These Tahini Brownies take a classic American dessert and give it a Middle Eastern spin that’s both surprising and irresistible. They’re straightforward to make using common pantry ingredients and minimal effort.
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, light olive oil, tahini, white sugar, light brown sugar, powdered sugar, eggs, all‑purpose flour, vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa powder, kosher salt.
Technique: melt chocolate, combine batter, and swirl a tahini topping before baking.
*Calories are estimated.
Table of Contents
- Tahini Brownies: Recipe at a Glance
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients
- How to Make this Tahini Brownies Recipe
- Expert Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Tahini Brownies (with Nutty Tahini Swirl) Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy but impressive: Simple steps and common ingredients create a dessert that looks and tastes special thanks to the tahini swirl.
- Balanced flavor: Rich, fudgy chocolate pairs beautifully with tahini’s savory, toasted sesame notes.
- Tested: The recipe has been tried and refined to work reliably in a home kitchen.
Ingredients
Gather a few pantry and fridge staples. The ingredient photos below show the main components.
- Semi‑sweet chocolate chips: Use good quality chips for better melt and deeper chocolate flavor.
- Light olive oil: Replaces butter for a slightly lighter texture and a flavor that complements tahini.
- Tahini: Stir well before using — it separates in the jar. Tahini adds a nutty, savory element that lifts the brownies.
- Sugars: This recipe uses white sugar and light brown sugar in the batter and powdered sugar to sweeten the tahini swirl.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Dutch‑process is used here, but natural unsweetened cocoa works too.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
How to Make this Tahini Brownies Recipe
Step 1. Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9‑inch square pan with parchment paper.
Step 2. Melt the chocolate. Combine ½ cup chocolate chips and the olive oil in a heatproof bowl. Microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Let cool slightly.
Step 3. Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl whisk tahini, white sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla for about 60 seconds until slightly thickened.
Step 4. Add melted chocolate. Stir the cooled melted chocolate into the tahini mixture until combined.
Step 5. Fold in dry ingredients. Gently fold in the all‑purpose flour, cocoa powder, kosher salt, and the remaining chocolate chips until just combined.
Step 6. Pour into pan. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Step 7. Make the tahini swirl. Stir tahini and powdered sugar to a thick paste. Drop small dollops across the batter and gently swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Step 8. Bake. Bake 28–30 minutes on the middle rack. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Allow brownies to cool fully in the pan on a wire rack (about 2 hours) before slicing for clean edges.
Expert Tips
- Use a metal pan: A 9‑inch metal square pan browns and releases more reliably than glass.
- Choose quality chocolate: With chocolate front and center, better chocolate improves the final flavor.
- Swirl lightly: Drop tahini in small dollops and swirl just enough for distinct ribbons — don’t overmix.
- Watch bake time: Remove when a few moist crumbs cling to a toothpick for fudgy brownies.
- Cool before cutting: Fully cooled brownies slice cleaner and hold their shape better.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Bake a day in advance and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
Yes. Wrap individual squares and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Other Dessert Recipes
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Baking
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Lemon Curd Tart with Pistachios
If you make this Tahini Brownie recipe, please rate it and leave a comment — feedback helps others decide to try it.
Tahini Brownies (with Nutty Tahini Swirl)
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 cup (about 170 g) semi‑sweet chocolate chips, divided
- ¼ cup (50 g) light olive oil
- ¼ cup (64 g) tahini
- 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (94 g) all‑purpose flour
- 6 tbsp (30 g) unsweetened Dutch‑process cocoa powder (or natural)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the Tahini Swirl
- ¼ cup (64 g) tahini
- 3 tbsp (23 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9‑inch square pan with parchment.
- Melt the chocolate: Combine ½ cup chocolate chips and olive oil in a heatproof bowl. Microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
- Mix wet ingredients: Whisk tahini, white sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until slightly thickened, about 60 seconds.
- Add melted chocolate: Stir the cooled chocolate into the tahini mixture until smooth.
- Fold in dry ingredients: Gently fold in flour, cocoa powder, salt, and remaining chocolate chips until just combined.
- Pour into pan: Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Make the tahini swirl: Mix tahini and powdered sugar to a thick paste. Drop small dollops over the batter and swirl with a knife for a marbled pattern.
- Bake: Bake on the middle rack 28–30 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (about 2 hours) before slicing.
Notes
Refer to the photos above for step‑by‑step visuals. Key ingredient notes:
- Use quality chocolate for best flavor.
- Stir tahini well before measuring — it separates in the jar.
- Light olive oil gives a slightly lighter texture than butter and complements the tahini.
- Don’t overbake — these are meant to be fudgy.
Nutrition (per square, approximate)
Calories: 445 kcal • Carbohydrates: 57 g • Protein: 7 g • Fat: 23 g • Fiber: 4 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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