Have you ever used tahini in a cookie recipe? This Vegan Tahini Cookies Recipe is a perfect chance for you to try it. No butter, no eggs and the cookies come together really fast with only 4 ingredients. They are melting in your mouth and you will be amazed with the nutty flavor coming from tahini paste.
We have shared several amazing Turkish desserts here before and today, it's time for these Turkish tahini cookies! They are super soft, crumbly and melting in your mouth. Want chocolate chips and tahini together? Check out our tahini chocolate chip cookies!
Cookies in Turkey are mostly crumbly. The crumblier, the better. If you like this kind of cookies, you should see our sesame cookies and apple cookies, elmali kurabiye too!
Tahini in Savory or Sweet Recipes
Although tahini is mostly identified with classic hummus or vegan tahini dressing recipes, it is a wonderful twist when used in dessert recipes too.
While making cookies with tahini is quite usual in Turkish cuisine, I know it sounds weird to most of you. If you are familiar with melting moments cookies and love them, tahini cookies will become one of your favorites too because they are equally soft and melting in your mouth. Unlike melting moments cookies recipe, this one doesn't call for butter. It is substituted by a combination of olive oil and tahini.
How To Make
These cookies are completely vegan because the cookie dough has neither eggs or butter. Did I tell you that we only need 4 ingredients?
Ingredients for these tahini cookies without butter:
- all purpose flour
- powdered sugar
- tahini
- olive oil
This is a stupid easy cookie recipe, so you have no excuse not to try it. All you need to do is to combine all the ingredients and shape them into balls. You can measure dough using a tablespoon so that all the balls are at the same size. Then bake until slightly golden.
The important tip you need to know here is that you should let them cool completely in the baking sheet. They are too soft and if you try to grab one before they cool, it will crumble.
I love these tahini cookies as they are. Not overly sweet and with a nice color. Are you one of those who love their cookies really sweet? Taste one and if you think they need a bit more sweetness, dust them with powdered sugar. This step is completely optional.
Although I love the simplicity of this recipe, I sometimes add one more ingredient to the dough: walnuts. ½ cup of crumbled or ground walnuts go really well with other ingredients. While walnuts are wonderful, you can get creative about this one additional ingredient. Finely chopped pistachios, almonds, pine nuts or even dried fruit would be great too.
Can I Freeze Them?
These ingredients make 50 mini cookies, so it's better to freeze half of the dough especially if you are not baking these for a crowd. There are two ways for this:
1) divide the dough into two and put one half in the freezer. Let it thaw on the counter when you are ready to bake, roll it into balls and then bake.
2) Shape the whole dough into balls. Bake one batch and place the rest of the raw cookie balls on a tray and freeze for about 30 minutes. Then transfer them into a freezer bag and store in the freezer. Let them thaw and then bake whenever you crave for something sweet and nutty.
How To Store
Keep them in an airtight container and enjoy up to 5 days. If you love to have something sweet with your coffee, having a box full of these melting-in-your-mouth cookies on the counter is priceless.
Oh and if you know how to make Turkish coffee, go make some and spoil yourself with a cup of coffee and one or two (or more!) tahini cookies on the side.
More Tahini Desserts
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
Sign up for the FREE GiveRecipe Newsletter to get the new recipes into your inbox! And stay in touch with us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram for all the latest updates.
📖 Recipe
Tahini Cookies Vegan
INGREDIENTS
- 2 and ½ cup flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup tahini
- ½ cup olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven at 350F (180C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients and make a soft dough. Roll it into mini balls and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake them until they get slightly golden about 20 minutes.
- Let them cool completely on the baking sheet.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gary says
These came out sooooo good! Melting in your mouth wonderfully! The best cookies I've ever made and eaten. Thanks for the recipe!
Sabiha says
I don't have castor sugar, do you think regular white sugar would work for this recipe?
Also, any idea on how to prevent the cookies from falling apart as the previous poster commented on?
I am just being cautious before I try the recipe because I hate wasting food!
These look amazing!
Zerrin says
Sabiha, I think white sugar works fine too for this recipe. Well, these ingredients hold together for me, but if your dough doesn't hold together, then maybe you can add a little more flour and little butter. Hope you have a good result!
Sabiha says
I just made them and they turned out terrific! I added a little less sugar and instead
dusted them with icing sugar after they cooled off. I also added some sesame seeds
into the dough just for a nice look. They held together pretty well.
I think next time I'll also add some ground pistachios and less tahini, what do you think?
Thanks Zerrin!
Zerrin says
Happy to hear that the result pleased you! Dusting with icing sugar is a good way to arrange its sweetness. And I'm sure your cookies look fascinating with sesame seeds and topped with icing sugar.
Pistachio sounds like a great idea! I think it gives a nice flavor and texture.
Thanks for sharing your experience here!
emily says
These are yummy, but unfortunately, when I made them, did not hold together at all! They crumbled coming off the baking sheet and most just barely made it into the box. Many just turned to crumbs on the way. It was more of a "streusel" and less a "cookie." But they are tasty- I topped ice cream with the remains and it was delicious.
dokuzuncubulut says
Tahinle yapıldıysa tadından yenmez bu kurabiyeler:) çok hoşuma gitti, sevgiler.
megi says
Hi Zerrin, these cookies look amazing, I love the cracks on top.
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
wow so clever
Faith says
Cute story, Zerrin! The cookies look really delicious!