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Healthier, but oh so delicious, Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are some of the best cookies…rich and decadent, but slightly healthier too. Made with almond flour and honey and lightly sweetened for a cookie that’s just a touch healthier. Every bite is slightly crisp on the edges, but soft and chewy in the center. So DELICIOUS. Absolutely nothing not to love about these salty, sweet tahini cookies. Bonus? These cookies are easy to make, use simple ingredients, and are gluten-free too.
Cookies to end the first full week of 2021! As I said on Tuesday, I’m a firm believer that January still needs chocolate. And to be very honest, with a world like the one we live in today, we ALL need a dam cookie. We do!
So, here we are. Cookies on Friday. But these cookies are extra special.
Yes, they’re DELICIOUS. And I really mean delicious, but what’s even better? They’re made on the healthier side with very little added sugars and a mix of almond and coconut flour to create a cookie that’s soft, chewy, and like none you’ve ever had before.
And the tahini? That’s the special ingredient that MAKES these cookies. It’s not that you really even know it’s there. But it adds a richness, butteriness, and nuttiness that’s truly something special. I sound like a cheese ball, I know, but my words ring true.
The quick story
Here’s the deal, I am not a health food recipe developer. And I don’t usually seek out to create desserts that would be considered healthy. BUT, with “healthier” really being my focus this month, I wanted to share a cookie that still tastes delicious. So I decided on a sweet chocolate chip cookie, but if possible, one that would be a healthier option. And maybe even gluten-free. Though I will say that a gluten-free cookie wasn’t a must, since I know how tricky that can be.
With all that in mind, I wanted to create a tahini cookie for two reasons. One, I’ve never shared a cookie baked up with tahini inside. Two, I have a recipe I’m working on for a project that also uses tahini. And oh my gosh, it is a dang good recipe.
And that’s how this cookie came to be. But the even cooler thing? I tested out three versions of this cookie, one with added sugar, another with all-purpose flour, and another with a lower amount of sugar and almond flour. And you know which cookie ended up winning everyone over?
The healthiest, low-sugar, and gluten-free cookie. Trust me I was shocked, but these cookies speak for themselves with the very first bite. As I like to say, they’re roll your eyes back GOOD.
The process for baking up the perfect tahini cookie…
Honestly, these cookies are almost too good to be true. They’re healthy AND they’re the easiest to make.
First up, I like to use quality butter in my cookies. I think the butter, along with the tahini and honey, are the elements that really make these cookies GOOD! I use a lightly salted stick of organic European style butter and it makes all the difference.
You’ll cream the butter with the smallest amount of brown sugar and honey to sweeten these cookies. Next, add the tahini. For anyone who is unfamiliar, tahini is simply ground sesame seeds. I know that using tahini to bake with might sound weird, but it’s actually so delicious when baked up in a sweet way. It’s used in a lot of Middle Eastern food, in both savory and sweet recipes.
Now add in a mix of almond flour and coconut flour. The mix of the two flours creates the perfect crispy edge, but soft in the center cookie. However, if you only have almond flour on hand, that can be used to replace the coconut flour in a pinch.
I usually buy Bob’s Red Mill Almond and Coconut flour. You can find both in most major grocery stores, Whole Foods, and I believe Trader Joe’s as well.
Now stir in lots of chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks) and bake away. No chilling required! Simple. Simple.
A couple of notes:
As with a lot of my cookie recipes, this one requires tapping that baking sheet on the counter midway through baking, then continue finish baking. When the cookies have completely finished baking, remove them from the oven, and tap the baking sheet once more. You guys, this step is KEY. It will ensure you have the least cakey tahini cookie. Instead, you’ll get a cookie with crisp edges and a soft, chewy center. Tapping the baking pan on the counter deflates the center of the cookie, pushing the edges out.
I pretty much do this whenever I bake any cookies…because it works.
For the flours, I know some of you love to bake with almond flour, and I know some of you love to bake with good ole’ all-purpose flour. These cookies are actually best with a mix of almond and coconut flour. But if you only bake with all-purpose flour, that will work just fine too. You’ll get a slightly thicker, sturdier cookie and it will be delicious. So use what you love/have on hand.
What I love about these cookies is that they’re easy to make, require no chilling, and take less than thirty minutes. And yes, they are even pretty healthy too!
But my favorite part? These are just perfectly crisp on the edges, but soft and oh so chewy in the center. The best kind of cookie and they’ll stay that way over time too! These don’t get hard once cooled.
My best advice? Bake these tonight…because everyone has thirty minutes to bake up cookies. Then eat a few warm, and welcome in the weekend…couldn’t think of a better way to really welcome in the New Year!
Looking for other healthier dessert recipes? Here are my favorites:
5 Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Healthy…ish Homemade Samoas Cookies
Lastly, if you make these, Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 106 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup dark or light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour (see note for alternative)
- 1/3 cup coconut flour (or additional almond flour)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, or chunks
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, honey, and tahini until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla, beating until creamy. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon (if using), and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips/chunks. 3. Scoop the dough out into rounded 1 tablespoon size balls, the dough will be a little wet. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. 4. Bake 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and tap the baking sheet on the counter 2 times to flatten them down. The cookies will have brown edges at this point, that is OK. Return to the oven and bake another 2-3 minutes, the cookies will be browning, but still doughy in the center. Remove from the oven and gently tap the baking sheet on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them down again. 5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They're going to look weird, but as they cool, they'll set nicely. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
Alternate flour: if you prefer, you can bake these cookies using a total of 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour. The cookies will come out a little thicker, but be just as delicious!
Honey Replacement: you can use an equal amount of brown sugar or granulated sugar in place of the honey.
Freezing: the cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, then bake as directed.
This post was originally published on January 8, 2021
Mine turned into very soupy cookies. Haha nothing like yours despite following the directions.
Hey Jess,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? A different baking method that was used? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I made these recently mostly because I have a whole jar of tahini that I did not want to waste and I also had the almond and coconut flours in my pantry. They were delicious! A chewy soft texture and rich flavor. The salt really enhances the cookie’s overall flavor so don’t leave that out! I followed the directions to a tee except I did have to bake them a few minutes longer.. my oven is probably a little off. They almost seem like an “adult” version of a chocolate chip cookie. I would definitely make them again!
Hey Donna,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
This is a simple, easy recipe. I followed the recipe precisely, except using all almond flour. My “cookies” were flat, spread into one mass, and were gooey. If you like a gooey mess, these are great. The taste is pretty good, but you’ll need to eat them with a spoon. Will not make again.
Hey Tina,
So sorry to hear this. Let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Seriously delicious!!!
Thanks so much Meg!!
Tasty but for some reason my cookies just didn’t crisp up with cooling. I tried Cooking the second batch a little longer but still no luck. I didn’t use coconut flour though as I only had almond. Anyway, they didn’t hold themselves together very well. Great for crumbling over ice cream but sadly not great for tea dipping or even picking up reliably ?.
Hey Ruth,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, these really aren’t meant to be a crispy cookie, maybe just slightly on the edges:) Try using the coconut flour next time! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This cookie has become a family favorite! We are gluten free and vegan – I replaced butter with dairy free version and used 1 flax egg. I also added walnuts because why not?! They came out amazing! Thank you for having such yummy and healthy desserts!
Hey Melody,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
These cookies are delicious!
My kids really like them ??
/Josephine from Sweden
Hey Josephine,
Thank you so much for making the recipe, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Holy heck my life is changed after making these cookies!!! I think I can confidently say these are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. And so easy!! Love the healthier recipe. These cookies are to die for make them immediately!
Hey Paige,
Thank you so much for making the recipe, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
They turned out great. They were a little bit fragile though.
Hey Carrie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I’m a huge chocolate chip cookie fan and these are truly fabulous!
Hey Jane,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I have fallen in love with almond flour baked goods, thanks to you! Thank you for perfecting this recipe with almond flour. I refrigerated my dough for a few hours while I cooked and ate dinner. The texture was then better for me to roll out but I still had to work fast because my apt was warm. Next time I’ll be sure to spread out the cookies more, even with using 2 cookie sheets. I hope you’re having as nice of a weekend as we are with the help of your cookies!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
Great alternative flour cookies! I love how almond flour gives baked goods a warm/nutty taste. These cookies are healthy for the bod & healthy for your soul ?
Hey there,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
So so good. I had to bake them a little longer and they didn’t turn out as flat but whatever they’re still amazing! Shocking they’re gluten free because usually those don’t taste as good. HBH never disappoints. (I ate 3 within 5 min of them coming out)
Hey Claudia,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Just made these for the Super Bowl. Not sure if they’re SUPER healthy but I pretended they were 🙂 I mean 1/4 cup of sugar isn’t bad for 24 cookies. Def pound down the cookies, I did a lot more than 2-3 times. I did not want a cakey cookie! Used Kerigold butter and very happy they are GF! They look raw when you take them out, but they will cook up on the sheet. I will make these again 🙂
Hey Katie,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
Excellent recipe and so easy to make! I used all purpose flour so they didn’t flatten out like the picture but they still tasted oh so good! My kids said these were the best cookies I’ve ever made. Can’t wait to try out more recipes!
Hey Ayesha,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan