Black Sesame Cookies

Name: Black Sesame Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed; 2 egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 6 tbsp black sesame paste; 1/4 cup black sesame seeds, toasted

Chewy Japanese-bakery style sugar cookies swirled with toasted black sesame paste and rolled in black sesame seeds for a nutty, marbled bite. The viral Summergeist bake of July 2026.

32 minEasyServes 24160 cal/serving

JapaneseDessertOvenVegetarianLow CarbLow-SodiumPork-FreeNightshade-Free

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Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp black sesame paste
1/4 cup black sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2

In a large bowl, cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3

Beat in 2 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract until fully combined.
4

In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt, then stir into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
5

Dollop 6 tbsp black sesame paste over the dough and fold gently 3 to 4 times with a spatula so it swirls through without fully blending, creating a marbled effect.
6

Scoop the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls, roll each ball in 1/4 cup toasted black sesame seeds, and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
7

Bake until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Questions

What temperature do I cook Black Sesame Cookies at?

For Black Sesame Cookies, the oven is set to 350 F (about 175 C) in step 1. The longest stretch at that heat is 12 minutes, in step 7.

Why fold instead of stir in Black Sesame Cookies?

Step 5 reads: "Dollop 6 tbsp black sesame paste over the dough and fold gently 3 to 4 times with a spatula so it swirls through without fully blending, creating a marbled effect." Folding keeps the air you just beat in. Stirring at step 5 would knock it out and the result would come out dense.

What can I use instead of brown sugar in Black Sesame Cookies?

The entry for Black Sesame Cookies calls for 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed. In its place: White sugar with a tablespoon of molasses per cup. Without molasses, plain white sugar works but bakes up crisper and paler.

Can I make Black Sesame Cookies dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in Black Sesame Cookies is 1 cup unsalted butter, softened. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed. The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Does Black Sesame Cookies contain sesame?

Yes: 6 tbsp black sesame paste and 1/4 cup black sesame seeds, toasted. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten, dairy, eggs and sesame. Seeds used as a garnish can simply be left off; the oil has no true substitute. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

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