Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tahini chocolate chip cookies are a delightful chewy and soft cookie with just a hint of nuttiness from tahini and plenty of chocolate!
If you love a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie but want something just a little different—this is the recipe for you. These Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies are everything you love about the classic, but with a subtle nutty richness that makes them feel just a little more special.
Tahini, a smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds, gives these cookies a toasty, slightly earthy depth that plays perfectly with melty chocolate. Think of them as the cookie version of a peanut butter-chocolate combo—just with global flair and a bit more elegance.
- Soft, chewy texture – Melted butter and tahini make the perfect dense, chewy cookie center.
- A fun global twist – Tahini adds a touch of the Middle East to an everyday bake.
- Nut-free option – Great for families avoiding peanut butter but still want that nutty flavor.
- Kid-friendly & curious-eater approved – Familiar enough to be comforting, unique enough to start a conversation.
Most people know tahini as the creamy base of hummus, but it’s so much more than that! Made from toasted sesame seeds, tahini has a nutty, slightly bitter flavor that works beautifully in both savory and sweet dishes.
In baking, tahini adds depth and richness without being overpowering—making it a perfect ingredient to introduce your family to new global flavors in a low-pressure way. It’s especially great for kids who are already fans of nut butters!
Try it in my Lemon Herb Tahini Dip and drizzled onto wraps, salads, or more, or paired with roasted vegetables like in Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas with Tahini Yogurt.
This recipe is easy to pull off on a weeknight or weekend afternoon. Here’s a quick overview before you dive into the full instructions below:
Step One: Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Step Two: Make the wet base
In a separate bowl, beat melted butter, tahini, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
Step Three: Combine & add chocolate
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, then stir in plenty of chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and gooey—that’s perfect.
Step Four: Scoop & bake
Scoop 2-Tablespoon portions onto a lined baking sheet and bake for just 10–14 minutes, rotating once. The cookies are done when the edges are lightly golden and the centers are just set.
Step Five: Cool & enjoy
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Then pour some milk, and dig in!
Get kids involved in the kitchen
This recipe is a great opportunity to invite kids into the kitchen. Here’s how they can help:
- Scoop the dough – Using a cookie scoop or spoon.
- Taste test the tahini – Let them compare it to peanut or almond butter.
- Start a flavor convo – Ask, “Does this taste different from our usual cookies?” or “What else do you think we could bake with tahini?”
Want to explore more? Try doing a fun “nut and seed butter taste test” with peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, and tahini. Talk about textures, flavors, and what recipes each one might be best for.
If you love experimenting with flavor, don’t miss these other creative cookie recipes:
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies – A tangy twist that’s great for discard lovers.
- Earl Grey Chocolate Chip Cookies – Floral, cozy, and unexpected.
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Thyme and Sea Salt – A balance of sweet and savory in every bite.
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Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup tahini
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with a silpat mat.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl mix the melted butter, tahini, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla together with a hand mixer until well combined, about 3-5 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the flour mixture into the tahini mixture, just until mostly combined but some flour still remains. The mixture will be gooey and thick, but the flour will mix in.
- Add in the chocolate chips and continue stirring until the chocolate chips are evenly distributed and the flour is almost all incorporated. Do not overmix or the cookies will turn out tough.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out 2 Tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them 2” apart. I did 8 cookies per sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway throughout the time. You want the cookies to just be browning on the edges and set on the top.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 4 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
