Re-melt the chocolate residue in the bowl. You can melt the chocolate residue in the bowl and use it to coat the almonds more, or you can just re-harden it and eat it separately. Either way, don't let it go to waste!
Customize the amount of matcha. If you don't like strong matcha flavors, consider reducing the amount of matcha powder used to make the matcha chocolate. The strong matcha flavor can be a little overwhelming, although I find that you do get the caramel flavor as well.

These matcha chocolate covered caramel almonds are...

Crunchy
Sweet with a hit of matcha
Addictive
A twist on regular chocolate covered almonds.

Frequently Asked Questions

I haven't seen vegan white chocolate in stores? I haven't yet come across vegan white chocolate in grocery stores (only vegan dark chocolate). Thankfully, you can order them online. I used these white chocolate chips from Pascha in this recipe, but there are other independent brands that make vegan white chocolate.
Are these gluten-free? Yes!
How long do these keep? These last a while (few weeks) kept in an airtight container even at room temperature. However, you may find yourself eating most of it on the first day. They can be frozen but may not taste as good after they are brought back to room temperature.

If your question isn't answered here, be sure to check out the comments section below. You might find the answer to your question down there. Otherwise, please leave a comment on this post so I can get back to you ASAP!

As always, thanks for reading!

Best,