Oatmeal Tahini Cookies made with five basic ingredients: oats, tahini, eggs, pure maple syrup, and chocolate chips. I like adding in some pure vanilla extract and ground cinnamon for extra flavor.
Tahini lovers, I have the latest and greatest way of getting your tahini fix! These easy oatmeal tahini cookies are soft, chewy, refined sugar-free, flourless, and the tahini flavor really shines through!
They do not have the same texture as regular cookies, so be aware of that if you’re looking for a regular cookie texture. They are closer to a protein bar or snack bar texture.
I love that this tahini cookie recipe is made with cleaner ingredients for a wholesome treat, and the fact that they are easy to customize too. Toss in some chopped nuts or dried fruit to change up the texture and flavor profile!
In case you are new to tahini, it is simply ground up sesame seeds, similar to nut butter but much runnier. It can be used in both sweet and savory applications.
I based this tahini oatmeal cookie recipe off of my 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, which have been a huge hit ever since I shared them.
Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for this tahini cookie recipe! The full list of ingredients is available at all local grocery stores.
Ingredients for Tahini Cookies:
Tahini: The main ingredient here! Be sure to give your tahini a good stir prior to using it. Aim for runny tahini that is also creamy.
Pure Maple Syrup: The sweetener. Because tahini has a somewhat bitter flavor, I use a little more pure maple syrup than I ordinarily would. I find the flavor of tahini and the maple flavor complement each other nicely.
Oats: We replace regular flour with oats! I recommend using quick oats or instant oats for the best texture, as rolled oats have a chewier texture.
Eggs: Whole eggs help bind all of the ingredients together
Ground Cinnamon: While the cinnamon is an optional ingredient, I enjoy adding it for a lovely warmly spiced flavor. I find the combination of tahini and cinnamon to be divine!
Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla adds lovely warmth to give our taste buds some luxury.
Sea Salt: Salt is a big flavor enhancer! It brings out the tahini flavor, chocolate and cinnamon flavors, and makes the cookies taste sweeter. Consider sprinkling the final product with flaky sea salt too.
Chocolate Chips: I’m a big fan of adding chocolate chips to these tasty oatmeal tahini cookies, though doing so is optional. They bring pockets of gooey texture and add sweetness, making a chewy cookie.
I use semisweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate chips and sugar free chocolate chips work too.
Recipe Customizations:
- Add 1 tablespoon of orange zest and swap the chocolate chips for ½ cup of dried cranberries for a cranberry orange flavor.
- Mix in 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for a crunchy texture.
- Make delicious vegan tahini cookies by replacing the eggs with two ripe mashed bananas.
- I haven’t tested the recipe with gluten-free flour, coconut flour, oat flour, almond flour, or all purpose flour in place of oats, so for the best results, stick with the original recipe.
- Use cashew butter, peanut butter, or almond butter in place of tahini. If you go this route, reduce the amount of oats to 1.5 cups.
Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients for these sesame seed paste cookies, let’s make them!
How to Make Tahini Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Before starting the recipe, give your tahini a good stir until it is very creamy and doesn’t have any oil separation. It should be very runny and much thinner than regular peanut butter or almond butter.
Transfer the tahini, eggs, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract (if adding) to a large bowl (wet ingredients). Mix well until completely smooth and creamy.
Add in the oats, cinnamon, sea salt, and chocolate chips (dry ingredients) to the tahini mixture.
Mix thoroughly until a sticky cookie dough forms and all of the ingredients are well combined.
Drop mounds of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookie dough will spread a little but it will maintain the same shape, so if you’d like round cookie shapes, be sure to use a spoon to shape the dough into round shapes (this is what I do).
A small cookie scoop comes in handy here for smaller cookies. If you’d like, you can top the cookie dough with extra chocolate chips.
Bake cookies on the center rack of the preheated oven for 11-15 minutes, until the cookies have puffed up and are slightly golden brown around the edge. Small cookies require less time (about 9-11 minutes), and large cookies require more time (12-15 minutes). If you’d like, sprinkle them with flaky salt.
Allow the tahini chocolate chip cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Pro Tip: These cookies taste better and have better texture after they have sat for 1 day. For this reason, I recommend making them ahead of time.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container or a zip lock bag for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
These easy tahini cookies are loaded with nutty flavor for a uniquely delicious treat. With just a handful of ingredients, we’re left with a fun and fulfilling treat to tame the sweet tooth.
Looking for more healthy cookie recipes? Try out some of my other personal favorites.
More Healthy Cookie Recipes:
- Flourless Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies
- Almond Flour Lemon Cookies
- 6-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Enjoy the simplicity of this easy recipe, and make a batch today!
Tahini Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup well-stirred tahini*
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract optional
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- ¾ cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Before starting the recipe, give your tahini a good stir until it is very creamy and doesn’t have any oil separation. It should be very runny and much thinner than regular peanut butter or almond butter.
- Transfer the tahini, eggs, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract (if adding) to a large bowl (wet ingredients). Mix well until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the oats, cinnamon, sea salt, and chocolate chips (dry ingredients) to the tahini mixture. Mix thoroughly until a sticky cookie dough forms and all of the ingredients are well combined.
- Drop mounds of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookie dough will spread a little but it will maintain the same shape, so if you’d like round cookie shapes, be sure to use a spoon to shape the dough into round shapes (this is what I do). A small cookie scoop comes in handy here for smaller cookies. If you’d like, you can top the cookie dough with extra chocolate chips.
- Bake cookies on the center rack of the preheated oven for 11-15 minutes, until the cookies have puffed up and are slightly golden brown around the edge. Small cookies require less time (about 9-11 minutes), and large cookies require more time (12-15 minutes). If you’d like, sprinkle them with flaky salt.
- Allow the tahini chocolate chip cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
