Prepare to be enchanted by these irresistible tahini cookies, a delightful fusion of nutty tahini and rich, aromatic browned butter. Forget your everyday cookie routine; this recipe elevates a simple treat into something truly extraordinary. Whether you prefer a subtle crunch from sesame seeds or a decadent indulgence with chocolate chips, these cookies promise a flavor experience that will leave everyone craving “just one more.”
For another easy, delicious bite, explore these butter crunch cookies next time.
Brown Butter Tahini Cookies: A Flavor Sensation
While chocolate chip cookies hold a special place in our hearts, these brown butter tahini cookies offer a sophisticated twist that’s both unexpected and deeply satisfying. What truly sets this recipe apart is the strategic decision to brown the butter. This simple yet transformative step infuses the cookies with an unparalleled depth of flavor – a toasted, nutty aroma that perfectly complements the unique taste of tahini. The result is a cookie that’s chewy, rich, and utterly addictive, far surpassing the traditional softened-butter versions.
Why You’ll Love These Tahini Delights
An Irresistible Upgrade: Move beyond classic chocolate chip cookies with a flavor profile that’s both familiar and excitingly new. The nutty essence of tahini paired with browned butter creates a more complex and satisfying experience than you might expect from a simple cookie.
Perfect for Your Pantry: Finally, a fantastic reason to use that jar of tahini sitting in your pantry! Tahini, a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, shines beautifully in desserts, lending a unique savory-sweet balance and a wonderful texture to baked goods. This recipe is a delicious way to explore its versatility.
The Magic of Brown Butter: This seemingly small step is a game-changer. Browning the butter adds an incredible depth of flavor – a rich, toasty, caramel-like nuttiness that enhances the tahini and elevates the entire cookie. It’s a secret weapon for bakery-quality results right in your home kitchen, and it only takes about 10 minutes!
Versatile & Customizable: Whether you prefer them plain, studded with extra sesame seeds for a textural contrast, or loaded with chocolate chips for a sweet indulgence, these tahini cookies are incredibly adaptable to your taste preferences. They are a true crowd-pleaser.
The Essence of Tahini in Baking
Tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds, is renowned for its rich, earthy, and slightly bitter flavor, often found in savory dishes like hummus and baba ghanoush. However, its nutty profile makes it an exquisite ingredient for desserts. When incorporated into cookies, tahini contributes a depth that balances sweetness, adds a wonderfully chewy texture, and introduces a subtle savory note that makes these treats truly unique. It transforms an ordinary cookie into an exotic delight, reminiscent of halva, another beloved Middle Eastern sweet.
Ingredients for Perfect Tahini Cookies
Success in baking often starts with quality ingredients. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to create these spectacular tahini cookies. Remember, full measurements and detailed instructions are provided in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Selecting good quality tahini is crucial. Look for brands that offer a smooth, pourable consistency with a deep, nutty aroma. The combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar provides both sweetness and moisture, contributing to the cookies’ irresistible chewiness. Using fresh, unsalted butter is also key, especially when browning it, as it allows the pure nutty flavor to shine through without interference from salt.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Irresistible Tahini Cookies
Crafting these delicious cookies is a straightforward process, even for beginner bakers. The key lies in following a few simple steps, especially when browning the butter. Below is an overview to guide you, with comprehensive instructions available in the detailed recipe card.
- First, you’ll combine the prepared browned butter with both granulated and brown sugars in a deep mixing bowl. Beat them together until the mixture is beautifully combined and light. Then, incorporate the tahini, egg, and vanilla extract, beating until smooth and well integrated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Gradually add this dry mixture to your wet tahini-butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Once the dough is formed, cover it and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days, to allow the flavors to meld and the dough to firm up for easier handling.
- Once chilled, scoop out portions of the dough using a small ice cream scoop and roll them into neat balls. For an added textural layer and visual appeal, lightly press each dough ball into sesame seeds to coat the outside.
- Alternatively, if you’re a chocolate lover, fold in chocolate chips to create delightful chocolate chip tahini cookies. The combination of nutty tahini and melty chocolate is truly divine.
- Arrange the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ensuring they are spaced 2-3 inches apart. These cookies spread quite a bit, so giving them ample room is essential for perfectly round results. Bake them in a preheated oven until their edges turn a beautiful light golden brown, while the centers remain slightly paler and soft. This indicates a perfectly chewy cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them firm up without becoming brittle.
Expert Tips for Flawless Tahini Cookies
Choose the Right Pan for Browning Butter: Always use a light-colored pan when browning butter. This allows you to clearly see the color changes, from foamy white to golden amber, preventing it from burning. This is particularly important for beginners.
Maintain Medium Heat: Brown your butter over medium heat. Resist the temptation to crank up the heat to speed up the process. Slower, consistent heat ensures that the butter browns evenly, developing a rich, nutty flavor without burning the milk solids at the bottom of the pan.
Quick Butter Solidification: To expedite the chilling process for your browned butter, pour it onto a shallow baking sheet or a wide, heatproof dish in a thin, even layer. This increases the surface area, allowing it to solidify much faster in the refrigerator, usually within 15-30 minutes instead of an hour in a deep bowl.
Handling Chilled Dough: If your cookie dough has been chilling for an extended period (say, a day or two), it might become very firm. Don’t worry! Simply remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes until it’s pliable enough to scoop and roll.
Boost the Halva Flavor: For a more pronounced halva-like flavor, consider increasing the amount of tahini to ¾ cup. This will yield a richer, more intensely nutty cookie that tahini enthusiasts will adore.
Chocolate Chip Choices: The type of chocolate chip is entirely up to your preference! Bittersweet chips offer a lovely contrast to the tahini, while semisweet chips provide a classic, comforting sweetness. Milk chocolate chips can also be used for a sweeter, creamier profile.
Allow Ample Spacing: These tahini cookies are known for spreading significantly during baking—almost doubling in size. Ensure you leave at least 2-3 inches between each cookie on the baking sheet to prevent them from merging into one giant cookie. Use parchment paper for easy removal.
Sweet and Salty Perfection: For an exquisite balance of flavors, sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie before baking. The salt crystals enhance the sweetness and deepen the nutty notes, creating a truly gourmet experience.
Cookie Size Matters: For flatter, wider cookies, form your dough into 2-inch balls. If you prefer a thicker, “chubby” cookie, similar to a classic bakery-style chocolate chip, aim for 1 ½-inch dough balls. Adjust baking time accordingly for different sizes.
Mastering the Art of Browning Butter
Browning butter is a culinary technique that transforms ordinary butter into a rich, nutty, and highly aromatic ingredient, adding unparalleled depth to baked goods. It’s surprisingly easy, but requires your full attention. Here’s how to do it perfectly:
Preparation: Begin by cutting your unsalted butter into tablespoon-sized cubes. Place these cubes into a light-colored saucepan or skillet. A light-colored pan is crucial as it allows you to clearly observe the butter’s color changes and prevent burning.
Melting and Foaming: Place the pan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Continuously stir the butter with a heatproof spatula or whisk. Stirring ensures even cooking and helps prevent the milk solids from sticking and burning at the bottom.
Browning and Aroma: Continue to cook and stir. After about 5-7 minutes, the foam will subside, and you’ll notice small brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan. The butter itself will turn a beautiful amber color, and a distinct, rich, nutty aroma (like toasted hazelnuts or caramel) will fill your kitchen. This is the perfect stage!
Immediate Transfer: As soon as you achieve the desired amber color and nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat immediately. Pour the browned butter, including all the delightful brown bits, into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Leaving it in the hot pan can cause it to burn.
Chilling for Baking: Allow the browned butter to cool slightly at room temperature, then refrigerate it until it solidifies back into a spreadable consistency, usually about 1 hour. For faster chilling, spread it thinly on a plate before refrigerating.
Related Cookie Recipes to Explore
If you loved these tahini cookies, you might be eager to expand your baking repertoire with more delightful treats. Here are some other fantastic cookie recipes from our collection:
Looking to add some explosive flavors to your dessert table? These 4th of July fireworks pudding cookies will light up any celebration with their colorful bursts of sweetness and festive appeal!
Try this beginner-friendly Easy Coconut Macaroons Without Condensed Milk that requires only 5 ingredients! They offer a delightful balance of sweetness and tropical flavor, perfect for a quick, impressive treat.
Indulge in irresistible Chocolate Chip Blondies to satisfy your sweet cravings any time of the day. These are incredibly simple to make and versatile enough for lunch boxes or as an elegant after-dinner dessert with a scoop of ice cream.
Discover the BEST Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies you’ll ever make, right here. In just 22 minutes, you’ll have warm, large, and generously loaded chocolate cookies ready to enjoy!
Middle Eastern Inspired Cookie Collection
These tahini cookies draw inspiration from the rich traditions of Middle Eastern sweets. If you’re fascinated by the unique flavors and textures of the region, here are more authentic Middle Eastern cookie recipes to try:
Maamoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie, often prepared for holidays, typically filled with a delicious date paste or nuts. It boasts a soft, delicate texture and a beautifully aromatic flavor profile.
Petit Fours, known as Betefour in Egypt, are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies frequently filled with jam. These tender bites are a beloved classic for celebrations.
Barazek are delightful Syrian cookies, mildly sweet with a distinctive texture. One side is generously coated in crunchy pistachios, while the other is adorned with toasted sesame seeds. They are easy to make and perfect for a quick snack or elegant addition to any tea spread.
More Tahini Recipes to Savor
Tahini’s versatility extends far beyond cookies. If you’ve fallen in love with its nutty character, here are more recipes that highlight this incredible ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes:
An easy and versatile tahini halva recipe, also known as Halawa in Egypt. This dense, crumbly tahini fudge-like treat is often enjoyed for breakfast or as a delightful sweet snack.
Tahini pasta offers a quick, delicious, and often vegan pasta recipe or a flavorful side dish. Its creamy, lemony tahini sauce provides a wonderful alternative to traditional tomato-based pasta sauces.
This lemon herb tahini sauce is the perfect blend of tangy lemon, fresh aromatic herbs, and nutty tahini. It’s a delicious twist on the classic tahini dressing that will add a burst of vibrant flavor to salads, grilled meats, or falafel.
Craving something creamy and delicious? Try making this essential tahini sauce recipe! With simple ingredients and just 5 minutes of your time, you’ll create a healthy, versatile dip, spread, or salad dressing that elevates any meal.
We hope you enjoy baking these unique and flavorful tahini cookies! If you try this recipe, please don’t forget to give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and share a photo of your finished dish. We always love seeing your culinary creations and how you make our recipes your own. Thank you for baking with us!
Brown Butter Tahini Cookies Recipe
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Dessert, Snack
Middle East
Halal
30 minutes
15 minutes
1 hour 30 minutes
2 hours 15 minutes
24 cookies
87 kcal
Amira
Ingredients
- 1 stick (115g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes.
- ½ cup tahini paste well stirred
- ½ cup (105g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (90g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (135g) all-purpose flour.
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Optional:
- Sesame seeds Or sea salt for sprinkling on top.
For chocolate chip tahini cookies:
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips or chunks bittersweet or semisweet
Instructions
Brown the butter:
- In a light-colored pot or skillet, add cubed butter and melt over medium heat.
- The butter will begin to foam. Stir the butter consistently for the next 5-7 minutes until you observe brown bits forming at the bottom of the pot and a distinct nutty aroma emerges.
- Immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof dish. Refrigerate until it solidifies, which will take approximately an hour.
Make the cookie dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, spoon the solidified browned butter. Beat the chilled butter for 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
- Add both granulated and brown sugars to the butter and beat thoroughly until well combined and fluffy.
- Pour in the tahini, then add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add just one tablespoon of milk and mix well. Reserve the second tablespoon; you may add it later if the dough feels too dry.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Gradually add the whisked flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough. (See Note 1 for variations).
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 3 days. This chilling period is crucial for flavor development and texture.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for non-stick baking and easy cleanup.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Scoop out portions and roll them into balls. If using, lightly press each dough ball into sesame seeds to coat the exterior.
- Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are spaced 2-3 inches apart. Remember, these cookies spread significantly during baking. (See Note 2).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. The cookies are ready when the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers remain slightly paler.
- Allow the cookies to firm up on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes after removing them from the oven, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Ensure the cookie sheet has cooled completely before adding another batch of dough to prevent premature spreading.
Video
A video tutorial for making Tahini cookies is available to guide you through each step of the recipe for perfect results.
Notes
Note 1: For variety, I divided my dough into two halves. To one half, I added about ¾ cup of semisweet chocolate chips. The other half was covered in sesame seeds before baking. Feel free to customize!
Note 2: These types of cookies tend to spread quite a bit, so don’t be alarmed! Just ensure you provide ample space between each dough ball on the baking sheet. A 2-inch cookie ball can bake into an almost 4-inch cookie, so spacing is key for nice, rounded shapes.
Please review our nutrition disclaimer policy for more information.
Nutrition Facts (per cookie)
Carbohydrates: 14g |
Protein: 2g |
Fat: 3g |
Saturated Fat: 0.5g |
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g |
Monounsaturated Fat: 1g |
Trans Fat: 0.001g |
Cholesterol: 7mg |
Sodium: 38mg |
Potassium: 39mg |
Fiber: 0.4g |
Sugar: 9g |
Vitamin A: 14IU |
Vitamin C: 0.2mg |
Calcium: 19mg |
Iron: 1mg
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