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Black Sesame Cookies are intriguingly delicious. They’re rich, dense, and chewy on the inside with a crunchy outer shell. Ground black sesame seeds give the cookies a striking look—dark, almost black inside and grey on the outside. Their distinctive nutty and fragrant flavor makes them perfectly irresistible.
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Why you’ll love these cookies
- They’re easy and quick to make—similar to making chocolate chip cookies.
- Their unique appearance will add visual interest to a cookie platter.
- They’re crisp on the outside and dense and chewy inside, which makes them totally addictive.
- The unique flavor makes them taste unlike any cookie you’ve had before. Black sesame seeds have the same nutty flavor as white sesame seeds, but it is more intense and with a bit of a bitter edge.
- Toasted Chinese sesame paste makes them impossibly nutty, enhancing the flavor of the black sesame seeds.
Ingredients you need
Most of the ingredients you need to make this Black Sesame Cookie recipe are basic baking staples. Here's what you need:
- Black sesame seeds: These are obviously essential because they provide both the distinctive flavor and appearance for these cookies. You can substitute white sesame seeds if you like, but the flavor will be milder and less unique. You can buy Black Sesame Seeds in Asian grocery stores or online.
- Softened butter: I use unsalted butter in all of my baked goods because I like to control the amount of salt myself. If you use salted butter instead, just be sure to decrease the quantity of salt to about ¼ teaspoon. Either way, bring the butter to room temperature before beginning the recipe. To do so, just leave it on the countertop for 20 to 30 minutes (50 to 60 minutes if the butter is frozen).
- Chinese sesame paste: Chinese sesame paste is made from toasted sesame seeds. Its intensely nutty flavor enriches the cookie dough, intensifying the flavor. You can substitute Japanese sesame paste (which is similar to Chinese) or, in a pinch, tahini, which lacks the toasty flavor of the Asian versions. You can buy Chinese sesame paste in Asian grocery stores or online.
- Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar both in the dough and for coating the dough balls.
- Egg: Use one large egg. Ideally, the egg will be at room temperature when you add it.
- Vanilla: I always use pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste for the best flavor.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour. I love the flour from King Arthur Flour.
- Baking soda: Just a touch helps keep these cookies a bit light. If you don't have baking soda, you can substitute twice as much baking powder.
- Salt: This adds balance to the sweetness and brings out the savory notes of the black sesame seeds.
How do you make them?
This cookie recipe is easy to make. In fact, it’s not much different from making Ginger Snap Cookies or even just basic chocolate chip cookies. The only unusual step here is grinding the sesame seeds. Here’s how to make the cookies:
- Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a spice grinder or food processor, grind the sesame seeds and ¾ cup of the sugar together just until the sesame seeds are finely ground (if you’re using an electric spice grinder, you may need to grind the seeds and sugar in two batches, or just grind the seeds and then mix the black sesame powder with the sugar).
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar-sesame seed mixture until well combined and fluffy.
- Beat in the sesame paste, egg, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and beat to incorporate.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough into equal portions onto the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Put the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small dish. Roll each of the cookie scoops into a ball and then roll each ball in the sugar to coat well.
- Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between the cookies to account for spreading as they bake.
- Bake until the cookies just begin to brown.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.
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More cookie recipes you’ll love
Whether you’re looking for a simple sweet treat to bake for afternoon snacks or are building a decadent holiday cookie platter, these nutty Black Sesame Cookies will fit right in.
Some of my other favorite cookies are Kolacky, Ginger Snap Cookies, Flourless Chocolate Cookies, and Dulce de Leche Cookies.
Lemon Coconut Macaroons and Rhubarb Cookies are a fun change of pace. Hamentashen and Chocolate Rugelach are perfect for Jewish holidays, but even non-Jews love them
Or try making air fryer cookies like Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies or Air Fryer Hot Cocoa Cookies!
Tools you’ll need
Black Sesame Cookies
Robin Donovan
These chewy Black Sesame Cookies are absolutely delicious. They’re rich and dense on the inside with a crunchy outer shell. The black sesame seeds give the cookies an unusual look—a dark, almost black inside and grey on the outside. Their distinctive nutty and fragrant flavor makes them perfectly irresistible. When you pull the cookies out of the oven, they’ll be a bit puffed and rounded on the top. As they cool, they will fall a bit and the tops will crack, which I think makes them look extra scrumptious.
Ingredients
- ½ cup black sesame seeds plus additional for garnishing
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste see note for substitution info
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon fine grained salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a spice grinder or food processor, grind the sesame seeds and ¾ cup of the sugar together just until the sesame seeds are finely ground (don’t grind for too long or you’ll make a paste).
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar-sesame seed mixture until well combined and fluffy.
- Add the sesame paste, egg, and vanilla, and beat to incorporate.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat together until just incorporated.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough into equal portions onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Put the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small dish. Roll each of the cookie scoops into a ball and then roll each ball in the sugar to coat well.
- Arrange the balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between the cookies to account for spreading as they bake.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies just begin to brown.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Notes
1. You can substitute white sesame seeds for black sesame seeds if you like.
2. You can substitute Japanese sesame paste or, in a pinch, tahini for Chinese sesame paste.
3. For a softer cookie, you can substitute some or all of the 3/4 cup sugar in the dough with brown sugar.
4. If you don't have baking soda, you can substitute 1 teaspoon baking powder.
5. These cookies are easy to store. You can keep them at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Calories: 70kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 18mgPotassium: 21mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 56IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
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The black sesame cookies were a hit! I brought them to a potluck and received several requests for the recipe. The cookie has an intense but not overbearing sesame flavor. If you own a Cuisinart or other tool for grinding the raw and unhulled black sesame seeds recommended by the recipe creator, it’s a pretty easy recipe. The cookies are a winner!
These are delicious! I inadvertently made this vegan by using vegan butter (my friend is allergic to dairy), and, upon realizing I was out of eggs, made a quick flaxmeal egg. Also, I already had ground black sesame meal so I used that (72g = 1/2c of sesame seeds from my calculations).
Thank you again for this.. I will be making many more batches!
BTW, this made 26 cookies for me using my cookie scoop that’s slightly over 1Tb.
i did not have sesame paste nor tahini so i replaced it with more butter, no problem. i also refrigirated the dough before baking because i like thicker cookies that hold shape. the changes still worked great, the cookies are tasty, with intense sesame flavour.
thank you very much.
Easy recipe. I did not have tahini and used 2T more butter as someone else suggested. Great texture. A winner.