I’ve been working on a vegan, gluten free tahini oatmeal raisin cookie for a long time. I made a few batches that were very much meh. Nothing worse than a disappointing batch of cookies.
They didn’t go to waste however. Bernard and I have such a high tolerance for just ok food that we could probably tolerate cardboard (believe me, some of my experiments have resembled just that).
We also kind of have no choice, our grocery bill would be insane if we didn’t eat all the culinary flops that come out of my kitchen!
Three attempts later, the tahini oatmeal raisin cookie fails finally led to a winner!
But why all the persistence?
I’ve fallen head over heels in love with tahini. I’ve always enjoyed it as a key ingredient in sauces and soups but I’ve only recently become aware of its potential in not only savoury dishes but sweet ones too! I was adamant on a tahini cookie.
Tahini, which is ground sesame seeds, has a distinctive flavour yet it doesn’t overpower other ingredients. In fact, it plays nicely with many other of my favourite flavours (lemon, dill, sweet potato, coffee, maple syrup) – making it a staple in any plant based pantry.
I also like tahini for baked goods because its natural sweetness allows for a reduction in other sweeteners, which is always a good thing. These gluten free tahini oatmeal raisin cookies only have ¼ cup of sweetener in the whole recipe- they won’t bust the sugar bank.
Tahini is packing a lot in the nutrition department as well, especially when it comes to calcium!
A ½ cup serving of tahini has almost 300 mg of calcium. It’s also rich in other bone-healthy minerals like manganese and magnesium.
If you’re concerned about calcium intake on a plant based diet, then tahini is a great addition to your ingredient repertoire.
However, if you’re new to a plant based diet or get a little insecure about the occasional health article instilling the fear of God into you about how your bones will disintegrate without milk, yogurt or cheese, hold the freak out and don’t run for the milk! That’s all BS.
A whole foods plant based diet will provide all the lovely calcium you need, in addition to other equally important (but less famous) vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy bones.
For your information, some other common calcium rich foods to consider include;
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Chickpeas
- Whole almonds
- Seaweeds
- Broccoli
- Calcium set organic tofu
- Dried figs
- Chia seeds
Back to the cookies…
My previous versions of these gluten free tahini oatmeal raisin cookies were short on tahini and too heavy on oats. They came out too chewy and without much sesame seed flavour.
Remedy; I upped the tahini and had a good think about traditional cookie recipes.
Some of my favourite childhood cookie recipes started with creaming the butter and sugar together to get a smooth, thick consistency. I approached this cookie with that method in mind but obviously left out the butter and white sugar!
In this recipe we start by creaming the tahini with some coconut palm sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and almond milk. Then we mix in the oats and raisins. The mixture will be very thick, similar to cookie dough. And just like cookie dough, no batch would be complete without sneaking a little taste before it hits the oven! DO IT!
I made a double batch and stashed a few in my freezer for last minute desserts and cookie cravings.
Tahini Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Equipment
- Sheet pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup well-stirred tahini
- ¼ cup coconut palm sugar or maple syrup-see notes
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea or Himalayan salt
- 1 cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats or regular if gluten isn't an issue
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the tahini, coconut sugar, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt to a medium sized glass bowl. Using a spoon or small spatula, mix these ingredients together until well blended, i.e. creaming.
- Add the oats and raisins and mix well until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out the batter, roll it into a ball and flatten using your hands until the cookie is about ½ inch thick. Lay on the parchment and repeat until all the dough is used up.
- Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
This is a small batch, I suggest doubling this recipe if you want to keep some in your freezer or to entertain a crowd.
If you decide to use maple syrup instead of coconut sugar, omit the almond milk.
Albertina
This is a great oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. I cut the recipe in half and made it for myself and my husband and it was excellent. We both loved it! Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe.
Ashley Madden
Great idea Albertina! Thanks for letting me know! These are a house favorite!
may parsels
Made with maple syrup for diabetic friend who ate before bed and had no rise in blood sugar now he needs the recipe
Ashley Madden
May this is fantastic! Thank you for sharing! Nothing makes me happier than someone enjoying a treat with a healthy makeover!
Ashley
alex
I made a double batch of these last night with brown sugar, because that was what I had. they were loved by everyone and have already disappeared.
Ashley Madden
That’s great Alex!! Thx for the feedback! I’m going to make some this weekend too!
Ashley
lara
i looove tahini especially in cookies with oatmeal so this was a great find. instead of maple syrup i used date syrup and added some chocolate chunks on top of some cookies and some extra sprinkles of salt. wow!! they are literally heaven – thank you so much for this beautiful recipe 💛
Ashley Madden
That sounds delicious Lara! Those modifications and an extra sprinkle of salt are perfect! Thanks for the feedback!
Ashley
Suzanne
This looks so good! Is tahini good in any other sweets?
Ashley Madden
Yes! I love tahini and maple syrup together so I experiment with that. There’s a great tahini apple dessert in my next book 🙂
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Ashley Madden
Yes, these cookies are good in the fridge for up to a week! In the freezer for 3 months!
Hope you enjoy them 🙂
-Ash
Victoria
The only thing wrong with these cookies- is that you can’t stop eating them!
Ashley Madden
I love this 🙂 Double batch, always!
xo
Ash
Stephanie Alchimisti
Hi Ashley!
I baked a double batch of your tahini raisin oatmeal cookies this afternoon . So delicious that I started to eat them raw while tasting the dough before placing them into the oven. My husband ate 2 or 3 of them before going to bed !
Thank you for all your terrific recipes.
🐶😊❤️, Stephanie A.
Ashley Madden
Amazing Stephanie! Thank you for the feedback. I make a double batch at least once a month, they don’t last long though 🙂
Ashley
Kiley
I have made these multiple times, and they are DELICIOUS. Hard to stop eating. Thank you!
Ashley Madden
You’re so welcome 🙂 Glad you love them! I do too!!
-Ashley
Jody
These cookies are perfection! The tahini really did make it so delicious! Thanks, I’ll be making this often.
Ashley Madden
Thank you Jodie! These are my house cookie, always a batch in the freezer 🙂 So happy you loved them!
Veronica Sprague
I made the recipe with maple syrup and found it to be very wet, even though I did omit the almond milk.
I added some extra oats and the result was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making these again.