These chocolate chip tahini cookies pack a nutritional punch with fiber, healthy fats and protein, plus they’re vegan & gluten-free!
I’m going to come out and say it. This is one of the best cookie recipes I’ve ever created! They are ridiculously good.
When it comes to baked goods I’m all about the crunch factor. I like a little crunch to my cookies and I absolutely LOVE it when muffins have crunchy muffin top edges. It’s the best. These cookies have the best of both worlds – a bit crunchy around the edges and chewy in the center. Perfection.
They’re made with all wholesome ingredients (maple syrup, unsweetened coconut, dark chocolate) and they’re a great option for folks with special dietary needs because they’re gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free and vegan. I’ve pretty much got all your bases covered.
Tahini in Desserts
If you’ve never heard of (or baked with) tahini, let me introduce you to one my favorite ingredients! Tahini is ground sesame seeds. That’s it! As expected, it has the consistency of other nut and seed butters. It’s packed with protein, fiber and many necessary vitamins and minerals. Tahini is used in Middle-Eastern dishes and savory recipes like my zesty tahini dressing and this roasted butternut squash pasta with tahini sauce, but it adds an amazing flavor and texture to baked goods too. If you’ve ever tried halva you’ll know how good tahini can taste in sweet recipes. And it is the secret ingredient to making these cookies aka the best cookies ever…
Here’s What You Need:
tahini – My favorite tahini is the organic Whole Foods brand, but I also regularly buy the Trader Joe’s brand tahini. Tahini is rich, creamy and nutty while also being a great source of iron, calcium, fiber as well as healthy fats and amino acids. It also makes these cookies nut-free so they’re school-friendly!
maple syrup – I love using maple syrup as a natural sweetener in recipes. Make sure you’re using pure maple syrup.
cinnamon and sea salt – for some added flavor.
ground flaxseed – flaxseed has a ton of health benefits — like healthy fats and fiber — which are both imperative to the standard American diet. Whip up a quick flaxseed egg for this recipe.
The best part of these tahini cookies? They’re a cinch to whip up and you only need one mixing bowl a.k.a. less dishes to wash. Score!
Mix ingredients: First you will need to prepare your flaxseed by combining with water in a bowl and set side for 5-10 minutes or until thick and gelatinous. Once the flaxseed mixture has setup, combine tahini, maple syrup, flaxseed mixture, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda and vanilla. Stir together until everything is incorporated.
Toast coconut: If you’re adding coconut flakes in the recipe preheat a sauté pan to medium heat. Add the coconut flakes and stir constantly until they turn a golden color (this will take about 1-3 minutes). Remove them from the pan and allow to cool. This step is optional, but I highly recommend!
Add coconut + chocolate chips: Fold in coconut flour, toasted shredded coconut (if using) and dark chocolate chips.
Bake: Bake the cookies at 350° degrees for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan and then transfer to a wire rack for additional cooling. Once completely cool, it’s time to enjoy!
For storage: Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
If you make these tahini chocolate chip cookies, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
5 from 74 votes
These chocolate chip tahini cookies pack a nutritional punch with fiber, healthy fats and protein, plus they're vegan & gluten-free!
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
Combine 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 Tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside for 5-10 minutes or until thick and gelatinous.
If you're adding coconut flakes in the recipe preheat a sauté pan to medium heat. Add the coconut flakes and stir constantly until they turn a golden color (this will take about 1-3 minutes). Remove them from the pan and allow to cool. This step is optional, but highly recommended.
Once the flaxseed mixture has setup, use a medium size mixing bowl to combine tahini, maple syrup, flaxseed mixture, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda and vanilla. Stir together until everything is incorporated.
Fold in coconut flour, toasted shredded coconut (if using) and dark chocolate chips.
Scoop out the cookie batter using a small/medium cooking scoop or Tablespoon and place on baking sheet giving about 1½ inches between each cookie. Sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on cookies, if using.
Bake for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
Remove from oven to cool on the pan at least 15 minutes before touching or removing. Enjoy right away or store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Flax egg: to make a flax egg, combine 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 Tablespoons water.
These cookies are amazing!! I didn’t have chocolate on hand so I used walnuts instead (I know, blasphemy), by they turned out delicious. I also didn’t have coconut flour so just added oat flour until I got what looked similar to the consistency in the video. Turned our crispy on the edges and gooey in the middle – the perfect cookie!
These sound amazing – I love tahini anything!! When scooping the dough onto the baking sheet, do you flatten out the round scoops, or leave them as is (as round balls)?
Thank you in advance!
Hi, Alexandra! I don’t really press them down but they don’t stay in a perfectly round ball either. They will spread a bit while baking so I’d leave them be and let them spread naturally. Let me know how they turn out for you!
Love these so much! As someone with a nut allergy, finding healthy dessert recipes can be a challenge. These are AMAZING. Used whole wheat flour instead of coconut flour and it worked just fine. Thanks for this recipe! Will be making these again!
Woo! Glad to hear the flour swap worked out for you, thanks for sharing, Lauren. Glad you’re loving this recipe, I appreciate you coming back to leave a review!
These turned out amazing! I used date nectar instead of maple syrup and added a little bit of almond milk. I ended up adding 2 extra tablespoons of coconut flour. Also added Hu chocolate gems. Delicious and boyfriend approved!
Yummm! These are so good! I love them and so does my husband. I make them every few weeks. It’s great to have a healthy cookie alternative. Thank you 😊
So pumped you and your husband are enjoying these cookies, Emily. Thanks for trying them out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
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These cookies are amazing!! I didn’t have chocolate on hand so I used walnuts instead (I know, blasphemy), by they turned out delicious. I also didn’t have coconut flour so just added oat flour until I got what looked similar to the consistency in the video. Turned our crispy on the edges and gooey in the middle – the perfect cookie!
Woo! So glad these cookies were a success for you, Milly. Thank you so much for sharing that using a different flour worked out for you!
These sound amazing – I love tahini anything!! When scooping the dough onto the baking sheet, do you flatten out the round scoops, or leave them as is (as round balls)?
Thank you in advance!
Hi, Alexandra! I don’t really press them down but they don’t stay in a perfectly round ball either. They will spread a bit while baking so I’d leave them be and let them spread naturally. Let me know how they turn out for you!
Love these so much! As someone with a nut allergy, finding healthy dessert recipes can be a challenge. These are AMAZING. Used whole wheat flour instead of coconut flour and it worked just fine. Thanks for this recipe! Will be making these again!
Woo! Glad to hear the flour swap worked out for you, thanks for sharing, Lauren. Glad you’re loving this recipe, I appreciate you coming back to leave a review!
These turned out amazing! I used date nectar instead of maple syrup and added a little bit of almond milk. I ended up adding 2 extra tablespoons of coconut flour. Also added Hu chocolate gems. Delicious and boyfriend approved!
Yay!! So happy to hear, Sarah. Glad your substitutions worked out as well. Thanks for the review and star rating. It means so much to me!
Yummm! These are so good! I love them and so does my husband. I make them every few weeks. It’s great to have a healthy cookie alternative. Thank you 😊
So pumped you and your husband are enjoying these cookies, Emily. Thanks for trying them out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!