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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.

overhead close up photo of Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

close up photo of chopped chocolate bar

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.

prep photo of cookies before baking

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.

overhead photo of Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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!

overhead close up photo of Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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.

Ingredients

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. 
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overhead photo of Salted Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Comments

  1. 2 stars
    I am allergic to eggs, so I subbed applesauce and a bit of baking powder, my usual sub for eggs. I also used 1:1 GF flour, since I’m also (sigh…) allergic to almonds and wheat/gluten. The cookies are really delicious, tho a bit drier and puffier than I had hoped. They didn’t flatten much with the tapping. Maybe less baking powder and I might mix the 1:1 with coconut flour next time. Ever experiment with other nut flours, would hazelnut work? Thx ♥️

    1. hi Jennifer,
      It helps to release the air pockets and creates a flatter cookie, if you prefer a puffier cookie then you can skip this step! xx

  2. Just made these ! Forgot to get maple syrup so used honey. Used dark and milk choc chunks. YUUUUM! So so good.

  3. 5 stars
    They turned out amazing! So so tasty. I made them with regular flour instead (the only substitute I made) cause its what I had, I did press them down a little with a wide spoon halfway through since the tapping didn’t flatten as much, probably due to the regular flour. But they were still so good, recommended the recipe to friends!

  4. 4 stars
    Made these for a party and they were a hit even though I wasn’t enamored with the texture. I used regular flour because that’s all I had, so I’ll try the other flours next time. I loved the flavor and especially that they aren’t too sweet, but I prefer a chewy cookie and mine were cakey and a little dry. I drizzled dulce de lèche on top and sprinkled maldon salt on that so they looked good and that helped with the moisture. I might try increasing the butter next time and maybe using a brown butter. I used a mixture of chocolate, large dark and small milk which meant they melted at different rates, which was a nice texture detail too. I also used wayyy more chocolate. In short, really yummy, but I’m going to keep playing with the recipe a bit.

  5. 5 stars
    I make these frequently for myself! Unfortunately I am DF GF so I have to make adjustments. I use coconut oil to replace butter, and they are delicious. They freeze well, and I pull them out as needed!!! One of so many great recipes! Thank you!

    1. Hi Diane,
      Happy Sunday!!😃🍊 I appreciate you making this recipe so often and your comment, so glad to hear it is always delish! xx

  6. 4 stars
    Wow! I used all purpose flour for this recipe and the cookies turned out amazing. It literally looks like cookies you’d buy at a bakery; tahini is delicate and the salt on top is such a treat!

    1. Hey Vanessa,
      Happy Sunday! 😃 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx

  7. I have no idea what I did wrong- I followed the recipe exactly, same blend of almond and coconut flour- but these took waaaay longer to cook than called for. After first five minutes (when I took them out to tap) they were not remotely brown on edges and still very compact balls of dough. Still no browning after another five minutes, though they were just starting to spread at least. All in all probably took three times the time advertised to get them to a state where they’d even stay together after cooling- any idea what I may have done wrong? It’s definitely not my oven, as I’ve used it since and it’s cooked things at the temperature and in the time limit specified by that recipe. I’m wondering if it’s an ingredient issue. The cookies turned out tasty but kind of mealy in texture and I’m just curious what I might do to improve them! This is a rare miss for me from this site- I make your recipes all the time and usually love them, though admittedly I rarely make the desserts. But overall I’m a huge fan!

    1. Hey Elizabeth,
      Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you had issues! The texture is definitely going to be different than your classic chocolate chip cookie just due to the “better for you” ingredients. As for the bake time, what kind of baking sheet did you use? Let me know how I can help! xx

  8. 4 stars
    These are good. The texture is a bit different from other cookies I’ve made.

    Substitutions – oat flour and all purpose flour for almond flour and coconut flour

    1. Hey Elaine,
      Happy Monday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT

  9. 5 stars
    These were very more-ish, although I would have liked them a bit crunchier around the edges. I’ll try to sub the coconut flour with almond meal next time and see if it will crisp up more. Thank you for the recipe.

    1. Hi there,
      Happy Sunday!!⛄️ I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xxT

  10. 4 stars
    Mine came out very thin and sticky. They were still delicious but not very nice looking. I didn’t the 1 1/3 c almond flour instead of the mixture. Wondering if you have any tips!

    1. Hi there,
      Thanks for trying these cookies! They should definitely be thin, due to the almond flour. Were they sticking after baking? Was there anything you adjusted? Let me know! xx

  11. LOVED this recipe and my friend who is dairy free would love to try but with a butter alternative. Any suggestions? Could coconut oil work? 🙂

    1. Hey Emily,
      I’ve not tested this recipe without the butter, I think a vegan butter would be your best bet. Please let me know how it turns out! xx

    1. Hey Kelsey,
      Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! I hope you had a great holiday weekend!?

  12. I lost the first batch then cooked them at 375 and it worked. The trick is to put exactly one tablespoon,

  13. 3 stars
    I’ve tried baking these twice. Neither came out anything like the picture. They were okay. Chocolate and tahini are a great combo. The texture and overall taste could be improved upon. They are a healthier cook and taste like a healthier cookie

    1. Hi Jenny,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear you had some issues. Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xx

      1. These were lovely! Wonderful recipe – my husband immediately asked for a second serving. That’s when I know a recipe is a winner ☺️