tahini

Name: Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips; ¾ cup tahini; 2 Tbsp dutch-process cocoa powder; 3 large eggs, room temp; 1 cup coconut sugar; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 4 ½ Tbsp arrowroot starch; ¼ cup toasted black sesame powder; ½ tsp salt; ¼ cup tahini; 2 Tbsp agave

Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies

May 10, 2019 by Rachael Ng 3 Comments

If you haven’t jumped on the tahini + chocolate bandwagon yet, then this is the recipe for you! But also, if you love tahini desserts then this is also the recipe for you. These brownies are ultra fudgy with just the right amount of melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and tahini. All topped with a beautiful tahini swirl! I mean, look at it.

When I set out to make these brownies, I wanted to come up with a totally fudgy, not-too-rich brownie that was free of grains, dairy, and oil. And then, of course, I sweetened them with coconut sugar (along with the chocolate chips) to make these indulgent babies a little bit better for you.

The method that I like best when baking brownies is to use melted chocolate with an oil (in this case, the tahini) and some cocoa powder, and then whisk the eggs and sugar until they’re nice and fluffy. The whisking is what gives these brownies a bit of lift, and all the wet ingredients help them stay totally fudgy.

For this recipe, I took my love for sesame a bit further than your typical tahini brownie by adding a bit of toasted black sesame powder. I highly recommend you make your way to the nearest Asian market, buy a big (and cheap!) bag of black sesame seeds, and spend 10 minutes making the powder. It’s affordable, easy, and adds another element of nuttiness to these brownies. And if you haven’t toasted black sesame seeds before, then you’re in for a treat, because the smell is divine.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Chocolate chips add a ton of moisture, flavor, and sweetness to these brownies. In my experience, with this specific recipe, they also lend a hand to the shiny top crust of the brownies.

Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds – think “peanut butter” but with sesame seeds instead of peanuts. It’s delicious in savory dishes and desserts. I especially love how it pairs with chocolate, and anyone who has ever tasted a tahini dessert from me has loved it!

Dutch-process cocoa powder has a deeper chocolate flavor than natural cocoa powder. I like to use Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa because it’s affordable and easy to find. They recently switched from a 50/50 dutched/natural mix to all dutch-process for their Special Dark Cocoa, so check your labels.

Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI sweetener. It doesn’t taste like coconut, and since it’s low GI, it doesn’t spike blood sugar as high as white sugar, honey, or maple syrup would.

Arrowroot starch is a corn allergy-friendly thickener, but if you don’t have this on hand, feel free to use corn starch.

Toasted black sesame powder is simply toasted black sesame seeds that have been ground up in a blender or food processor. It’s aromatic and nutty and elevates the delicious sesame flavor in these brownies.

Yield: 16 Brownies

Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies

Ultra fudgy brownies made grain-free, dairy-free, and oil-free! These brownies are loaded with chocolate and tahini and topped with a beautiful tahini swirl!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies

1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips
¾ cup tahini
2 Tbsp dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs, room temp
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 ½ Tbsp arrowroot starch
¼ cup toasted black sesame powder
½ tsp salt

Tahini Swirl

Instructions

Make your toasted black sesame powder by toasting ½ cup of black sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat (I highly recommend getting these at your local Asian market/grocery store to save money!) . Stir constantly until seeds are toasted - you'll begin to smell a very aromatic nutty scent. Add the toasted seeds to a blender or food processor and blend until a powder forms.
Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 325°F. Prepare your baking dish by spraying it with olive oil and then lining the bottom + 2 sides with a long strip of parchment paper. Crease the excess parchment paper over the sides.
Using the double boiler method (place heatproof bowl over a pot with 1" of water on medium heat, making sure bowl doesn't touch the water), melt the chocolate chips and tahini in a medium bowl until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the cocoa powder; set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the coconut sugar and eggs. Begin whisking on medium-high speed and add the vanilla extract. Continue whisking until the mixture becomes thick and light brown in color. It will look very bubbly.
Add the chocolate mixture to the whisked eggs and sugar. Gently fold the chocolate in - this will take a few minutes. Then fold in the arrowroot starch, black sesame powder, and salt until totally combined. The batter will be thick.
Scrape batter into your prepared baking dish and use a spatula to smooth out the top.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ¼ cup of tahini with 2 Tbsp of agave. Drop spoonfuls of the tahini mixture onto the top of the brownie batter, creating 9 blobs - 3 across and 3 down (see photo). Use a chopstick (or wooden skewer) to drag and swirl the tahini into the top of the batter. Be careful not to over-swirl or you won't have the defined swirls.
Bake brownies at 325°F for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a bit of batter. You want to under-bake these a bit for maximum fudginess, but feel free to bake them a little longer if you like your brownies less fudgy.
Allow brownies to cool completely in the dish (I like to sit mine on top of a cooling rack). Run a butter knife along the edges without parchment paper, and then use the parchment paper overhang to pull the brownies up and out of the dish. Slice into 16 squares, wiping your knife between each slice for a cleaner look.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

The toasted black sesame powder adds to the delicious sesame flavor in these brownies, but you can replace the powder with ¼ cup of cocoa powder if need be. Your brownies will be more rich and taste less sweet.

Arrowroot starch can be replaced with corn starch.

Dutch-process cocoa can be replaced with natural cocoa powder since this recipe contains no leavening agents (baking soda, etc).

Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 2, 2019 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

Delicious, soft-baked Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Cookies stuffed with loads of chocolate chips, undetectable zucchini shreds, and warm, nutty tahini. Topped with toasted sesame seeds, these cookies are a unique, dairy-free & oil-free twist on the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies we all know and love!

Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have you ever had zucchini in a cookie? I seriously considered eating these for breakfast, because, ya now, oatmeal + zucchini = breakfast, right? Consider these the better-for-you, not-so-traditional version of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! I wanted to use tahini in these because I love the nutty taste, and I really liked the idea of creating a cookie that’s free of both dairy and oil.

These cookies are so easy (and quick!) to get together – shredding your zucchini will be the “hardest” part! I like to use coconut sugar when I can since it’s a low GI sweetener (maple syrup and honey are not). You can really play with this recipe, adding and subtracting whatever add-ins you like: add nuts or seeds, leave out some of the chocolate chips, add dried fruit, etc!

Yield: 24 Cookies

Zucchini Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Delicious, soft-baked cookies stuffed with undetectable zucchini shreds, loads of chocolate chips, and warm, nutty tahini. Topped with toasted sesame seeds, these cookies are a unique, dairy-free & oil-free twist on the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies we all know and love!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1/2 cup tahini
3/4 cup coconut sugar (or lightly packed brown sugar)
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup oat flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 cup finely grated zucchini (excess juice squeezed out after measuring)
3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional - see notes below)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, finely shred the zucchini until you have 3/4 cup. Place the shreds on a paper towel and squeeze out + discard the excess liquid.
In a large bowl, mix together the tahini, coconut sugar, egg + egg yolk, and vanilla extract until totally combined; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Gently mix in the shredded zucchini and 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips (the remaining 1/2 cup is for topping the dough balls).
Scoop 1.5 Tbsp dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet - 8 per batch - and top each dough ball with chocolate chips, pressing the chips in slightly (it's okay if the dough balls flatten a bit). Bake at 350°F for 6-8 minutes or until the cookies no longer look wet. Be careful not to over-bake these!
Immediately top the baked cookies with toasted sesame seeds. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on your baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat until all cookies are baked.
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies will soften as they sit.

Notes

These cookies will be softer the next day, after they've been stored in an airtight container
To toast sesame seeds: add 1-4 Tbsp of sesame seeds to a dry pan on medium heat. Stir constantly until seeds begin to turn darker in color and a nutty aroma fills the air - they will burn easily if left to sit on the heat for too long. Once toasted, immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 253Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 168mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 3gSugar: 18gProtein: 6g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Vegan Tahini No-Bake Cookies

September 6, 2018 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

No-bake cookies are one of those ultra simple, totally sweet cookies that just taste like home. I grew up eating no-bakes and even remember my mom waking up early when I was a kid to make them before she went to work. She always remembered to leave a small container of cookies for me and my siblings – I would have been heartbroken had she not. When I visited home during the first trimester of my pregnancy, no-bakes were one of the few foods I could stomach, and my mom happily made them for me! They’re just that good.

Now I’ve baked my own version of no-bake cookies using both coconut oil and coconut sugar and like them well enough. But then I decided to use vegan butter and add tahini in place of peanut butter, and OMG these cookies are freaking good. If you don’t like tahini, you can definitely use natural peanut butter, but the sesame adds such a unique flavor that pairs so well with the dark cocoa. I decided to use regular sugar in these because I was really looking for that traditional, almost-too-sweet no-bake cookie taste. But I’ll warn you, these cookies are addicting (and best eaten fresh!), so I recommend making them when you have somebody to help you eat them. Happy baking!

Vegan Tahini No-Bake Cookies
Makes ~18 cookies (with a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop)

1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp dutch-process cocoa or special dark cocoa*
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (make sure yours are gluten-free if necessary)

1.) Prepare a baking sheet – or an area of counter – with parchment paper or wax paper; set aside. Measure out your tahini and get your vanilla extract and oats ready. Set out a mixing spoon or spatula and a cookie scoop.

2.) In a medium saucepan, whisk together the butter, almond milk, sugar, and cocoa powder over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a rolling boil – you want the entire pot to be very bubbly – and boil for 60 seconds, whisking constantly.

3). Immediately remove mixture from the heat and stir in the tahini and vanilla extract until totally combined. Stir in your oats. Scoop cookies onto parchment or wax paper and top with sesame seeds. Allow cookies to set (or don’t) and enjoy!

*regular cocoa powder will work just fine, but the chocolate flavor is elevated so much with the dark cocoa that I highly recommend using the dark. I made both versions, so you can at least see the difference for yourself!

Double Chocolate Tahini Cookies

April 17, 2018 by Rachael Ng 3 Comments

Double Chocolate Tahini Cookies
Makes 14 small cookies

1/2 cup tahini
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temp
1 tsp neutral oil*
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup chopped dairy-free dark chocolate
1-2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional for topping)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring egg to room temperature by placing it in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – tahini, vanilla, egg, oil, and maple syrup – with a fork. Add the coconut sugar and mix until combined. Using a spoon or small spatula, stir in the remaining dry ingredients – cocoa, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda – until totally combined (the dough will be greasy). Stir in the chopped chocolate.

3. Use a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto your parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure chopped chocolate chunks are visible on the top of each cookie. Space cookies ~2″ apart so you have 6-8 cookies per baking sheet.

4. Bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes. Let rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. While the cookies are still warm, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds**. Enjoy!

*neutral oils are those with less flavor: avocado, extra light olive oil, grapeseed, etc. It’s okay to use unrefined coconut oil if you don’t mind the coconut taste
**place sesame seeds on a dry pan over medium heat and stir until browned and toasted

Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies