Fudgy Tahini Chocolate Brownies (With A Crinkly Top!)
These tahini chocolate brownies are thick, super fudgy & have a paper thin crinkly top. The tahini gives them a subtle nutty flavour that complements the chocolate perfectly.
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These chocolate brownies are made with tahini paste, which gives them a subtle toasted nutty flavour. It has a flavour that’s reminiscent of a snickers bar but with sesame seeds instead of peanuts…
In my opinion, these brownies have all the qualities that a really good chocolate brownie should have. They’re insanely fudgy, have a paper thin, perfectly flaky crinkly top & have an intense chocolate flavour with just the right amount of sweetness. Plus there’s a handful of chocolate chips mixed through the batter for extra texture & a sprinkle of sea salt on top to enhance the chocolate flavours.
These tahini chocolate brownies are incredibly easy to make & are great on their own but even better when warmed up and served with a scoop of ice cream. Our homemade vanilla ice cream would be perfect!
Looking for more baking recipes to try? We have recipes for a whole load of bakes. From homemade bread & sourdough, to cakes, brownies and bars & cookies.
What You’ll Need
- Chocolate – For these brownies, we’re using bars of dark chocolate & semi sweet or milk chocolate chips. The bars are roughly chopped & melted for the batter & the chips are folded through before baking. Using good quality chocolate is key here as it gives the brownies the best flavour. I’ve found that a 72% dark chocolate works best for the batter as it’s not too bitter but still super chocolatey.
- Cocoa Powder – Make sure to use Dutch processed cocoa powder for these brownies as it has a more intense chocolate flavour. This can be found in most supermarkets. If you’re in the UK, I’d recommend Green & Black’s.
- Tahini – Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds & these brownies can be made with either white or black tahini. White tahini will give them a subtle nutty flavour whereas black tahini will give them a deeper, nuttier flavour.
- Oil – Tahini contains a fat content of around 55% whereas butter contains around 80%. As we’re substituting some of the butter with tahini, we need to add the missing fat back in. A small amount of a neutral vegetable oil works best! Oil also makes brownies even more fudgy.
- Espresso Powder – Adding a small amount of espresso powder to brownie batter enhances the chocolate flavours, without making it taste of coffee! Although you can buy espresso powder from some supermarkets, it’s actually super easy to make yourself, following our espresso powder guide. However, these brownies can be made without it if you’d prefer.
- Sugar – You’ll need both caster sugar & dark brown sugar for these brownies. The brown sugar makes them fudgier & the caster sugar helps form the crinkly top.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best as it allows us to control the salt content of our broies.
- Eggs – This recipe uses 4 large eggs. Each egg should weigh around 50 grams out of the shell.
- Flour – Fudgy brownies only need a small amount of flour otherwise they’ll turn out cakey. Make sure to use plain/all purpose flour.
- Salt – You’ll need some fine seal salt for the batter plus some extra to sprinkle over the top before serving. I like to use Maldon salt.
- Vanilla – Chocolate & vanilla complement each other really well! Adding some vanilla extract to our brownie batter helps enhance the chocolate flavours.
Making Brownies With Tahini
Whenever I bake with tahini, I treat it like a fat. However it’s not alway as simple as swapping some of the butter out for tahini!
When I was developing this recipe I found that swapping just under half of the butter with tahini gave them a good amount of flavour but made the brownies not as fudgy & almost dry. The reason behind this is that tahini has a fat content of around 55% whereas butter has a fat content of around 80%. There’s also less water in tahini than butter. Chocolate brownies need that extra fat & moisture to be fudgy!
Luckily this was a pretty easy problem to rectify. To replace the missing fat & restore the fudgy texture, I added in a small amount of vegetable oil. Then instead of using 3 eggs & an extra yolk like I normally do when making brownies, I used 4 whole eggs instead. Egg whites contain around 90% water so adding an extra one to the batter replaced the missing moisture from the tahini. The added water also helps dissolve the sugar in the batter, giving our brownies a proper crinkly top!
The Secret To Crinkle Top Brownies
To get a perfectly flaky, crinkly top on your chocolate brownies, you need to properly dissolve the sugar in the batter before baking. Some recipes call for the sugar to be dissolved in hot butter & others whisk the sugar with the eggs. We’re doing the latter in this brownie recipe & then we’re also going to be resting the batter for around 10 minutes to further dissolve the sugar before baking. The key step with this method is to whisk the eggs & sugar for a good 4-5 minutes, until they’re thick & pale, preferably with a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.
Getting a properly crinkled brownie top also comes down to what sugar is used & how much of it goes into the batter. When I was developing this recipe I found that using a mix of caster sugar & dark brown sugar gave the best crinkly top & the ideal amount of fudginess. I also found that folding through some milk or semi sweet chocolate chips through the batter helped as well, thanks to the extra sugar that these add.
Using a higher ratio of caster sugar to dark brown sugar came out on top as it’s finer & therefore dissolves better in the batter, giving the brownie a crisp, paper thin crust. And although dark brown sugar doesn’t dissolve as well, it’s more hygroscopic which means that it retains moisture which makes our brownies extra fudgy. For this recipe we’re using 100 grams of dark brown sugar to 250 grams of caster sugar (a 1:2.5 ratio). This might seem like a lot of sugar but don’t be tempted to reduce it as you won’t get the crinkly top! Tahini is fairly bitter as well so we need all of that sugar to balance out the flavours.
How To Make Fudgy Tahini Chocolate Brownies
Here’s how to make a batch of nutty, fudgy chocolate brownies with that coveted crinkly top! For this recipe, you’ll need an 8″ square baking tin that has been greased & lined with baking parchment. The full, printable recipe card can be found at the bottom of this post…
- Melt Chocolate, Butter & Tahini
The first step is to add roughly chopped dark chocolate into a large heatproof bowl with butter, tahini paste & sea salt. We set this over a pan of barely simmering water then cook until just melted. Make sure to stir the chocolate regularly so that it melts evenly. - Bloom Cocoa
Once our chocolate has melted, we take it off the heat, whisk in cocoa powder & espresso powder then leave to cool slightly. This blooms the cocoa powder which helps release the chocolatey flavours.
Blooming cocoa is where cocoa is mixed with a hot liquid or fat before being used for a recipe. This breaks up any lumps & draws out & intensifies the chocolate flavours. - Whisk Eggs & Sugar
Next, we add large eggs, caster sugar & brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer then whisk on a medium speed until thick & pale. This will take around 5 minutes. When the eggs are ready they will have reached the “ribbon stage” which is when you lift the whisk out of the eggs & it leaves a visible trail on top. - Mix In Chocolate
Now we turn the mixer down to a medium-low speed then slowly pour in the melted chocolate & mix until just combined. It’s important to add the chocolate in slowly as it will still be warm & we don’t want to shock or scramble the eggs. - Fold In Flour & Chocolate Chips
Next we sift plain flour into the batter, gently fold in with a spatula until just combined then add in chocolate chips & fold again to incorporate. Make sure to give the sides of the bowl a good scrape down to avoid any streaks in the batter. - Rest Batter
Once mixed, we tip the batter into a lined 8″ square tin then give it a firm tap on the counter to pop any large air bubbles. Then we let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes whilst we preheat an oven to 180°c/356°f. This lets the sugar dissolve even more which helps form the crinkly top.
If your oven takes longer than 15 minutes to preheat, turn it on a bit earlier! - Bake
We bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are set & the middle still has a slight wobble. It’s best to start checking the brownies after 20 minutes. - Chill Overnight
Once cooked, we set the tin onto a wire cooling rack & leave to cool to room temperature. Then we pop the brownies into the fridge & let them set overnight (or for at least a few hours). - Cut Into Portions
To cut the brownies into portions, remove them from the tin & discard any baking parchment. Then use a large chef’s knife to cut into pieces. For clean slices, dip your knife into hot water & dry between cuts.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a really good dark chocolate for the best flavour. It really does make a difference!
- Use Dutch processed cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate flavour.
- Add a small amount of espresso powder to your brownie batter to enhance the flavour from the chocolate.
- Make sure to whisk the eggs & sugar together until they’re thick & pale. When you lift the whisk out of the eggs, it should leave a visible trail on top. This ensures that the sugar is properly dissolved which is key to making brownies with a flaky, crinkly top.
- Be careful not to overcook your brownies as they won’t be as fudgy! Brownies are cooked when the edges are set & the middle still has a slight wobble. If you’re unsure, it’s always best to under cook brownies rather than overcook them!
- Chill your brownies in the fridge overnight. This ensures that they are set properly and also makes them easier to cut into portions.
- For the cleanest slices, dip your knife in hot water & dry between cuts. This is how you get perfect pieces of brownies!
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook fudgy brownies in an Aga, melt the chocolate using the simmering plate then bake the brownies in the baking oven, on the second from bottom set of runners.
A good quality dark chocolate is best for brownies. Using a really good dark chocolate is best, it should be one that you’d eat on its’ own. I find that a 72% dark chocolate works best.
For the richest chocolate flavour, Dutch processed cocoa powder is best for making brownies with. This can be found in most supermarkets.
When fudgy chocolate brownies are cooked, the edges will be set & the middle will still have a slight wobble. For brownies baked in an 8″ square tin, it’s best to start checking them after 20 minutes of baking.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use an electric hand mixer to whisk the eggs & sugar together.
Chocolate brownies will keep for up to a week in the fridge. It’s best to store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Equipment Used
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More Baking Recipes To Try!
- Brown Butter & Miso Pecan Pie Bars
- Kettle Chip Rocky Road
- Brown Butter Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Double Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Black Tahini Chocolate Sheet Cake
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Fudgy Tahini Chocolate Brownies
Equipment
- 8" Square Baking Tin
- Stand Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Large Saucepan
- Sieve
- Wire Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 225 g Dark Chocolate (72% Cocoa Is Best – See Notes)
- 125 g Unsalted Butter
- 100 g Tahini (See Notes)
- ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt (Plus Extra To Finish)
- 45 g Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder (See Notes)
- 1 tsp Espresso Powder (See Notes)
- 4 Large Eggs (50g Each Out Of The Shell)
- 250 g Caster Sugar
- 100 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 90 g Plain Flour
- 150 g Chocolate Chips (Milk Chocolate Or Semi Sweet)
Instructions
- Grease & line an 8" square baking tin with baking parchment then set to one side.
- Roughly chop up the chocolate & butter then add into a large heatproof bowl along with the tahini & salt. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water then cook until just melted, stirring frequently.Make sure not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water!
- Once the chocolate is melted, take the bowl off the heat then whisk in the cocoa powder & espresso powder. Set this to one side & leave to cool slightly whilst you whisk the eggs.
- Next, add the eggs, both of the sugars & the vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer then whisk on a medium speed until the mix reaches the ribbon stage. The eggs will be thick & pale & when you lift the whisk out it will leave a visible ribbon on top. This will take 4-5 minutes of whisking.If you haven't got a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer will work as well.
- Next, turn the mixer speed down to medium-low then slowly pour in the melted chocolate & mix until just combined. Once all of the chocolate has been added, give the bowl a quick scrape down with a spatula then whisk again briefly.
- Take the bowl off the mixer, sift in the plain flour then gently fold in, until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips then fold again, to incorporate.
- Tip the batter into the lined tin then give it a firm tap on your counter to pop any large air bubbles. Let the brownie batter rest for 10-15 minutes, whilst your oven preheats.If your oven takes longer than 15 minutes to preheat, turn it on earlier!
- Next, preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f). Then once up to temperature, bake the brownies for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are set & the middle still has a slight wobble. It's best to check the brownies after 20 minutes.
- Once cooked, set the tin onto a wire cooling rack, leave to cool to temperature then chill in the fridge overnight (or for at least a couple of hours).
- When you're ready to portion the brownies, lift them out of the tin & remove the baking paper. Use a large chef's knife to cut into pieces then finish with a sprinkle of sea salt. For clean cuts, dip your knife in hot water & dry between each cut.
