These are tahini chocolate chip cookies — equal parts butter and tahini in the dough, with semisweet chips and an optional sesame seed topping. The tahini adds a toasty, slightly bitter note that keeps the cookies from tasting one-dimensionally sweet. If you bake a lot of chocolate chip cookies and want a batch that tastes genuinely different without a complicated process, this is a good one to try.
The technique that matters
The most important step is how you cream the tahini and butter together. Tahini is denser and oilier than butter alone, and if the two aren’t fully combined before you add the sugars, the fat separates during baking and you get greasy, flat cookies. Spend a full two minutes on this step — longer than you would for an all-butter dough. The mixture should look smooth and uniform, not streaky. The second thing worth paying attention to is stopping the dough mix the moment the flour disappears. Tahini already tenderizes the dough through its fat content, so overworking it even slightly pushes the cookies toward tough rather than chewy.
If something goes sideways
- Cookies spread too thin and go crispy: Your butter was probably too warm, or the tahini brand you used is very thin and runny. Chill the scooped dough balls for 20–30 minutes before baking. Thicker, well-stirred tahini (where the solids and oil are fully incorporated) gives more consistent results than a separated jar.
- Cookies come out dry and crumbly: This usually means the flour was packed into the measuring cup. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off, or weigh it. A packed cup can add 20–30% more flour than the recipe needs.
- Bitter aftertaste: Some tahini brands are noticeably more bitter than others. If this happens, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar to the next batch, or switch to a milder tahini. The bitterness also intensifies if the cookies are overbaked — pull them at the first sign of golden edges.
- Cookies don’t brown evenly across the batch: Baking sheets vary. If you’re making a large batch, rotate the pan halfway through and bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack. Stacking two sheets or using the top rack leads to uneven color.
- Dough feels too stiff to scoop cleanly: Tahini thickens the dough more than butter alone would. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping, or use a cookie scoop dipped briefly in warm water between portions.
Storage and make-ahead
Baked cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days — they actually improve on day two once the sesame flavor settles. For larger quantities, the unbaked dough is the better thing to freeze: scoop it into balls, freeze them on a parchment-lined tray until solid, then transfer to a zip-lock bag. They keep for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F and add 2–3 minutes to the bake time. Skip the garnish on cookies you plan to freeze — the sesame seeds don’t add enough to justify the extra step when you’re prepping a big batch. If you’d rather freeze baked cookies, layer them between sheets of parchment in a container and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Oven
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini preferably creamy and of high quality
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup sesame seeds optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the tahini and butter using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until smooth and well combined.
- Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the mixture and continue to mix until fluffy. Incorporate the vanilla extract and the egg, mixing them in fully until the mixture is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sifted all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Stir in the semisweet chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed within the dough.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If desired, sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds for added crunch and a hint of nuttiness.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers are set. Look for a light browning for the perfect bake.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Lori’s Tips:
- For a softer cookie, replace half of the flour with cake flour.
- Consider adding a pinch of cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a warm, spicy note.
- For a vegan version, use a flax egg (1 tbsp of flaxseed meal + 2.5 tbsp of water) and a vegan butter substitute.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use natural or homemade tahini, or does it need to be store-bought?
You can use either, but consistency matters more than the source. Natural and homemade tahini can separate into thick solids and liquid oil — stir it thoroughly until smooth before measuring, otherwise the fat ratio in the dough will be off and the cookies may spread unevenly.
Can I double or triple this recipe for a bake sale or party?
Yes, this recipe scales up cleanly. Mix in the largest bowl you have and bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for even results — crowding the oven drops the temperature and affects how the cookies set. The dough also holds well in the fridge for up to 48 hours if you want to spread the baking across two days.
Do I have to use semisweet chips, or can I swap in dark or milk chocolate?
Dark chocolate works particularly well here because its bitterness echoes the tahini rather than fighting it. Milk chocolate is fine but tips the cookies toward sweet, which can mute the sesame flavor — worth knowing if the tahini note is the reason you’re making these.
My tahini is very thick and stiff straight from the jar. Is that a problem?
Stiff tahini can make the dough harder to cream smoothly with the butter. Let the tahini sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before you start, and stir it well — it loosens considerably once it warms up slightly.
If you liked this one
- Dark Chocolate Tahini Tart
- Sesame Caramel Tart
- Pistachio Rose Shortbread
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Fudge