Name: Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies with Tahini and Sesame Seeds (Gluten Free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 11 min
Ingredients: 100g unsalted butter; 100g tahini; 75g Demerara sugar; 50g runny honey; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 100g jumbo oats; 100g ground almonds; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; ½ teaspoon fine salt; ¾ teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon cardamom; 100g pistachio nuts; 100g dark chocolate, chopped, 70% cocoa solids or higher

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Charlotte’s new favourite cookies – hands down! Charlotte somehow manages to have a much healthier diet than the rest of us and, as a girl who loves her cookies, she asked me to come up with something a little healthier but still an absolute treat as well as being nutritious. Apparently I have nailed it! She took a batch in to work to get some additional opinions and apparently they disappeared like hot cakes…err, cookies!

These fabulous, healthy cookies are naturally gluten free and loaded with flavours and textures from dark chocolate, pistachios, oats, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla. With a long list of nutrients and health benefits, it would be rude to stop at just one!

This recipe is based on my Nut Butter Chocolate Chip and Nut Cookies – Core Recipe. The few changes I made include:

reducing the amount of sugar.
the sugar I use is a mix of unrefined Demerara sugar and honey. You could also use muscovado or coconut sugar and the honey can be replaced with maple syrup, if you prefer. Unrefined sugar retains much more of sugar’s natural nutrients, such as calcium, iron and magnesium.
the flour has been replaced with a combination of oats and ground almonds. Oats are a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. Make sure the oats are certified gluten free if this is important for you. Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fibre, protein, magnesium and vitamin E
the nut/seed butter I use is tahini which is made from sesame seeds. It is full of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals and is rich in antioxidants.
I have added some amazingly delicious cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla to complement the pistachio nuts. Pistachios are rich in potassium and vitamin B6 as well as a range of other nutrients
I have used dark chocolate, which has less fat and sugar and happily, flavour wise, is the bomb! Dark chocolate which has a minimum of 70% cocoa solids or higher is rich in fibre, iron, magnesium, manganese. Dark chocolate is also an excellent source of antioxidants.

How to make Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies with Tahini and Sesame Seeds

Quick, easy and all made in one bowl. Although the ingredient list looks quite long, it really comes together extremely quickly and the cookies can be baked immediately. No need to refrigerate the cookie dough first.

Collect all your ingredients together:

Basic ingredients:

unsalted butter
tahini
Demerara sugar
honey
vanilla extract
jumbo oats
ground almonds
sesame seeds
fine salt
baking powder
cinnamon
cardamom
large egg
pistachio nuts
dark chocolate, chopped, 70% cocoa solids or higher

How to make these delicious cookies:

Melt the butter either in the microwave or in a saucepan. Leave the butter to cool. If you do not leave the butter to cool, your chocolate chunks may start to melt as you add them. They will still taste delicious but I prefer to have chunks of chocolate to bite into.
When the butter is cool but still runny add the tahini, sugar, honey and vanilla. Stir to mix well.
Now add all the remaining ingredients, apart from the pistachios and chocolate. Stir well.
Fold in the chopped chocolate and pistachio nuts.
Use a medium sized ice cream scoop or spoon to measure out 24 – 26 x 30g dough balls.
Neaten by hand, if necessary.
Place spread out on a lined baking tray.
Cook in a pre-heated oven for 11 minutes or until cooked. They should be browning on the edges, soft in the middle and look ever so slightly under done. Remember they will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 – 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

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Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Cookies with Tahini and Sesame Seeds (Gluten Free)

Course afternoon tea, healthy snack, Morning Coffee, Snack, treat

Keyword dark chocolate, gluten free, Oats, pistachios, Sesame Seeds, Tahini

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Author Susan

Ingredients

100g unsalted butter
100g tahini
75g Demerara sugar
50g runny honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g jumbo oats
100g ground almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ teaspoon fine salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
100g pistachio nuts
100g dark chocolate, chopped, 70% cocoa solids or higher

Instructions

Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and line baking sheets with baking parchment.
Melt the butter either in the microwave or in a saucepan. Leave the butter to cool. (See Recipe Notes)
When the butter is cool but still runny add the tahini, sugar, honey and vanilla. Stir to mix well.
Now add all the remaining ingredients, apart from the pistachios and chocolate. Stir well.
Fold in the chopped chocolate and pistachio nuts.
Use a medium sized ice cream scoop or spoon to measure out 24 – 26 x 30g dough balls. Neaten by hand, if necessary.
Place spread out on a lined baking tray.
Cook in a pre-heated oven for 11 minutes or until cooked. They should be browning on the edges, soft in the middle and look ever so slightly under done. Remember they will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 – 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

kitchen scales and measuring spoons
chopping board and knife
mixing bowl or saucepan
electric whisk
ice cream scoop or spoon
baking sheets lined with baking parchment

Weighing the ingredients:

You can either weigh your ingredients and then add them to the mixing bowl or you can weigh your ingredients directly into your mixing bowl. Simply put the bowl on the scales and zero the scales. Make sure you remember to zero them in between adding each new ingredient.

Cooling the butter:

If you do not leave the butter to cool, your chocolate chunks may start to melt as you add them. They will still taste delicious but I prefer to have chunks of chocolate to bite into.