Chocolate Tahini Cookies - Easy Nutty Cookie Recipe

These chocolate tahini cookies really are so tasty! The tahini brings this incredible nutty, rich depth that's absolutely AMAZING with dark chocolate. Studded with chunks of melted dark chocolate, topped with crunchy sesame seeds, these cookies are the perfect combination of flavours and textures. Plus, they're quick and easy to make - just mix, rest, scoop, and bake. Chewy in the middle, crispy on the edges, and absolutely DELICIOUS!

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Chill Time: 30 minutes (up to overnight)
• Bake Time: 12-15 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Makes: 9-12 cookies
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Mixing bowls, baking tray, wire cooling rack

If you've never tried tahini in cookies before, you are in for an ABSOLUTE TREAT! Tahini (sesame seed paste) brings this wonderful nutty, rich, slightly bitter flavour that pairs perfectly with dark chocolate. It's similar to using peanut butter in cookies, but the flavour is more complex and sophisticated. These cookies are honestly some of my favourite cookies to make because they're so quick and easy - you just whisk everything together in one bowl, fold in the chocolate chunks, and you're done! The dough rests in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or overnight if you want to prep ahead), which helps the flavours develop and stops the cookies spreading too much in the oven. What I LOVE about these cookies is the texture - they're chewy and soft in the middle with slightly crispy edges, and those chunks of dark chocolate get all melty and gooey. Topping them with sesame seeds before baking adds this lovely crunch and reinforces that tahini flavour, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top brings everything together beautifully. These cookies are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, brilliant for gift-giving, and honestly dangerous to have in the house because you can't stop at just one!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Incredibly flavourful: Nutty tahini and rich dark chocolate are the best combination
• Quick and easy: Just one bowl, mix everything, and bake
• Perfect texture: Chewy middle, crispy edges, melty chocolate
• Make ahead friendly: Dough can chill overnight for even better flavour
• Unique and delicious: Not your ordinary chocolate chip cookie!
• Beautiful presentation: Sesame seed topping looks impressive and tastes amazing

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough:

• 113g butter, melted
• 150g dark brown sugar
• 1 small egg (~25g)
• 9g vanilla extract (2 tsp)
• 120g tahini (hulled or unhulled - both work!)
• 155g all-purpose flour
• 2.5g baking soda (½ teaspoon)
• 1.5g salt (¼ teaspoon)
• 115g dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks

For Topping:

• Sesame seeds, for dunking 
• Flaky sea salt (optional but highly recommended!)

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. Make sure you give your oven plenty of time to fully preheat!

2. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter and dark brown sugar. Whisk together vigorously until the mixture is smooth and well combined - it should look glossy and the sugar should start to dissolve into the butter.

3. Add egg, vanilla, and tahini: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and tahini to the bowl. Whisk everything together really well until fully combined and smooth. The tahini can sometimes be a bit thick, so make sure you whisk until there are no streaks and everything is evenly incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and glossy.

4. Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold everything together until just combined. Don't overmix - as soon as you can't see any dry flour, stop! Overmixing can make the cookies tough.

5. Fold in the chocolate: Roughly chop your dark chocolate into chunks (irregular chunks are perfect - they create lovely melty pockets!). Add them to the dough and fold them in gently until they're evenly distributed throughout.

6. Chill the dough: Cover the bowl with cling film or transfer the dough to an airtight container. Pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This chilling time is really important - it helps makes the dough easier to handle, and stops the cookies spreading too much during baking. If you want, you can chill the dough overnight for even better flavour!

7. Prepare sesame seeds: Put your sesame seeds in a small shallow bowl or plate ready for dunking. You'll be pressing the top of each cookie ball into the seeds before baking.

8. Scoop the dough: After chilling, use a spoon or cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls - about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Roll each portion into a ball between your palms. You should get 6 - 9  cookies depending on size.

9. Add sesame seed topping: Take each dough ball and gently press the top into the bowl of sesame seeds. The seeds should stick to the dough nicely. Place each cookie on your prepared baking tray, sesame-seed-side up, spacing them about 5cm apart (they will spread!).

10. Add flaky salt (optional): If you're using flaky sea salt, sprinkle just a tiny pinch on top of each cookie. This really elevates the flavour and makes the chocolate taste even better!

11. Bake: Place the tray in your preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. You want the edges to be set and slightly golden, but the centres should still look slightly underbaked and soft. They might look a bit puffy and soft when you take them out - this is perfect! They'll continue cooking on the hot tray and will set as they cool.

12. Cool on the tray: This is CRUCIAL - let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before moving them. They're very soft when hot and will break if you try to move them too soon. After 5 minutes, they'll have firmed up enough to transfer.

13. Transfer to cooling rack: After 5 minutes on the tray, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. They'll continue to set as they cool and will develop that perfect chewy texture.

14. Enjoy: Once cooled (or still slightly warm if you can't wait!), dig in and enjoy these absolutely DELICIOUS chocolate tahini cookies. They're incredible on their own, amazing with coffee or tea, and perfect for sharing (if you can bear to!).

Chef's Tips

Melt butter properly: Let the melted butter cool slightly before adding it to the sugar. If it's too hot, it can cook the egg when you add it!

Use good tahini: Quality tahini makes a difference! Well-stirred, smooth tahini works best. If your tahini has separated, give it a really good stir before measuring.

Don't skip the chill: That 30-minute minimum chill time is essential! It stops the cookies spreading too much and helps develop the flavour.

Chop chocolate roughly: Irregular chunks create lovely pools of melted chocolate. Don't use chocolate chips - proper chopped chocolate is so much better!

Don't overbake: The centres should look slightly underbaked when you take them out. They'll continue cooking on the tray and will be perfectly chewy when cooled.

Cool on the tray first: ALWAYS let them cool for 5 minutes on the tray before moving. They're too soft when hot and will break!

Flaky salt is magic: That little sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top really elevates these cookies. Don't skip it!

Space them well: Leave at least 5cm between cookies - they spread quite a bit during baking.

Make them ahead: The dough keeps brilliantly in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months!

Substitutions & Variations

No tahini? You could use smooth peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter instead, but it won't have that unique tahini flavour.

Milk chocolate: Swap dark chocolate for milk chocolate if you prefer sweeter cookies.

White chocolate: Mix in white chocolate chunks along with (or instead of) dark chocolate.

Add nuts: Fold in 50g chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts for extra crunch.

Orange chocolate: Add the zest of 1 orange to the dough for chocolate orange cookies.

Espresso boost: Add 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules to the dough for mocha cookies.

Double chocolate: Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the dry ingredients for double chocolate cookies.

Different seeds: Top with black sesame seeds instead of regular for a dramatic look.

No sesame topping: Skip the sesame seed topping if you prefer plain cookies - they're still delicious!

Storage & Make-Ahead

Room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They stay beautifully chewy!

Keep them fresh: Add a slice of bread to the container - it keeps the cookies soft and chewy for longer.

Freezing baked cookies: Freeze completely cooled cookies in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.

Freezing cookie dough: Scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

Make ahead dough: Keep the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. This actually improves the flavour!

Bake from fridge: You can bake the cookies straight from the fridge - they'll hold their shape beautifully.

Warm them up: Warm leftover cookies in a 160°C oven for 5 minutes to make them taste freshly baked again!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is tahini? A: Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds - like peanut butter but made from sesame instead of peanuts. It's used a lot in Middle Eastern cooking and has a rich, nutty, slightly bitter flavour.

Q: Where can I buy tahini? A: Most supermarkets stock tahini now - look in the world foods aisle or near the peanut butter. Health food shops always have it too.

Q: Can I use light tahini instead of regular? A: Yes! Light (hulled) tahini is milder, while regular (unhulled) is stronger and darker. Both work brilliantly in these cookies.

Q: Why do I need to chill the dough? A: Chilling helps the flavours develop, makes the dough easier to handle, and most importantly stops the cookies spreading too much during baking.

Q: My cookies spread too much. What happened? A: Make sure you chilled the dough for at least 30 minutes, and check your oven temperature is accurate. Ovens running hot can cause spreading.

Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: You could try using a gluten-free flour blend cup-for-cup replacement, though I haven't tested this myself so the texture may differ.

Q: Why are my cookies too hard? A: You probably overbaked them. Remember, they should look slightly underbaked in the centre when you take them out - they'll firm up as they cool.

Q: Can I skip the sesame seed topping? A: Absolutely! The cookies are delicious without it, but the sesame seeds do add a lovely crunch and reinforce the tahini flavour.

You Might Also Like

Florentine Biscuits - Another brilliant biscuit recipe perfect for anyone who loves chocolate.

Roasted White Chocolate and Macadamia cookies - If you love these cookies, try these!

Anzac Cookies -  And if oaty cookies are more your thing, try these. 

Enjoy!

Del x

These chocolate tahini cookies are absolutely THE DREAM! Nutty tahini meets rich dark chocolate in the most PERFECT combination. Topped with crunchy sesame seeds and flaky sea salt, they're chewy in the middle, crispy on the edges, and absolutely DELICIOUS. Quick, easy, and so much better than regular chocolate chip cookies!