Think about it: peanut butter, with its creamy, roasted nuttiness. And then black sesame, with its earthy, toasty depth. They just make sense together! I’ve been experimenting with black sesame paste for a while now (I am a little obsessed, I admit), and pairing it with peanut butter creates something truly so delicious: chewy black sesame peanut butter swirl cookies. The two flavours complement each other, each bringing out the best in the other, without either one dominating.
These cookies are soft in the middle, with that slight chew at the edges and they are absolutely packed with both the peanut butter and black sesame flavour!! And because of the swirl, every cookie looks a little different, like a tiny, edible work of art. I promise you, these are going to be a new favourite. 🙂
Black Sesame Paste
If you haven’t baked with it before, you are in for a treat. It’s essentially ground, roasted black sesame seeds, and it has this incredibly rich, nutty, slightly bitter, and very toasty flavour.
You can usually find black sesame paste at Asian grocery stores. Look for it near the tahini or other nut/seed pastes. It sometimes comes in a jar or a tube. If you can’t find it locally, a lot of online specialty stores carry it too. There isn’t really a substitute for it if you want that true black sesame flavour, so it’s worth seeking out. Trust me on this one!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Creamy peanut butter
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- Black sesame paste
*These are the main ingredients. The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found at the bottom of this post!*
The swirl is what makes these cookies look so cool, and it’s super easy to do (but also easy to mess up if you’re not paying attention!). After you’ve mixed your cookie dough, you’re going to drizzle in the black sesame paste. The key here is to fold it gently.
You want to see streaks of black sesame against the lighter peanut butter dough. If you mix it too much, the black sesame paste will just get completely incorporated, and you’ll end up with uniformly grey-ish cookies. They’ll still taste good, because the flavour is all there, but you’ll miss out on that beautiful marbled effect. A few turns with your spatula are all it needs.
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (I like to weigh out most of my ingredients for accuracy, I also think it’s more efficient when measuring things out over measuring cups!)
- Large and small mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Large baking sheet
- Large cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop)
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
Baking These Chewy Cookies to Perfection
These are pretty straightforward cookies, but a few things will help you get that chewy texture that we’re after.
First, make sure your butter is at room temperature. Not melted, not cold from the fridge. Just soft enough that you can press your finger into it easily. This helps it cream properly with the sugars, which builds the structure for a softer cookie.
When it comes to baking, keep an eye on your oven. Every oven is a little different. These cookies are ready when the edges are just starting to brown, and the centres still look a tiny bit soft. They’ll continue to set up as they cool, so don’t wait until they look fully “done” in the oven, or they’ll turn out hard. Pull them out when they’re just getting there. I know it can be hard to resist over-baking, but it really makes a difference here.
Tips for the Best Swirl Cookies
- Don’t overmix the black sesame paste. For those distinct dark swirls, drizzle the paste in and then fold it gently into the dough just a few times. You want visible streaks, not a uniform grey dough.
- Keep an eye on the oven time. These cookies are best when they’re just set with slightly browned edges. They will continue to firm up quite a bit as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Use good quality black sesame paste. The flavour of these cookies truly relies on the unique, toasted taste of black sesame. You can find it at most Asian grocery stores or online.
- Let them cool a bit on the pan. Giving the cookies 5-10 minutes on the hot baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack helps them finish setting up and prevents them from breaking.
I am so thrilled for you to try these chewy black sesame peanut butter cookies. They’re such a unique cookie, and I really hope you enjoy them. If you make them, please remember to tag me @theflournook and leave a review below to let me know what you think of the black sesame peanut butter combo. You can also save the recipe using the pin button on the recipe card or any of the photos in the post.
Happy baking!
For more easy nutty dessert recipes, check out these:
Black Sesame Peanut Butter Cookies
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 14 cookies 1x
Description
Chewy black sesame peanut butter swirl cookies with a soft centre and slightly crisp edges. These East Asian inspired cookies feature a distinct nutty, toasted sesame flavour marbled through a classic peanut butter cookie base.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) baking soda
- 1/4 tsp (1 g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (120 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60 g) black sesame paste, plus 1-2 tbsp for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the peanut butter until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Drizzle half of the black sesame paste into the dough. Gently fold it in a few times to create a marbled effect without fully incorporating it. Repeat with the remaining paste.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the dough into mounds. Arrange them at least 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- If you like, drizzle more black sesame paste over each scooped cookie dough mound.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies begin to brown around the edges.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
For the best marbling, don’t overmix the black sesame paste into the dough. A few gentle folds are all you need to get those distinct dark swirls.
Keep an eye on the baking time. I find these cookies are best when they’re just set with slightly browned edges; they will continue to firm up as they cool.
Black sesame paste is key for the unique flavour here. You can usually find it at Asian grocery stores or online.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
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