These tahini brownies are decadent, rich, and fudgy. Topped with a sweet tahini swirl and pistachios, these vegan fudgy tahini brownies incorporate Mediterranean flavors into this classic dessert.
As you probably know by now, I am obsessed with tahini, and I am always looking for ways to use it in anything and everything. And how couldn't you fall in love with such a delicious, simple, yet versatile ingredient?
It adds a unique, nutty, rich flavor to desserts, yet in savory dishes, it can become the simplest creamy, tangy complement to a dish. These tahini brownies use my favorite ingredient to make an incredibly fudgy, rich, and moist dessert!
The recipe uses just enough tahini to make the flavor pronounced, yet not overwhelming. I like to use one flax egg and one puréed ripe banana because the sweetness of the banana complements the tahini flavor without overpowering it.
As a child, one of my favorite Middle Eastern desserts and snacks was halawa. It is made from sesame paste, just like tahini, and is basically tahini in a thicker, sliceable, sweet form. It is not so overwhelmingly sweet that you could not eat it for breakfast though... I loved to eat slices of halawa on toast for breakfast. And halawa always came decorated with chopped pistachios on top, so of course, they make the perfect topping for these brownies! I also decorated these brownies with a delectable caramelized tahini swirl, made from dropping dollops of tahini swirled with maple syrup on top of the batter. Once baked, the delicious caramelized swirls and toasted pistachio pieces are reminiscent of the sweet simplicity of halawa.
These brownies are delicious straight out of the oven... I finished off half the batch immediately the first time I made them! But they are also incredibly tasty after being stored in the fridge because they get even more fudgy, dense, and rich, especially when slightly underbaked. I brought half a batch home to my family to stop myself from eating all of them by myself and they were gone the same night.
Recipe
Fudgy Tahini Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie Mix
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup sugar I prefer coconut or raw
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 puréed ripe banana*
- 1 flax egg 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoon water
- ½ cup almond milk
- ½ cup chocolate chips optional
Topping
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- chopped pistachios for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl except for chocolate chips (if using).
- Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl, slowly add them to the dry ingredients, and stir or whisk to combine. Stir in chocolate chips if desired.
- Grease or line an 8x8 brownie pan with parchment paper. Pour the brownie batter into the pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoon tahini with 2 tablespoon maple syrup. Spoon in dollops over the brownie batter, and make swirl patterns with a knife. Top with chopped pistachios.
- Bake for 42-48 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Maikki | Maikin mokomin says
These look awesome! I love the combination of chocolate and tahini 🙂 Definitely pinning the recipe 🙂
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
Thanks for stopping by!! The tahini makes them so rich and fudgy! 🙂
Saf says
Great recipe! It was my first time making a vegan brownie recipe and they were moist and scrumptious.
Saf says
Great recipe! It was my first time making a vegan brownie recipe and they were moist and scrumptious.
Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
That's awesome!! So glad you loved them! I love how moist the tahini makes them. Cheers! <3