Bake

Toasted Sesame Cookies

by:
September 10, 2020
5
32 Ratings
Toasted Sesame Cookies
Photo by Sarah Kieffer
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 16 minutes
  • Makes about 12 cookies
Author Notes

In my first book, my chocolate chip cookie recipe had a variation that included toasted sesame oil. I’ve snuck it in again here, but this time around I’ve added white and black sesame seeds as well. Toasted sesame oil also tastes amazing with chocolate, and you can add up to 3 oz [85 g] of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate here if desired (I highly suggest it).

Reprinted from 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer with permission by Chronicle Books, 2020. —sarah kieffer | the vanilla bean blog

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Toasted Sesame Cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 cups (249 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks or 170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into bite-size pieces (averaging 1/2-inch with some smaller and some larger, optional)
  • Black and white sesame seeds, for rolling
Directions
  1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line three sheet pans with aluminum foil, dull-side up.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, toasted sesame oil, water, and vanilla, and mix on low speed to combine. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Add the chocolate, if using, and mix until combined.
  4. Form the dough into 3-ounce (85-gram) balls (1/4 cup). Roll in the sesame seeds, and place 4 cookies an equal distance apart on each sheet pan. Bake the cookies one pan at a time. Bake until the dough balls have spread flat but are puffed slightly in the center, 9 minutes. Lift one side of the sheet pan up about 4 inches (10 centimeters) and gently let it drop down against the oven rack, so the edges of the cookies set and the center falls back down. After the cookies puff up again in 2 minutes, repeat lifting and dropping the pan. Repeat a few more times to create ridges around the edge of the cookie. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes total, until the cookies have spread out and the edges are golden brown but the centers are much lighter and not fully cooked.
  5. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days (or refrigerate for up to 3 days).
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sarah kieffer | the vanilla bean blog
A baker's soliloquy. You can follow along at thevanillabeanblog.com.

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32 Reviews

Kayla
Kayla April 10, 2024
Made this today, whipped it up so fast! This was so easy to make, ingredients are something you probably already have, and the instructions were so easy to follow. My boyfriend and I ate most of it already. This is going to be our new fixation! lol
 
Susan
Susan March 14, 2023
Wow what a great cookie! Next time I’ll weigh the dough before I portion it. Going by 85g I only got 10 cookies. Other than that, they turned out perfectly.
 
Bar49
Bar49 March 6, 2023
What is the calorie count & nutrition info. For each cookie. Why does food 52 not include this info for their recipes?
 
akaaaw
akaaaw February 26, 2023
This is a really good base from which to have fun! I subbed in Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 GF flour, which worked well here but was a bit greasy, which is typical for a GF recipe, as the flour doesn't absorb fat that well. Next time I will try with melted butter. For extra flavor, I browned 4 tbsp of the butter and mixed with the rest as directed in the recipe. I agree w/ some others that the chocolate isn't necessary here, the sesame flavor and seed texture is really good and the chocolate just doesn't feel that important here. This is definitely a very sesame flavor, so you gotta be on board with that flavor profile. I do think a different add-in like toasted peanuts could be really good here. The nuttiness of the sesame is so, so, good and really unusual. Highly recommend!
 
sheila
sheila December 18, 2022
Very good recipe, it's clearly been tested and worked very well. Love the wrinkly cookie. However I think the cookie dough could use a bit more flavor. I think next time I would brown the butter and maybe even add a bit more sesame oil or tahini in place of some of the butter.
 
KMack09
KMack09 December 14, 2022
Has anyone tried freezing the raw dough and cooking several weeks later? I'd love to have some make ahead cookies that I can just pop in the oven and these look amazing.
 
Jane R.
Jane R. November 29, 2022
Hands down favorite from last year. So crispy and just the right amount of all of the flavors.
 
KKD
KKD March 6, 2022
Love these. Made these smaller than the recipe. Also used a bit less sugar.
 
eswapner
eswapner February 21, 2022
I love this recipe! I make it all the time- so simple yet truly amazing. Always gets rave reviews from friends. Thank you for sharing this brilliant recipe!
 
th1world
th1world January 19, 2022
I was so excited to try these. Yes banging the pans was fun but the flavor of the sesame was overpowered by the chocolate. I might try again without chocolate. Overall very disappointing.
 
nlitra01
nlitra01 January 3, 2022
These cookies were amazing! The sesame flavor wasn't too much. I couldn't find black sesame seeds so I only used normal ones and they looked great. I'm not sure that I'll bother with dropping the sheet pan throughout the baking process as it was a bit time consuming and labor intensive. They were such a hit with friends, and can't wait to make them again.
 
Cynthia
Cynthia December 17, 2021
Has anyone made these smaller in size; say half the size the recipe calls for?
 
LynneT
LynneT October 31, 2021
These are completely and utterly divine. I’ve been baking for over 50 years and these are quite possibly my new all time favorite cookie. I shared the first batch with coworkers and they all loved them. I used my largest scoop and my cookies were 46 grams before I baked them. I made the recipe as written, but I may have added a bit more chocolate. Truly wonderful and worth every banging minute. They make me smile every time I bake them. Love, love, ❤️

 
LLStone
LLStone October 22, 2021
These are delicious. I am addicted to these. My grandkids love the original wrinkly cookies, and my husband and I love these. So very good..
 
avocadoalice
avocadoalice October 19, 2021
I "veganized" these using vegan butter and a chia seed egg. I also subbed half the butter for peanut butter and added 2 tbs miso paste. Delicious!

Also made them gluten-free for my partner with celiac by using all purpose GF flour. Turned out great!
 
SROSE
SROSE October 13, 2021
Followed the recipe exactly as written and these were perfection!
Beautiful sesame flavour and a combination of outer edge crunch and inner softness. The chocolate and sesame combination is so good!
 
Betsy
Betsy February 10, 2021
I made these tonight, the first recipe I selected to try from the 100 Cookies book. My husband went bananas for them! I opted to add the chocolate and will do so again the next time I make them.
 
Adam T.
Adam T. December 4, 2020
I wanted to like these, but there was something off. I think there’s too much toasted sesame oil. Something to be used in extreme moderation! That said, they cooked well, and had a great crispy texture. Personally might try making them again with 1/4 the amount of sesame oil and add a bit of miso in to help elevate the sesame flavor.
 
Nancy
Nancy November 13, 2020
We thought these cookies were banging! LOL They are incredibly delicious but I could not master the pan bang technique. I could manage only a ripple or two. This is a very unusual recipe and everyone raved. Thanks!
 
omartinez1492
omartinez1492 September 22, 2020
These are incredible! The nutty taste of the toasted sesame works so well with chocolate! Not sure if the technique to get the ridges is totally worth the effort but I do like the crispier edges. Will absolutely make again.