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Tahini Chocolate chip cookies are slightly salty, subtly nutty, and addictive! They offer the perfect balance of sweetness with a generous chocolate-to-dough ratio.
Tahini chocolate chip cookies came to life in my kitchen over the years that I’ve been a devotee of my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. If the caramel-like, toasted flavor of brown butter can elevate my best cookies so well (along with a few other tricks in that recipe…!), I wondered what other ways I could ramp up flavor. My cookie of choice from Tom’s Mom’s Cookies up north in Michigan in the summer is the salted peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, with salt and peanut butter making everything great. Anytime I am deep into a peanut butter joy, I start thinking about tahini, which has its own nutty flavor that pairs exceptionally well with chocolate. Sesame seed paste (tahini) works so well across so many recipes, both savory and sweet. This might just be my new favorite chocolate chipย cookie recipe of all time!
What’s Different About Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Unlike the usual chocolate chip cookies, Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies incorporate tahini, a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking made from ground sesame seeds. This secret ingredient adds a distinctive nutty flavor and creamy texture that sets these cookies apart.ย Read more about it in my post, What is Tahini!
The combination of tahini with brown sugar creates a tender, soft cookie with a chewy center and crispy edges. The chocolate is completely personalized to your taste, using chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, and dark or milk chocolate.
Ingredient Notes
To make the most delicious tahini chocolate chip cookies, here are some thoughts about the ingredients to keep in mind
- The tahini is of course a critical component, adding a slightly savory taste. Find a tahini that you like–they are not all created equally. These tahini cookies are tahini-forward, so be sure you like the flavor of your tahini (as in, not too bitter). Also be sure to stir the tahini to combine the paste with any oil that has separated, before measuring and adding to the cookie dough. Many recipes call for a half cup of tahini; mine calls for a little more than that to make that wonderful flavor more pronounced.
- The chocolate is going to vary according to your favorite type. I much, much prefer dark chocolate in my cookies. The Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips are perfect to me because the chip is larger than a standard chip but not so chunky as a chocolate chunk that edges out too much of the wonderful cookie dough flavor and texture.ย
- A combination of sugars (plus vanilla extract) affect the flavor, texture, and golden brown color of the cookies. We’re going for dark brown sugar, but you can substitute light brown sugar.ย
- An egg plus an egg yolk, along with the baking soda + baking powder, will give the cookies their chewy-crisp texture when added to the dry ingredients.ย
- I use regular unsalted butter (softened butter) in this recipe, but you can substitute solidified brown butter in place of butter.
Making the Cookies
When it comes to making tahini chocolate chip cookies, here are some extra tips for the best results:
- Room Temperature Ingredients:ย Make sure your butter and egg yolk are at room temperature. This helps the ingredients blend smoothly, resulting in a consistent dough texture.
- Use a Mix of Chocolate Chips:ย Experiment with a mix of chocolate chunks, like bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or even a chopped-up chocolate bar for a variety of textures and flavors.
- Batch Sizes:ย For larger batches, doubling the recipe is straightforward. However, pay attention to the mixing time and bake them in batches to ensure even cooking.
- Cookie Size:ย The size of your cookie can vary depending on what you like and need, but your cookie scoop size will affect baking time. Keep larger cookies in mind and add an extra minute or two to the oven time.
- Storage Flexibility:ย These cookies are excellent for gifting and they travel well if packed tightly in an airtight container.
Recipe Tips
- Experiment with flours:ย For those looking for gluten-free options, substitute all-purpose flour with almond flour or coconut flour. Keep in mind that I haven’t tested these so if you do make the change, you’ll want to experiment to see what works best as the change can alter the texture .
- Use good tahini:ย When choosing tahini, look for high-quality products without additives. The best tahini will have a rich flavor and smooth texture.
- Chill the dough:ย The chilling is an important part of the recipe; refrigerate the cookie dough for an hour before baking. This will help the cookies maintain their shape.
- Try different toppings:ย A sprinkle of flaky sea salt such as Maldon Salt on top before baking can elevate these, adding a savory contrast to the sweetness of the cookies.
Storage
To keep your baked cookies fresh, store them in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for about 5 days. If you want to prolong their freshness, consider freezing the cookies or the cookie dough balls; to do this, freeze the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then put them all in a freezer bag to pull out in any quantity needed. They can be baked from frozen. Just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
FAQs
While you can substitute part of the butter with tahini for a unique flavor, using only tahini may alter the texture of the cookies. A mix of the two will provide the best results.
Yes and no! Tahini adds a nutty, creamy flavor that differs from the classic chocolate chip cookie, but the flavor still remains that of a chocolate chipper. It enhances the overall taste profile while keeping the cookie soft and chewy.
Experiment by substituting all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, or coconut flour. But this recipe has not been tested, so be sure to adjust the ratio accordingly to maintain the right cookie texture.
Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup tahini, well-stirred before measuring
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing
- 1 3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips, at least 60% cacao
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream the butter, sugars, and tahini until combined.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined and no dry spots remain.
- By hand, stir chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ยฐF.
- Scoop the dough in to 2-inch balls (about 1.5 oz. each) and place them about 2 inches apart on each sheet. Bake one sheet at a time for 15-16 minutes, until the cookies are still very soft in the middle and the edges are barely golden (they'll continue to set up and finish baking once out of the oven).
- Immediately sprinkle the flakey salt over the hot cookies. Allow the cookies to rest on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
