About a month ago I finally played around with putting tahini in a sweet recipe (up until that point I used it exclusively for hummus) and ever since I have been absolutely OBSESSED with the flavor combination of tahini + chocolate. It creates a sweet and savory flavor at the same time, which is why today I am back at it again with the blondies! This is now the fourth time I’m putting a spin on my original recipe for classic Vegan Chocolate Chunk Blondies…and they just keep getting better and better. I swapped cashew butter for tahini, coconut sugar for Vitafiber, and made the tart + colorful addition of another recent obsession- goji berries! And alas, these Tahini and Goji Berry Blondies were born.
For years I’ve seen goji berries in the news for being a superfood, and I’m a little disappointed to say I had never tasted them until a couple weeks ago when they came on one of my salads in Greece. Theses cute little red berries are touted as a superfood because they contain the phytochemicals polysaccharides, beta-carotene, and zeaxanthin.
- Polysaccharides help improve immune function and antioxidant activity in the body
- Beta-carotene (most popularly found in carrots) is critical for eye, bone, and skin health- count me in for anything that boasts anti-aging properties!
- Zeaxanthin is also known to boost immune system function and eye health
Needless to say, I’m a big fan and I don’t know why I held out for so long. Just like the tahini, they offer a sweet + savory flavor, while also adding a chewiness to the texture of these Tahini and Goji Berry Blondies.
While these Tahini and Goji Berry Blondies remain vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free just like my Chocolate Chunk and Pistachio Coconut varieties, I did make slight changes in the ingredient portions to bake these in a 9×13 pan instead of an 8×8. The same changes could be made for either of the other flavors, simply swapping the chocolate and berries for whatever mix-ins you prefer! Alright, that’s enough from me, it’s time for YOU to get baking!
- Yield: 18-24
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Tahini and Goji Berry Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2T brown sugar - light or dark, it will just impact the color!
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar - can swap granulated Vitafiber for this!
- 1 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup coconut oil - melted (refined for more buttery taste, unrefined for a hint of coconut)
- 1/2 cup* non-dairy milk - room temperature
- 2-3 tsps pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks - I use Enjoy Life brand to keep the recipe vegan
- 3/4 cup goji berries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. In a stand mixer, cream together the sugars, tahini and coconut oil. Next, add in the vanilla and milk.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then slowly add the mix to the wet, stirring until just combined.
- Last, fold in the chocolate chunks and berries before pressing firmly in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before slicing into. Enjoy! They taste best day-of baking, but recommended to store in an airtight container for any leftovers.
*If your batter seems a little dry, you can add an additional 1T of non-dairy milk at a time
