Are your tastebuds ready for something extra special today? We hope so because these extremely easy tahini cookies will have you caught with your hand in the cookie jar more than once!
📖 About
If you’ve never thought about making cookies with tahini before, then you’re in for a real treat today. This nutritious (and delicious) paste made from sesame seeds is the perfect component to add some healthy fats and a lot of flavor to cookies.
So, we should be able to eat the whole batch then, right?
This cookie recipe is inspired by our longtime love for sesame snaps, which have saved us from a lot of hangry moments. So, we made tahini cookies as an ode to a crispy snack that’s always there when you need it most (at the front checkout of the grocery store). Do you have a favorite go-to snack when you’re hangry? Let us know in the comments!
These cookies are seriously so simple to make, and they come out perfect every time! We roll them in sesame seeds and cane sugar to give the outside a little crisp before you hit the soft and chewy interior.
So, if you’re in the mood for a more grown up version of the classic peanut butter cookie, then what are you waiting for? Grab your apron, and let’s get baking folks!
🍲 Key ingredients
- Tahini: put simply, tahini is sesame seeds ground up into a paste. Is there a difference between brands? Is there good and bad tahini? Yes, and yes. Good tahini is slightly nutty, creamy, and savoury. You would want to eat this stuff with a spoon. On the other hand, bad tahini can be bitter, acidic, and give you a dry mouth-feel. We just found a new brand of tahini we love, Tamam, and it’s delicious! But, is this creamy spread even healthy? Another yes. Tahini has 3 grams of protein per tablespoon, and it’s also an excellent source of phosphorus and manganese, which are essential for maintaining healthy bones.
- Vanilla: if you’ve read any of our other posts, you’ll know how much we rave about vanilla. Not just plain old artificial vanilla extract, but pure vanilla extract from a good quality source. Vanilla works to draw out subtle flavors from the other ingredients in baking, making each one taste even better (you can see why it’s so important to use the good stuff). If you feel like splurging, check to make sure it’s from Mexico, Madagascar, or Tahiti. Depending on the source, each vanilla carries its own unique flavor.
- Coconut sugar: also called coconut palm sugar, but not to be mistaken for palm sugar, which is highly controversial. Coconut sugar comes from the buds of coconut tree flowers. We use coconut sugar in this recipe because it has a subtle caramel flavor that reminds us of the taste you get from sesame snaps.
- Cane sugar: we roll these cookies in cane sugar at the end to help create a crispy exterior, which contrasts with the soft and chewy inside. In each bite, you get to experience a mixture of textures that makes these cookies addicting. We like using cane sugar as opposed to white sugar because, oddly enough, refined white sugar isn’t even vegan!
🔪 Instructions
To start this recipe off, whisk together all your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside while you prep the wet ingredients. Beat together the coconut sugar, maple syrup, softened coconut oil, plant milk, runny tahini, and vanilla in an electric mixer or food processor until smooth.
Note: it’s super important to have runny tahini because it creates the best texture for these cookies. We always find the best tasting (and cheapest) tahini at either Superstore or our local Mediterranean market.
Then, slowly add in the dry ingredients while still mixing until all your dough is combined. Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the cookie dough to a container or bowl, cover, and let it rest in your fridge while the oven is heating up.
In the meantime, mix together the cane sugar and sesame seeds for rolling. Once the oven is hot, form dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. We have a cookie scoop that works great for this, but you can just guesstimate! Roll the dough balls in a little sesame seed mixture, and place them on your baking sheet.
Flatten them slightly with your fingers or a glass with a flat bottom before placing them in the oven. Bake these tahini cookies on 350 degrees F for 10-13 minutes, or until the edges are turning golden brown.
Let them cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy your delicious tahini treat!
🌡️ Storage
You’ll want to make sure you try a few of these bad boys right out of the oven for optimal flavor and texture. But, they will also store well in an airtight container for 4-5 days at room temperature. You can also freeze these tahini cookies for up to 3 months!
💭 Budget tips
We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:
- Swap out the maple syrup for a cheaper sweetener like agave nectar
- Find tahini at your local Mediterranean market
- Don’t add anything in the rolling process
- Look for cheaper vanilla or use artificial extract
🍴 Tasting notes
These cookies are so hard to put down after eating just one. They’re:
- Soft
- Chewy
- Sweet
- Irresistible
If you try these cookies, please rate them and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
Extremely Easy Tahini Cookies
Equipment
- Whisk
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
Dry
- 1 ¼ cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.11)
- 1 tsp baking powder ($0.01)
- ½ tsp salt ($0.01)
- 3 tbsp cane sugar ($0.02)
Wet
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar ($0.12)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup ($0.45)
- 3 tbsp plant milk ($0.05)
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp coconut oil ($0.96)
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp runny tahini ($0.36)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.21)
For Rolling
- ¼ cup lightly toasted sesame seeds ($0.62)
- 1 tbsp cane sugar for rolling ($0.01)
Instructions
- To start, whisk together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Beat together the coconut sugar, maple syrup, softened coconut oil, plant milk, runny tahini, and vanilla in an electric mixer or food processor until smooth. Then, slowly add in the dry ingredients while still mixing.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the cookie dough to a container or bowl, cover, and let it rest in your fridge for 10-15 minutes while the oven is heating up.
- In the meantime, mix together the cane sugar and sesame seeds for rolling. Once the oven is hot, form dough into 1 ½-inch balls, roll them in the sesame seed mixture, and place each ball about 2 inches apart from one other on the baking sheet.
- Flatten them slightly with your fingers or a glass with a flat bottom before placing in the oven. Bake on 350°F for 10-13 minutes, or until the edges are turning golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- It’s super important to have runny tahini because it creates the best texture for these cookies.
- We always find the best tasting (and cheapest) tahini at either Superstore or our local Mediterranean market.
- Add in some dark chocolate chips for a delicious variation!
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more delicious desserts, check out our:
- Double chocolate muffins for a healthier alternative that doesn’t skimp on taste.
- Vegan cookie dough bites because cookie dough should be eaten straight from the bowl.
- Chocolate chip banana bread to have a new secret weapon in your baking arsenal.
- Chocolate peanut butter fudge for a decadent, melt-in-your-mouth dessert (only two ingredients).
💬 FAQ
You can replace the tahini 1:1 with any other nut butter. However, the taste will vary greatly depending on the substitute nut butter you choose. Peanut butter or cashew butter are the best choices to go with.
These can be made gluten-free if you replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend. Just remember to check for exact replacement ratios.
The whole rolling process can be omitted. However, this is the part that sets these cookies apart from the rest. The cane sugar makes the cookies more crispy, and the sesame seeds adds an additional texture.
Yes, tahini is a gluten-free product. If you have questions or need more information, you may find this guide to tahini helpful.
As a Middle Eastern person, it’s really disappointing to see this cookie labeled as American/Western cuisine.
You are so right! Thanks for pointing that out, and it has been updated 🙂