Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tahini chocolate chip cookie
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

I can’t claim to be the first to add creamy, nutty tahini to chocolate chip cookies—it’s certainly a match made in heaven—but having tested and shared the cookies for feedback numerous times, I can be certain of one thing: tahini chocolate chip cookies can be a new classic in their own right. They are delicious!

The tahini’s subtle nuttiness balances out the sweetness of the cookie. It also creates a unique texture—the bottoms become crisp while the insides stay moist, gooey. I use salted butter and top the baked cookies with flaky sea salt to bring out more flavor from the tahini and bittersweet chocolate. These are perfect, slightly more “adult” take on the chocolate chip cookies we all know and love.

Tahini chocolate chip cookies
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

How to Bake the Best Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here are some tips, tricks, and “don’t skips” to keep in mind:

  • Use a scale: Weighing your ingredients might seem like an unnecessary hassle, but scales are more accurate than measuring cups. It guarantees a perfect bake each time. Also, using a scale will actually save you time and dishes, since you don’t need measuring cups.
  • Don’t rush the creaming: As with just about any baking recipe that calls for creaming butter and sugar together, it’s important to beat the mixture as long as the recipe says, to ensure the batter gets light and airy, resulting in cookies that are flat and dense. Also, make sure to stop at least once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  • Let the dough chill in the fridge: While some cookie recipes are great for spontaneous baking, this one requires some patience. Let the cookie dough rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours before baking. This prevents the dough from spreading out into flat, thin, and crispy cookies as they bake. The cookies stay slightly gooey on the inside. However, if you prefer thinner cookies with crispy edges, you can skip the chilling and bake them right away.
  • Flatten and don’t overbake: The best part about these cookies is their soft, slightly gooey texture. The key is to gently flatten the scooped cookie dough before baking . A light press with your palm until the top of the scoop is flat should be enough, the cookies should still be at least an inch tall, sort of like a little hockey puck. Then, do not over-bake them. The bottom edges should be slightly golden brown and the center will look a bit underdone.
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

The Trick to Perfectly Round Cookies

If you like your cookies a little wild and imperfectly shaped, you do you! Personally, I like them to be as round as possible, so I use these genius hacks from an old colleague to get them into shape. You can use a round cookie cutter or just an overturned mug or bowl. As long as it’s round and bigger than your cookie, it will work. Don’t be too forceful though, just a gentle swirl around the cookie will be enough.

Bake The Cookies Later

The unbaked dough can be kept, covered, in the fridge for up to a week, or you can portion the dough out and freeze them in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen at 350°F for about 15 minutes.

Tahini Chocolate chip cookies on plate
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

More Chocolate Chip Cookie Variations:

Cream butter and sugar:

Add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, tahini to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once halfway through with a rubber spatula. You can also do this in a stand mixer.

Scrape the sides of the bowl once more, and add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined, 1 minute.

Cream butter, tahini, and sugar
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar
Cream butter and sugar
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar
Add egg to batter
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

Add dry ingredients:

Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed just until no dry spots remain. 

Add the chocolate chips and stir with a rubber spatula until combined.

Add dry ingredients to batter
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar
Add chocolate chips to batter
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

Chill the dough: 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Letting the dough rest is an important step to achieving the proper flavor and texture, but if you like thinner, crisper-edged cookies, you can skip the resting and bake them right away.

cover dough and refrigerate
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Scoop and bake the cookies: 

Use an ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop and roll the chilled cookie dough into golf ball-sized portions (2 to 3 tablespoons). Place them on the prepared  baking sheet, with at least 2 inches of space between each cookie. If the dough is too firm to scoop, let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften, then try again. 

Gently press the top of each ball of dough with the palm of your hand so the top is flat but the cookies are still about an inch thick.

cookie dough rolled into balls
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar
cookie dough on sheet pan
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar

Bake:

Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes. They should be golden around the bottom edges, but still pale and barely set in the middle. Remove them  from the oven and immediately sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt, if desired.

Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Cookies on baking sheet
Simply Recipes / Tara Omidvar


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