Name: Chocolate Orange Tahini Oat Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 120 g rolled oats; 85 g oat flour; 60 g coarsely chopped almonds; 40 g dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate; 40 g honey or maple syrup; 70 g butter, melted; 80 g mashed banana; 45 g tahini; 1 unwaxed, organic orange, for zest; ¾ tsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp cardamom; ½ tsp cocoa powder; ¼ tsp salt; 100 g dark chocolate; 1 tsp coconut oil; Extra orange zest

Chocolate Orange Tahini Oat Cookies

These chocolate orange tahini oat cookies are soft in the centre, lightly crisp around the edges and packed with dark chocolate, almonds and fragrant orange zest. Dipped in dark chocolate and finished with more orange zest, they make a lovely little treat with plenty of texture.

Sweet Bakes & BitesGluten FreeVegetarianAutumnWinter

These cookies are sweetened with ripe banana and a little honey, which gives them just enough sweetness without making them overly sweet. Rolled oats, oat flour and chopped almonds give them plenty of texture, while tahini adds a rich nuttiness that works so well with the dark chocolate.

The combination of chocolate and orange is what really makes these for me. The orange zest cuts through the richness of the chocolate and tahini, while cinnamon and cardamom add a warm, spiced flavour.

Ready to dip into chocolate once they’ve cooled down.

They’re rich and satisfying, but still made from a lovely mix of oats, nuts, seeds and fruit, so they sit somewhere between an indulgent cookie and something a little more wholesome. They’re also naturally gluten free when made with certified gluten free oats. With the chocolate, orange and warming spices, these are particularly good in the colder months.

Ingredients

120 g rolled oats
85 g oat flour
60 g coarsely chopped almonds
40 g dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
40 g honey or maple syrup
70 g butter, melted
80 g mashed banana
45 g tahini
1 unwaxed, organic orange, for zest
¾ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom
½ tsp cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt

Chocolate coating

100 g dark chocolate
1 tsp coconut oil
Extra orange zest

Instructions

Heat oven to 160°C fan. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a bowl, whisk the melted butter, honey or maple syrup, mashed banana, and tahini until smooth. Finely grate the orange zest directly over the bowl and stir to combine.

Add the rolled oats, oat flour, almonds, dark chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold until well combined and the mixture holds together as a soft but thick dough.

Divide into 12 portions and shape into thick cookies. Place on the tray and flatten slightly.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centres are still soft.

Leave to cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Gently melt the dark chocolate with the coconut oil, stirring until smooth and glossy. Dip each cooled cookie halfway into the chocolate, allowing any excess to drip off, then place on baking paper. Finish with a little finely grated orange zest and leave at room temperature until the chocolate is set, or chill briefly to speed this up.

Notes

Don’t flatten the cookies too much, as keeping them fairly thick gives you that soft, chewy centre. Grate the orange zest directly into the wet ingredients to capture all of its fragrant oils, rather than leaving them behind on the chopping board. Allow the cookies to cool completely before dipping them in chocolate so the coating sets properly without melting into the cookie.