Bake soft sakura sugar cookies made with real Japanese cherry blossoms. Easy melted-butter method, no creaming or sifting, and measured by grams for perfect results.
Cherry Blossom Cookie Recipe
Cherry blossom season is fleeting, but these Sakura Sugar Cookies capture its beauty in a cookie you can bake all year long. Made with real Japanese cherry blossoms, they’re delicately floral, lightly sweet, and as elegant as spring itself. The subtle sakura flavor melts into the buttery cookie base, creating a treat that is both refined and irresistibly comforting.
If you’re looking for an easy, beautiful, and reliably perfect cherry blossom cookie, these Sakura Sugar Cookies bring the gentle flavor of spring straight into your kitchen.
Like all recipes inspired by our Master Cookie Recipe, these cookies are wonderfully simple to make. The dough uses melted butter—not creamed butter—and a touch of oil, which gives each cookie its signature texture: crisp on the outside and soft, almost fudgy on the inside. Every ingredient is measured directly into the bowl in grams, so there are no measuring cups, no sifting, and no fuss. It’s precise, efficient, and foolproof. This cookie recipe also includes a gluten-free version with just one easy change.
This recipe is built around ingredients that support growers and local agriculture whenever possible. From sustainably grown flour to responsibly produced butter, each element contributes to a system that values both the land and the people who cultivate it.
Updated:
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of contents
Ingredients
Using the best ingredients creates the best cookies. I name the brands I use in the recipe, so there is no guessing. There is a detailed explanation for why I use each brand on the “quality brands” page.
- Japanese Cherry Blossom Powder – The secret ingredient is actual cherry blossom powder from Japan. Cherry blossom powder is traditionally made by drying and grinding cherry blossoms into a fine powder. This delicate and fragrant powder is commonly used in Japanese cuisine, such as in tea, desserts, and savory dishes. The flavor of cherry blossom powder is subtly sweet and floral, with a hint of almond. It adds a unique and elegant touch to dishes, as well as a beautiful pink hue. Cherry blossom powder is also often used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, where it is added to matcha tea for a delicate and aromatic flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour – King Arthur Organic All-Purpose flour King Arthur responsibly sources the wheat for their flours, and it pays off in the taste and quality. They have a “never bleached” guarantee, which means their flours don’t have an off taste or unpredictable results that can be caused by bleaching. They also carefully calibrate the protein content, so the flour gives you the same results everytime.
- Sugar – Wholesome regenerative organic sugar produced from organic sugar cane fields that are green cut and are not burned or treated with herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. Burning sugar cane fields contributes to air pollution, climate change, and is also a major cause of the destruction of the rain forest.
- Milk, Cream, Butter – Horizon Organics – Milk, Cream and Butter that are produced organically, sustainably, and responsibly. You can taste the difference.
- Sunflower Oil – La Tourangelle Organic Regenerative Sunflower Oil is a great substitute for butter. The flavor works well in cookies, and the oil gives the cookies a fudgy center and crisp edges.
- Salt – Diamond Kosher tastes cleaner and measures differently.
- Sorghum Syrup – We make our own brown sugar substitute by adding Golden Barrel Sorghum Syrup. More convenient than brown sugar and not made from sugar cane. It creates a taste like brown sugar but more like caramel than the molasses in brown sugar.
- Vanilla – Baker’s Imitation Vanilla Flavoring The flavor or real vanilla and imitation is indistinguishable when high heat is used. Double the usual amount of vanilla called for to improve the flavor.
Japanese Cherry Blossom Powder
No Affiliates Statement
We call this our “no affiliates” statement because we accept no advertising, have no affiliates and accept no payment. We are not paid to mention brands – we just love buying the best, sharing that information and saving the planet at the same time. The effort put into writing and photographing the blog is solely based on our dedication to the cause.
Sustainability
This recipe reflects The Master Pantry philosophy of thoughtful, sustainable baking. Choosing high-quality sakura blossoms and responsibly sourced pantry staples elevates both flavor and freshness while supporting growers who prioritize care and transparency.
In the Ingredients section, you’ll find a closer look at each one and why it matters.
Method
This recipe uses an easy, foolproof method that requires only a few minutes of active time. Check out our Master Cookie Recipe for a more detailed explanation on how this works.
- Measure the dry ingredients by weight
- Measure the wet ingredients by weight
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together without overmixing.
- Chill the mixture
- Weigh out cookies
- Bake
This recipe uses our Master Cookie Recipe. An easy, foolproof, updated way of making cookies.
Why this Works
Pairing Ideas & Variations
- Swap the cherry blossom powder with freeze dried fruit powder — Try blueberry or blackberry.
- Use for ice cream sandwiches — Pair with our cherry blossom ice cream or vanilla made with our Master Ice Cream Recipe to make ice cream sandwiches.
Gluten-Free Version
You can easily change this to a gluten-free version using King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, and the method stays the same. The finished cookies have the same appearance, flavor, and structure as the original, but is slightly more tender. Most tasters would never guess these cookies are gluten-free.
Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival
The cherry blossom festival in Japan, known as Hanami, is a beloved tradition that celebrates the fleeting beauty of the cherry blossom season. Every spring, people from all over the country gather in parks, gardens, and along riverbanks to admire the delicate pink and white petals of the cherry blossoms. The festival typically includes picnics, performances, and cultural events, creating a joyful and festive atmosphere. The cherry blossoms, known as sakura in Japanese, hold deep symbolic significance in Japanese culture, representing renewal, hope, and the transient nature of life. The cherry blossom festival is a time for people to come together, appreciate the beauty of nature, and reflect on the passage of time.
RECIPE
Equipment
- Vollrath cookie sheet 17” x 14” cookie sheet
- Silpat silicone baking mat 11⅝” x 16½”; Fits a 17” x 14” cookie sheet
- cooling rack 11¾” x 17”; Fits a 17” x 14” cookie sheet
CHOOSING BRANDS:
For certain products, the choice of brand will make a big difference in the outcome of the recipe and in your carbon footprint. So, for those products, we have listed the brand. We are not paid to mention a brand and have no affiliates.
Ingredients
- 300 grams King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon Sakura
- 85 grams Horizon butter melted
- 85 grams La Tourangelle regenerative sunflower oil
- 300 grams Wholesome regenerative organic sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Baker’s imitation vanilla flavoring
- 130 grams sugar sparkling sugar, Demerara sugar or turbinado sugar, or a mixture.
- 2 Tablespoons Sakura cherry blossom powder
Instructions
MEASURE THE INGREDIENTS BY WEIGHT – place a mixing bowl on the scale and zero the scale before adding each ingredient. Measuring by weight is the secret to perfect cookies every time.
- Gather all the ingredients and equipment together to make sure you have everything you need. No need to let the ingredients come to room temperature or measure ahead of time, since each ingredient is measured directly into the bowls.
- Place a medium sized bowl on the kitchen scale. Zero the scale and measure in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and Sakura. Set the bowl aside.
- Place a large mixing bowl on the kitchen scale. Zero the scale and measure in the sugar, melted butter and the oil. Remove the bowl from the scale. Stir with a large spoon until completely mixed.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Stir until completely mixed.
- AAdd the flour mixture. Stir just until the flour is incorporated. Do not overwork the batter.
- Using a kitchen scale, measure out 80 grams of cookie dough for each cookie and roll into a ball. The cookies can be baked immediately, but they will have better flavor and texture and will spread less if they are refrigerated for at least four hours or overnight.
BAKE THE COOKIES
- Preheat the oven to 350° F for at least 20 minutes. Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature.
- Put the baking mat on the cookie sheet. Put the sparkling sugar and powdered cherry blossom powder in a bowl and roll each ball in the sugar. Place the cookies on the mat, leaving a two inch space between each ball.
- Bake one sheet of cookies at a time, in the center of the oven. If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate the cookie sheet halfway through baking. Bake until cookies are just starting to brown, but still puffy, and the centers are still soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Test for doneness by lifting a cookie with the thin metal spatula half way under the cookie to see if it is browned on the bottom and stays flat instead of bending or liquid in the middle. When they are done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet. Shape the cookies while they are cooling on the cookie sheet by using a round cookie cutter that is a little bigger than the cookies to make them perfectly round. Place the cookie cutter over each cookie and use a slow, careful swirling motion to push the edges into a round shape. Be careful not to cause the cookies to crack.
- Use the thin metal spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Allow the cookie sheet to cool before putting another batch of cookies on it.
Notes
Nutrition
WHY THIS RECIPE IS A GAME CHANGER:
This recipe is a total game-changer — crafted with the finest [brand name] ingredients, simplified using a master recipe with pro-tested techniques from top chefs and bakers, and designed for deliciously sustainable cooking made easy.”
Easy Cookie Recipes that start with our Master Cookie Method
These recipes use our Master Cookie Recipe. An easy, foolproof, and updated way of making cookies.
True to The Master Pantry philosophy, this recipe combines the best seasonal ingredients and quality brands with homemade methods to maximize both flavor and sustainability. It was inspired by our travels and works well as a holiday recipe.
Photos by Tony Fitzgerald Photography
Recipes created by Lisa LeCoump — Food Photographer, Agricultural Expert, and Home Baker. Sharing master recipes, chef secrets, and sustainable baking for every kitchen. Featured on various publications.