The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies
Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies are all over the internet these days. And all of the versions I found online were good. Some of them were very good! I ate a lot of real nice cookies before arriving at these ones. But… there was some tinkering to be done. After all the tinkering, I've landed on my favorite.
I'm a purist about lots of things. It's not like me to mess with a chocolate chip cookie, because they are definitely in the category of things that don't need to be messed with. But I have been obsessed with tahini these days, and I had the urge. So, I decided to dive in and try a bunch of different versions of tahini chocolate chip cookies from other peoples blogs, pick my favourite attributes and come up with a recipe of my own. And I'm so glad I did!
I tested quite a few variations of these cookies. I played with a few different spices, and tested the addition of several different liquid elements-including water, vinegar, and orange juice.
Once I worked through the spice vs no spice debate, the water vs vinegar debacle, the all- tahini or tahini-olive oil combo conundrum, I landed us in a really good place with this one.
The final result: these cookies are chewy, not cakey (and they stay chewy for DAYS). They also have a really nice undertone of sesame flavour, without being overwhelming. The vinegar combined with plenty of vanilla help mitigate that sticky roof-of-the mouth thing that you'd expect from the presence of a nut or seed butter.
What you'll need to make this recipe
- Tahini: A key ingredient for fat, creaminess, and flavor.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin is best. The flavor comes through very subtly.
- White and brown sugar: The combination of both sugars gives these cookies the perfect texture.
- Eggs: To bind the dough and help the cookies puff up a bit.
- Vanilla: For that delicious flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: This helps cut through the sticky richness of the tahini.
- All-purpose flour: To bring the mixture together.
- Baking soda: To help the cookies rise.
- Spices and seasonings: Salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. These add a lovely warm note.
- Chocolate chips: Get the best ones you can! Quality makes a difference.
- Toasted sesame seeds and flaky salt: Optional garnishes
A note on chocolate chip quality
Generic store brand chocolate chips are terrible. If your grocery store has a range to choose from, I'd say go for the most expensive ones every time. I'm not saying that because I'm fancy or rich. I'm a total cheapskate. But with chocolate chips, I say go big or go home. Nobody wants to eat sugary wax chips.
Quality Control Tip: Not sure if your chocolate chips are any good? Throw back a handful of them straight out of the bag. If they taste good, they're good! If they taste like sugary wax, keep walking.
How to make Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Making the dough
I love making this chocolate chip tahini cookie dough. Mainly because there is no butter, which means there is no softening (or creaming) of butter needed. The fat in these cookies is a combination of olive oil and tahini. That makes them easy to mix by hand. It also makes them dairy free!
- In a large bowl, mix the tahini, olive oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Use a portion scoop to scoop the dough into balls. Place the balls about two inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and flatten them slightly to help them form their shape in the oven.
Final flourishes
I like to roll my flattened cookie dough balls in toasted sesame seeds and sprinkle the tops with a bit of flaky salt before baking. This is totally up to you, but I love the way they look. Plus, the crunch from both the seeds and the salt makes these cookies extra addictive.
Baking the cookies
These cookies only take about 12-15 minutes in the oven. They don't brown much, so be careful not to overdo it. You're mostly looking for them to puff up and set. When they come out of the oven they will collapse slightly, leaving you with that inviting cracked top.
Success tips
- I like to use a portion scoop to scoop the dough into balls. Portion scoops are the best because they ensure each cookie is the same size.
- Use high quality chocolate chips! They will dramatically improve your cookies.
- Try and find tahini that is very smooth and runny. Middle Eastern grocery stores tend to have the best (and cheapest) tahini.
Frequently asked questions
Tahini is the Arabic name for ground sesame seeds. Like other nut and seed butters/pastes, it is thick and creamy and extremely versatile.
Tahini is widely used all over the Middle East extending from North Africa to parts of Asia. Although references of it date back to as early as the 13th century, it entered into the North American food world by way of health food stores in the 1940's.
I recently found this wonderful video by Chef Refika that teaches how to make tahini at home, as well as showing us several great ways to use it.
The tahini that's available at standard grocery stores where I live is usually pretty expensive. It's also fairly thick and difficult to work with. When possible, I prefer to jet over to a Middle Eastern shop to buy the nice runny tahini. It's usually available in bigger tubs, and it's WAY cheaper than the grocery store brand.
Yes, you can use a neutral-flavored oil like vegetable or canola oil, but the olive oil adds a subtle depth of flavor that works nicely with the tahini. If you do substitute, use the same amount as called for in the recipe.
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They stay wonderfully chewy! You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Yes! You can make the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also freeze the portioned dough balls for up to 3 months. Just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time if baking from frozen.
Yes! Since these cookies use tahini and olive oil instead of butter, they are naturally dairy-free. Just make sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips if you need them to be completely dairy-free.
I hope you try these out! I really can't remember the last time I've been so satisfied with a cookie recipe. I hope you love them as much as I do!
You're going to love these tahini cookies! Be sure to tag @howtomakedinner on Instagram when you make them!
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies
Ingredients
- 180 grams tahini
- 50 grams olive oil
- 200 grams sugar
- 140 grams brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
- 300 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt (plus a pinch of flaky salt to sprinkle on top)
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 340 grams chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Cream the sugar with the tahini and olive oil. Add the eggs, vinegar, and vanilla, then add in the dry ingredients and mix until it forms a dough.
- Scoop with a portion scoop, or roll into golf ball sized balls.
- Top with sesame seeds & sea salt (optional).
- Flatten slightly and bake in a 350 degree oven for 11-15 minutes.
Wow. Snow day so just made these and I am blown away! Such complex flavour in a simple cookie. Thanks Paula, this is a keeper recipe for sure.
Can you substitute the olive oil with butter?
I have never tried it but I'm sure it wouldn't be the end of the world 🙂 A lot of the recipes I tried were using 100 tahini instead of butter, but I thought they were a bit too sticky/gummy (that peanut butter stickiness). So I chose olive oil so I could skip the creaming stage. I think melted butter would be great though! They'll just be a bit firmer when they cool. Thanks for stopping by Justin!
So delicious!! They were easy to make and came out beautifully. Great treat for a Saturday night on the couch.
Yay Heather! So glad you loved them!
This is like the grown up version from the classic chocolate chip cookies!
Hands down, this are the best cookies i have ever eat and I'm obsessed! Also the house smells divine. Thank you so much
AHH this makes me so happy. Yay for being a grown up! lol