From the roundup: 24 Easy Fall Desserts Recipes to Bake This Season
These tahini swirl brownies come together in one bowl with no mixer, which means I can actually make them on a weeknight without clearing the whole counter. The batter is a straight melt-and-stir situation: butter and dark chocolate go into a heatproof bowl, eggs and sugar get whisked in, flour and cocoa folded at the end. Fifteen minutes of actual work, then 30 minutes in the oven.
The swirl is just tahini stirred with a teaspoon of maple syrup, dropped over the batter in spoonfuls and dragged through with a toothpick. It sounds fussy but it takes about two minutes. What you get is a fudgy, deeply chocolatey brownie with a slightly bitter, nutty ribbon running through the top. My kids who normally skip brownies because they find them too sweet will actually eat these.
One thing worth knowing: these slice best when fully cooled. I have cut into them too early more than once and ended up with smeared squares that tasted fine but looked like a mess. Let them sit on the rack until the pan is completely cool, even if that takes an hour.
Why you will love this
- One bowl and no mixer, start to finish in 45 minutes
- The tahini and maple swirl adds a nutty, lightly salty contrast that keeps the chocolate from tasting flat or overly sweet
- Fudgy center with slightly set edges, not cakey
- Makes 9 squares, easy to wrap individually for lunchboxes or snacks
- Bakes well a day ahead and actually tastes better the next morning
Tips for success
- Stir your tahini thoroughly before measuring. The oil and paste separate in the jar, and if you scoop from an unstirred jar you will get a greasy, uneven swirl instead of a clean ribbon.
- Do not overwork the swirl. A few long S-curves or figure-eights with a toothpick is enough. The more you drag, the more the tahini blends into the batter and disappears.
- Pull the brownies when the center looks set but not dry and a toothpick inserted one inch from the edge comes out with a few moist crumbs. Wet batter means more time; completely clean toothpick means you have gone too far.
- Let the brownies cool completely before cutting. They firm up as they cool, and a warm brownie will smear and fall apart no matter how sharp your knife is.
Common questions
- Can I use a 9×9 pan? You can, but the brownies will be thinner and will likely be done closer to 24 to 26 minutes. Watch the edges, not the clock.
- My tahini is very thick. Stir in one teaspoon of warm water to loosen it before mixing with the maple syrup. It should pour off a spoon in a slow ribbon.
- Do the flaky salt on top matter? It is optional, but a small pinch before baking makes the chocolate flavor noticeably sharper. Worth it if you have it.
Substitutions
For a nut-free version, sunflower seed butter works in place of tahini. The swirl will be a little milder and slightly greener in color once baked, but the texture holds. Honey can replace the maple syrup in the swirl if that is what you have on hand. Coconut sugar can stand in for granulated sugar and adds a faint molasses note to the batter.
To make these dairy-free, use refined coconut oil in place of the butter and a dairy-free dark chocolate. The brownies will be slightly less rich but still fudgy. Refined coconut oil works better here than unrefined because it does not add a coconut flavor that competes with the tahini.
Make-ahead and storage
These brownies are genuinely better the next day. Bake them the night before, let them cool completely in the pan, then cover with foil and leave them at room temperature. The tahini swirl settles and the chocolate flavor deepens overnight. Store cut squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Cold brownies firm up quite a bit, so give them 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
To freeze, wrap individual squares tightly in plastic wrap and store in a zip bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature. The texture holds well after freezing as long as they were fully cooled before wrapping.
Tahini Swirl Brownies with Maple
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple inches of overhang on two sides so you can lift the brownies out cleanly. Lightly grease the parchment.
- In a medium heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water, melt the butter and dark chocolate together, stirring occasionally until completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. You can also do this in a microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each.
- Whisk the granulated sugar into the melted chocolate mixture until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in the vanilla. The batter should look glossy and slightly thick at this point.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt to the bowl. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold everything together until just combined, meaning no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix or the brownies will be cakey instead of fudgy.
- In a small bowl, stir the tahini and maple syrup together until smooth and pourable. If your tahini is very thick, stir in 1 teaspoon of warm water to loosen it slightly.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Drop spoonfuls of the tahini mixture across the surface, spacing them fairly evenly. Use a toothpick or the tip of a butter knife to drag through the tahini drops in long S-curves or figure-eights, creating a swirl pattern. Do not overwork it or the swirl will disappear into the batter.
- Scatter a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top if you like. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes. The edges should pull slightly away from the pan sides and the center should look set but not dry. A toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting them out using the parchment overhang. Cut into 9 squares. The brownies slice cleanest when fully cooled.
Notes
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