Step aside peanut butter cookies (not too far, we still love you!), there’s a new treat in town: tahini cookies! They’re incredibly delicious and SO easy they practically make themselves (just 1 bowl, 7 ingredients, and about 20 minutes required).
These cookies are perfectly nutty, the ideal balance of salty and sweet, plus vegan and gluten-free (but no one will know)! Let’s do this!
Origin of Tahini Cookies
Tahini is an Arabic name for ground sesame seeds and it’s a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine.
In our search for the origin of tahini cookies, we learned that shortbread-style cookies made with tahini are popular in the Levant region. And specifically, a version called tahin kurabiyesi is popular in Turkey. While we’ve never been so lucky to try these Levantine versions, we’re kind of obsessed with tahini (and cookies!), so we couldn’t help but make a treat that combined the two.
The following is our inspired take on tahini cookies made gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, and butter- and oil-free. They have a tender center and crispy exterior vs. the shortbread-style texture of the cookies popular in the Levant region.
How to Make Tahini Cookies
These cookies begin with whisking tahini and maple syrup into a smooth mixture. Hot tip? Not all brands of tahini are created equal! We find it easier to work with tahini that’s smooth and drippy vs. thick and pasty. We did a review comparing brands of tahini to help you find one that’s easy to work with.
Once you’ve got a smooth mixture, it’s time to add in the flours, salt, and baking soda. Almond flour gives these cookies a light crumb, while tapioca starch gives them structure.
After mixing in the flours, you’ll get cookie dough!
Roll it into balls, dip them in sesame seeds, flatten slightly, and bake until golden!
Can you say cutest cookies ever!?
We hope you LOVE these tahini cookies! They’re:
Salty
Sweet
Crispy on the edges
Tender in the inside
Super simple
& SO delicious!
Enjoy these delicious treats with a cup of coffee, chai, or hot chocolate. They’re perfect for afternoon snacks, cookie parties, or any time you’re craving a more sophisticated alternative to peanut butter cookies!
More Recipes for Tahini Lovers
- Tahini Stir-Fry Sauce
- Quick Ginger Garlic Miso Tahini Dressing
- Tahini Chocolate Banana Soft Serve
- Tahini-Stuffed Dates (aka Tahini Bombs!)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Tahini Cookies (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini, unsalted and smooth (see our tahini review for our favorite brands)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To a medium mixing bowl, add tahini and maple syrup and use a whisk to thoroughly combine. Next add the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt to the tahini mixture. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix well.
- Place the sesame seeds into a small bowl and set it nearby. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll them into near perfect balls before gently rolling each ball in the sesame seeds and placing them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Gently press down on the balls to flatten slightly. Recipe as written should make ~20 cookies and they won’t spread much, so they should all fit on a standard size baking sheet (as recipe is written – adjust if making a larger batch!).
- Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, then enjoy!
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Enjoy at room temperature for best texture.
Video
Notes
*For freezing dough: Complete steps 2 & 3, then place your unbaked cookies into an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to bake, place frozen cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden.
*You can substitute 1 ¼ cups DIY Gluten-Free Flour Blend or 1 cup traditional all-purpose flour for both almond flour and tapioca starch, but if you do, you should use baking powder instead of baking soda and reduce the salt by half! The texture is not quite the same and the cookies are not as flavorful, but they do work!
*Loosely adapted from Food & Wine’s Honey Tahini Cookies.
Willow says
Omg! The best cookies ever! So easy and quick, amazingly delicious. We can’t stop making them . Thank you!
:) We’re so glad you’re loving these cookies, Willow! Thank you leaving a review! xoxo
Katherine says
These cookies are great! I made the recipe as written, and measured the ingredients by weight. They were so easy to make and I ended up rolling them in a variety of toppings other than just sesame seeds, including brown sugar, pecans, and chia seeds. They don’t taste like tahini, and instead have a very typical crisp yet chewy cookie texture. I never would have known that they are gluten free. There’s a good chance I’ll be making these again next time I have to bake someone who’s gluten free, because I this recipe is very versatile and could be riffed on in many ways. For example, I was thinking of making chocolate chip cookies or snickerdoodles with this dough.
Yay! Thank you for sharing your experience, Katherine. Those variations sound amazing too! xo
Rachel Moore says
Always on the hunt for the easiest AND the most delicious treats. These will be in the rotation for life!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe and honored that it’s making it into your rotation. Thank you for the lovely review, Rachel! xo
Sara Laimon says
My new favourite cookie. Not messy, too sweet or complicated. And liked by all!
Yay! We’re so glad these are your new favorite, Sara. Thank you for sharing! xo
Lynn says
These are so good. Thank you. I had to make some adjustments for my dietary limitations. I used cassava flour and liquid allulose. Worked perfect. I also made a couple with a little thumb print in them and added an all fruit spread and baked. It’s like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Next time I am going to do a couple rolled in a granulated alternate sweetener like swerve and use a fork tiine to press flare like an old time peanut butter cookie. However they are perfect just as they are.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lynn! Thank you for sharing! xo
Mel says
5 stars! This is such a simple and delicious cookie. Mine were on the denser side making the cookie palatable and filling. I felt satisfied after one. And the level of sweetness is perfectly balanced with the bitterness of the Tahini. I will be making these time and time again.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the cookies and will be making them again. Thank you for sharing, Mel! xo
Meg says
These are amazing! I make them all the time and they are a hit. Sometimes I roll them in coconut flakes just to switch it up! And today I was out of almond flour, so used banana instead. Different taste but still very yummy!
Whoop! We’re so glad these are a hit in your kitchen, Meg. Thank you for sharing! xo
Lisa K says
Easy-to-follow recipe! They were the perfect cookie to take to a gathering and I received many compliments about how delicious they were.
Yay! We’re so glad they were a hit at your gathering. Thank you for the sharing, Lisa! xo
Tylah says
These cookies are seriously the Bomb! We made them for afternoon tea and ended up eating the entire batch, the texture is so perfect! Crispy outside, soft slightly chewy middle! I rolled them in dessicated coconut instead of sesame seeds and they tasted delicious. I rekon some finely chopped macadamies would go so good in these too!
We’re so glad they were a hit at afternoon tea, Tylah! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo
Megan Hosch says
These cookies are amazing. They are so delicious and healthy. I can’t believe they are gluten-free, dairy, free and sugar-free. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out wonderfully. I’m wondering if I could use black sesame seeds as well. Wondering if I could also add cocoa powder to make a chocolate version?
We’re so glad you enjoy these cookies, Megan. Thank you for the lovely review! Black sesame seeds would also work well :) We haven’t tried a chocolate version, but GREAT IDEA! You could try adding cocoa powder and reducing the flours. Let us know if you try it!
Charis Fitchett says
I’ve made these a lot they are delicious. I add Halva chopped up in small pieces when I have it on hand.
Your addition sounds amazing, Charis! Thank you for sharing! xo
Neesa says
Yummy cookies!
Was looking for a recipe to use almond flour and found this.
I ended up using half the amount of honey(instead of Maple syrope) and corn starch vs tapioca starch.
I also added about 2tbsp of water as my dough was quite dry and crumbly (probably because I used less honey than the recipe calls for) and I also added cardamom powder.
Delicious!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Nessa! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Seeks says
I followed the recipe exactly and they came out hard and dry.: also not as sweet and salty as thought they would be ! Any tips on making them softer sweeter and saltier?
We’re so sorry these ones didn’t turn out right for you! This recipe is usually a reader favorite. Did you make any modifications? Is it possible you were using imitation maple syrup vs. pure maple syrup? If that’s not the issue, maybe your oven runs hot or they baked too long? You could add more salt, to taste!
prashanthi atluri says
can I sub potato starch instead of tapioca starch
Hi, potato starch is more drying. We’re not sure if it will work in this recipe, but maybe? Let us know if you try it!
prashanthi atluri says
Hi. I am only 11 and have become interested in baking food that is safe for me to eat with all my dietary restrictions, and was wondering if you can use brown rice flour instead of tapioca flour. Thanks!!
Hi Prashanthi, Brown rice flour won’t add the stretchiness that tapioca flour does, so the cookies may be more dry and crumbly. Another option would be arrowroot starch. We hope you love the cookies!
Jacob P says
So glad I found this recipe. Have made these once a week for weeks now 😂 . I absolutely LOVEEEE these cookies.
I was wanting to about adding some vegan protein powder within the mix. Specifically, “Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Organic”. Have you tried addin protein powder before? Any suggestions on the ratios? If I were to add a scoop or two of protein powder (25-50g) do I need more liquid? Thanks so much!
Amazing! We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Jacob. Thank you for the lovely review! Hmm, you might try adding the protein powder and using less almond flour so it doesn’t throw off the flavor balance too much. The cookies may turn out more dry, but it might work with up to 1/4 cup of protein powder. Hope that helps!
SharonH says
I’m allergic to almonds😐…what would be a good substitution? Thanks!
Hi Sharon! You could try cashew flour!
Mary Beth Sawyer says
I’m excited to make these as I haven’t been able to bake GF for several reasons / years. BUT now w/ new physical health issues I’m no longer able to buy much in stores. So… can I make these w/ the arrowroot powder I have on hand? I know it’s not as much recipe calls for. Thanks for all the testing you do!!!!😳🙃👍
Hi Mary Beth! You should be able to substitute arrowroot starch for the tapioca starch! If you don’t have enough you could try making a half batch of them!
Melissa GC says
So delicious and easy! My kiddos loved helping roll them into balls and into the sesame seeds. They enjoyed eating these as well :) we will make these again.
Yay! Love that it was a family event :) Thank you for sharing, Melissa! xo
Alyssa says
These needed a couple extra minutes beyond what the recipe called for to finish baking, but they turned out great! Would definitely make them again. I also added a tablespoon of cocoa powder to mine, though I think I could have added more.
Yum, sounds amazing, Alyssa! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo
Zee says
I tried this and was surprised by how good it was! I will cut down on the honey because I found it a little too sweet. I will also try it with almond butter. Very glad I tried this recipe. Thank you.
We’re glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing, Zee! xo
Megan Phelps says
Love these cookies! I’ve made them several times before, and this time I improvised a bit based on what I had on hand. The recipe is very forgiving!
Flour: In the past, I’ve swapped cassava flour for tapioca flour. This time, I used gluten free all-purpose flour.
Sweetener: I used agave, reduced the syrup by about 2 TB and added in some monkfruit sweetener and water.
Decoration: I put pomegranate arils on top to decorate, as suggested by a different blog (but I like this cookie recipe better).
We’re so glad you enjoy these cookies, Megan. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Gillian says
Yay, thanks. I have also made these wonderfully modest cookies before offered to make some for a GF friend. So I’m glad you shared gluten free flour works too!
Joy says
Excited to make these cookies!
I’d like to use the Trader Joe’s Tahini I have on-hand, but it’s already salted (20mg per 2 tbsp so 80mg in 1/2 cup).
According to the recipe’s nutrition info, the recipe has 93mg of sodium so if I leave the 1/2 tsp of sea salt out, I’m guessing it will balance out. Does this sound like a good plan?
Hi Joy, we think that’s just naturally occurring sodium from the sesame seeds because the ingredients on Trader Joe’s tahini don’t show any added salt. We’d still recommend including the salt!
Joy says
Thanks so much for your reply! I appreciate it.
Rebecca says
ummm yum!!! i also added a few mini choc chips, they were delicious! couldn’t stop eating them!
Ooo that sounds extra delicious! Thank you for sharing, Rebecca! xo
Rick says
Wow! I made these today, and they are great! I used arrow root powder instead of tapioca starch. They are beautiful, crunchy, and delicious.
We’re so glad to hear it, Rick. Thank you for sharing!
Jacquelyn says
These cookies were LIFE CHANGING!! I have so many gluten free friends and never know what to make for them, but this recipe is going to be my go-to from now on. Gluten free or not you should definitely give these a go. Can’t wait to share this batch <3
Whoop! We’re so happy you enjoy the recipe, Jacquelyn. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Melissa says
These are ADDICTIVE! I had to sub tapioca flour for arrowroot today so we will see which version is better. My neighbor calls them crack cookies
Ha, love it! We’re so glad you and your neighbors enjoy them. Thank you for the wonderful review, Melissa! xo
Rebecca says
Would arrowroot work to replace tapioca starch ?
Hi Rebecca, we haven’t tested it, but other readers have reported success with that sub!
Rebecca says
How did the arrowroot work here to replace the tapioca ?
Rick says
Great!
Cynthia Laurrell says
I luh-luh-love this recipe so I make these often, exactly as written! This last time I added 4 Tbsp of cocoa powder, a few Tbsp of water, and baked them 14 minutes. They came out tasty, seems like the right amount of cocoa, but too dry. Would you suggest more water, less time, or ….?
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Cynthia! We’d suggest less flour and baking less time.
Cynthia Laurrell says
1:1? As in add 4T cocoa then take out 2T almond flour plus 2T tapioca flour?
It’s hard to say precisely without testing it ourselves, but that sounds about right!
Kimberly Allison says
I think I flattened mine too much. Recommend leaving them quite thick.
I also started with 12 minutes…should have taken them out then. I did another 2 minutes for 14 total…they ended up crunchy (good for dipping in coffee or milk) but did not have the desired moist centre.
Josee says
I used chocolate tahini! The cookies were very good and I will definitely make again. Just a few ingredients not overly sweet. I made half with the sesame seeds and half plain and I prefer them without seeds. Thanks for a great recipe
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Josie! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
kGa says
I followed the recipe exactly but also kept aside a small amount of the dough to which I mixed in a splash of rose water. Both versions were delicious! The rose water helped to blend the flavors of the tahini and maple syrup. I will definitely make these again. Thanks so much!
Yum, that sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing! xo
Caitlyn says
I can’t get enough of this recipe! I love this website’s feature to scale down recipes, gotta make small batches of this because I’ll definitely eat them all! I’ve made them at least 5 times now and would love to play around with some variations.
Someone here suggested a cinnamon and a lemon version, both if which sound great. I’ve added a little vanilla extract to one of my batches and spread a bit of date caramel on top, may try these with cardamom next time. Maybe even some rose water, mmm!
I’ve also made these with peanut butter instead of tahini and they came out wonderfully! Will have to try an almond butter variation. Thank you so much for sharing this simple and wonderful recipe.
Okay, WOAH, your flavor variations sound SO good! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Caitlyn! xoxo
Judi says
These cookies are delicious!, very easy to make, and with just enough crunch. I’ve made tahini cookies without the tapioca starch, and they weren’t crunchy at all, so these were a welcome change.
We’re so glad you enjoyed these ones, Judi! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Chloe says
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
What can I use in place of tapioca flour? I have almond flour and oat flour- will that work?
Hi Chloe, we think oat flour will turn out more dense, but a couple other readers did report success using it in place of the tapioca flour. Other options that might work better would be corn starch, arrowroot, or (GF) all purpose flour. Let us know if you try it!
Michelle says
These are THE BEST COOKIES I HAVE EVER MADE. I can’t get enough of them! I ate nearly half in one day. Thank you for the most delicious recipe. It has the perfect texture and the perfect taste. Wow!
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Michelle! xoxo
Rachelle Adam says
I absolutely love this healthy oil-free recipe. I want to share that I added about one third of a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and got
‘lemon tahini cookie”. Not only does the lemon juice create an unique tahini cookie but it also makes the dough very pliable and easy to roll out and shape.
And another option – adding cinnamon to the original recipe.
So out of your wonderful recipe for tahini cookies I also made cinnamon tahini cookies and lemon tahini cookies.
This is also a great recipe for Passover next week, since it only uses almond flour and tapioca. Thanks so much.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Rachelle! xo
Anna says
Hi! I would like to make these cookies for a friend who’s allergic to nuts.
Would coconut flour work alongside the tapioca starch? Thank you :)
Hi Anna, it might work but we haven’t tried it. Coconut flour is much more absorbent than almond, though, so we’d suggest starting with half the amount and adding more as needed. Let us know how it goes!
Lauren says
Hi! I don’t have almond flour or tapioca starch, do you think it would work to just use regular flour in their place? Thanks :)
Hi Lauren! You can use 1 cup traditional all-purpose flour for both almond flour and tapioca starch, but if you do, you should use baking powder instead of baking soda and reduce the salt by half! The texture is not quite the same and the cookies are not as flavorful, but they do work!
Zahra says
Hello !
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour in this recipe ?
Thank you !
Hi Zahra, almond meal might work, but they will have a different flavor and might come out a bit drier!
Nicole says
A perfect cookie! Easy, light and delicious. I’ll be making these again, experimenting with flavor varieties like different nut butters, etc.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Nicole! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Nancy A Willis says
Wow. These cookies very so easy to make and I really loved them. They tasted great. I had to cook in two batches. First group I only pressed down lightly as indicated in the recipe instructions. Second batch I flattened more. Second batch was very crispy and first batch was more chewy. I loved them both but liked the chewy batch more. I added a little maple sugar (not syrup) to the sesame seed mix that we were to roll the dough in. That was my only variation. 5 stars for flavor and ease of making. Only problem is not eating them all at once. Yum.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Nancy. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Kim says
These were super easy and very delicious! Wonderfully sesame-y and just the right sweetness. For me, it took 1/3c sesame seeds to roll the 1tbsp cookie dough balls in. I also only placed the slightly flattened cookies an inch or even slightly less than an inch apart and while they spread, it wasn’t much and none of them touched! Close but didn’t quite touch.
I’ll definitely be making these again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Kim! Thanks so much for sharing! xo