Deliciously nutty and sweet Tahini Cookies are the perfect holiday treat this year! Made with tahini, silan (date syrup), and rolled in sesame seeds, they’re an unexpected delight that will become the star of any dessert table. Keep reading to find out why we called them the second-best Tahini Cookies...
This is a really easy cookie to make. It’s absolutely delicious with a distinct tahini flavor that we love. This vegan cookie gets the “second best” title because we consider the Black & White Tahini Cookies from our cookbook, Tahini and Turmeric, to be the very best. Those are melt in your mouth cookies that are both buttery and delicate.
For these tahini cookies, we wanted to create a recipe that would be a little sturdier so they wouldn’t fall apart when shipped. If you’re mailing a package of cookies to friends or family this year, this is a delicious one to send. We enlisted the help of our sister in Israel to help us come up with an easy tahini cookie recipe and she absolutely nailed it. Tahini Cookie perfection!
How To Make Tahini Cookies
Mix sugar and oil 
Whisk in tahini, and silan Add the rest of the ingredients to make tahini cookie dough Roll tahini cookie dough in sesame seeds Flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass 
Ingredients in Tahini Cookies
These Tahini Cookies have just a couple of ingredients outside of the oil, sugar, flour, and baking powder you likely already have in your pantry:
- Tahini - is made with 100% sesame seed ground into a paste. We LOVE using tahini in so many different recipes! For this recipe, use the runny tahini found at the top of a new jar, not the thicker stuff you’ll see in the bottom of the jar.
- Silan - Silan is date honey that is sweet and delicious! Look for a variety made with 100% dates with no sugar added. If you can’t find silan, use maple syrup or honey.
- Sesame seeds - We used raw sesame seeds for this recipe! You could also use toasted sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, or a combination of 2 or even 3 types.
Tahini can be replaced with any nut butter or even sunflower butter. However, we really recommend giving the tahini a try. It’s our favorite ingredient and adds such a unique and tasty flavor to these cookies!
The Best Tahini for Cookies
This recipe comes out best with runny tahini ( the one you can pour out of a freshly opened jar of tahini) that will be easy to mix into the dough. Remember to always shake your tahini jar vigorously before opening it. Since every tahini brand is different, look for tahini with a smooth texture that is easy to pour. Our favorite brands are Soom, Al Arzi, Mighty Sesame and 365 Brand. Stay away from the drier chunkier tahini that is often left at the bottom of the jar! Thicker tahini is great in hummus, so save it for that. STORAGE TIP: Tahini does not need to be refrigerated after opening, keep it in a cool dry cabinet or shelf.
Can You Freeze Tahini Cookies?
You sure can! Once baked and cooled, place the cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 6 months.
More Vegan Cookies To Try
- Vegan Butter Cookies with Sparkling Sugar
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pink Salt & Tahini
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
- Orange Ginger Spice Cookies
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies with Spiced Apple Butter
- Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cranberry Pecan Cookies
- Tahini Cookies
DID YOU LIKE OUR TAHINI COOKIE RECIPE?
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe or do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
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The Second Best Tahini Cookies
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Diet: Kosher
Description
Deliciously nutty and sweet Tahini Cookies are the perfect holiday treat this year! Made with tahini, silan (date syrup), and rolled in sesame seeds, they’re an unexpected delight that will become the star of any dessert table.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup tahini (see note 1)
- 3 tbsp silan (you can also use honey or maple syrup)
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp of baking powder
- ¼ tsp of salt
- ⅓ cup raw sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sesame seeds in a small bowl
- Combine the vegetable oil and sugar in a large bowl, and whisk until smooth
- Add the tahini and silan, and whisk again until smooth
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until it forms a soft dough. You will have to mix it until it thickens. The dough should feel similar to a freshly open Play-dough container.
- Scoop out balls of cookie dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon ice cream scoop
- Roll each dough ball into the sesame seeds until they are completely covered, and place them on the lined baking sheet
- Flatten the cookies using the bottom of a glass, and bake them for 13 minutes
- Let the cookies cool completely before taking them out of the baking sheet
Notes
- Remember to always shake your tahini jar vigorously before opening it.
- Tahini does not need to be refrigerated after opening, keep it in a cool dry cabinet or shelf.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 13
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 179
- Sugar: 4.2
- Sodium: 43
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 3.8
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18.2
- Fiber: 1.2
- Protein: 3.6
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: how to make tahini cookies, Vegan cookies, Tahini cookies
Netanel says
Absolutely delicious
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you!
Raquel says
I love anything with tahini and these cookies are AMAZING!!
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you, so glad you enjoyed them!
Rebeca says
You say Tahini , I say “I love it”.! Amazing cookies!
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Ha, ha just like us! Enjoy!
Cat says
So quick and easy, and I appreciate that it totally works for my sudden "must make cookies" impulses, since there are no fancy/obscure ingredients!
★★★★★
Vicky and Ruth says
Ha, ha! We are glad we can help!
Elaine says
Yummy! Mine were darker than what you have pictured and a little on the dry side, perhaps in the oven too long. But delicious when dunked in coffee or tea. I did a mix of black and white sesames, which gave some nice added color. Thank you!
★★★★★
Vicky and Ruth says
Thank you for sharing!
Gita Freed says
I would love to make your second best tahini cookie recipe (all of the ingredients are staples in my house). Just one question - can I use gluten free flour instead of the AP flour? Would like to give some to a friend who can’t have gluten. Thanks!
Vicky and Ruth says
We have not tried the recipe with GF flour, but we would try it with one to one gluten-free flour.
Gita Freed says
Made it with gluten free flour and they came out great! BTW, my 80+ year old gluten free friend loved them and he suggested adding a pinch of ginger to them. Definitely a cookie keeper recipe. Thanks.
Vicky and Ruth says
Thank you so much! So glad to hear that your friend liked them too! I like the idea of adding ginger, thank you!
Tzippi Moss says
Make these all the time. I add some freshly squeezed lemon and grated lemon zest and it gives it a great twist.
★★★★★
Vicky and Ruth says
Loving those variations, Tzippi! Thank you so much for sharing!