Inspired by my rainbow cookies and my rose & beet pink cookies, these black tahini cookies are not only super easy to make and stunning, they’re also delicious without being overly sweet.
Why You’ll Love These Black Sesame Cookies
I was inspired to make these after watching a short clip of the a cappella version of Cythia Erivo’s song “Save Me From You” and seeing the black & white aesthetic of Erivo’s corresponding album (I Forgive You). If you’re looking for a wholesome recipe for soft cookies that stands out and is also healthier than most traditional cookie recipes, I’m sure you’ll love these! Here are a few more reasons you might enjoy them.
- These black sesame cookies take less than 20 minutes to make from start to finish
- They’re also very easy to make, requiring no stand mixer, to chopping, and no kneading
- They’re ideal for anyone who’s either plant-based and/or gluten-free
- They’re made entirely without refined sugar and flour
- They’re naturally sweet without being too sweet
- This recipe is made with simple, wholesome ingredients
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Ingredients You’ll Need
Note: the following is an overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe. For the exact measurements, be sure to refer to the recipe card below.
- Almond Flour: for the best result, be sure to use almond flour, not almond meal. Almond flour is made from blanched almonds, whereas almond meal includes the almond peel. It’ll still work, but the cookies’ texture might not be as smooth. If you’re allergic to tree nuts, you can use all purpose flour or oat flour, but replace the amount by weight, not volume (a cup of almond flour weighs 3.5oz/100g, whereas a cup of all purpose flour weighs 4.4oz/125g.)
- Tapioca Flour/starch: tapioca flour is very similar to cornstarch (which you can also use). Both tapioca flour and cassava flour are made from the tapioca root, but they are very different, so be sure to use the starchy version, not cassava flour.
- Cacao Powder: raw cacao powder adds a hint of chocolate to this recipe (without overpowering the flavor). If you prefer, you can omit it and use a little extra almond flour instead.
- Baking Soda
- Sea Salt
- Black Tahini (Black Sesame Paste): you can also use regular (white) tahini, but this will obviously change the color of the cookies. If you can’t find black tahini, you can use tahini and pair it with food dye or food dye powders to get a different color. Check out my rainbow tahini cookie recipe to get an idea of what that might look like.
- Maple Syrup: you can use other liquid natural sweetener like rice syrup, date syrup, or agave, but because those are usually thicker, it might affect the texture of the cookies.
- Flakey Sea Salt: I love Maldon’s sea salt flakes.
What is Black Tahini?
Black tahini is a thick paste/seed butter made by grinding black sesame seeds. The term “tahini” comes from the Arabic “tahana”, which means “to grind” and most commonly refers to the lighter (white to beige colored) paste made from white sesame seeds. You can find it at most health food stores or online. Alternatively, you can make your own by toasting, then grinding black sesame seeds in a food processor or high-speed blender.
TIP: you can find plenty of plant-based recipes using white tahini on my other sites Vegan Reset & Best of Vegan.
How to Make These Black Sesame Cookies
Note: the following is an overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe. For the exact measurements, be sure to refer to the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven & make the cookie dough
Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF/180ºC (or 320ºF/160ºC if using the fan/convection setting) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Next, add the almond flour to a mixing bowl.
Add the cacao powder.
Add the tapioca flour, sea salt, and baking soda.
Add the maple syrup.
Finally, add the black tahini (black sesame paste.)
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix the ingredients until you get a sticky dough.
Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
Form the cookies
Using your hands, form 9-12 dough balls pressing them firmly (this step is important to get the final desire cookie shape.) Fair warning: this will get a little messy because the dough is sticky, so you’ll most likely need to wash your hands afterwards!
Next, press the dough balls gently (use a piece of parchment paper to make this easier) to form your cookies.
Note: make sure you don’t flatten the cookies too much.
Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet.
Bake the Black Sesame Cookies
Sprinkle a little flakey sea salt on each of the cookies, then bake in the oven (on the middle rack) for 7 minutes (if you’re oven takes a little longer to pre-heat, either wait a bit longer or extend the baking time by 1-2 minutes.)
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy your Black Sesame Cookies!
These black sesame cookies are best enjoyed warm with a glass of ice cold plant milk and/or a cup of tea or coffee.
STORAGE TIP: You can store these black sesame cookies at room temperature for one day, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
Black Sesame Cookies – Recipe Video
Black Sesame Cookies – Recipe Playlist
I love listening to music while cooking and baking (which is why my second cookbook includes a playlist for each recipe). Since these Black Sesame Cookies were inspired by the black and white aesthetic of Cynthia Erivo’s latest album, the playlist I recommend listening to while baking (and enjoying) these cookies is the a cappella edition of said album.
Black Sesame Cookies – Recipe Card
Use this recipe card to save & pin this black sesame cookie recipe. For additional step by step photos, recipe notes, and a recipe video, be sure to read the full article above. If you have any questions or feedback, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC (or 320ºF/160ºC if using the fan/convection setting) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all ingredients except the flakey sea salt to a mixing bowl and mix well using a spatula or wooden spoon, until the dough is sticky.
- Using your hands form 9-12 small dough balls of equal size, making sure you press them firmly while forming the balls, then press each of them down gently to give them their cookie shape. TIP: use a small piece of parchment paper to make this easier.
- Place the cookie dough discs on the lined baking sheet, then sprinkle a little flakey salt on each of the cookies. Bake them for 7 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for an extra 5 minutes, then enjoy with a glass of ice cold plant milk or a cup of coffee or tea.
- These black sesame cookies are best enjoyed the day you bake them, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
Notes
- The black tahini is what gives this recipe its color. You can of course also use white tahini, just know that it will change the color.
- The cacao powder gives the cookies just a hint of a chocolate flavor. If you don’t have cacao powder, you can omit and use an extra tablespoon of almond flour instead.
- Serving size: this recipe makes 9-12 cookies, depending on the size of cookie dough balls you choose to make.
Tried this recipe?
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Could I use black sesame flour instead of almond flour? Or would it make the cookies too bitter? And do you think I could use black cocoa powder instead of cacao powder?
Hi! I haven’t tried the recipe with sesame flour, but sesame and almond flour can generally be substituted for each other. I think it would still be sweet enough thanks to the maple syrup, but wouldn’t be able to guarantee it. I have, however, tried it with both all-purpose and oat flour (using the same amount in weight, not volume) and both worked. As for the black cocoa powder, yes, you can use that instead of cacao powder. It’ll just alter the taste slightly. Hope that helps!:)
I made these cookies (after first making *black* tahini!) and they were tasty. They weren’t as as black as I’d hoped (which would make them perfect Halloween cookies) but light and delicious. Black tahini is crazy stuff! I’ll have to incorporate it into Halloween dishes this year. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed them:)
I liked the idea, I’m going to make some for Halloween night tomorrow.
Yay;) Hope you love them!
These turned out great! They taste good and they look great. Im using them in my christmas cookies as coal cookies. Im sure my family is going to love them too! Thanks for the recipe.
So happy to hear! And that’s such a great idea:)