Crunchy, nutty and loaded with chocolate chips, these Tahini Oatmeal Cookies are perfect guilt-free treat. Packed with essential nutrients including hearty oats, but made entirely without refined sugars, these little sweet bites will surely delight you. Plus, they are easy to make and loved by the whole family.
Holidays are over. The school is about to begin next week, and my kitchen started to smell like a bakery already. I'm back in my usual making and baking, planning and preparing routine. I made a bunch of Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies, and this weekend I'm planning on baking Blueberry ones. If you're thinking that I'm prepping us for some world catastrophe, no I'm not! I'm just stuffing my freezer with healthy treats that will serve as school snacks for my kiddo in upcoming weeks/months.
Kiddo ordered a bunch of oatmeal cookies for his lunch box, mostly fruity ones - he loves fruity flavored cookies, but lately, something else intrigued his tastebuds. A few weeks back I made these Tahini Oatmeal Cookies with the purpose to store them in the freezer as a snack, for my self and upcoming busy weeks. But these delicious oatmeal cookies disappeared before I manage to freeze any of them. Hubs and kiddo devoured them. Literally.
I don't really blame them. These cookies are easy to like and fell in love with. They are sweet, crunchy and loaded with dark chocolate bits. Straight from the oven while they are still hot, they are irresistible. Melting bitter-sweet dark chocolate makes you go mad. And later when they cool down, the nuttiness comes to its peak. They harden and become unbelievably crunchy, making you obsessive to have more and more.
Tahini Oatmeal Cookies clearly passed family deliciousness test. But they are more than just delicious. They are highly nutritious, super healthy treat as well. These oatmeal cookies are loaded with essential nutrients and hearty oats made entirely without refined sugars. Which makes them guilt-free. Plus they are easy to make. Win!
Tahini Oatmeal Cookies Ingredients
To make these Tahini Oatmeal Cookies, you'll need:
- OATS: I use oats a lot in my baking and cooking. Oats are a great source of fiber, especially beta-glucan that is known for its power to lower cholesterol and therefore keep your heart healthy (1). Also, oats are high in vitamins, minerals, and some powerful antioxidants. AND proteins. YES, proteins!! I usually use quick oats to make oatmeal cookies but you can substitute them with rolled oats.
- WHOLE GRAIN FLOUR: Whole grain Spelt flour is one of the staples in my pantry. I use it in my baking as a substitute for all-purpose wheat flour. Spelt flour is an ancient grain with a nutty and mildly sweet taste. It’s packed with nutrients – especially fibers.
- TAHINI: For those who are unfamiliar, tahini is a paste made from toasted, ground sesame seeds. It's like sesame butter. It has a light, nutty flavor but most importantly it's loaded with nutrients and many health benefits. Tahini is full of healthy anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fats, vitamins, and minerals, especially phosphorus and manganese, both of which play vital roles in bone health. (2) It’s also high in thiamine (vitamin B1) and vitamin B6, which are important for energy production. (3) Also, tahini contains powerful antioxidants, which help prevent free radical damage in your body and reduce the risk of developing disease. (4) Many known tahini as an ingredient in hummus but I love using it form baking too. Just check out this amazing Chocolate Tahini Brownies!
- SUNFLOWER SEEDS: Sunflower seeds are packed with nutrients, especially healthy anti-inflammatory fats and proteins. These tiny seeds are especially high in vitamin E and selenium, both function as antioxidants to protect our body’s cells against free radical damage responsible for developing several chronic diseases. (5, 6) They might be tiny but they surely pack many health benefits.
I also tossed in some dark chocolate chips. They deepened overall chocolate flavor but also gave that special double chocolate punch. Melting pieces of dark chocolate in a warm cookies are unbelievably good and satisfying. I’ve used dark chocolate made with 75% or more raw cacao that is made without refined sugars. You can find those in healthy food stores.
To sweeten these Tahini Oatmeal Cookies I used pure maple syrup. Maple syrup is mildly sweet and paired nicely with tahini nutty taste. You can substitute maple syrup with honey here.
How to make Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
- Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 356F (180C).
- Line the bottom of an baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prepare and measure all ingredients using measuring cups.
- In a small glass or stainless steel mixing bowl add measured 1 cup oats, 3/4 cup whole grain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use silicone spatula to mix the dry ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup creamy tahini and 1/4 cup maple syrup. Add 2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon milk. Use the whisk and mix it until you get the sticky texture.
- Add in 1 egg, and stir vigorously using the whisk.
- When the batter looks thick and well blended, add in the dry ingredients. Using the spatula mix everything until fully combined.
- Gently fold in 1/4 cup sunflower seeds and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Use spatula. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Use ice cream scoop or tablespoon to scoop cookie mixture and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange the cookies 2-inches apart. Slightly flatten the dough and shape cookies with the spoon.
- Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes. Watch for cookies and don’t over-bake them. When cookies begin to brown on the edges, they are done.
- When you get them out of the oven, cookies will be soft. Leave them to cool for few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer them to a cookie rack to cool completely.
Substitutions
- I like to use quick oats when making oatmeal cookies, but you can substitute quick oats with rolled oats. Rolled oats will give denser cookies.
- I used whole grain Spelt flour but you can use whole grain wheat flour.
- You can substitute chocolate chips with Yacon sweetened cacao nibs or regular cacao nibs. Be aware that regular cacao nibs are bitter in taste and hard to chew thus maybe not suitable for kids.
- You can substitute maple syrup with honey. Make sure honey is not raw but in liquid, runny form.
Tips for storing oatmeal cookies
- Keep cookies in a cookie jar or air-tight food container. They will last up to 5 days.
- You can keep them in fridge. That way they will last longer.
- Place the cookies in a zip-lock bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw them on room temperature before serving.
These healthy Tahini Oatmeal Cookies are beautifully flavored, loaded with SUPERFOODS and so delicious – crunchy, mildly sweet and so addictive. + There’s a tiny bits of bittersweet chocolate in every single bite which is so yummy!
These oatmeal cookies are perfect quick breakfast, snack, lunchbox sweet treat, or afternoon dessert. They go so well with a cup of coffee or tea but the best are dipped in milk.
Enjoy!
Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup whole grain flour I used Spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup natural creamy tahini
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon milk any plant-based
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 356F (180C).
- Line the bottom of an baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prepare and measure all ingredients using measuring cups.
- In a small glass or stainless steel mixing bowl add measured 1 cup oats, 3/4 cup whole grain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use silicone spatula to mix the dry ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup creamy tahini and 1/4 cup maple syrup. Add 2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon milk. Use the whisk and mix it until you get the sticky texture.
- Add in 1 egg, and stir vigorously using the whisk.
- When the batter looks thick and well blended, add in the dry ingredients. Using the spatula mix everything until fully combined.
- Gently fold in 1/4 cup sunflower seeds and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Use spatula. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
- Use ice cream scoop or tablespoon to scoop cookie mixture and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange the cookies 2-inches apart. Slightly flatten the dough and shape cookies with the spoon.
- Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes. Watch for cookies and don’t over-bake them. When cookies begin to brown on the edges, they are done.
- When you get them out of the oven, cookies will be soft. Leave them to cool for few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer them to a cookie rack to cool completely.
Notes
Place the cookies in a zip-lock bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw them on room temperature before serving. As a measure, I used US cup (240ml). Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but I have endeavored to be as accurate as possible.
Nutrition
More Oatmeal Cookie Recipes
If you’re looking for more delicious OATMEAL COOKIE RECIPES, check these out:
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Orange Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
If you’ve tried this Tahini Oatmeal Cookies recipe or any other recipe on Natalie’s Health, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!
These turned out so well! I dumped all the ingredients in the Kitchen Aid at once, used regular flour and chilled the dough for like 10 min before cooking. Even my kid is eating them!
I'm so glad you both like it :) Thank you for lovely feedback. PS Not bad idea with the Kitchen Aid.. thanks! :)
Tahini in Oatmeal cookies sounds unusual but really interesting. So glad I came across this one. Will surely bake a few
I really appreciate the healthy ingredient options for this cookie! I feel like this helps the guilt. Ha. These looks so tasty, I can’t wait to try!