These paleo chocolate chip tahini cookies are made with tahini and cassava flour and sweetened with maple syrup. They have a soft and chewy texture with a nutty flavor, but are completely nut free! In addition, these tahini cookies are paleo, vegan and gluten free.
You just can't beat a chocolate chip cookie!
This classic never gets old, especially since there are so many ways to tweak a chocolate chip cookie recipe. For instance, making them egg free and using tahini as I did in these paleo chocolate chip tahini cookies.
Tahini has a slightly bitter, nutty flavor and creamy texture. It pairs perfectly with maple syrup and dark chocolate; both of which are used in these tahini cookies.
These cookies are chewy on the inside with a slightly crunchy exterior. They're mildly sweet, nutty and have chunks of chocolate in every bite.
Why You'll Love These Paleo Tahini Cookies
- paleo friendly - made with just a few real-food, minimally processed ingredients
- vegan - these are vegan tahini cookies, meaning free from animal products
- free from common allergens - no eggs, nuts, gluten, soy or dairy
- gluten free - these tahini cookies are made with cassava flour which is naturally gluten and grain free
- easy to make - you only need 7 ingredients in these chocolate chip cassava flour cookies and the dough comes together in one bowl
Ingredients
These paleo chocolate chip tahini cookies are made with just 7 ingredients! You can find the full recipe in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of what you'll need:
- tahini - It should be obvious that tahini is one of the main ingredients in these cookies, considering the name and all 😉 I don't recommend substituting this ingredient because it is best for optimal taste and texture. That being said, any drippy nut or seed butter will work as a replacement.
- maple syrup - maple syrup is an excellent natural sweetener and balances out the slight bitterness of the tahini. Any liquid sweetener/sugar will work instead
- vanilla extract - for flavor
- cassava flour - cassava flour is what really gives these cookies the perfect texture. However, if you are looking for a substitute, then a gluten free flour blend or oat flour should work (I have not tried these swaps myself). Just be sure to measure by weight when making this substitution. (Cassava flour is quite dense.)
- baking soda - for the rise and slight spread of the cookies.
- salt - enhances the flavors
- dark chocolate chips - you can use regular, mini-sized or chop up a dark chocolate bar.
How to Make Paleo Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies
The process for making these paleo cassava cookies is super simple! The hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill. Because yes, to achieve optimal texture, these cookies need to be refrigerated prior to baking. But not to worry - that's a perfect time to do dishes and clean up any mess!
- First, mix together the tahini, maple syrup and vanilla in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Add in remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips and mix.
- After the dough is thoroughly combined, fold the chocolate chips into the batter.
- Next, refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After chilling the dough, remove it from the fridge and scoop the cookies onto a baking sheet. Each cookie is about one rounded tablespoon in size, making 10 cookies. If you want a full dozen, then use slightly less dough per cookie.
- Lastly, place the cookies in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
- After baking, cool the cookies for a couple minutes on the baking pan, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Storage
These vegan chocolate chip tahini cookies can be kept at room temperature for a couple days or stored in the fridge or freezer.
Keep them in a sealed, air-tight container or baggie. They will last a couple days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge and up to two months in the freezer.
FAQ
While I have only tested these cookies with cassava flour, a gluten free blend or oat flour should work as a replacement. Be sure to swap at a 1:1 ratio by weight, given in grams.
Chilling the cookie dough is best for this recipe. It helps the cookies hold more of their shape, giving them a better texture.
More Paleo Cookies with Tahini
Looking for more paleo cookie recipes that use tahini? Check these out:
Paleo Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies (Vegan)
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 cookies 1x
Description
These chocolate chip tahini cookies are made with cassava flour, have a chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor but are completely nut free! Paleo, vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini (salted)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 43g cassava flour (¼ cup + 1 Tbsp)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ - ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine tahini, maple syrup and vanilla.
- Add in remaining ingredients except chocolate chips. Mix well.
- Fold chocolate chips into the batter.
- Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes*
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Scoop chilled dough (1 rounded Tbsp per cookie) onto baking sheet.
- Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool 5-10 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire cooling rack.
Notes
*I highly recommend chilling the cookie dough for at least 20 minutes for best results.
simplywendi
wow! i didn't know i could make these paleo and vegan,, thank you.
Katie
Yep! They taste amazing too!
simplywendi
🙂
abby
Can regular flour be subbed for casava?
Katie
Hi! Regular flour should work. For best results, substitute by weight (in grams) 🙂
Eric
Great allergy free cookies.
Julia
So delicious and simple! I love the crisp edges and super chewy middle. Not too sweet and has a wonderfully nutty flavor from the tahini. Great warmed up with a bit of DF vanilla ice cream! Thanks for such delicious allergy-friendly recipes! 😊 🍪 🍨
Katie
I'm so glad you love them! I bet they do taste wonderful with some vanilla ice cream 🙂 I appreciate the review.
Tamara
Yum!! They remind of peanut butter cookies. The last couple cookies ended up not having any chocolate chips and I think I will make them without next time! And they do not taste "healthy" to me. Thanks for a recipe I can actually have!!
Katie
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for the review 🙂
Destiny
Looks amazing. Haven't tried yet but looking forward to try this week. What brand of tahini did this recipe use? Thank you ♡
Katie
Thank you! Any brand of tahini should work.
Ioana Rat
OhmyGod, I could hug you right now, please excuse my super excitement! 🙂
These are REALLY good. But I'm overly excited because this is my first EVER cassava flour recipe and I chose your recipe to actually test how I react to cassava - if i have any blood sugar spike (for medical reasons, I'm on a GF, Paleo diet, but tapioca for example, gave me a blood sugar spike first time). I was a bit nervous for cassava, however i just tried it now and HOORAY, no blood sugar spike. And i ate 3 cookies (knowing my over sensibility, I could have gotten reactions from first cookie; 3 with no reaction is already a BIG WIN)
Mine turned out a bit too crumbly, but it might be because I halved the maple syrup, due to not making it too sweet for me. Baking 15 min made them very crispy, almost towards being a bit burned on the bottom and while at first I was upset, when i tasted them, WOW! That's why I couldn't stop at 2 cookies, had 3. This will be a remake, for sure. So easy and the flavor is just so good!
And while I was tasting them, I was actually waiting for your carrot plantain bread to bake in the oven! 🙂
Katie
Yay! I'm thrilled that you love them 🙂 This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. Thank you for the review.
Melody
These are fantastic! I am on an elimination diet for food sensitivities and I've been craving cookies and I was about to say, "Screw it, I'm eating whatever I want." But, I decided to try your cookies first since I could actually have all the ingredients, and I'm so glad I did! Totally perfect for my cookie craving, while still eating approved foods! Thank you so much for this recipe, it's definitely one I will keep and use and recommend to others! I was nervous at first about the tahini, but it totally works! Thank you again, so much!!
Katie
Thank you Melody! Ugh, food sensitivities can be so hard to navigate. I'm glad my recipe fit your needs!
Charlene Stephens
OMGoodness! My husband is a total carboholic and sweets person! He’s Italian, so pasta is where his carb loving comes from! He did Paleo about 10 years ago and we’ve just gone back to it! We’re at the one week of cutting sugars and sweets and I found this recipe ~ he is a very happy man! He is a lil more tolerant of artificial sweeteners or some alternative baking options (I love to cook & bake) and while I’ve tried them in the past, I’ve never been a big fan of the tastes 😞 Needless to say, I was a little apprehensive of a gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe! Again, OMGoodness, these are delicious!! Thanks for all your hard work in mastering the recipe! Now I can’t wait to try your bagels!! Bake on my dear, you rock!
Katie
Hi Charlene! Thank you for such a wonderful review! I'm glad you enjoyed these cookies and hope you like the bagels too 🙂
Lisa
Can tigernut flour be substituted? If
Katie
No, cassava flour and tigernut flour are not interchangeable. A gluten free blend may work in place of the cassava though.
Stacia
These are amazing!!! My kids are loving them, ill have to hide mommy's special cookies so I actually have some to eat 😁
Thank you so much!
Katie
So glad you and the kids enjoy them 🙂 Thank you for the review.
Pamela
I used cashew butter in place of the tahini and the cookies turned out great. I’ll buy tahini for next time! Thank you for this recipe.
Antonia Sattler
Alterative to the tahini?
Janelle
I love these cookies! The first batch turned out perfectly, and I plan to make the second today. The tahini is such a good add—salty and sweet. Thank you!
Katie
Yay! So glad you like them 🙂