Tahini Chocolate Chip Bars

We’ve got an easy treat here. Simple ingredients, one bowl, and darn tasty. Plus they are gluten free and refined sugar free.

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Tahini is really having a moment. I use to only think of it as something for savory dishes, things like hummus and dressings. But now we’re seeing it all over the place, like sweet treats and baked goods. And I am loving it. It has such a lovely nutty flavor and balances nicely with a little sweetness. These bars really highlight that earthy, nutty flavor by only using a small amount of sugar which lets the tahini flavor remain the star. The use of coconut and almond flour enhances that nutty flavor too. I like a good all purpose flour but in this recipe I think the almond flour is really key.

Now, if you’ve never baked with tahini, these bars are a great place to start. While it does look like peanut butter, it has a completely different taste from it or any other nut butters. For me it took some getting use to as for how to incorporate it beyond hummus, but now I use it a lot more than I thought I would. Again, mostly savory dishes, but it’s great for baking. Especially if you want something on the not too sweet side.

I tossed some chocolate chips in these because I do that with a lot of baked goods. If you’re someone who LOVES chocolate chips, you can definitely use more. I only use 1/4 cup. I think this is just the right amount. Now if you’re on the flip side of this, like my husband who could do without chocolate chips, well just leave them out. But I would maybe try some chopped nuts in place, like walnuts. Or just keep it all out and go with tahini bars.

I use a combination of maple syrup and coconut sugar. Those are kind of my go to’s for baked goods. If you don’t have one of those you could use a regular sugar. But then it won’t be refined sugar free. That probably doesn’t matter for a lot of people. Also, using a regular white sugar makes it a lot sweeter. In that case I would cut one of the other sugars in half. Say you use regular sugar instead of coconut sugar. Then use only 2 tbsp of maple syrup. And if you use regular sugar for maple, cut the coconut sugar down to 2 tbsp.

 

Looking for more recipes using tahini? I’ve got a couple recipes I love listed below.

How about PIZZA HUMMUS. This is an old recipe, but man is it good. It really tastes like pizza! It’s such a fun dip.

One of my favorite dressings for veggie bowl, featuring another favorite ingredient, miso. MISO TAHINI DRESSING. Enjoy!

Any tahini focused recipes you love? Do share! And if you make these bars, please let me know how you liked them, and share if you want @gina_gibson_ I love seeing your recreations!