Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Smoked Sea Salt
It took many tries to get this cookie just right. But we did it!
First we tried chocolate chips but not enough chocolate taste and the chips didn’t feel right, they were too small, so we went for the chopped up chunks and we increased the amount of chocolate until there was a perfect balance. We tried almond flour but the cookie really needed a Paleo flour blend to have the right consistency. There are quite a few paleo flours out there and they are all good but so far, King Arthur is my favorite go-to. We also added a little bit of toasted almond flour which is also made by King Arthur. You can substitute regular almond flour for the toasted one if it is hard to find. I have always loved a good chocolate chip cookie. There is nothing like it and eating grain-free and low sugar has made it difficult to indulge in a traditional chocolate chip cookie, but not any more. This cookie is a grown up cookie, especially with smoked flaky sea salt sprinkled on top at the end. But I will add, kids love them too. The cookie has some nutty undertones from the tahini and the bitterness from the semi-sweet dark chocolate rounds out the sweetness from the monk fruit and the coconut sugar. These cookies are perfect with a nice cold glass of your favorite nut milk, a cappuccino, or a lovely cup of tea. For me, these cookies are guilt-free because they use quality and healthful ingredients, which don’t cause inflammation in my body. Honestly, I may grab one or two as a quick little snack on the go. By the way, if you can’t find smoked salt, skip it and go for regular flaky salt. Maldon makes a great one. This recipe is easy and simple. Go ahead and make a double batch of these guys because they won’t last long in your cookie jar.
Makes 20-21 cookies / Prep time 15 minutes / Bake time 14 minutes / Total time 29 minutes
Gather
1 stick/ 4 ounces vegan butter ( I use Melt)
1/2 cup / 120 g Tahini
1/4 cup / 24 g coconut sugar
1/4 cup / 50 g Monk Fruit sweetener
1 teaspoon / 4.93 ml vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon / 1.23 ml almond extract
1 egg, room temperature, whisked
1 cup / 120 g Paleo flour
1/3 cup / 45 g toasted almond flour
3/4 teaspoon/ 3.7 g baking soda
1/4 teaspoon / 32 g salt
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate bar (Lily’s makes one with stevia if you prefer), roughly chopped
Flaked smoked sea salt (or unsmoked)
Make
Preheat the oven to 325 F
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or
Silpat silicone baking mats.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the vegan butter, tahini and both sweeteners till fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract and the egg until well combined, 1 minute.
In a separate medium bowl mix together the two flours, the baking soda, and salt until well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well incorporated. Don’t over mix. Stir in the chocolate chunks until evenly distributed into the cookie dough. Refrigerate dough for about 20 minutes.
Using a medium cookie scoop drop 1.5” rounded balls, divide the cookie dough onto the prepared sheets about 2“ apart. Place the cookie sheets into the oven on the top and middle racks for 14 minutes. Check every 5 minutes, rotate the 2 sheets and give them each a good bang on the counter before they go back in, twice in total for each sheet.
Take them out at 14 minutes when slightly browned on the edges, sprinkle a dash of smoked salt on top of each cookie and allow them to cool for 15 minutes. Then transfer the cookies on to a rack till completely cool. They will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, if they are not devoured before.
Recipe developed by Kat Howell and Anna Getty in the Amalgam Kitchen.
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