These little bars of goodness pack a big flavor punch without the use of any flour! That’s right, these are a grain free cookie bar with peanut butter and tahini and chocolate chips and they are magic. I still can’t believe they work even though I’ve made them dozens of times. Make them now and be eating in less than 30 minutes!
Why you should make these now!
These bars are mixed together in less than five minutes and the hardest part is cleaning out the measuring cups when you are done with them.
They are naturally dairy free and grain free which makes them feel guilt free in our house! The kids can snack on them as they please and I feel good about it. There is also some magic chemistry that happens in these peanut butter tahini chocolate chip cookie bars that I still can’t understand, but the simple ingredients come together perfectly every time.
I first saw these when Melinda Strauss shared them on her instagram and they went totally viral. These peanut butter tahini cookie bars are perfect for a quick Shabbat dessert or an afternoon snack. A simple parve dessert, they take 5 minutes to make and are a real crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
A few notes on the ingredients:
- Tahini: Make sure to stir the tahini in the jar before you measure it out. The oil sometimes separates and needs to be reincorporated.
- Peanut Butter: Any brand of regular store bought peanut butter will work. I have not tested this with natural peanut butter.
- Chocolate Chips: I like to use Ghiradelli 60% chocolate, but any chocolate chips you have on hand will work. If you want to make sure these are totally dairy free cookie bars, be sure to choose a dairy free chocolate chip
Simple step by step instructions
You won’t believe me when I tell you how easy these are. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then, simply put all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips into a bowl and whisk.
Yep, that’s it. Seriously, they are super easy to make.
The peanut butter tahini chocolate chip cookie bar batter will look broken when you start mixing, but just keep whisking. It will come together after about a minute. Once it’s nice and smooth, stir in the chocolate chips.
Then, pour the batter on the parchment lined baking sheet into a general log shape. Sprinkle with coarse salt, put into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, take the log of peanut butter tahini chocolate chip cookie goodness out of the oven and slice into bars. Separate the bars a bit so they can firm up on all sides and return the pan to the oven. Bake another 5 minutes or so before removing from the oven.
Cool on the baking sheet and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Tahini is a sesame paste that is made from toasted and hulled sesame seeds that are ground up to paste. It’s a condiment often found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine and can be found in many of the classic dishes. Tahini is a main ingredient in hummus and is awesome on a falafel sandwich.
Tahini is a super versatile ingredient. You can use it in baking (think salted tahini chocolate chip cookies, tahini brownies, etc) in salad dressings and marinades. It’s also great as a veggie dip or swirled into sauces with noodles or spread on toast. Basically, anywhere you use peanut butter, you can also use tahini.
While you could make it at home, while not hard, it’s not quite simple enough for me. Instead, I like to buy a jar almost every time I’m at the grocery so I can make these tahini cookie bars at a moment’s notice. Tahini can be found in most grocery stores and is also readily available online.
My favorites are the Trader Joe’s brand and the brand, Soom that is super smooth and creamy. Another great alternative is the Whole Food’s store brand tahini.
Yes, definitely. Just substitute more tahini for the peanut butter and you’ll have a great nut free dessert on your hands. Call them tahini chocolate chip cookie bars and no one will be the wiser 🙂.
Tip & Tricks
- Peanut butter tahini chocolate chip cookie bars are best eaten the same day you make them or the next day. They don’t last as long as other cookies, but you’ll eat them up anyway, so it won’t be something to worry about.
- You can easily half this recipe if you aren’t looking to eat all the cookie bars in just a day. It won’t look like much in the bowl, but I promise it works just as well.
- To clean your measuring cups easily, spray them with non-stick cooking spray before using and the peanut butter and tahini will pop right out into the bowl.
Looking for more simple and delicious cookie recipes? Try these:
- lemon shortbread cookies
- coffee chocolate chunk shortbread cookies
- passover chocolate chip cookies (yes, we make them year round)
When you try this recipe and love it 😍 let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
Peanut Butter Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a mixing bowl, add peanut butter, tahini, maple syrup, eggs, baking soda and vanilla and whisk together until smooth.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the cookie batter
- Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet into a log. Wet your fingers and gently make sure the batter is in one long oblong log shape.
- Sprinkle the coarse salt over the top of the log and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes
- Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and slice the log into cookie bars, Once cut, separate them a bit and return the cookie sheet to the oven. Bake an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven, let cool at least 10 minutes and enjoy!
Notes
- When you first start whisking the batter it will appear separated, just keep whisking and everything will come together to form a smooth batter.
- If you want to have a crispier cookie bar, leave them in the oven a few extra minutes on the second bake.
Nutrition
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Tutness
I've revisited this recpie in colder weather, once again using natural peanutbutter! And I can now say with comfodence that the temperature outside played a part in my ability to make a log hehehe. In hot weather I got a puddle, in colder weather I was able to make a very neat log that kept its shape.
Next time I try it when it's hotter outside I might pop my bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes 🙂 in hopes that the baking soda won't lose its magic.
Marni Katz
Amazing tip. Thanks for revisiting it and letting me know how things worked out. Kitchen temperatures are tricky and often an important part of recipes that can't be written down!
Tutness
So I may have skimmed a little when it came to reading all the notes, and used the natural peanut butter I have at hand - while I don't know what the original version is like, natural peanut butter is definitely viable. It's less of a log, and more of a puddle, but the eggs and baking powder gave their lift, I approve 🙂
Marni Katz
I'm so glad to know that natural peanut butter worked for you! Logs, puddles, in my book a cookie is a cookie no matter what shape! Enjoy 😍!
Rivka bialik
I made it. Its delicious but came out gooey. What did i do wrong? I see your picture and it looks more firm than mine. I actually made it in a pyrex loaf pan. Could that be the reason??
Marni Katz
That could be the problem, or since every oven is a little bit different, you may need to bake just a few extra minutes. I'm glad the flavor was spot on!