Tahini is a million times better to me than peanut butter, in my very humble opinion. I’ve always had tahini in my pantry. Over the years I’ve added it to hummus (of course), salad dressings, soba noodles, a whole lot of things! It took me a while to add it to sweet items but once I did, I never looked back. 

I’ve wanted to make buckeyes for a long time. A friend of mine from Ohio introduced them to me. The buckeye tree is the official tree of the state of Ohio; these are meant to look like the nuts that fall off that tree.

These “cookies” are usually peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar and butter and then frozen until still. Then they’re partially dipped in chocolate to resemble the buckeye. 

Instead of peanut butter, I figured I’d give them a bit of a grown-up twist and use tahini. They were SO good. Sweet and nutty and of course chocolate-y. 

Serve them at a cookie table this holiday season, they’ll be the favorite, I promise!

Tahini Buckeyes

See why tahini can be a great upgrade to peanut butter in these traditional Ohio cookies. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup tahini (stirred to reincorporate if there’s oil that sits atop)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate, melted

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, add the tahini, butter, powdered sugar and salt. Beat until combined, about 2 minutes. It will appear crumbly but not to worry. Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out small balls of the tahini mixture, rolling it in between your palms, and placing it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until you’ve worked your way through all of the tahini mixture. Stick toothpicks into the tops of each of the balls. Transfer to the freezer until very firm, about 15 minutes.
2. Dip the balls into the chocolate, leaving a bit of the tahini ball showing it. Transfer back to the freezer to set for 5 minutes. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Yield: 24 buckeyes

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.