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Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie (gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free, vegan)

September 6, 2016 By Jessica

Coming from a heritage stemming from the southern part of Russia, the cultural traditions set on my family’s table have always been similar to the foods of the Middle East – especially Israeli and Persian food. Halvah was one of them; my favorite Middle Eastern confection. My late grandmother would keep plenty of halvah, individually wrapped Russian chocolates, sesame seed candies, and sweet meringues in a big crystal bowl ready for the picking. That and hot mint tea was the final part of most family meal gatherings.

And it didn’t matter if it was winter or summer — the tea was always hot! I remember running back downstairs when I would hear the tea glasses clinking, knowing it was time for tea and sweets to anxiously dig into the bowl searching for the Russian chocolate with the pretty squirrel wrapper and of course, the marbled halvah – as if someone might take them all. But as much as I loved the marbled combination of chocolate with the heavily sweetened sesame I could never handle more than a few bites. I was quite heavy eaten as-is, but gosh did I love the stuff.

When I came across Yotam Ottolenghi’s Tahini Chocolate Brownies the thoughts of my halvah eating days came back with a surge, inspiring me to bake these tahini chocolate chip cookies. All the flavors of marbled halvah without the dense heaviness this sweet is famous for…come to mama.

After a couple of batches to make sure it is tried and true I must tell you that it is so much like the halvah flavors I remember but richer given the use of bittersweet chocolate and a touch of brown sugar. They come out crisp around the edges yet soft in the center with gobs of chocolate chunks – some melted and some holding on to their texture – that had me close my eyes as I ate in sheer bliss.

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I baked them two ways, actually three ways – using egg, applesauce, and peanut butter (instead of sesame, a whole other flavor profile for my younger boys). The difference is slight: the egg gives more structure and a slightly softer cookie. The applesauce gives a crispier cookie with more crumb. Both have the halvah flavor with an appropriately obscene amount of chocolate (I think) worth the mess. For the best flavor seek out a high-quality tahini that only contains sesame seeds.

But hey, if tahini flavor is not your thing (it isn’t my youngest boys either) try swapping it for peanut butter or sunflower butter. I surprised my twin boys with a peanut butter version of this cookie for their first day of camp back in July, it comes out chunkier than the tahini due to the thick texture of peanut butter and has become my three younger boys new favorite cookie. But they say that with every new cookie hit. They are the sweetest.

My husband, oldest son and me, polished these off. The next time I make these I’m freezing half of the scooped balls of dough to bake when the craving strikes because I ate them way too fast and they forced me to share. I hate when that happens. 😉

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Here are the peanut butter ones… As much as I believe life without sweets is not living, I did freeze half of the batch for later otherwise, my boys would eat them all, and that would be a little TOO much sweet living!

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Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan)
 
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Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
25 mins
 
A twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookie made with tahini for the flavor of marbled halvah that is one delicious flavor to try! This makes large (palm-sized) cookies. If too many: bake some now and freeze scoop fulls to bake when the craving strikes.
Jessica: From Jessica's Kitchen
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 11-12 large cookies
Ingredients
  • 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) non-dairy soy free butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup tahini
  • ½ cup cane sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • EGG SUBSTITUTE:
  • 3 tablespoons chunky applesauce, strained
  • 1 teaspoon pure gluten free vanilla extract
  • ½ cup tapioca starch
  • ½ cup PLUS 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
  • ½ cup PLUS 2 tablespoons certified gluten free oat flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons ground psyllium husk
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 10 ounces semisweet non-dairy dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (Theo or Guittard brand are soy free)
  • Optional: Maldon sea salt
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 C)
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, cream the non-dairy butter, tahini, cane and light brown sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder, psyllium husk, and kosher salt into a large bowl and set aside.
  5. Add whole egg and yolk (or applesauce) and vanilla and continue mixing on medium speed for additional 4-5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate by hand using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
  6. Using a large 2-ounce ice cream scooper, scoop out 11 dough balls and place them on the baking sheet spaced at least 3” apart to allow spreading. Using the back of a dry measuring cup, gently flatten the cookie balls halfway. If the dough is too warm at this point, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before baking.
  7. Note: If you prefer to just bake one or two now and save the rest for later: simply scoop out dough balls and freeze for 2 hours. Then transfer into a freezer-safe bag for up to six months. keep the cookie dough balls in zip-top bags in the freezer for up to 6 months.
  8. Bake for 13-15 minutes until just golden brown around the edges. They will still look somewhat unbaked in the middle, which is perfect. Immediately sprinkle each with Maldon salt, if desired. Allow to cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheet or cooling rack before eating.
  9. Note on chocolate: Chocolate chips do not contain as much cacao butter as solid chocolate does, which is why they don’t melt as quickly. Use good quality solid dark chocolate in order to get the melted gooey chocolate you see pictured. Also, the higher the percentage of chocolate, the less it will melt. Try not to exceed 72% chocolate for best results.
  10. For PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES: simply swap out tahini for creamy unsalted peanut butter, if salted, omit kosher salt. For these, I used a small ice-cream scooper. It will 24-26 smaller yet chunkier cookies.
  11. Want to bake both? Simply make the dough without the addition of tahini or peanut butter then add it in by hand along with the chocolate chunks, scoop, and bake.
  12. Note on psyllium husk: I use organic, non-GMO, pharmaceutical-grade whole psyllium husk that I grind in my spice grinder instead of xanthan or guar gum. It is high in fiber, containing both soluble and insoluble fiber and acts as a binder when baking with gluten free flours.
3.5.3208

 

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gluten free dairy free recipes
recipe image
Recipes
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies - Gluten Free, Nut Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Published On
2016-09-06
Preparation Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
25 min
Average Rating
51star1star1star1star1star Based on 8 Review(s)

Filed Under: cookies, vegan Tagged With: cookies, dairy-free, dessert, desserts, gluten-free, soy-free, vegan

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Comments

  1. Lisa says

    September 6, 2016 at 4:14 pm

    I haven't thought about halvah in years. I grew up in New York City and that was one of those treats we would occasionally indulge in. This cookie is a great variation on a very old favorite. Looking forward to going back in time.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 7, 2016 at 12:47 pm

      Oh you will love this then. Hope you give it a try Lisa and let me know what you think!
      Reply
  2. Maria says

    September 6, 2016 at 4:42 pm

    I really want to make these using peanut butter. Which brand do you recommend?
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 7, 2016 at 12:52 pm

      I use either Earth Balance or Once Again unsalted brands because they are certified non-GMO (peanuts are usually GMO). Enjoy!
      Reply
  3. Alan says

    September 6, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    Wow this looks amazing! I agree, the more chocolate the better. Making this for sure.
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 7, 2016 at 12:53 pm

      Thanks Alan, hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
      Reply
  4. Rachel says

    September 6, 2016 at 7:05 pm

    I remember halva and it being too dry to eat without a swig of milk but these look insane....making my Mom make these asap. Thanks Jessica! :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 7, 2016 at 12:55 pm

      Hope you enjoy Rachel!
      Reply
  5. Carly says

    September 7, 2016 at 9:09 am

    I looked up psyllium husk on Amazon and it sells in a large container. I really want to make this but worried about keeping so much of it in my pantry. How long can it last and what else can I use it for? Thanks in advance!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 7, 2016 at 12:59 pm

      They do come in large containers but what's nice about it is that it will last a couple of years in a cool dark place. I have been using it for all my baking instead of gums and occasionally in a protein smoothie (that doesn't contain fruit) for extra fiber. You can also refrigerate it to last even longer...hope that helps. :)
      Reply
  6. Anna says

    September 9, 2016 at 1:17 pm

    I didn't have psyllium husk or rice flour on hand so I weighed the flour amount using Bobs Red Mill GF all purpose flour and egg instead of applesauce and the cookies came out amazing! It really has the halvah flavor and so chocolatey. Thank you thank you for an outsanding recipe!!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 17, 2016 at 2:47 pm

      Yay! Thank you for sharing your modifications and happy to hear you love them Anna!
      Reply
  7. Brianna says

    September 15, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    Found your recipe on Pinterest and as much as I love halvah it's too heavy for me too so I tried your recipe and the cookies came out incredible! They don't even taste gluten and dairy free! Now I can't wait to try your red velvet cookies! :)
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 17, 2016 at 2:25 pm

      Yay! I'm so happy you liked them, thanks for sharing! Those red velvet cookies sure are good - enjoy!
      Reply
  8. Laura Hartmann says

    September 21, 2016 at 11:01 am

    These cookies are delicious! I baked them and then froze them so I don't eat them all at once! I used coconut oil, which seemed to work fine. Next time, I will reduce the baking time a little as I like softer cookies. But the flavor of these and the texture is fantastic!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      September 22, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed them, and yes, freezing some is a very wise choice! ;)
      Reply
  9. Susan says

    February 5, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    Oh my oh my am I glad I gave the recipe a try, this cookie is a winner! I love tahini chocolate halva, craing cookies, but cannot eat gluten, dairy or nuts then to my surprise found your recipe with and without it all!! You have a lovely blog, happy to have found it!
    Reply
    • Jessica says

      February 7, 2017 at 4:58 pm

      You are so sweet Susan! Happy to hear you loved the cookies and happy you found my blog too!! :)
      Reply
  10. Marci says

    March 15, 2017 at 9:41 pm

    Came across the recipe on Pinterest and couldn't resist making them. Used to LOVE halvah growing up. Just pulled them out of the oven and had one. This is crazy effen good! Great recipe!
    Reply
  11. Connie says

    May 1, 2018 at 6:16 pm

    I was nervous about measuring flours without weight but a friend told me how good these are so I went ahead with it. I also used egg in the recipe and no psyllium husk. So freaking good!!! Thank you!
    Reply
  12. Marianne says

    July 6, 2018 at 3:08 pm

    Cookies turned out amazing!!!
    Reply
  13. Kristina says

    September 28, 2019 at 7:35 am

    Came out amazing! I needed to bake them an extra five minutes but other than that the recipe is great. Thanks!
    Reply
  14. Liz says

    March 5, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    Came out amazing! Tahini is not overpowering which I like. My new favorite chip cookie!
    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Butternut Squash Gratin (dairy free, gluten free, grain free, soy free, vegan) | From Jessica's Kitchen says:
    April 18, 2017 at 10:20 am
    […] Although most go Paleo because of autoimmune issues, I was propelled to give it a try for inflammation and GI issues (leaky gut and microbial disorders). Why not give it a try if it can help Michael and Ely. It wasn’t easy to integrate Paleo into our diet (read: we love our carbs big time) since it made our list of ‘no’s’ even longer. The biggest challenge was creating school snacks and hearty lunches for my guys. I personally missed having toast in the morning, tortilla chips, and cookies, big fat tahini chocolate chip cookies. […]
    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi! I'm Jessica, welcome to my blog! I'm a wife and mother of four (all boys, including twins. Did not see that coming!) who loves to eat. Discovering food intolerances in my family and myself had me think about cooking differently with an emphasis on nutrition, but not any less deliciously. No, won't settle for that, neither will my kids! Here you will find simple, healthy, seasonal recipes we love that are gluten, dairy, and soy free. Many are also egg free, nut free, plant-based and/or grain free, given our evolving dietary lifestyle. Even though we live a life of dietary restrictions, my passion for food keeps me on a constant quest to create tasty recipes or adapt our favorite recipes from my stack of cookbooks to bring back the joy of eating again, without sacrificing flavor. Hope you find some inspiration and recipes to enjoy ... thanks for stopping by!

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