Everyone loves chocolate and peanut butter (us included) but there are so many other flavor combinations that deserve just as much hype. In our opinion, chocolate and tahini is one of them. Let’s level up the classic fudge brownie with a creamy and nutty tahini swirl.
I like cocoa-based brownies best. I think the resulting texture is much fudgier than brownies made with baking chocolate. This dessert uses a super basic fudge brownie recipe, but adds a luscious tahini layer. Tahini is often associated with saltier dishes like hummus or baba ganoush, but tahini is also a secret powerhouse in sweets.
It is super simple if you are just getting your start with baking and want to make something that will impress friends, coworkers, and family. This recipe also works well if you substitute a gluten free baking flour, since so many of them are denser than all purpose flour anyway.
My favorite brownie trick to get the right texture is to first beat your eggs until light and ribbony. Then, when you add your sugar, it actually melts into the batter instead of giving you crunchy sugar crystals. Then, stir in some melted and cooled butter and vanilla. Sift in your dry ingredients and stir until just combined. You want to make sure not to overmix it or it will become too chewy.
Spread your thick batter into a greased pan. Plop the tahini down in drops all over your brownie batter, then use the back of a spoon to swirl it into the batter. You want it to look marbled and beautiful. It’s fine if some spots have more tahini than others. Bake until just set. Over baked brownies will get dry fast! I like to sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on top. You could also sprinkle some chopped pistachios on top if you’d like. Let these cool and set, then slice and serve. We love this with a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream. What could be better?
Fudgy Tahini Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 and ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup flour (use GF flour if desired)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 10 tbsp butter (1 and 1/4th sticks)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup tahini
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare an 8×8-inch square or 9-in round baking pan by spraying with cooking spray, or lining with parchment.
- Crack eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer if using, or into a large mixing bowl. Use mixer or whisk to beat eggs until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. When done, the eggs should fall off of your whisk in ribbons. Add your sugar and beat again until the sugar has dissolved, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Heat butter on the stove or in the microwave until just melted. Let it cool for a couple of minutes until it is no longer hot to the touch (this is important or you will end up with scrambled eggs!) Whisk melted butter and vanilla extract into the egg mixture until combined.
- Sift flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt into the egg mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Spread your batter into your prepared pan. Add dollops of tahini all over the top of your batter and swirl with the back of a spoon.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the batter no longer jiggles when shaken. When done, the brownies will still be quite moist, and a toothpick inserted will come out with sticky crumbs. Let cool to set, then sprinkle with sea salt, slice, and enjoy.
