Toasted Sesame Seed Cookies

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/7/22
Toasted Sesame Seed Cookies

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 12 servings

Sesame has a delicious small seed that comes inside of an edible husk, but that is commercially available usually in its seed form or in a paste called tahini.

Our delicious sesame seed cookies are coated with toasted sesame seeds, fragrant and crunchy, an excellent snack for school, coffee break, or tea time.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup sesame seeds, divided

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup (4-ounces) unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 large egg

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Toasted Sesame Seed Cookies ingredients

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

    parchment paper lined baking sheets

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, toast sesame seeds until golden brown, shaking the skillet and stirring frequently to avoid burning or browning them too fast. Remove from heat and set aside.

    sesame seeds in a pan

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Mix the flour, sugar, butter, water, baking powder, vanilla, salt, and egg in a large mixing bowl. With the help of an electric mixer on low speed, beat the ingredients until well blended, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.

    flour, sugar, butter, water, baking powder, vanilla, salt, and egg in a large mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Gently fold 1/2 cup of the toasted sesame seeds into the dough until all ingredients are well combined.

    sesame seeds and dough mixed together in a bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  6. Using about 2 teaspoons of dough for each cookie, shape into ovals of about 2 inches in length. Work with all of the dough and roll each cookie in the remaining toasted sesame seeds.

    cookie dough in a bowl of sesame seeds

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Place the rolled cookies about 1 inch apart from each other on the prepared baking sheets.

    unbaked sesame cookies on baking sheets

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

    sesame seed cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  9. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool. Store the cookies in a tightly covered container for up to one week.

    Toasted Sesame Seed Cookies on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Dipping Sauces for Your Cookies

If you want to kick-up these sesame seed cookies, try one or more of our sweet dipping sauces:

  • Chocolate: Mix 3/4 cup of chocolate-hazelnut spread, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1/4 cup of heavy cream over low heat.
  • Berries: Use any berry jam or preserve you'd like and thin it out with 2 tablespoons of hot water per 1/4 cup of jam.
  • Apricot-Raisin: Mix 3/4 cup of apricot jam with 3 tablespoons of hot water. Add 2 ounces of pre-soaked and drained raisins in hot water and blend all of the ingredients at high speed.
  • Dulce de Leche: Mix 3/4 cup of store-bought dulce de leche with 1/4 cup of warm heavy cream.
  • Vanilla Pudding: Mix 3 small pots of ready-to-eat vanilla pudding with 2 tablespoons of hot milk and a pinch of cinnamon.
  • Salty Caramel: Place 1 cup of unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe dish. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of whole milk. Microwave in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring in between intervals until all the ingredients are well combined. If needed, add more milk to thin out the sauce.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
259 Calories
13g Fat
31g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 259
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 36mg 12%
Sodium 93mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 136mg 10%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 82mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)