The Easiest Brownies with a Tahini-Miso Swirl

These decadent vegan tahini brownies are simple to make and feature a magical miso-laced swirl. Zero fancy equipment needed!

If I’m being honest, a brownie is something I never usually opt for in a dessert-selection scenario. Most chocolate desserts are too sweet and intense for me. I’m way more likely to spring for banana bread or something near-savory, like an olive oil cake or turmeric loaf.

But on a recent visit to Industry City’s Sahadi’s – a beloved Brooklyn institution specializing in middle eastern pantry items and prepared foods – I spotted some tahini brownies in the pastry case and just had. to. have. one. It was the decadent fudgy type, with a crispy, crackly top and a swirl of tahini throughout. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, down to the crumbs. Naturally, I needed to recreate the concept at home.

Unlike these sugar-free date brownies, these babies are rich, fudgy, and full of sugar. Not exactly healthy, but still vegan! The tahini-miso-honey mixture that gets swirled into the surface gives these brownies all their personality. This topping hits sweet, salty, and savory notes, and has a salted caramel vibe. The miso and the flaky salt balance out the sugar, making the brownies dangerously addictive.

How to Make These Tahini Brownies

Adapted from All Recipes, these tahini brownies are insanely easy to make – requiring zero special equipment or fussy techniques. You make the batter entirely in a single bowl and the recipe calls for less than 10 ingredients.

Start by preheating your oven to 350ºF. To make the batter, start by whisking the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder.) Next, stir in the water and oil, and the batter’s done! It really is that simple.

Note: this batter is very thick, almost dough-like – a gooey blob, really. Don’t be alarmed. Just transfer it to the baking dish and use a spatula to help you spread it around.

To make the topping, stir together the tahini, miso, and honey in a separate bowl. To get this nice swirly pattern, dollop the topping on the batter and drag a toothpick (or butterknife) through it to distribute.

Be sure to let these cool completely in the baking pan before cutting them – otherwise they will get a little crumbly.

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Substitutions and Variations

• If you don’t have tahini, swap in any other nut/seed butter you have, like peanut or almond butter, or pumpkin or sunflower seed butter.
• If you don’t eat honey, use maple syrup in the topping.
• Coconut oil makes these brownies extra special. If you’re not a fan of coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil, or any other neutral-tasting oil, like avocado or organic canola oil, in the batter.
• I like to use turbinado (raw) sugar when baking because it’s less processed than white sugar. But you can use any granulated sugar you have in these brownies, like coconut sugar or maple crystals.

Check out these other vegan desserts…

• Sugar-Free Date Brownies
• Avocado Gingerbread Loaf Cake
• Strawberry Clafoutis
• Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with #TheNewBaguette and @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

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