These vegan sesame tahini cookies are easy to make with 4 ingredients for a healthy and delicious treat!

Stack of 5 tahini cookies on a cutting board with a glass of milk behind them.

These simple sesame cookies are perfect for an afternoon treat. They’re lightly sweetened, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with a the yummiest flavour and texture.

If you’ve never tried tahini in sweet recipes, these are a great place to start!

Recipe Features

  • Dietary Features: Vegan (egg-free and dairy-free), gluten-free, nut-free and oil-free.
  • 4 healthy ingredients plus optional vanilla and salt.
  • Easy, one bowl recipe that’s ready to enjoy in 30 minutes.
  • Delicious nutty, earthy, buttery flavour (without the butter!).
  • Low in calories and carbohydrates.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Almond flour, tahini, maple syrup, sesame seeds, vanilla and salt in small bowls on a marble surface. Each ingredient is labelled with text.

A complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the printable recipe card below. This section covers ingredient and substitution considerations.

  • Almond Flour: This recipe was developed specifically for almond flour. You can use store-bought almond flour or make your own by blending blanched almonds into a fine flour consistency.
  • Tahini: You’ll need a creamy, runny tahini for this recipe. I like Alkanater tahini but Soom and Trader Joe’s are also good.
  • Maple Syrup: Any variety of pure maple syrup works or it can be substituted with agave syrup.
  • Sesame Seeds: Hulled or unhulled works but I like hulled sesame seeds here. Try mixing black and white sesame seeds for a pretty finish! Toasted sesame seeds also work.
  • Salt & Vanilla: Optional ingredients but help enhance the flavour.

Step-by-Step Photos

Before You Start: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Add everything except the sesame seeds to a mixing bowl and work into a moldable dough.

Note: If the dough it too dry to roll into balls (this might happen if your tahini was too dry), add 1-2 tbsp plant-based milk and mix again.

Cookie dough for making vegan sesame tahini cookies in a glass mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

Add roughly 1/4 cup sesame seeds to a shallow bowl or plate.

Roll the dough into 10-12 balls then roll each boll in the sesame seeds to coat. Flatten each cookie with yoru hands and place them on the prepared baking tray.

Sesame cooking being coated in sesame seeds on a plate beside a parchment paper-lined baking tray with 5 cookies on it.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden in colour. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan before handling.

They will be soft and fragile when they come out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.

6 sesame tahini cookies on a small baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Once cooled, enjoy your delicious sesame cookies!

Hand lifting a sesame seed-coated tahini cookie from a stack of cookies on a cutting board.

Notes & Tips

  • Measuring: For best results, accurately measure ingredients using a kitchen scale.
  • To make chocolate chip tahini cookies, mix up to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to the batter.
  • Chocolate-dipped tahini cookies are also amazing! To make them, dip half of the cooled cookies into melted chocolate then place back on the pan until hardened.

FAQs

What do tahini cookies taste like?

These definitely have a strong tahini flavour and are not overly sweet. I love tahini, so I really enjoy these simple cookies.

If you don’t like tahini, they may not be the cookies for you.

Can I use something other than almond flour?

These were developed specifically with almond flour and haven’t been tested with anything else.

Almond flour has unique characteristics, so I wouldn’t recommended a different flour it unless you’re experienced with flour substitutions.

Overhead view of a number of tahini cookies on a cutting board and marble surface.

Storing

  • Let the cookies cool completely before storing.
  • Store in a sealed container at room temperature or in the fridge.
  • The cookies can be frozen in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.

Did you try this recipe?
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Stack of 5 tahini cookies on a cutting board with a glass of milk behind them.

Vegan Sesame Tahini Cookies

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

These healthy, gluten-free and vegan sesame cookies are perfect for an afternoon treat. They’re lightly sweetened with an earthy, nutty flavour you’ll love!


Ingredients


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix all the ingredients, except the sesame seeds, in a bowl until you get a moldable dough. Note: If the dough it too dry to roll into balls (this might happen if your tahini was too dry), add 1-2 tbsp plant-based milk and mix again until it forms a dough you can shape into cookies.
  3. Prepare a shallow bowl or plate with about 1/4 cup of sesame seeds.
  4. Roll the dough into 10-12 balls, about 2 tbsp each, then roll the balls in the sesame seeds to coat.
  5. Flatten each ball with your hands until about 1/3-inch thick and place on the baking sheet.
  6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
  7. Let cool completely before serving. They will be soft and fragile when they come out of the oven so be sure to let them cool to firm up before handling.

Notes

Be sure to use smooth, runny tahini in this recipe.

Storing: Let cool completely before storing. Store in a sealed container at room temperature or in the fridge. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 178
  • Sodium: 28 mg
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g
  • Fiber: 1.5 g
  • Protein: 5 g

Keywords: sesame cookies, vegan tahini cookies