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Honey Tahini Fudge Brownies (gluten-free + dairy- free)

Marisa Kroes
Apr 1, 2019
2 min read

Updated: Jan 8, 2021

If there is one dessert that most defines my childhood, it would be a brownie. My family tried a lot of box brownie mixes growing up and we all agreed the best of the boxes was Ghiradelli’s Double Chocolate Brownies, and they became a staple in our home. Years later, when I was working as pastry chef and discussed my menu process with my brother, he told me with sincere conviction, “nothing beats a brownie”. He was convinced all any dessert menu really needed was a brownie, maybe served warm, and possibly with a scoop of ice cream and some hot fudge. I didn’t bother to argue because in all honesty, who doesn’t love a good brownie?

These are not the brownies of my childhood. These brownies are rich, complex in flavor, and way less sweet than that Ghiradelli shit. They're like a grown up, more sophisticated version of those peanut butter fudge brownies you loved as a kid.

There are three main ingredients that set these brownies apart. Tahini, honey, and olive oil. Tahini is a paste made from ground toasted sesame seeds and for years it has been one of my secret ingredients I use in just about everything. From sandwiches to chia pudding, the creamy-nutty-salty goodness of ground sesame paste makes just about anything better, whether it be sweet or savory. Yet, for some god forsaken reason I had yet to pair tahini with chocolate until I started making these brownies about a month ago. Now I can't stop.

The brownie recipe I used is originally adapted from a BA version of David Lebovitz gluten-free brownie. My version uses tapioca starch and olive oil in place of the standard flour and butter and about half the sugar typically found in brownies. This incredibly rich version has perfectly crisp edges with a deeply fudgy center, and a generous amount of sweet-salty tahini and honey swirled throughout. Even better, the recipe comes together in less than twenty minutes, and unlike traditional brownies that tend to dry out after a day or two, these beauties last at room temp for several days. That is, if you somehow have the self-control to keep them around for that long.

Recipe yields about 12 servings

Brownie

6 Tbs tapioca starch (50g)

¼ cup cocoa powder (30g)

10oz dark chocolate (about 1 1/2 cup chopped)

6 Tbs olive oil (80g)

¼ cup tahini paste (60g)

3 eggs

1/3 cup sugar (60g)

1/4 brown sugar (50g)

2 tsp salt

1 Tbs vanilla extract