Chewy Paleo Double Chocolate Chunk Tahini Cookies

Ingredients

For the Double Chocolate Tahini Dough:

• 0.5 cup smooth, creamy roasted sesame tahini (well-stirred)
• 0.33 cup pure Grade A dark maple syrup
• 0.25 cup unrefined coconut sugar
• 1 large pasture-raised egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure Madagascar vanilla extract
• 1 cup superfine blanched almond flour
• 0.33 cup raw cacao powder or Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp tapioca starch or arrowroot flour (provides chewy structure)
• 0.5 tsp baking soda and 0.5 tsp coarse Celtic sea salt
• 0.75 cup 85% bittersweet dark chocolate chunks (roughly chopped, soy lecithin-free)

For Finishing:

• Flaky Maldon sea salt crystals (for sprinkling)
• Extra chocolate chunks (pressed into warm cookie tops)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat Oven & Prep Sheet: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
2. Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together smooth tahini, pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla extract vigorously for 1 minute until glossy and emulsified.
3. Fold Dry Ingredients: Sift in almond flour, raw cacao powder, tapioca starch, baking soda, and Celtic sea salt. Stir with a silicone spatula until a thick, rich, fudgy dough forms.
4. Fold Chocolate Chunks: Fold in the chopped 85% dark chocolate chunks until evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
5. Scoop & Shape: Using a 1.5-tbsp cookie scoop (or your hands), roll dough into 14 smooth balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press down on each ball with your palm to flatten into a 0.5-inch thick disc (these cookies puff lightly but do not spread excessively). Press a few extra chocolate chunks into the top of each dough disc.
6. Bake (Pan-Banging Invariant): Bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are set and tops are crinkled, but centers remain soft and fudgy. (Do not overbake!).
7. The Pan-Bang & Salt Finish: Immediately upon removing from the oven, firmly tap the baking sheet against the countertop 2 times (this collapses the cookies, creating signature crinkles and pools of molten chocolate). Sprinkle flaky Maldon sea salt crystals generously over each cookie.
8. Cool & Serve: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up (they are delicate when hot). Transfer to a wire rack or serve warm with cold almond milk!

Nutritional Breakdown (Per Cookie)

Chef's Paleo Nutritional Science

Sesame tahini (Sesamum indicum) provides concentrated plant-based calcium, sesamin, and sesamolin lignans with potent vascular antioxidant properties. Raw dark cacao supplies high-potency magnesium and flavonoids that promote cerebral blood flow and neurotransmitter balance.

Frequently Asked Questions