Pareve
24 cookies
Beginner
20 minutes
45 minutes
Mezonot
Tahini cookies are the cookie that Israel gave the world — chewy, nutty, deeply sesame-flavored, with a crackled top and a soft center that borders on fudgy. They require only five core ingredients (tahini, sugar, egg, vanilla, salt) and come together faster than you can preheat your oven. No flour, no butter, no dairy — just pure tahini magic.
These cookies have taken kosher bakeries and food blogs by storm, and for good reason. They are naturally pareve, easily adaptable to be gluten-free, and have a flavor profile that is entirely unique — nothing else tastes quite like a tahini cookie. The sesame paste creates a texture somewhere between a peanut butter cookie and a French macaron, with beautiful crackled tops that form naturally as they bake.
Roll them in sesame seeds before baking for extra crunch, or press a square of halvah into the center for a decadent variation. These are the cookies that disappear from the plate first at every kiddush, every bake sale, every holiday gathering.
What Makes This Special
- Five ingredients — Tahini, sugar, egg, vanilla, salt. That is it.
- Naturally pareve — No dairy, no butter, suitable for any meal.
- Gluten-free option — Naturally flour-free (verify tahini is GF-certified).
- Israeli bakery sensation — The cookie that conquered Tel Aviv and the world.
Halachic Notes
- Kosher Classification: Pareve
- Hafrashat Challah: Not applicable — no flour in this recipe.
- Checking Eggs: Each egg must be checked individually for blood spots before adding.
- Pas Yisroel: Homemade cookies baked by a Jewish person fulfill Pas Yisroel.
- Brachot: Before eating: Mezonot (due to the tahini and sugar composition). After: Al HaMichya.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Grams | Volume | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tahini paste (pure, well-stirred) | 240 g | 1 cup | — |
| Granulated sugar | 150 g | ¾ cup | — |
| Egg | 50 g (1 large) | 1 large | — |
| Vanilla extract | 5 g | 1 tsp | — |
| Baking soda | 3 g | ½ tsp | — |
| Fine sea salt | 2 g | ¼ tsp | — |
| Sesame seeds (for rolling) | 40 g | 3 tbsp | — |
| Flaky salt (for top) | as needed | — | — |
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix
Stir the tahini until smooth (the oil separates; mix it back in). Add sugar and mix well. Add the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Stir until a thick, smooth dough forms. It will be oily — that is correct.
Step 2: Shape
Scoop tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each in sesame seeds. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 5 cm (2 in) apart. Press a few flakes of salt on top of each.
Step 3: Bake
Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Bake 10–12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops are crackled. The centers will look slightly underdone — they firm up as they cool. Do not over-bake. Cool on the baking sheet 10 minutes before transferring to a rack.
Storage & Make-Ahead
- Room temperature: 5–7 days in an airtight container. They actually improve on day 2.
- Freezing: Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months, or freeze dough balls and bake from frozen (add 2 minutes).
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies spreading too much | Tahini too oily or warm | Use room-temp tahini; chill dough 15 minutes if too soft |
| No crackle on top | Under-baked | Bake until crackles form; they appear in the last 2–3 minutes |
| Crumbly texture | Tahini brand varies | Different brands have different oil content; add 1 extra egg yolk if too crumbly |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these really gluten-free?
The recipe contains no flour, but verify your tahini brand is certified gluten-free, as some may be processed on shared equipment.
What brand of tahini works best?
Use a high-quality tahini with a smooth, pourable consistency. Israeli brands like Har Bracha, Al Arz, or Soom work excellently.
Can I add chocolate chips?
Yes! Fold in 80 g of chocolate chips for a tahini-chocolate combination. Also try pressing a halvah square into the center before baking.
Why is the dough so oily?
Tahini is 50% oil. This is what makes the cookies so tender and fudgy. The oil absorbs into the cookie structure during baking.
Simple Kosher Baking
Discover more cookies and pastries on the Kosher Bread Path.