These tahini brownies are anything but your average, one-note brownies. Moist chocolate brownies with a generous swirl of tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds which takes the brownies to a whole new level of flavor bliss!
Tucked in the first few pages of my March copy of Milk Street magazine is an article titled, "Who Put Tahini in My Brownies?"
Well, if anyone is up for putting tahini in their brownies, it's me!
Most folks have only experienced tahini in the traditional sense--in a creamy hummus dip or a tangy tahini sauce atop a juicy kabob (which I highly recommend).
My friends, it's time to expand your tahini experience.
Added in desserts like my earlier shortbread cookies or today's chocolate brownies...well, it's a game changer!
While adding flavor to chocolate brownies isn't a new thing, I'll have to agree with Christopher Kimball, the occasional marshmallow, nut or swirl of peanut butter, doesn't take brownies much farther. Most remain one-note wonders.
Tahini and chocolate are a complex grown-up pairing; you'll discover they are such the perfect match. But the whole point of this tahini brownies was not to simply add a different flavor to a classic brownies recipe. Tahini is a key ingredient here. Instead of adding tahini to a classic brownie batter, we stir chocolate into a tahini base. The game does change. A lot!
These tahini brownies are extremely moist and rich with a nutty sesame flavor.
WHERE TO BUY TAHINI?
Tahini paste is easily available at your local Mediterranean grocery stores. But we decided to make it easy for you by offering it on our online shop, where you can also find exotic spices, high quality extra virgin olive oils from Greece, and more!
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Tahini Brownies Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 28 mins
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: serves 16 1x
Description
These tahini brownies are anything but your average one-note chocolate brownies. Moist chocolate brownies with a generous swirl of tahini (sesame paste), which takes the brownies to a whole new level of flavor bliss.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp salted butter, plus more for the skillet
- 4 oz bittersweet dark chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square pan with 2 pieces of foil (crossed, and with excess hanging over on all sides of the pan). Lightly brush the foil with butter.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and immediately add the chocolate chips and cocoa. Whisk until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt to form a slightly thick mixture. Add the tahini and whisk to combine. Now fold in the flour, stir until just incorporated (do not over-stir). Reserve half of the tahini mixture in a separate bowl for later. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the remaining tahini mixture, stir until batter is well combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan you prepared. Spread evenly.
- With a spoon, dollop the reserved tahini mixture over the top (imagine a grid, and add one dollop of tahini mixture to each square on that grid). With the tip of a butter or pairing knife, swril the tahini dollops into the brownie batter.
- Place the pan on the middle rack of the 350 degrees F heated-oven. Bake for 28-30 minutes, until the edges are set but the center remain moist. Remove from the oven. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Lift the foil edges up carefully to transfer the brownies from the pan. Cool for another 30 minutes (do not remove from the foil yet). Cut into 2-inch squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- Recipe slightly adapted from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Magazine (March-April 2017 issue).
- You need to fully bake these brownies, they are very tender (even wet) if you don't bake them through.
- Make these brownies the night before, if you like. The tahini flavor will intensify!
- Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: Tahini, Brownies, Chocolate, Dessert
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Excellent recipe. Easy to follow, great results! Delicious! If you like halvah you will love these brownies.
★★★★★
I just tried this recipe tonight. It is great! Lots of chocolate decadence and nutty flavoring from the tahini. I will be sure to check out your other recipes as I love middle eastern food!
★★★★★
So glad, Teressa! Thank you for sharing
Transferring my chocolate mixture into my tahini mixture caused it to seize, any idea why? Made sure my chocolate mixture wasn't hot but wasn't completely cooled down either!
That's interesting, Cheryl. I have not had this issue in the many times I made this recipe but let me do some research.
Hi! I made your hummus recipe last night (I’m from Dubai, now in the US, and have high standards for hummus - it was the best hummus I’ve ever made.)
I now want to try these brownies but am wondering if they would still work with half the sugar?? Thanks!
Oh that's wonderful to hear, Kay! I have not tried the brownies with less sugar so I can't tell you for sure if they would work. For a first try, you can cut the sugar by a small amount and see how it works.
Hi Suzy
I hope you are well
Thank you very much for this amazing recipe. Hands down the best brownie I make 🙂
I wanted to ask if it would be ok to use the exact same recipe but change the tahini to maybe Nutella or melted chocolate or any other flavour ?
I tried used a different recipe for chocolate brownie brownies with nuts and it turns out dry so I wana stick to your recipe and the exact ingredients and amounts 🙂
I hope to hear back from you soon and thanks for all the amazing recipes on the website.
Hi, Eman! I have never tried it with anything besides tahini, but I don't see why not. If you do a little experimenting, I'd love to hear how things turned out!
WOW! Just made these for Passover. Subbed cake meal for the flour and followed the rest of the recipe exactly. They are amazing! Will be part of my annual Passover desserts. Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
Thanks so much, Edith! Glad you enjoyed these! Happy Passover!
I’m confused by your directions. You only add half of the tahini to the brownie batter. And then you mix the other half of the tahini with the melted chocolate mixture? How does it stay light enough to see the swirls on the brownies?
Hi, Melissa! You will set aside half of the tahini mixture for the topping before adding the melted chocolate. When it's time for the tahini mixture topping, you just dollop small amounts around the top of the batter in the pan before spreading. Just be sure the dollops are not too big, and the topping won't sink into the brownie batter. I hope that helps! Thanks!
Can you use a
amp flour if you don’t have WWlour?
Hi Cathy, this recipe works best with all purpose flour.
These look amazing, but I'm allergic to gluten. Would you know of a replacement flour that I could use 1 to 1?
Hi, Linda! While I have not used these brands with this particular recipe, my gluten free friends have had great results substituting wheat flour with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour when baking. If you give either a try, please let me know how the brownies turned out!! Thanks so much!
We LOVED these brownies. The crazy thing was that I was so intrigued and delighted by the way the batter tasted that I totally forgot to add the flour. They STILL turned out! Will definitely do it again with ALL the ingredients!
★★★★★
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing, Karen!
I would love to make these for my DIL, she has to be dairy free right now, do you have a sub for the butter?
I'm not so sure how it would turn out otherwise, Margaret. I haven't tried a butter alternative. Anyone else?
refined coconut oil should work. That's the kind without a strong coconut favor. If you like coconut flavor, use virgin coconut oil.
Wow, before this I have tried several other recipes to add tahini to brownies, but they never quite worked. But these are great! Intense, fudgy chocolate, some with the subtle tahini flavor....even DH and both sons (one is a chef), who came for dinner, loved them. Sent ther rest home with them and will make more tomorrow. Thanks!
★★★★★
Yay! I am so glad you've found the tahini brownie recipe for you!
These are the BEST brownies I've ever made or even tasted. Thanks heaps for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Sam, I am so so glad to hear it! My family loves these brownies!
Delicious five stars
★★★★
Awesome, Josie!
These tahini brownies look fabulous! Tahini in sweet dishes is amazing. I love tahini and honey together, one of my favorite all-time combinations. I'll have to try this recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it!
I think this is what people say 'meant to be' - I was just cleaning out the fridge last night and saw that I had forgotten a little tahini at the back... I was telling myself I gotta use it up this week, and look what I stumble on??? Meant to be!
Totally meant to be! Hope you try it, Tina!
I love tahini paired with chocolate! I need to give these a try -- just wow!
Isn't it a great combo?! Enjoy!
These look amazing! I love how few ingredients are required for this recipe too. I am thinking I may have to try these for an upcoming party. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, you totally should! It's a pretty simple recipe...and like you said, not a ton of ingredients.
Oh my gosh, I've been wanting to try tahini in my banana bread and this sounds so delicious. I love mixing up flavors in new ways like this. Gorgeous photos!
Oooh, I love the idea of tahini in banana bread! You'll have to tell me more when you try it.
Gorgeous swirls, and I just read about tahini brownies the other day for the first time ~ what a delicious idea!
It is a delicious idea! My kids favor these brownies over anything I've tried before. It's a regular treat now.
I just bought tahini paste this week for the first time in years, as part of my mission to cook healthier, but with no specific plans for it. So glad you posted this recipe!
Oh there are so many ways to enjoy tahini! I hope you'll give this a try. thank you for stopping in!