I am literally swimming in sugar and butter this week as Christmas baking kicks into high gear. Next up on my cookie list are these black sesame chocolate chip cookies. They have the earthiness of black sesame seeds combined with the chocolatey-ness of chocolate chip cookies. I love how dark these cookies look, and yes it might be an unconventional choice for the cheeriness of Christmas, but the taste more than makes up for it. If you’re looking for another black sesame cookie for the holidays, check out my black sesame shortbread cookies or black sesame brownie cookies! I definitely love my black sesame flavored cookies!
Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments
- Black sesame seeds – Adds color and the smoky, earthy flavor of black sesame seeds.
- All purpose flour – AP flour is the main dry ingredient in these cookies. Make sure to use a spoon to scoop your flour into the measuring cup. Using your measuring cup to scoop out the flour will compress the flour which results in more flour in the dough. Too much flour causes the dough to not spread properly.
- Baking soda – Baking soda helps the cookies rise and give it that airiness.
- Butter – Adds a bit of a nutty flavor to the cookies. Those nutty flavor is further enhanced by browning the butter.
- Granulated sugar & light brown sugar – Both add sweetness to these cookies and help the cookies spread/rise. Granulated sugar helps the cookies spread, and brown sugar helps the cookies rise. Brown sugar also adds a bit more sweetness and moisture to these cookies because it has molasses.
- Eggs – Adds richness to these cookies. Make sure to use room temperature eggs for this recipe.
- Salt – The salt helps balance out the sweetness of these cookies.
- Vanilla extract – I am now a vanilla paste convert, but vanilla extract works for these cookies. You can also use 1 vanilla bean.
- Chocolate chips – Use a lot of chocolate chips because they’re just that good lol. I like to use chocolate chips that are on the more bitter side because I think it helps balance out the sweetness from the sugars. I would recommend using any kind of chocolate chips you choose!
Making my black sesame chocolate chip cookies
First toast the black sesame seeds for 20-25 seconds. Pour black sesame seeds into a spice grinder or food processor. (I recommend a spice grinder.) Pulse until it has fully broken down into powder. Pour into a bowl. Add all purpose flour and baking soda to the bowl. Mix until combined and set aside.
Next, brown butter in a small sauce pan. Heat butter over medium high heat until the butter melts and then lower it to low. Cook the butter until golden brown and small brown solids start to appear. Remove from the heat and set aside. Combine granulated sugar and light brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the brown butter. Whisk with a stand mixer or hand mixer until just combined. Add the eggs and whisk until a smooth, creamy mixture forms (picture 2 above). Next, add the salt and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Add the dry ingredients from step 2 to the bowl and mix with a spatula until just combined. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Let the cookies rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Use a 2 tablespoon (medium sized) cookie scoop to scoop your cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Make sure there are 2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are light brown. Rest for 10 minutes on the baking sheets and then another 10 minutes on a cooling rack before serving.
Tips on how to make the perfect black sesame chocolate chip cookies
Use a spice grinder if you have one
I would highly highly recommend you use a spice grinder to break down your black sesame seeds. A food processor works okay, but you can’t really get that powder you want. The powder is what gives the cookies their grey color. Another option is to buy black sesame powder.
Be careful about over mixing your dough
After you add the flour, make sure to stir only until just combined. As you mix the flour into the wet ingredients, gluten will start to form with each subsequent mixing motion. Gluten formation will make your cookies tough.
Why it’s important to rest the dough
Resting the cookie dough is important because it helps to solidify the fat (ie. the butter). This is important because as the cookies bake, the fat will take longer to melt. The faster the fat melts, the more the cookie will spread.
Use an oven thermometer for an even temperature
This is perhaps my #1 tip for baking in general. Most ovens, even nice ones, don’t have accurate temperatures. The oven I’ve been using has a 25 degree discrepancy between what it says on the oven and the internal temperature. So an oven thermometer has been a life saviour for me.
Use a cookie scoop for even sized cookies
Not only does a cookie scoop make your cookies look uniform, they also help your cookies bake evenly. I used a medium sized (~2 tbsp) cookie scoop for this recipe.
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Black Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup black sesame seeds powdered
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter browned
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- First toast the black sesame seeds for 20-25 seconds. Pour black sesame seeds into a spice grinder or food processor. (I recommend a spice grinder.) Pulse until it has fully broken down into powder. Pour into a bowl.
- Add all purpose flour and baking soda to the bowl. Mix until combined and set aside.
- Brown butter in a small sauce pan. Heat butter over medium high heat until the butter melts and then lower it to low. Cook the butter until golden brown and small brown solids start to appear. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Combine granulated sugar and light brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the brown butter. Whisk with a stand mixer or hand mixer until just combined.
- Add the eggs and whisk until a smooth creamy mixture forms (picture 2 above). Add the salt and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
- Add the dry ingredients from step 2 to the bowl and mix with a spatula until just combined.
- Lastly, add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
- Let the cookies rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Use a 2 tablespoon (medium sized) cookie scoop to scoop your cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Make sure there are 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are light brown.
- Rest for 10 minutes on the baking sheets and then another 10 minutes on a cooling rack before serving.
Notes
- break down your black sesame seeds. A food processor works okay, but you can’t really get that powder you want. The powder is what gives the cookies their grey color. Another option is to buy black sesame powder.
- Be careful about over mixing your dough – After you add the flour, make sure to stir only until just combined. As you mix the flour into the wet ingredients, gluten will start to form with each subsequent mixing motion. Gluten formation will make your cookies tough.
- Why it’s important to rest the dough – Resting the cookie dough is important because it helps to solidify the fat (ie. the butter). This is important because as the cookies bake, the fat will take longer to melt. The faster the fat melts, the more the cookie will spread.
- Use an oven thermometer for even temps – This is perhaps my #1 tip for baking in general. Most ovens, even nice ones, don’t have accurate temperatures. The oven I’ve been using has a 25 degree discrepancy between what it says on the oven and the internal temperature. So an oven thermometer has been a life saviour for me.
- Use a cookie scoop for even sized cookies – Not only does a cookie scoop make your cookies look uniform, they also help your cookies bake evenly. I used a medium sized (~2 tbsp) cookie scoop for this recipe.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a recipe like this before, so when I saw you post this I basically rushed to make it. Needless to say, it was so good, I made it twice in a week. First time with regular flour and second time with Bob’s 1-1 Gluten Free Flour. Both were delicious! The gluten-free version had a grainier texture, which might have been from the flour or me adding extra black sesame, because I’m just obsessed with black sesame haha! Thanks also for posting all the helpful tips. It drives me nuts when recipes are super minimal, and I love being able to understand what all the steps do. 🙂
Thank you so much Michelle! I am absolutely obsessed with black sesame too!
I made this yesterday, but the black sesame flavor wasn’t as strong as I was hoping for. If I were to double the black sesame powder, what changes to the recipe would you recommend to account for the change in wet vs dry ingredients? My cookies came out on the drier side already, so I’d want to make adjustments that result in a chewier cookie if anything.
Hi Jess. I would say 1/4 cup more light brown sugar and 1/4 cup more butter. These are estimates, so you will need to experiment for yourself to see if these amounts work. Essentially, you want to go for a wetter dough and adding more brown sugar and butter is a way to do that. Let me know how it goes!
I have made black sesame chocolate chip cookies before. Compared to that recipe, I appreciate that this recipe’s sweetness. However, the black sesame flavor isn’t as strong as I would like. I would double or triple the amount of black sesame.
Hi Diane. Thanks for trying the recipe! If you double or triple the amount of black sesame you might need to add more sugar to ensure you still get the same texture. A cookie’s texture is created with a balance of wet and dry ingredients. You can also add an egg yolk or 1-2 tbsp more butter to try to balance out wet and dry ingredients without increasing the amount of sugar. Let me know if you try this recipe again!
Tasty black sesame cookie recipe! Can’t wait to try out your black sesame brownie recipe next!
Thank you so much!
If I already have black sesame seed powder, do I use the same amount (1/2 cup)? Does 1/2 cup of black sesame seeds yield 1/2 cup powder? Thank you!
Hi Deborah. I would a little less than 1/2 cup of black sesame seed powder. I would use about 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp of black sesame powder.
Hello Becca 🙂
Can I change the black sesame powder with charcoal powder to get the black colour? Thanks ❤
Hi Linn. Yes you can but it will change the taste of the cookie. I have never used charcoal powder, so I am not sure how much to use. I would recommend using a smaller amount and see how it tastes to you before using more.
Can the batter be frozen? This was good first time I made, I froze it after and it stayed thick.
Yes you can! Preheat the oven to about 20 degrees lower than the original recipe temperature. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. And bake for 2-5 minutes longer than the recipe calls for so 12-15 minutes until the edges are light brown.
Hi Becca,
I tried pulsing my own black sesame seeds, which produced some oil and the powder was clumpy.
Then tried black sesame powder which also was slight clumpy in the bottle (humid country)
Any ideas on how to reduce clumps?
Hi Yuner. Clumping is definitely normal for broken down black sesame seeds. I usually pass them through a fine mesh sieve and that helps a lot. They don’t go through the sieve easily, so you will probably need to press them through. It’s a lot of work but the results make it worth it.:)
Hi!
I was wondering how the recipe would change if I used black sesame paste instead of powder?
Hi Tiffany. Unfortunately, I can’t say for sure since I haven’t made them with black sesame paste. I would guess that you would need more flour since black sesame paste has more liquid in it. I would add a tablespoon at a time until it looks like cookie dough. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
How long can we store it for? Room temp, fridge and freezer duration?
Hi Jenn. They will last up to 3 days at room temperature and up to 6 months in the freezer!
A nice consistency but……
I don’t know if it’s cultural differences but these are way too sweet despite the fact I reduced the chocolate in half, used a dark, less sweet chocolate, and 10% less than the recommended sugar.
The sweetness completely overpowers the sesame flavor. Sesame is a main flavor her in Japan, even used for ice-cream. My Japanese partner had high expectations but was very disappointed.
Neither of us could eat more than one cookie at at a time. These are going to last a while.
Hi DB. Thank you for trying the recipe, and sorry they were too sweet for you! Maybe try reducing the sugar as well?
Wanting to try this recipe. How much black sesame seed paste would you recommend in place of powder? Thank you
I would recommend a 1/3 cup of black sesame paste. However, I am not 100% sure this will produce the best result because I didn’t test it with black sesame paste. I hope this helps!
Hi Becca, I’ve followed your recipe to the T and been trying it out 4-5 times but no matter how many times i tried, i still keep getting cakey cookies or cookies that won’t spread out. have tried googling to see what’s wrong and troubleshooting but i still am very clueless. this isn’t the first time i have cakey cookies that’s why i always hesitant to bake cookies and shy away from them but i really do like the flavour of your recipe a lot! would really like to seek for some help. Thank you!
Hi Davelle. Thank you so much for trying my recipe and being patient with it! The spread of cookies have a lot to do with the balance between wet and dry ingredients, specifically the butter in the dish. Essentially, the faster the butter melts, the more the cookie will spread. That’s why I recommend resting the dough in the fridge to prevent the butter from melting too fast.
I would try a couple things. First, I would try not resting your dough in the fridge and going straight in the oven. Your butter will be less solid, so it will spread more. Second, try baking it less by a few minutes – ~2 minutes maybe. You can always bake cookies more but you can’t bake them less. Cooking them less will make them less dry/cakey. Third, your oven temperature might be the problem. A lot of ovens’ internal temperatures are different than what it says on the dial. For example, I put my oven to 375 degrees F for 350 degrees F. An oven thermometer will help you fix this issue. Lastly, you can try just adding a tablespoon or two of butter. That will help increase the wet ingredients and improve spreading. Let me know if you try any of these things and if they help!
These were so good! Perfectly sweet vs. bitter vs. nuttiness for me 🙂
Thank you for providing the metric amounts as well. I think I would have ended up with a lot less sesame if I were only measuring with the measuring cup. (Also, I figured it out, but you left out the step to add the chocolate chips in the condensed instructions)
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for calling out that mistake. I fixed it in the recipe!
How can I increase the black sesame flavour, cut the sweetness and still keep the chewiness of the cookie?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a concrete answer for this because I didn’t test it. I can only guess at how I would do it. To increase the black sesame flavor, I would add more black sesame seeds or black sesame powder. If you reduce the sugar, you will need to reduce the flour as well to achieve a chewy cookie. I don’t know how much sugar you are thinking of reducing it by but my recommendation is add the flour a tablespoon or quarter of a cup at a time until it looks like a cookie dough. I don’t know how much experience you have making cookies but if I were to change a recipe, I usually can see when the dough is at the right consistency. Alternatively, you can replace the sugar with stevia or monk fruit sweetener. Hope this helps!
I wonder what tahini in place of butter would taste like, if that would boost the sesame flavor more that others seem interested in. Have you tried it in any recipes before? I haven’t tried either, though I have been looking into recipes to try at some point. I just loved the cool grey color of these, thanks for sharing!
Ohhh interesting point. I made a tahini chocolate chip cookie, but I haven’t tried it with black sesame. It could be something interesting to try!