Soft, nutty and just enough sweet! That's the story of these addictive tahini chocolate chip cookies. What's more? No butter! Rich, vegan tahini paste eliminates the use of butter, while adding a subtle nutty flavor that takes your usual chocolate chip cookies to a whole new level of delicious. These are a must try!
This batch makes 24 cookies, and they freeze well.
I'm a big fan of tahini--the creamy, rich vegan paste made by finely grinding roasted sesame seeds until buttery smooth.
Aside from making buckets of smooth hummus and lemony tahini sauce (which goes with almost anything), I've been known to swirl a good bit of tahini in my brownies and even mix it in banana shake for a little protein. And yes, I've already made a form tahini cookies.
So yes, I'm on a roll with tahini baking recipes and desserts. And I think these tahini chocolate chip cookies may be top of the list right now!
Chocolate chip cookies with tahini
If you love chocolate chip cookies, then you'll appreciate that this recipe does not deviate a ton from the classic except in a couple of tasty (and a bit healthier) ways:
- Creamy tahini paste replaces the butter. Tahini still has a high fat content (the better-for-you kind), so you won't miss the butter! Tahini here adds a satisfying richness and a gentle nutty and savory taste that pairs so well with chocolate (not to mention infusing your cookie with a bit of protein and some minerals).
- Reduced sugar. I've found a combination of ⅔ cup dark brown sugar + ½ cup of granulated sugar is just the right amount of sweet. The majority of cookie recipes will use a good bit more, but you really don't need it!
Can I use tahini in place of butter?
Yes! When baking, think of using tahini similar to how you use a nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter (except tahini is milder in flavor, which makes it more versatile). Depending on the recipe, you may add a bit of tahini to support some softened butter, or you may replace the butter all together like in today's recipe!
In this tahini cookies recipe, a 1:1 tahini to butter substitution works out perfectly. Even traditionalist and avid bakers who may have once thought butter is non-negotiable will attest to the taste and rich texture of these tahini chocolate chip cookies!
How long will it take to bake tahini cookies?
At 375 degrees F, tahini chocolate chip cookies will take anywhere from 8 to 11 minutes. Like most cookies, every minute in the oven counts. If you're like me and enjoy your cookies on the softer and chewy side, pull them out at 8 minutes. They'll be very tender at that point. Just set them aside and let them cool on the cookie sheet some before transferring them to a wire rack to fully cool. If you like crispier cookies, then let them bake in the oven the full 11 minutes.
How to make tahini chocolate chip cookies?
If you've made cookies before, this recipe follows the same usual steps. Here is how it goes:
- Mix the wet ingredients + sugar
First, stir the tahini, sugar and brown sugar together
Add in the eggs, cold water (about 3 tablespoons) and the vanilla extract. The mixture should look fudgy at this point - Add the dry ingredients
Stir in the salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and mix until combined, then add the chocolate chips and stir well - Form the dough into portions and arrange them on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper
Scoop heaping 1 tablespoons of the dough and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Wet the back of a spoon and use it to lightly flatten the tops of the cookie dough portions (you’re looking for the dough to be about ½ inch in thickness give or take) - Bake at 375 degrees F
If you like your cookies on the softer, more chewy side, take them out at the 8 to 9 minute mark. If you like them more crunchy, you can let them bake for up to 11 minutes. - Let cool
Give the cookies a few minutes to cool on the sheet pans before transferring to wire racks to fully cool.
Tools and special ingredients you need
- Soom Tahini from 100% roasted and pressed organic Ethiopian White Humera sesame seeds
- Mixing bowl
- Sheet Pans
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Looking for more sweets? Browse my selection of desserts. For all recipes, visit us here
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup tahini (8 ounces), I used Soom Tahini
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon more for dusting
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips I used 60% Cacao bittersweet chocolate chips by chiradelli
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and position a rack in the middle. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the tahini, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes until well combined (the mixture will be crumbly).
- Add the eggs, 3 tablespoons cold water, and the vanilla extract. Mix for another 2 minutes until well-incorporated (the mixture should be smooth and fudgy).
- Stir in the salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Add the flour and mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir until well combined.
- Scoop heaping 1 tablespoons of the dough and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Wet the back of a spoon and use it to lightly flatten the tops of the cookie dough portions (you’re looking for the dough to be about ½ inch in thickness give or take).
- Bake on the middle rack for about 8 to 11 minutes, depending on how soft or crunchy you like your cookies. If you like your cookies on the softer side, pull them out sometime around the 8 or 9 minutes and let them cool on the sheet pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets.
- Dust with more ground cinnamon before serving (optional).
Notes
- Storage: Be sure the tahini cookies are fully cooled before transferring to an air-tight container or canister. Be sure to cover tightly. They will keep for up to 1 week at room temperature. Or you can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months, but be sure that the cookies are well-protected.
- Visit our Online Shop to find quality Soom Tahini and many more Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and spices.
- In my research, the average tahini chocolate chip cookie had more than 300 calories compared to this recipe where the calories are cut down to 188.7. Tahini still has a high fat content (the better-for-you kind), but it will also add some protein and nutrition to these cookies. More about that in this Medical News Today Article , if you're interested.
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on an online calculator and may vary depending on the ingredients you use.
- This recipe takes inspiration from Danielle Oron’s recipe in Modern Isaeli Cooking
I've made these several times and they're a house favorite. Super flavorful.
I've tried tahini in a few baked goods recipes and it's a new found love! This recipe was no exception - I replaced the all-purpose flour with almond flour and it made the cookies hearty but not heavy, and super chewy!
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! Thanks, Eliza!
Can I use almond flour or another healthier flour instead of white flour and can I use coconut sugar to also make it healthier. I try and clean up a recipe to make it as healthy as possible. Thank you.
Hi, Mimi. We haven't tested the recipe with those ingredients, but I don't see why they would not work. If you give them a go, please stop back and share your thoughts!
How can this (and many other recipes on this site) be called a Mediterranean Diet recipe when it has all that sugar? Use of added sugar is not compliant with this way of eating. It would be great if you could post dessert recipes made with natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, and dates.
Hi, Deb! I'm Summer, I work with Suzy. Our website shares recipes specific to the Mediterranean Diet, but also the food, culture, and ingredients of the Mediterranean -- including recipes like this made with tahini. We have lots of dessert recipes made with honey, olive oil or dates. If you're a fan of dates we have this Creamy Tahini Date Shake or these Chocolate Covered Dates. Both are delicious. For honey based desserts, try our Healthy Carrot Cake. If you like pumpkin you might want to try our Pumpkin Parfait. I hope this helps! Thank you for stopping by.
Made with the runny SOOM tahini. Batter was wet so didn’t add water. You will need the water if you don’t have a runny tahini. Turned out perfectly! Definitely want to underbake these. 9 min was perfect for me. Pressed cookies down to flatten before baking!
Just made these...oh my gosh...best cookies I've ever made!
These are really good. I was told my blood sugar was a little high so I used swerve granulated and brown sugars. I also used semi sweet morsels. I used 1 t vanilla and 1 t of maple flavor. Yes the dough can be difficult but do not use a mixer. If u are trying to cut back on sugar the swerve works exactly like sugar. Same measurements and no after taste.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Suzy you are the GREATEST!!! I rarely keep sweets in the house but tonight I was craving something. We live 20 miles from the nearest town so running to the store wasn’t happening. I came to your site and AS ALWAYS found a fabulous recipe with ingredients I had on hand! These cookies were easy to prepare and so delicious! I made one batch baked at 8 minutes and one baked at 11, we loved them both. I use so many of your recipes in our everyday meals and I’m adding this one into the rotation!
Congratulations on your new cookbook, can’t wait to get my copy. Continued blessings! ❤️
Thank you so very much, Meredith!!
So delicious and quick! We had an unexpected guest and I whipped this up in just 20 minutes.
Yay! Thanks, Abigail!
YUM! I love that this recipe uses only tahini and not butter as well.
Just out of the oven and they are indeed addictive. Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed them, Lisa!
Huge fail! I followed the recipe exactly. I should have known it wasn’t going to work- the tahini mixture was soupy not crumbly. I soldiered on, and by the time I was ready to bake, it was too wet to scoop! I ended up adding 1 additional cup of flour to make the batter scoopable and put the bowl in the fridge for 10 inures to firm it up. Well, the cookies held their shape but the taste was off. Not sweet enough, too cakey, just an epic fail. Oh well I tried something new.
These were better than traditional chocolate chip cookies IMO. Slightly crispy on outside and soft and gooey on inside with a mix of sweet, savory and salty in every bite. LoVE!
Thanks, Katie!
I have a batch in the oven now. I made substitutions so we’ll see. I added 3T dark cocoa powder and used my GF flour blend. Used coconut sugar and brown sugar. The dough is difficult to work with but it tastes great! Looking forward to the finished cookie!
Would love to hear how it turned out with the GF flour, Lisa! Hope you enjoyed it!
I made these cookies and they were delicious and tasted better than peanut butter cookies. I love all your recipes. !!! Thanks for sharing them..
Did a half batch and used 1/3-1/2 ish cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce and added some oatmeal. Skipped the water because of the apple sauce liquid and did half white wheat flour and half AP and they turned out great! Original recipe was great too - just experimenting with using applesauce and white wheat flour more and glad this recipe was flexible.
Thanks for sharing, Kam!
It looks delicious but I’m trying to switch to a plant-based diet for health reasons. I was wondering why it says these are vegan in the first paragraph? Was there a substitute for the eggs that I missed?
Thank you!
Hi, Maggie. The "vegan" label is used to describe the tahini paste in the recipe, not the entire recipe itself.