The tahini’s subtle nuttiness balances out the sweetness of the cookie. It also creates a unique texture—the bottoms become crisp while the insides stay moist, gooey. I use salted butter and top the baked cookies with flaky sea salt to bring out more flavor from the tahini and bittersweet chocolate. These are perfect, slightly more “adult” take on the chocolate chip cookies we all know and love.

How to Bake the Best Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here are some tips, tricks, and “don’t skips” to keep in mind:

Use a scale: Weighing your ingredients might seem like an unnecessary hassle, but scales are more accurate than measuring cups. It guarantees a perfect bake each time. Also, using a scale will actually save you time and dishes, since you don’t need measuring cups. Don’t rush the creaming: As with just about any baking recipe that calls for creaming butter and sugar together, it’s important to beat the mixture as long as the recipe says, to ensure the batter gets light and airy, resulting in cookies that are flat and dense. Also, make sure to stop at least once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Let the dough chill in the fridge: While some cookie recipes are great for spontaneous baking, this one requires some patience. Let the cookie dough rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours before baking. This prevents the dough from spreading out into flat, thin, and crispy cookies as they bake. The cookies stay slightly gooey on the inside. However, if you prefer thinner cookies with crispy edges, you can skip the chilling and bake them right away. Flatten and don’t overbake: The best part about these cookies is their soft, slightly gooey texture. The key is to gently flatten the scooped cookie dough before baking . A light press with your palm until the top of the scoop is flat should be enough, the cookies should still be at least an inch tall, sort of like a little hockey puck. Then, do not over-bake them. The bottom edges should be slightly golden brown and the center will look a bit underdone.

The Trick to Perfectly Round Cookies

If you like your cookies a little wild and imperfectly shaped, you do you! Personally, I like them to be as round as possible, so I use these genius hacks from an old colleague to get them into shape. You can use a round cookie cutter or just an overturned mug or bowl. As long as it’s round and bigger than your cookie, it will work. Don’t be too forceful though, just a gentle swirl around the cookie will be enough.

Bake The Cookies Later

The unbaked dough can be kept, covered, in the fridge for up to a week, or you can portion the dough out and freeze them in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen at 350°F for about 15 minutes.

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Scrape the sides of the bowl once more, and add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined, 1 minute. Add the chocolate chips and stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Gently press the top of each ball of dough with the palm of your hand so the top is flat but the cookies are still about an inch thick. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.