If you’re a fan of blondies, and you should be, look no further than these chewy, slightly nutty, and utterly indulgent tahini-made blondies. The recipe was created by Adeena Sussman for her cookbook Sababa.
There are cookbooks, and then there are books that you cook from for a lifetime.
Sababa: Fresh, sunny flavors from my Israeli kitchen by Adeena Sussman, published in 2019, falls into the latter category. Each recipe is accessible, interesting and full of flavor.
This Chewy Tahini Blondies recipe was a favorite among us at Simply Recipes. We loved it so much we asked Adeena if we could share it with you. Don’t let this be your only foray into her beautiful book. These blondes are just the beginning of a wonderful relationship with their food and writing. But I’ll let you tell her about it:
“I’ve done this so many times, so you don’t have to do it. On the surface, this might seem like a foolproof recipe, but it took quite a bit of fiddling to get right to the point. Tahini has a complex molecular structure made up of many tiny carbohydrate molecules that stick to liquid for life and will set like chocolate if you add liquid at the wrong time. But if you play your carbs right and add the tahini last after all the other ingredients, it stirs in smoothly and bakes into those sexy little squares that get better with laying around. To make these dairy-free, swap in an unflavored olive oil or vegetable oil in place of the butter,” wrote in Sababa by Adeena Sussman.
What is a blonde?
A blondie is something like a brownie’s rich, caramelized cousin with a hint of molasses. You can make them chewy or cakey, simple or complex, but the universal component of a blondie is brown sugar. It gives it the golden color and the subtle taste of molasses.
What is tahini?
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It gives recipes a creamy texture and a subtle nutty flavor. When most people think of tahini, they think of hummus, but it’s an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be used in sauces, dressings, marinades, and baked goods like these Tahini Blondies.
Swaps and Substitutions
We think these blondies are perfect just the way they are, but baking is fun when you mix things up.
- Swap the butter for oil to make it dairy-free.
- Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips because, well, chocolate.
- Add 1/4 cup toasted nuts.
- If you can’t find sesame seeds, leave them out.
- If you don’t have tahini, make another blondie recipe.
Can you freeze blondes?
You can absolutely prep and freeze these tahini blondies by sandwiching the blondies between sheets of parchment and storing in a ziplock bag or freezer safe container. Then grab one as a single serve when you feel like it!
More great recipes with tahini!
- Easy Homemade Hummus
- Mediterranean chickpea shells with tahini sauce
- Cucumber salad with tahini dressing
- Sauteed Kale with Tahini Sauce
- Air Fryer Falafel
Learn about Adeena Sussman and Israeli cuisine
- Q&A with cookbook author Adeena Sussman
- The Beginner’s Guide to Israeli Cooking
- Ingredients Spotlight: Tahini
- 5 specialty kitchen gadgets to cook Israeli food at home
Chewy Tahini Blondie’s Recipe by Sababa by Adeena Sussman, published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2019 by Adeena Sussman
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Chewy tahini blondies
To make these tahini blondies dairy-free, substitute 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil for the butter, plus more to grease the pan.
ingredients
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1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for buttering the pan
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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
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3/4 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or more to taste if you really like that flavor)
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1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons lightly toasted black sesame seeds
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2 tablespoons lightly toasted white sesame seeds
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1 1/4 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
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2 large eggs
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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1/2 cup pure tahini paste
method
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Preheat oven and prepare pan:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter an 8-inch square baking pan, then line the pan with 2 crossing strips of parchment paper, buttering each layer, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Butter the top and sides of the parchment.
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Make the dough:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, salt, pepper, and the black and white sesame seeds.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated, then fold in the tahini until smooth.
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Bake blondies:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden on the outside and the center is not jiggly but still soft, 25 to 30 minutes.
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Surcharge:
Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan and cut into 16 equal squares.
