These soft baked tahini chocolate chunk cookies are chewy, gooey, and loaded with rich chocolate chunks. Tahini adds the perfect nutty flavor and creates a rich texture. A sprinkle of flaky salt creates a delicious sweet and salty mix. These cookies are the unique combo you didn’t know you needed and they’re freezer friendly for anytime a cookie craving hits.
These are the best version of your classic chocolate chip cookies! I love using chocolate chunks or a chopped chocolate bar in my cookies for big chocolate puddles. Never had tahini? This is a good way to try it, you’ll never want to go back to traditoinal cookies.
You might also like my peanut butter chocolate cookies or these bakery style peanut butter cookies. Find all of my cookie and dessert recipes here for more baking nspiration!
What Makes These Cookies Special
- Soft and Chewy Texture: These cookies have that perfect bakery-style bite, a little crispy on the edges with a soft center.
- Deep, Nutty Flavor: Tahini adds a rich, toasty flavor that pairs well with chocolate.
- Easy to Make: made with melted butter, there is no mixer needed.
- 60 minute chill time: luckily this cookie only takes 60 minutes to chill, so you can pop it in the oven in no time!
- Perfect for crowds: this recipe makes a great dessert options for crowds or parties, the cookies can easily be transported and everyone is sure to love them! Add in different mix-in’s (like chopped nuts or candies) as desired.
What Is Tahini
Tahini is a creamy paste made from ground sesame seeds – basically peanut butter but made with sesame seeds. It has a smooth, pourable consistency and a slightly bitter, toasty flavor. Tahini can be used in baking from cookies and cakes to frosting and fillings as well as in savory items like salad dressing and marinades.
Key Ingredients
These cookies are made with simple pantry ingredients, several you probably already have on hand. If there is a substitution, you’ll find it below.
- Unsalted Butter: if using salted butter, omit adding more salt later in the recipe. Do not substitute margarine.
- Tahini: look for pure tahini/sesame paste it can be found online or in most grocery stores.
- Chocolate: I like a semi-sweet or dark chocoate bar, chocolate chunks or chips will also work. You could substitute white chocolate.
- Granulated white sugar: I do not recommend swapping any other type of sugar for this recipe. Other sugars can impact the dough differently and change how the cookie bakes and rises.
- Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this cookie. Let your eggs come to room temperature for this recipe, this helps the eggs incorporate better.
- Pure vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract, almond extract can be added for additional flavor is desired.
- All-purpose flour: no substitution here, other types of flour will change the texture and affect baking differently.
How To Make The Tahini Cookies
Let’s talk a little about how to make these Soft Baked Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick overview:
- In a mixing bowl combine melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
- Mix in tahini. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate.
- Chill dough. Scoop and bake.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the tahini, and mix until combined.
- To the wet ingredients, add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until evenly combined. Fold in the chocolate, set some aside to top the cookies with before baking if desired.
- Cover and chill dough for 60 minutes. Using a 1 oz. cookie scoop or measuring spoon, scoop out even amounts of dough. Roll into round balls and repeat until all of the dough has been used. Arrange 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Top with extra chocolate chunks if desired.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until slightly golden brown, the cookies will still be soft. Top with flaky sea salt. Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to a week!
Tips for Perfect Cookies
- Allow dough to chill this lets the fat set up so cookies do not spread too thin.
- Do not overcrowd baking sheets allow ample space for these cookies to spread and not stick together. If the pan is overcrowded cookies with not turn out as intended.
- Start with less time and add baking time as needed so cookies stay chewy, I always recommend taking cookies out before you think they are done, they will continue to cook on the baking sheet.
- Use a round cookie cutter or lid to gently scoot warm cookies into perfect circles.
More Chocolate Cookie Recipes
Helpful Tools To Use
- Portion Scoops – my go to for getting even sized cookies that bake perfectly each time!
- USA Pan Half Sheet Pan – my go-to sheet pans, these are truly non-stick and clean up nicely.
- Rubber Spatula – a must have! I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls. I use them for everything, Pyrex glass does not break easily so you can trust on these bowls for years, plus they come in 3 useful sizes and can be stacked!
Quick Notes Before You Bake
Yes, chilling cookie dough allows the fat to set up so the cookie doesn’t spread too thin. This dough only needs to chill for an hour, if you do not chill this dough – the cookies could spread into each other.
Leftover cookies can be cooled completely, transferred to a airtight zip top bag or glass container and kept at room temperature for 4-5 days. See below instructions for freezing cookie dough.
I like rich, dark chocolate chips or a roughly chopped up chocolate bar. But any type of chocolate would work from chocolate chunks, to mini chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate.
You can, but the flavor and texture will be different. Peanut butter is sweeter and thicker, while tahini has a nuttier, slightly earthy flavor that makes these cookies unique. If you’re looking for a good peanut butter cookie, try these!
You Can Freeze This Cookie Dough
Simply make the cookie dough according to the recipe, scoop even sized amounts of dough onto a sheet pan and place in the freezer until hard. Transfer the cookie dough to an airtight container or freezer bag labeled with the date, type of cookie, and baking instructions (or reference back to this post for baking directions!). Keep in your freezer stash for 3-4 months. Remove desired cookie dough when needed, thaw, bake, and enjoy! You may even want to make a double batch!
Soft Baked Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar
- 2 whole Eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsps Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup Tahini
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 12 oz. Semi sweet chocolate chunks or chips, or a chopped chocolate bar
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add in the tahini, and mix until combined.1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar, 2 whole Eggs, 2 tsps Vanilla Extract, 3/4 cup Tahini
- To the wet ingredients, add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until evenly combined. Fold in the chocolate, set some aside to top the cookies with before baking if desired.2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Salt, 12 oz. Semi sweet chocolate chunks or chips
- Cover and chill dough for 60 minutes. Using a 1 oz. cookie scoop or measuring spoon, scoop out even amounts of dough. Roll into round balls and repeat until all of the dough has been used. Arrange 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Top with extra chocolate chunks if desired.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until slightly golden brown, the cookies will still be soft. Top with flaky sea salt. Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to a week!Flaky sea salt
Notes
Nutrition
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