We just had a long weekend with a lot of food — eating with family and friends, full heavy meals like a good weekend should be — but it got me unbalanced as well. Since I like a sweet dessert after a meal, or just something sweet with my coffee, I decided to go on the healthy side and make these teff tahini cookies. I have to say it wasn't my first choice, but the result is amazing.
Teff Tahini Cookies - challenging baking
These cookies are gluten-free and vegan — very challenging when it comes to cookies, since gluten (usually wheat) ties all the ingredients together, acting as a glue, and dairy (usually butter) gives the cookies their fat and flavor.
I substitute the missing ingredients with some natural, high-nutritional-value ingredients. Tahini is high in fat and oils and can easily take over the butter's role in the cookie. Throw in the coconut and olive oils and there you go — pure non-dairy natural fat.
Let's say it out loud: glutinous flours are hard to substitute. It's possible, of course — there will be a cookie at the end of the process — but it won't be the same. That doesn't mean it's not good. I use GF flours all the time in cakes and pastries, but the texture will always be slightly different.
In these teff tahini cookies, the corn flour is the glue between the non-glutinous grains. It ties together the teff and the quick oats, which are our gluten-free flours in these cookies.
Cookies texture
I always say: don't expect your regular cookie texture from gluten-free cookies. It'll be great, but slightly different.
There's not much glue in the batter — the teff tahini cookie is crumbly and grainy. Personally, I love this texture. It's the kind of cookie you'll need a glass of water after. The tahini mix makes the cookie sticky in your mouth, but it's sensational — you've got to try it.Baking time is short. Don't be tempted to push for a crispy texture and golden color — this batter tastes great raw, try it. We want to bring that feeling to the cookie and not tamper with it too much, so bake for no more than 12 minutes at 180°C/350°F.
These cookies are high in nutritional value, mostly because of the teff, which is a magical grain — it's high in fiber, protein, manganese, iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamins, mainly B2.
So don't feel bad about giving your kids another cookie. It's actually packed with many of the nutritional values you're always chasing them to consume.
Method
1
Mixing the batter· 10 minutes
Preheat the oven to 180°c/350°F.
Mix all ingredients except the sesame seeds in a large bowl, no need for a stand mixer, the batter is quite easy to handle.
Place the batter in the fridge for 1 hour or in the freezer for 10 minutes, this will help us shaping the dough.
make small ball shapes and place on a parchment paper set on a baking pan keeping 2 inch between each ball, press the balls gently to flatten them out (they don't spread all that much during baking).
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the cookies.
2
baking the cookies· 12 minutes
Place baking pan in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.
When cookies are ready , cool for 20 minutes before serving.
For best texture, store the cookies in the fridge.
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
The recipe is built around teff, so swapping it will change the texture and nutritional profile significantly. Stick with teff for best results — it's what makes these cookies special.
Do I really need to chill the dough before shaping?▾
Yes, don't skip this step. Pop it in the fridge for an hour or the freezer for 10 minutes — the dough is much easier to roll into balls when it's cold.
My cookies came out too crumbly — what went wrong?▾
Remember to press the balls down gently before baking, since they don't spread much on their own. Also make sure you let them cool the full 20 minutes — they firm up as they cool.
Can I reduce the sugar or swap it for something else?▾
The recipe uses brown sugar specifically, so swapping it may affect how the dough holds together. If you do reduce it, taste the batter before chilling and adjust from there.
Where's the best place to store these once baked?▾
Keep them in the fridge — that's where they get their best texture, straight from Jaron's notes.
