I love the taste of tahini and chocolate, but it was a sweet treat duo I didn’t discover until later in life. There are cookies, cakes, bars, and spreads devoted to the combination, and I am about to add another one to the list.

These no-bake chocolate tahini cups occurred spontaneously, and they were so good the first time around, I knew I needed to retest and share. I had a very strong sweet tooth one afternoon, but shockingly, I didn’t have any Healthified desserts on hand. Not wanting to bake anything to satisfy this particular sugar craving, I thought about what I could whip up. No-bake treats can come together quickly. If you have cacao powder, nuts, dates, and coconut oil, you already have enough for a plant-based truffle. I wanted to take it a step further, and these cups were the result.

I incorporate a lot of almond butter and peanut butter into my meals and snacks throughout the day, so I decided to use tahini paste instead. Tahini is ground sesame seeds, and packs a lot of nutrition. It can be an acquired taste, and is a primary ingredient in hummus, so might be thought of as more savory. I remember years ago traveling in Greece with my husband, and I was craving nut butter so badly. They just don’t have it as readily available in Europe as they do in the states. I did find tahini however, and would drizzle it on my yogurt bowls in the morning. I have loved it ever since.

Planning and prep

Aside from ensuring you have all of the ingredients on hand, there isn’t much to prepare for this recipe. It can be made from start to finish in about 10 to 15 minutes. You will have to wait like an hour or two while they chill in the refrigerator. As I mentioned above, I had a sweet tooth that I was looking to satisfy ASAP when I made these, so I only let them chill 20 minutes before digging in. While they were overly soft and gooey, that isn’t such a bad thing when talking about a chocolate treat. These are best when completely chilled and set, and even better the next day.

Substitutions

Feel free to use any nut or seed butter of your choice. You also don’t have to add the chocolate coating on top, although I highly recommend.

No-Bake Chocolate Tahini Cups

Satisfy your sweet tooth quickly and more nutritiously with this plant-based treat. Chocolate and tahini come together with nuts and dates to create a unique and delicious dessert. Grain-free, vegan.

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Prep Time 10

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Course Dessert, Snack

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

Food processor
muffin tin

Ingredients

For the cups

1 cup walnuts
12 large Medjool dates, pits removed
1/3 cup cacao powder of cocoa powder
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

For the chocolate coating

3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
1 tablespoons coconut oil can be room temperature
large flaky sea salt if desired

Instructions

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Place the walnuts in a food processor and blend until the consistency of course sand. Add the dates, cacao powder, and tahini, and while blending, slowly incorporate the melted coconut oil until a sticky dough is formed.
Using a large spoon or cookie scoop, evenly distribute about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the dough into each cupcake liner, pressing it down into the bottom. Set aside.
Make the chocolate coating. In a microwaveable safe bowl, combine the chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips with the coconut oil. Microwave for 1 minute, then give the mixture a good stir until the melted chocolate is combined with the melted coconut oil and it becomes creamy.
Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the chocolate coating into each cupcake liner on top of the chocolate tahini dough. Garnish with large flaky sea salt if desired. Transfer the muffin tin to the refrigerator to set and chill, about 2 hours.