I first saw these tahini chocolate chip bars when Melinda Strauss shared them on her Instagram and they went totally viral and I knew I had to try them. After testing them a few times with my kids, changing the ingredients a bit and perfecting the method, I now get asked for the recipe every time I make them!
Tahini and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Box mix tahini brownies, tahini chocolate chip cookies, no matter the combination, the sweet and savory just work really well together. They are great for a pareve Shabbat dessert or an afterschool snack. And best of all, just like my cake mix cookie bars, they take just 5 minutes to make and are a true crowd pleaser.
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Why you'll love them
- These little bars of goodness pack a big flavor punch without the use of any flour! They are grain free with the peanut butter and tahini doing all the work. (I've made them dozens of times and still can't believe the magic!)
- Take less than 30 minutes from start to finish
- Mix in one bowl and baking on a cookie sheet...no baking pans to wash!
- Naturally dairy free
What is tahini?
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 you know from the region. Tahini is a main ingredient in hummus and is awesome on a falafel sandwich.
Tahini is also super versatile ingredient.
- Use it in baking (think salted tahini chocolate chip cookies, tahini brownies, etc)
- Use in salad dressings and marinades.
- Great as a veggie dip
- Excellent swirled into sauces with pasta or spread on toast.
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: 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.
💡Pro Tip
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.
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!
Storage Tips
Peanut butter tahini chocolate chip cookie bars are best eaten the same day you make them.
To store them overnight, put in a zip top bag or airtight container and store on the counter. They will last a day or two and then dry out. They don’t last as long as other cookies, but you’ll eat them up quickly, so it should be a proble.
Recipe Variations
- Make them nut free. Simply leave out the peanut butter and substitute the same amount of tahini. You'll have a delish tahini chocolate chip bar. They may come out a little flatter, but will still taste amazing!
- 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.
- As a Passover dessert if you eat kitniyot. They end up looking like chocolate chip mandel bread but totally gluten free.
- Skip the chocolate chips and mix in chopped nuts or dried fruit.
Did you try this recipe and and love it? 😍 Let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
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📖 Recipe
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!
Tutness says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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!