I think peanut butter is great, especially peanut butter cookies. The legume is ubiquitous in the diet of college students, but peanuts aren’t as optimal for your health as sesame seeds. Inflammation is easily combatted through what you eat, opting for sesame seeds in lieu of peanuts every once in a while is a start.

After trying halva for the first time recently in Chelsea Market, I felt inspired to create a dessert with tahini. Tahini tastes similar to the comforting, richness of more traditional nut and seed butters. Like all my recipe developments, the goal was to make something healthy using as simple a method as possible.

These tahini cookies come together in 20 minutes flat and are free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugars.

Tahini Cookies

  • Prep Time:10 minutes
  • Cook Time:10 minutes
  • Total Time:20 minutes
  • Servings:9 - 10 cookies
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
  • 2 tablespoon warm water
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
  • 3/4 cup tahini
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Photo by Kristine Mahan
  • Step 1

    Make a flax egg in a small bowl by combining ground flax seeds with warm water. Let gelatinize while measuring out other ingredients.

    Photo by Kristine Mahan
  • Step 2

    Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • Step 3

    Add maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract to the flax egg. Stir until well combined and the coconut sugar is beginning to dissolve.

    Photo by Kristine Mahan
  • Step 4

    Stir oat flour into the mixture 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with tahini 1/4 cup at a time.

    Photo by Kristine Mahan
  • Step 5

    The dough will be thick and sticky. If you have a cookie scoop, use this. If not, wet your hands and roll approximately 2 tablespoons of batter into balls.

    Photo by Kristine Mahan
  • Step 6

    Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking and roll each ball in sesame seeds.

    Photo by Kristine Mahan
  • Step 7

    Bake on a lined or greased baking sheet for 10 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

    Photo by Kristine Mahan