Chai Spiced Tahini Cookies (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free)
I don’t know what made the idea of gluten-free chai cookies pop into my head. But once it did, it wouldn’t let go.
As you know, I’ve been in love with my dark chocolate tahini cookies for a while. I was not in the market for a new healthy cookie obsession yet. But these chai spiced tahini cookies are now vying for the top spot in my snack ranking.
They’re like a warm hug…complex layers of spices with a slight nutty savory-ness from the oat flour and tahini and that mellow sweetness maple syrup brings.
I started with a base recipe from the awesome Minimalist Baker site (a staple in my household). Beyond bringing in all those lovely chai spices, the other main change was swapping in oat flour for the recipe’s almond flour (which I can’t have right now).
I did test out cashew flour as a replacement but ended up liking the oat flour better anyway. I’ve provided some pics and additional details on that towards the bottom of the post so you can compare the two.
I also like to chill my dough for a brief stint, making it easier to shape, but that’s optional if you’re in a hurry. And let’s face it, sometimes cookies are an emergency…
In a medium mixing bowl (you definitely don’t need a stand mixer for this), add the tahini and maple syrup, and stir thoroughly to combine.
Add the oat flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, salt, and spices. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix well. If it seems way too runny, you may want another tablespoon or two of the oat flour, but we’re also going to chill it to firm up a bit.
If you have time, cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for a bit…even 15 minutes is good, up to an hour (or longer) is fine too.
While your dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the sesame seeds into a small bowl and set it nearby. Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to scoop our a small amount of dough, then roll it into a ball.
Gently roll about half of each ball in the sesame seeds and place them sesame seed-side up on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Gently press down on the balls to flatten slightly.
Bake for 9-12 minutes (this may vary a bit based on the size and thickness of your dough balls) until golden. I would say don’t underbake too much, as the texture won’t be as nice.
Let cool for at least 5 minutes, but if you can, I recommend letting them fully cool because it will set the texture…this is true of most gluten-free baked goods.
So, a note on subbing out flours. The original recipe calls for almond flour rather than the oat flour, which I couldn’t eat. Oat was what I had on hand that made the most sense, and I think it’s perfect (as well as easily accessible).
I did special-order cashew flour and tested subbing it instead. The cookies looked great (pics below), and they were still good, but overally I still preferred the oat version on both taste and (slightly) texture. They were a bit harder while the others are a bit cake-ier.
I find them best at room temperature texture-wise. You can store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 3-4 days (I haven’t tried them in the freezer, but they should do well for about a month).
Adapted from Minimalist Baker
Other gluten-free, vegan, nut-free cookies you’ll love:
- Blood Orange Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Amazing Dark Chocolate Tahini Cookies
- Easy & Awesome Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
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Chai Spiced Tahini Cookies (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free)
These super easy chai spiced tahini cookies are SO delicious and quite healthy! They're gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free, but bursting with warm chai flavors and the perfect texture...gluten-free chai cookies that are a go-to treat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of tahini, unsalted and fairly runny (my fave brand linked below)
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup
- 1 cup of oat flour (usually plus another 1-2 tablespoons)
- 3/4 cup of tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon of ginger
- A pinch of allspice
- A pinch of cloves
- A pinch of nutmeg
- For rolling: 1/4 cup of raw sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl (you definitely don't need a stand mixer for this), add the tahini and maple syrup, and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Add the oat flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, salt, and spices. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix well. If it seems way too runny, you may want another tablespoon or two of the oat flour, but we're also going to chill it to firm up a bit.
- If you have time, cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill for a bit...even 15 minutes is good, up to an hour (or longer) is fine too.
- While your dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the sesame seeds into a small bowl and set it nearby. Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to scoop our a small amount of dough, then roll it into a ball.
- Gently roll about half of each ball in the sesame seeds and place them sesame seed-side up on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Gently press down on the balls to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes (this may vary a bit based on the size and thickness of your dough balls) until golden. I would say don't underbake too much, as the texture won't be as nice.
- Let cool for at least 5 minutes, but if you can, I recommend letting them fully cool because it will set the texture...this is true of most gluten-free baked goods.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 3-4 days (I haven't tried them in the freezer, but they should do well for about a month). Enjoy at room temperature for best texture.
Notes
- The original recipe calls for almond flour rather than the oat flour, which I couldn't eat. Oat was what I had on hand and I think it's perfect. I did test out subbing cashew flour instead, and it was good but I still preferred the oat version taste wise (and slightly texture-wise...they *looked* great, but were harder).
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