Name: Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 31 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup + 3 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted butter); ½ cup tahini (well-stirred); ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 cup light brown sugar (well packed); 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 2 cups flour (spooned and leveled); 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon sea salt + extra for topping; 2 cups dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate; ¾ cup shelled pistachios (roughly chopped, raw or roasted)

Jump to Recipe

If you’re craving a cookie that skips the ordinary and jumps straight to unforgettable, let me introduce you to the Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies. These beauties blend rich brown butter, velvety tahini, and a shower of pistachios with generous pools of dark chocolate. Each bite is a symphony of nutty, gooey, salty, and sweet — all wrapped in a lusciously soft cookie with a little crunch at the edge. If you’ve never tried this flavor combo, you’re in for a delicious surprise!

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies Recipe - Recipe Image

Ingredients You’ll Need

What I love about Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies is how every ingredient plays an important role. These are all easy-to-find staples, yet together, they create a cookie with layers of texture and deep, complex flavor.

Butter: Browning the butter brings a deep, caramelly undertone that pairs beautifully with tahini.
Tahini (well-stirred): Adds amazing richness and nutty flavor, plus a creamy texture you can’t get from butter alone.
Granulated sugar: Balances out the brown sugar and lends a bit of crispness around the edges.
Light brown sugar: For warmth and chew, plus those subtle molasses notes.
Eggs: Essential for binding everything together and providing that perfect rise and soft center.
Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavors, tying all the nuttiness and chocolate together.
All-purpose flour: The backbone of the cookie, keeping them tender but not cakey.
Baking soda: Just enough to make the cookies puff and stay soft in the center.
Sea salt (+ extra for topping): Enhances every bite, with some reserved for a final sprinkle to make the flavors pop.
Dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate: Go as dark as you love for those melty pools and rich cocoa hits.
Shelled pistachios (raw or roasted, roughly chopped): For crunch, nutty richness, and a gorgeous pop of green in every cookie.

How to Make Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies

Step 1: Toast the Pistachios

If you’re starting with raw pistachios, preheat your oven to 350°F and spread them on a baking sheet. Toast them for about 8 minutes until they smell nutty and look slightly golden, then set aside to cool. If using roasted pistachios, you can skip this step, but a little fresh toasting goes a long way for flavor.

Step 2: Brown the Butter

Pile your butter into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally. Watch as it foams and sizzles, then turns amber and smells toasty (trust your nose!). Remove from heat and let it cool back to room temperature—this step gives your Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies their signature butterscotch depth.

Step 3: Cream the Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, combine your cooled brown butter, tahini, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat everything together for 2-3 minutes until the mixture turns lighter and fluffy—a sign the sugars are dissolving and the dough is getting airy.

Step 4: Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Gradually blend the dry mixture into the wet, mixing just until you don’t see streaks of flour anymore. Resist the urge to keep mixing: stopping now makes the cookies tender, not tough.

Step 5: Add Chocolate and Pistachios

Using a spatula, gently fold in your dark chocolate and chopped pistachios. You can hold back a handful of each to press on top of the dough balls for a pretty bakery-style finish. If you have a little patience, wrap the dough and chill it for at least an hour (or overnight) for even more flavor. But honestly, even without chilling, they turn out irresistibly good.

Step 6: Shape and Bake

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Scoop out a heaping ¼-cup mound of dough (go big!) and place on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet. Stud the tops with the reserved chocolate and pistachios, then bake for 9-11 minutes. Pull them when the edges are golden and the centers set but soft. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before lifting to a wire rack, and finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

How to Serve Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies

Garnishes

Finish each cookie with an extra shower of chopped pistachios or a pinch of flaky sea salt—the salt especially makes the chocolate flavor pop. For a little extra pizzazz, drizzle with a zigzag of melted dark chocolate or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Side Dishes

Pair your Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a chilled glass of milk, or even a steaming mug of your favorite coffee or chai. The cookies’ rich and nutty flavors are a fantastic match for simple sips and creamy sides.

Creative Ways to Present

Stack these cookies tall on a pedestal stand for a rustic dessert table centerpiece, or tuck a few into a parchment-lined tin tied with twine for a thoughtful edible gift. To really wow, sandwich a dollop of pistachio or chocolate gelato between two cookies and freeze for the dreamiest ice cream sandwich.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store cooled Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They’ll stay soft and chewy, ready for a quick treat whenever you need one.

Freezing

You can freeze baked cookies or unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months. If freezing dough, shape it first and store in a single layer until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake straight from the freezer, adding an extra minute to the baking time.

Reheating

Bring frozen cookies to room temperature, or warm them in a low oven (around 300°F) for 5 minutes to bring back that just-baked texture and gooey chocolate. It’s like fresh cookies all over again!

FAQs

Can I make Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies gluten-free?

Absolutely! Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. Just double-check that your baking soda and other ingredients are certified gluten-free to keep everything safe for sensitive eaters.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter?

Both will work! If you use salted butter, you may want to reduce the sea salt in the recipe just a bit. Unsalted butter gives you more control over the salt levels, especially when finishing with flaky salt on top.

Do I have to chill the dough for Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies?

Chilling isn’t strictly required, but it’s highly recommended for deeper flavor and thicker, chewier cookies. Even a quick hour in the fridge makes a noticeable difference, but your cookies will still be delicious if you bake right away.

What’s the best way to chop the chocolate?

Use a sharp knife or a serrated bread knife to chop a bar of dark chocolate into uneven chunks. This makes for big gooey bites and tidy little flecks that scatter through every cookie—perfection!

Can I use other nuts besides pistachios?

Definitely! Walnuts or pecans both work well, but the unique flavor, color, and crunch of pistachios are what make these cookies extra special.

Final Thoughts

I can’t wait for you to experience the magic of Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies in your own kitchen. Each bite is pure homemade bakery bliss—sweet, nutty, gooey, and packed with flavor. If you’re ready for a new cookie favorite, this recipe is your ticket!

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tahini Cookies Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 5 reviews

Author: Zoe
Total Time: 31 minutes
Yield: Makes about 24 cookies 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

Brown Butter, Dark Chocolate Chip Pistachio Tahini Cookies are a delicious twist on chocolate chip cookies. They’re sweet, salty, with crispy edges, gooey centers, and a rich nutty flavor.

Instructions

Preheat and Toast Pistachios: If your pistachios are not roasted, preheat the oven to 350°F, spread pistachios on a baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
Brown Butter: Brown the butter until amber, then cool to room temperature.
Cream: Cream together brown butter, tahini, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to the batter and mix until just incorporated.
Add Mix-Ins: Stir in dark chocolate chips and pistachios. Optionally, reserve some for topping cookie dough balls. Refrigerate dough if desired.
Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Form dough into balls, top with reserved pistachios and chocolate, if desired. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool on sheet before transferring to a rack. Sprinkle with sea salt.