These Chewy Tahini Gingersnaps with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt are a modern take on the classic gingersnap cookie! They’re filled with rich molasses flavor, ginger, cinnamon, as well as an added twist – tahini! It adds a slight nuttiness, richness, and unexpectedly delicious depth of flavor! To finish, the cookies get drizzled with dark chocolate and flaky sea salt!
(This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you SO much for reading and supporting the brands I love!)
I don’t know if I could choose a favorite Christmas cookie, but gingersnaps have always been very high up on my list. This year, I wanted to do something a little different – so I added tahini! I’m a lover of tahini in desserts, and it’s every bit as good in these as I expected. The tahini and dark chocolate combo is always incredible too. Basically, these cookies are a huge flavor bomb!
Not only are they a huge flavor bomb, but they keep/store really well too!
The flavor only intensifies the days after you make them, and they stay chewy too! Which makes them perfect for cookie exchanges, cookie swaps, and gifts during the holidays! I’ve made five batches of these in the past two weeks and I can’t make them fast enough. Everyone I’ve shared them with is obsessed.
Pat of what makes these cookies so special is my old standby – the all purpose flour from Bob’s Red Mill. It’s in my kitchen at all times, no matter, what, especially during baking season! I’ve never come across a flour as high quality, perfect in texture, and as fresh as Bob’s. I can honestly see the difference just by looking at the flour, and it’s so versatile. I honestly bake anything and everything with it!
I use it for pizza crust, cookies (!!), brownies, muffins, cakes, and pie crusts, and I love that it’s unbleached – it gives your baked goods more structure and a better texture! It’s all around just super high quality, and I can always count on it, no matter what I’m baking up in the kitchen!
Let’s talk about these gingersnaps.
We’ve got:
- the best flour!
- ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt
- lots of baking soda (so they get that beautiful crackly top!)
- butter AND tahini (the secret ingredient!)
- an egg AND an egg yolk (I do this in a lot of my cookies because it makes them fudgier and less cakey than using the whole additional egg – and we’re going for CHEWY here!)
- sugar + coarse sugar for rolling the cookies in (again for that beautiful textured top!)
- molasses (for that deeply distinct, caramelly, rich flavor that you need in gingersnaps)
- a dark chocolate drizzle (always a good idea)
- flaky sea salt (because what cookie is complete without it?!)
And quite possibly my favorite part of these cookies, are that they don’t require any dough chilling! So they’re perfect for whipping up on a whim to take to a Christmas party, or just to bake up for your fabulous self on a Monday night.
There are two keys to getting that beautiful crackly top are to make sure you whisk your dry ingredients together really well – to get all of that baking soda incorporated evenly (which is the biggest player in making that crackled top!) The next key, is to roll them in coarse sugar! I like using turbinado sugar, but you can use any raw sugar you like! Decorative sparkly sugar, demerara sugar, or sanding sugar all will work beautifully too!
And as if they aren’t beautiful enough on their own, I just had to drizzle them with a little bit of dark chocolate. In addition to the dark chocolate, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt because in my world, no cookie is complete without it.
With these gingersnaps, you get a little bit of everything:
- plenty of gingery spice, cinnamon, and clove
- deep, rich molasses flavor
- nutty sweetness from the tahini
- a chewy cookie instead of crunchy like most gingersnaps are!
- textured tops from baking soda and coarse sugar
- a drizzle of silky dark chocolate
- that sweet + salty we all love from flaky sea salt on top!
They’re complex in the best way, and they pair beautifully with a cup of coffee, a hot tea, or hot chocolate. (I know because I’ve tried all three!). The texture is so satisfying too!
My family’s annual cookie exchange was this past weekend, and I made these because they keep really fresh + chewy for at least a week if you keep them tightly stored in an airtight container! So they’re the best kind of cookie to make ahead of time if you’re looking for one!
Not only are they the perfect make-ahead cookie, they’re a little bit different from the typical Christmas cookie favorites! I think it’s fun to switch it up every once in awhile from snickerdoodles, peanut butter blossoms, and sugar cookies, so every year I like to make something fun and unique. Kind of like a surprise!
Here are a few more of my favorite festive cookie recipes to make during the holidays!
Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Chocolate Mocha Pecan Salted Caramel Cookies
Salted Triple Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
Don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen. Especially when it comes to your holiday celebrations!
Chewy Tahini Gingersnaps with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt
These Chewy Tahini Gingersnaps with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt are a modern take on the classic gingersnap cookie! They're filled with rich molasses flavor, ginger, cinnamon, as well as an added twist - tahini! It adds a slight nuttiness, richness, and unexpectedly delicious depth of flavor! To finish, the cookies get drizzled with dark chocolate and flaky sea salt!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Unbleached White Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup coarse sugar*
- 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves until combined (make sure the baking soda gets incorporated evenly if you want those crackly tops!). Set aside.
To a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a large mixing bowl with electric beaters), add the butter and beat for 1 minute on medium-high speed. Add the tahini and sugar and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk and beat until incorporated. Add the molasses and beat for another minute or until incorporated. Lower the speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients until incorporated.
Place the coarse sugar in a bowl. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized dough balls, then roll in the coarse sugar. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown on the edges. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
Once cookies are completely cool, add the dark chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted (mine usually takes about 1 1/2-2 minutes). Drizzle the cookies with the dark chocolate and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let the dark chocolate set and harden before storing in an air-tight container.
Recipe Notes
*I like to use turbinado sugar to roll the cookies in, but any coarse sugar will work. Decorative sparkly sugar, demerara sugar, or sanding sugar all will work!
*Cookies will stay fresh for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
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