These vegan and gluten free hazelnut tahini brownies are nutty, rich and studded with dark chocolate chunks! Topped with extra hazelnuts for crunch and a sprinkle of flaky salt for good measure. You won't be able to stop at just one!
We're giving these hazelnut tahini brownies a quick update! After originally publishing them a few years ago, they've been a huge hit so we decided to refresh the photos and post a bit.
Who doesn't love a fudgy, moist brownie? There's nothing quite like the smell of brownies baking (it beats out cookies, in my opinion!). And brownie batter is just as addictive as cookie dough. Agreed?
(Brownie addict? Try these S'mores Brownies or these Brownies with Chocolate Ganache Frosting!)
These brownies got an upgrade with the addition of nutty, creamy tahini and crunchy hazelnuts. Originally we planned on doing a tahini swirl, but we just love the way the tahini marries with the chocolate when mixed directly in.
Crunchy hazelnuts get nice & toasty and extra dark chocolate chunks really up the fudge factor. They're finished with a sprinkle of flaky salt, because why not?
The best part? They're both vegan and gluten free, so perfect for just about any dietary needs!
Easy Tahini Brownies
One of the best parts about making brownies? Easy cleanup! Much easier than cookies. No bulky stand mixer needed – just a whisk, spatula and two bowls.
Ingredients
- Tahini: Opt for a creamy, pourable tahini. My favorite brands are either Soom or the Whole Foods brand. They're both easy to mix and super creamy, so they incorporate well into these brownies! You can also make homemade tahini – see how to do it here.
- Coconut sugar: to keep these brownies refined sugar free (other than the chocolate), we used coconut sugar and maple syrup. I love the caramel-y taste of coconut sugar, too!
- Maple syrup: always use pure maple syrup! Definitely not pancake syrup, which is basically corn syrup. Read more about choosing maple syrup here.
- Coconut oil: melt the coconut oil before adding to this recipe. To do so, simply heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds!
- Flax eggs: Flax eggs replace real eggs as a binder in these brownies. Not sure what a flax egg is? Read all about them here, including how to make them and when to use them.
- GF all purpose flour: make your own blend, or use store-bought!
- Melted dark chocolate: we opt for either semi-sweet or something over 70%. It's totally up to you and how bitter you want the brownies to be. Just make sure to check the label for hidden dairy (if you're vegan!)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: any unsweetened cocoa powder will do the trick, including Dutch process cocoa.
Before baking After baking
Tips & Troubleshooting
We first tried making these completely flourless, but unfortunately they just need that touch of flour to bind together. The flourless version got nice and crispy on the outer edges, but remained too doughy inside.
If you would prefer a grain free version, we would suggest almond flour (though we haven't tested it, so try at your own risk!).
Be sure to let the brownies cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. They need a few minutes to firm up after coming out of the oven. If you cut them right away, you'll end up making a huge mess!
If the hazelnuts start to burn while they're baking, cover with aluminum foil and return to the oven.
Don't like tahini? Feel free to sub with almond butter instead!
More vegan chocolate desserts
- Vegan Chocolate Pie with a Chocolate Cookie Crust
- Vegan Almond Joy Bites
- Homemade Twix Bars
- Classic Chocolate Cupcakes
- Salted Dark Chocolate Mousse
- Dark Chocolate Dipped Figs
If you make these vegan and gluten free hazelnut tahini brownies, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.
Print📖 Recipe
Hazelnut Tahini Brownies
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 brownies 1x
Description
Tahini gives these brownies a slightly nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with toasted hazelnuts and rich dark chocolate.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flax meal mixed with 6 tbsp room temp water)
- ½ cup melted vegan dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup chopped hazelnuts
- ¼ cup chocolate chunks
- Flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325˚ F and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Make flax eggs by combining 2 tablespoon flax meal with 6 tablespoon room temp water. Stir and set aside to thicken for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together tahini, coconut sugar, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in flax eggs and melted chocolate until well incorporated. Add cocoa powder in thirds and whisk until smooth.
- Use a spatula to fold in flour mixture (at this point, the batter will be too thick for whisk). Stir until well combined.
- Pour into parchment paper lined pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, chocolate chunks and flaky salt.
- Bake for 32-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting (or else they will crumble!). Enjoy!
Notes
You can substitute almond butter for tahini if you'd prefer.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 18.4 g
- Sodium: 251.9 mg
- Fat: 16.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.3 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 4.2 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg
Paige says
These look amazing ! Can I use olive oil instead of coconut oil ? Thanks ! Can’t wait to try them!
Lexi says
Yes that should work!
Renu says
Which flour for eg buckwheat flour or jowar flour , I mean which gf flour to use .what have u used
Lexi says
Hi, gluten free all purpose flour (or a gluten free 1:1 flour blend) is best for this recipe.
Joanna says
Hello!
Can I replace all purpose flour with whole wheat flour?
Thanks !
Lexi says
Hi Joanna, I have not tried that, but it should work okay. Let me know how it turns out!
Joanna says
So the brownies with whole wheat flour came out really crunchy, moist and fudgy, soft! It was a pure success! 😀
Renu agarwal says
Can I use almond meal and do we have to use tahini sauce or we can grind sesame seeds with little oil and grind it to get tahini
Lexi says
Almond meal should work okay, but it will probably be a bit more crumbly. You'll need to use actual smooth tahini in this recipe to make sure the texture is right, but if you want to make homemade tahini, here's a guide: https://www.crowdedkitchen.com/how-to-make-tahini/
Clémentine says
Amazing brownies recipe, everyone loved it! I respected every proportion and ingredient which I rarely do and it was just perfect. Almost forgot the salty touch at the end which I added when I took the tray off the oven. Don't overlook it, it does bring something!
Lexi says
Thank you so much, Clémentine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!! And you're totally right, the salt really makes a big difference! Hope you have a lovely day 🙂
Andy Walker says
I just made these last night and I was nervous for 2 reasons:
1- the recipe used only 1/4 cup of flour
2- I've never tried tahini in a baked good before--but they were delicious! 😋
I would stress to let the brownies cool completely before cutting and eating; they were more stable the cooler they were. (We couldn't wait to dig into them!)
I did find preparing the ingredients a little tedious [chopping the nuts and chocolate, melting the chocolate and coconut oil (my house is a little on the chilly side )], but that's probably because I'm a little lazy, lol. Once I had everything ready the recipe was super easy.
Thank you for sharing this-I am definitely adding this recipe to my personal collection.
Samantha Stack says
These were the best brownies vegan and non vegan that I’ve ever had. I’ve just been introduced to using tahini in desserts and it’s the best. I used almonds instead of hazelnuts and they were delicious.
Lexi says
Thank you so much, Samantha! Love to hear that and good to know that they worked well with almonds! 🙂