These Tahini Brownies take a classic American dessert and give it a Middle Eastern spin that’s both surprising and irresistible. They come together with minimal effort and standard pantry ingredients.
Tahini Brownies: Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
28 mins
Total Time
48 mins
Servings
9 large squares
Calories*
445 kcal
Difficulty
Moderate
Main Ingredients
Semi-sweet chocolate chips, olive oil, tahini, white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, eggs, all purpose flour, vanilla extract.
Technique
Melting chocolate, mixing brownie batter, and swirling brownie topping.
*Calories are estimated
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy yet impressive: Simple steps and everyday ingredients make these brownies accessible, but the nutty tahini swirl feels fancy and thoughtful.
- Flavor Fusion: The traditional fudgy chocolate pairs beautifully with tahini’s savory nuttiness. Sort of a play on my Middle Eastern upbringing in Canada.
Ingredients
This recipe comes together with a few standard pantry and fridge staples. Here is what you will need:
- Semi‑sweet Chocolate Chips: Provides the chocolate backbone; use good quality for best melt and flavor. For another chocolate dessert, try my Chocolate Focaccia.
- Olive oil: I am using light olive oil here instead of butter, which is usually more traditional. The olive oil gives the brownies a slightly lighter texture, but it also just makes sense to use olive oil in these Tahini Brownies as we play up the Middle Eastern flavors.
- Tahini: This Middle Eastern paste made from sesame seeds is a pantry staple for me. You can get it at most grocery stores or online. It has a nutty flavor profile, which works really well with the decadent chocolate brownie base. Make sure to stir your tahini well before using it, as it can separate if it sits too long between uses. Change up the recipe completely and use Peanut Butter for a different flavor profile. Tahini can be used in many savory applications too: Mutabal (Roasted Eggplant Dip), Musabaha (Warm Chickpeas in Tahini Sauce), Kale Chickpea Salad, and Tahini Salad.
- Sugar: My recipe calls for 3 different types of sugar. White, Light Brown, and Powdered. The white and brown sugar are used in the brownie base, and the powdered sugar is used to sweeten the tahini when preparing the swirl.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I am using Dutch process cocoa but if you don’t have that, standard cocoa powder will be just fine. Just make sure it is unsweetened.
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make this Tahini Brownies Recipe
Step 1. Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9‑inch square pan with parchment paper.
Step 2. Melt the chocolate. In a heatproof bowl, combine ½ cup of chocolate chips with olive oil (Image 1). Microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Let cool slightly (Image 2).
Step 3. Mix Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, add tahini, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla (Image 3). Whisk for about 60 seconds until slightly thickened.
Step 4. Add in Melted Chocolate Mixture. Add the cooled, melted chocolate to the tahini mixture (Image 4) and stir until smooth.
Step 5. Add the Dry Ingredients. Into the wet ingredients, fold in the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and remaining chocolate chips with a rubber spatula until just combined (Images 5-6).
Step 6. Pour into Pan. Spread the brownie batter evenly into your prepared baking pan (Image 7).
Step 7. Make the Tahini Swirl. Make the swirl by mixing tahini and powdered sugar into a thick paste (Image 8). Drop dollops on top of the brownie batter (Image 9). Gently swirl with a knife (Image 10).
Step 8. Bake. Bake for 28–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan and on a wire rack (at least 2 hours) before slicing and serving (Image 11).
Expert Tips
- Use a Metal Baking Dish. I recommend using a metal baking tray (9-inch square). I prefer metal baking trays because they are less likely to stick compared to glass. I use them in other recipes like my Pistachio Lemon Bars.
- Quality chocolate matters. Since chocolate is front and center here, better chocolate equals better brownies.
- Even swirl distribution. Drop tahini swirl in small dollops and don’t overmix. You want distinct ribbons and a marbled effect.
- Don’t overbake. These are meant to be fudgy brownies. Pull them out when there are still moist crumbs on the toothpick.
- Let them fully cool. It’s tempting to slice early, but cooling helps them set and makes cutting cleaner.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! These brownies can be baked a day in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or refrigerate for up to a week.
Absolutely. Wrap individual squares in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Tahini Brownies (with Nutty Tahini Swirl)
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips (divided) – 170 grams
- ¼ cup Light olive oil – 50 grams
- ¼ cup Tahini – 64 grams
- 1 cup White sugar – 200 grams
- ½ cup Light brown sugar – 106 grams
- 3 Large eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¾ cup All purpose flour – 94 grams
- 6 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder – 30 grams
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
For the Tahini Swirl
- ¼ cup Tahini – 64 grams
- 3 tablespoon Powdered sugar – 23 grams
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9‑inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate. In a heatproof bowl, combine ½ cup of chocolate chips with olive oil. Microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Let cool slightly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, add tahini, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk for about 60 seconds until slightly thickened.
- Add in Melted Chocolate Mixture. Add the cooled, melted chocolate to the tahini mixture and stir until smooth.
- Add the Dry Ingredients. Into the wet ingredients, fold in the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and remaining chocolate chips with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Pour into Pan. Spread the brownie batter evenly into your prepared baking pan.
- Make the Tahini Swirl. Make the swirl by mixing tahini and powdered sugar into a thick paste. Drop dollops on top of the brownie batter. Gently swirl with a knife.
- Bake. Bake on the middle rack for 28–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan and on a wire rack (at least 2 hours) before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Semi‑sweet Chocolate Chips: Provides the chocolate backbone; use good quality for best melt and flavor.
- Olive oil: I am using light olive oil here instead of butter, which is usually more traditional. The olive oil gives the brownies a slightly lighter texture, but it also just makes sense to use olive oil in these Tahini Brownies as we play up the Middle Eastern flavors.
- Tahini: This Middle Eastern paste made from sesame seeds is a pantry staple for me. You can get it at most grocery stores or online. It has a nutty flavor profile, which works really well with the decadent chocolate brownie base. Make sure to stir your tahini well before using it, as it can separate if it sits too long between uses.
- Sugar: My recipe calls for 3 different types of sugar. White, Light Brown, and Powdered. The white and brown sugar are used in the brownie base, and the powdered sugar is used to sweeten the tahini when preparing the swirl.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I am using Dutch process cocoa but if you don’t have that, standard cocoa powder will be just fine. Just make sure it is unsweetened.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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