Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Updated Aug 18, 2025
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies have a Middle Eastern twist by swapping half the butter in traditional recipes with tahini.
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Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies are so good!
Tahini chocolate chip cookies are hands down one of my favorite twists on the classic. Instead of just using butter, I swap in some tahini, a sesame seed paste that’s a staple in Middle Eastern cooking. It adds this nutty flavor that goes really well with the sweetness of the chocolate in the best way, almost like when you sprinkle sea salt on top of a dessert.
The flavor isn’t overpowering, it’s more of a hint that makes people stop and go, “what’s in these cookies?” Every time I bake a batch, they disappear way too fast. If you love a chocolate chip cookie that’s chewy, rich, and just a little unexpected, these tahini chocolate chip cookies are it.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients: You’ll need vanilla extract and butter for this recipe! Use unsalted butter, if you can.
- Tahini: You should be able to find jars or tubs of tahini (sesame paste) at any standard grocery store (or any Middle Eastern market). But if you can’t locate any, you can replace it with a creamy almond butter, peanut butter, or another nut butter of your choice.
- Dry Ingredients: This cookie recipe calls for baking soda, all-purpose flour, and both light brown sugar and white sugar. I prefer to use cane sugar, which is less processed, but you can use granulated, too.
- Egg: Room temperature eggs are best!
- Chocolate chips: I love the flavor of bittersweet chocolate chips, but you can use semi-sweet or milk if you prefer.
Recipe Video Tutorial
How to Make Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup tahini well stirred
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, tahini, cane sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat for 1-2 minutes, until the eggs are incorporated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls using a spring-loaded scoop. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are firm and slightly golden brown at the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
FAQs
Once your cookies have cooled, place them in an airtight container. They should keep well for 3 to 4 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge.
Yes, these freeze really well! Just place them in a freezer-safe container with the layers separated by parchment. They’ll keep for up to 3 months and can be thawed at room temperature on a cooling rack.
Tahini is essentially sesame seed butter. It’s an oily paste, similar to natural peanut butter in texture, so its a great way to add moisture to your baked goods. It’s nutty and creamy and so good!
Over-baking or using too much flour can result in dry and crumbly cookies. Make sure you stick to the recommended baking time and be careful that you measure your flour correctly. The smallest amount of extra flour can result in dry cookies!
Comments
These cookies came out perfectly! A little crisp on the outside but chewy on the inside. They were done at 14 minutes. But I am not really tasting the tahini – I used a supermarket brand – the ingredients label states “organic sesame seeds” – no other ingredient. What would you suggest to make the tahini flavor more noticeable? Thanks!
So happy you like the cookies, Donna! For a stronger tahini flavor next time, I recommend choosing a brand imported from the Middle East. I like this tahini from Ziyad because it has a great taste and consistency. Hope that helps!
Fabulous recipe—add 1 tsp toasted sesame oil to recipe for a subtle but delicious lift to the flavour profile.
Yum, love that!! So happy you liked the recipe, Maggie! Thanks!!
Chewy and delicious, as promised!
Thank you, Raya! So happy you liked it!!
They turned out great.
So happy to hear that you liked it!
Could you make these GF with almond flour? Or would it ruin the consistency of the dough/cookie?
I have yet to try that, so let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!
I have used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour with very decent results!
Yes. 1 to 1 sub for almond flour worked perfectly.
That is perfect! Great to note!
What are the quantities for the tahini cookies?
Thank you🌹, Louise
All the ingredients and measurements can be found on the recipe card at the bottom!
Just made these! Wonderful. They are on the top of my list.
Wow, thank you so much! That’s such an honor!
I was very happy with the taste of these cookies using tahini in place of half the butter. It did not have the strong taste I was worried about and the texture was perfectly chewy (used a bit less tahini and a bit less vanilla). Ate 4 cookies in one day!!!
The only suggestion is to delete the instruction to preheat the oven at the beginning of the recipe to match the preparation notes. I put oven on preheat then realized once done mixing the ingredients that the recipe reads “cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.” 4.5 stars.
Thank you so much! I’ll definitely take a look over that.
I did the same thing! LOL
Thank you for the recipe for the tahini chocolate chips cookies! It is delicious and so soft ☺️
You’re so welcome!!
could I make my own tahini in my home? Could you bring us the recipe?
Yes, you could! There are some great options if you search “homemade tahini recipe”.
I want to know if the dough, with baking soda resting all night, will not spoil or the effect of the baking soda will disappear.
It should be fine if the dough is covered and refrigerated overnight.
Tried these and they worked a treat!
That’s perfect! Yay!!
Can you share the metric measurement? In grams
Hello, I would like to have the full recipe in metric measurements, please!
Thank you in advance,
Eliseo
This website is helpful for converting measurements to metric units: https://www.thespruceeats.com/metric-conversions-for-cooking-2355731
Love it, my kids loved it.
Win win recipe for the family!
I’m so happy you all enjoyed it! Yay!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! My kids absolutely loved these cookies! Will definitely be trying some of your other recipes!!
I’m so glad they enjoyed it too! Hope you love the other recipes!
Dear Yumna,
Do you think I could replace the butter with sunflower oil ? Or put more thina instead? Or coconut oil? Vegan problems… 😅😁
Yes, I think that would work or even vegan butter like Califia Farms
Since I grew up in the Middle East, this recipe is so close to the heart. They’re so delicious that you can’t stop at just one! Love love love them!
Thank you so much for sharing that!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Is it possible to make these without a mixer?
Yup, it’s possible to do it without a mixer. Just make sure the batter is well mixed. 🙂
These are so tasty! I was a little apprehensive at first, but followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great! Leave them in a bit longer if you want it less gooey in the centre!
Yay! So happy you liked the cookies. Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
We made these and loved them. I never thought to use tahini in cookies before.