About this recipe
We all get tired of making the same standard chocolate chip cookies over and over. These Black Sesame Cookies completely change up the usual baking routine with a deep, earthy, and intensely nutty flavor profile. Using both black sesame paste and toasted black sesame seeds gives the dough a striking dark color and a rich texture that isn't overly sweet. The brown sugar keeps the centers incredibly soft and chewy, while the edges get perfectly crisp in the oven—and the whole batch is ready in about 62 minutes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
They have a uniquely nutty, earthy flavor that stands out from typical overly-sweet desserts.
The dark, striking color makes them look incredibly impressive on a pastry tray.
The dough only needs a quick 30-minute chill time to get perfectly thick and chewy.
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp black sesame paste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp black sesame seeds (plus more for topping)
Ingredient Notes
Black sesame paste
You can find this at most Asian markets or online. Do not confuse it with tahini—black sesame paste is much darker and has a deeply roasted, almost smoky flavor.
Butter
Your butter needs to be soft enough to dent with your finger, but not melting or greasy. If it's too warm, your cookies will flatten out into puddles.
Equipment
large mixing bowl
baking sheet
parchment paper
whisk
cookie scoop
Instructions
Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt in a medium bowl. Make sure there are no hard lumps of baking soda hiding in the flour so your cookies bake evenly.
Cream butter and sugars
Toss your softened butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat them together with an electric mixer for a good two to three minutes until the mixture turns pale, fluffy, and completely smooth.
Add egg and sesame paste
Drop in the egg, black sesame paste, and a splash of vanilla extract. Mix everything on medium speed until the thick black paste is fully incorporated and the batter looks like dark, wet sand.
Finish the dough
Dump the dry flour mixture and your black sesame seeds directly into the wet ingredients. Fold the dough gently with a silicone spatula just until the flour streaks disappear, then cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge for exactly 30 minutes.
Scoop and bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the chilled dough into 1.5-inch balls, sprinkle a few extra sesame seeds on top, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are just set.
Cool
Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes after you pull them from the oven so the centers can firm up. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skipping the chill time
If you throw this dough right into the oven, the cookies will spread aggressively and lose their chewy centers. Give them the full 30 minutes in the fridge.
Overbaking
Because the dough is naturally black, it is impossible to see if the edges are turning brown. Pull them out exactly at 12 minutes while the centers still look slightly soft.
Tips
- Roll the tops of your scooped dough balls directly in a shallow dish of extra sesame seeds before baking for a picture-perfect finish.
- If your sesame paste separated in the jar, stir it aggressively with a butter knife until the oil blends back in before measuring.
- Hit the tops of the warm cookies with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt as soon as they come out of the oven.
Variations
White Chocolate Sesame
Fold a half cup of white chocolate chips into the dough. The sweet creaminess balances the earthy sesame perfectly.
Matcha Swirl
Pair these cookies with a batch of matcha cookies, twisting pieces of the dough together before baking for a marbled look.
Substitutions
- If you absolutely cannot find black sesame paste, you can pulse toasted black sesame seeds in a food processor with a tiny drizzle of neutral oil until a thick paste forms.
- You can swap the dark brown sugar for light brown sugar, though the cookies will have slightly less chew to them.
What to Serve With It
Serve them warm next to a hot cup of green tea or oolong tea.
Use two of these cookies to sandwich a giant scoop of black sesame ice cream.
Make Ahead
Make the dough ahead
You can mix the dough completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking.
Storage
Room temperature
Store your completely cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days.
Refrigerator
You don't need to chill baked cookies, but you can keep the raw dough tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days before scooping.
Freezer
Freeze the scooped, unbaked dough balls in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Just add an extra minute or two to the baking time when you bake them straight from frozen.
Recipe Notes
The dough will look almost gray when you first start mixing, but it will bake into a gorgeous dark charcoal color.
If you want to lean into Asian-inspired dessert flavors, we sourced other related ideas like black sesame ice cream and mango sticky rice from our published recipe list[cite: 32, 35, 62].
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1 cookie
- Calories
- 145
- Protein
- 2g
- Carbohydrates
- 18g
- Fat
- 8g
- Fiber
- 1g
- Sugar
- 9g
- Sodium
- 105mg
FAQ
Can I make Black Sesame Cookies ahead of time?
Absolutely. Cookie dough loves to sit in the fridge. You can make the dough up to three days in advance, which actually gives the flour time to hydrate and deepens the sesame flavor.
Where do I buy black sesame paste?
You can easily find it at local Asian grocery stores, usually right next to the peanut butter or in the baking aisle. If you don't have a store nearby, grab a jar online.
Why did my cookies spread so much?
It usually comes down to the butter being too warm or skipping the chill time. If your kitchen is incredibly hot, you might need to leave the dough in the fridge for 45 minutes instead of 30.
Recipe Card
Black Sesame Cookies
Soft, chewy black sesame cookies with crisp edges and a deep, toasted nutty flavor.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 62 min
- Servings
- 18
- Category
- Dessert Recipes
- Cuisine
- Asian Inspired
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget-friendly
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp black sesame paste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp black sesame seeds (plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt in a medium bowl. Make sure there are no hard lumps of baking soda hiding in the flour so your cookies bake evenly.
- Cream butter and sugars: Toss your softened butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat them together with an electric mixer for a good two to three minutes until the mixture turns pale, fluffy, and completely smooth.
- Add egg and sesame paste: Drop in the egg, black sesame paste, and a splash of vanilla extract. Mix everything on medium speed until the thick black paste is fully incorporated and the batter looks like dark, wet sand.
- Finish the dough: Dump the dry flour mixture and your black sesame seeds directly into the wet ingredients. Fold the dough gently with a silicone spatula just until the flour streaks disappear, then cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge for exactly 30 minutes.
- Scoop and bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the chilled dough into 1.5-inch balls, sprinkle a few extra sesame seeds on top, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are just set.
- Cool: Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes after you pull them from the oven so the centers can firm up. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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