Tahini Cookies

Crunchy and sweet, these homemade Tahini Cookies are so easy to make. Filled with tahini, honey and rolled in sesame seeds, they boast a crispy, crunchy texture and a unique flavour. They’re also egg-free!

Calling all tahini lovers! 💕

Are you looking for a buttery cookie that boasts crispy edges and a chewy centre, bursting with sweet honey and tahini flavour? I’ve got you!

These quick and easy Tahini Cookies are sure to be on regular rotation in your home.

When I was thinking about this recipe, I knew what kind of cookie I wanted to create. These aren’t soft and chewy like a Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie, nor are they chunky and thick, like a Chocolate Fudge Cookie.

They’re more thin and crunchy, like what we call a biscuit in Australia. The perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee. They firm up as they cool, so if you underbake them slightly, you’ll still get a softer centre, but the edges boast crunch.

My Tahini Cookies are rolled in a mix of brown sugar and sesame seeds for a little extra sweetness. Honestly, they’re my new favourite thing.

What is tahini?

When I shared the making of these cookies on Instagram, I had some people asking, what is tahini?

Tahini is a condiment made entirely from toasted sesame seeds. It’s often used in Middle Eastern cooking but it can add a depth of flavour to a wide range of cooking and baking recipes.

It gives these cookies a wonderful flavour and texture. Paired with honey, it’s a little sweet, a little nutty and oh-so-delish.

How to make Tahini Cookies

• These egg-free Tahini Cookies are quick and easy to make. You don’t need to chill the dough so they are ready to eat in under an hour. You will need an electric mixer for this recipe.
• Start with room temperature butter. Make sure your butter is soft to the touch (not fridge cold) but also not melty.
• We use a mix of both brown sugar and caster sugar in this recipe. The brown sugar adds colour and flavour, while caster sugar adds sweetness and texture. If you don’t have caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar instead.
• Using an electric mixer or hand beater, combine your butter and sugars until pale and creamy – it should take just 1-2 minutes.
• Then add your tahini and honey. This will bump up the flavour of your cookies 1000%. Mix together
• Finally, add your plain flour and baking powder. A nice, soft cookie dough should form.
• On a small plate, add your extra brown sugar and sesame seeds and give it a little mix.
• Scoop out your cookie dough (I use roughly 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie), and roll them smooth using your hands. Then roll the cookie dough in your sugar and sesame seed mix to coat them.
• Use your hands to flatten the balls of cookie dough until they are 1/2 inch or so thick as they won’t spread much naturally in the oven.
• Place cookies on a baking tray that’s lined with baking or parchment paper. Bake cookies for around 12 minutes or until golden. Then leave to cool completely before devouring.
• For a crispier cookie, cook for an extra minute or two, or for a softer cookie, you can undertake them ever so slightly. But keep in mind, these aren’t soft and cakey cookies. Embrace the crunch!

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Let’s Bake

Tahini Cookies

Yield Makes 12–14 cookies 1x

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 7 reviews

Prep: 30 minutesCook: 14 minutesTotal: 44 minutes

Thick and chewy Tahini Cookies made from scratch.

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Ingredients

• 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
• 80 grams (1/3 cup) tahini*
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 35 grams (1/4 cup) sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line two oven trays or cookie sheets with baking or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugars. Beat together using an electric mixer until combined and creamy – roughly 1-2 minutes. 
3. Add tahini and honey and mix briefly just to combine. Finally, add flour and baking powder. Mix briefly until a soft cookie dough forms.
4. Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop out balls of cookie dough (roughly 1.5 tablespoons of dough each) and roll them smooth using the palms of your hands.
5. On a small plate, combine the sesame seeds and brown sugar. Roll each ball of cookie dough in the sesame seed sugar until generously coated. Then flatten each cookie (they should be roughly 1/2 inch thick) as these cookies won’t spread much in the oven.
6. Place cookies on prepared oven trays. Bake cookies for approximately 12-14 minutes or until they have turned slightly golden and puffed up slightly.
7. Take them out of the oven and leave them on the oven trays to cool completely. They will deflate slightly as they cool and firm up. 

Notes

*Tahini: I tested this recipe using Achva Tahini (100% sesame seeds).

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 cookie Calories: 229 Sugar: 17.2 g Sodium: 6.5 mg Fat: 11.1 g Trans Fat: Carbohydrates: 30.8 g Protein: 3.1 g Cholesterol: 17.7 mg

Nutrition information is a guide only.

Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: CookiesCuisine: Australian

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Jessica Holmes

Hi, I’m Jess, the creator of Sweetest Menu and the author of Something Sweet. A self-taught baker and published recipe writer who can’t stop making easy and delicious baking recipes.