It might be a bit late to make it to your Christmas cookie box (although I hope it isn’t!) but this Gomashio cookie still deserves a place on the blog. Gomashio, or gomasio, is a Japanese condiment that essentially means “sesame salt.” But this isn’t your average sesame cookie, this is one of the best sesame cookies out there. This cookie has a nutty, brown butter, tahini-filled dough, which is then coated in toasty-roasty homemade gomashio. Think of it like a gomashio snickerdoodle. The dough is rolled in salty-sesame-sugar, and it turns into pure heaven.
This recipe is for lovers of classic cookies as well as lovers of something new. Bring these holiday cookies to a party and you’ll be sure to impress.
Table of contents
What is gomashio?
Gomashio is a Japanese condiment, similar to furikake, but it is only made up of sesame seeds and salt. You can buy it pre-made, or you can make it on your own. It is made with either tan or black sesame seeds (or in this case, both!) and occasionally has sugar added. You see it as a topping for many traditional Japanese foods, and it’s also the perfect companion to these salty-sweet cookies.
This gomashio version is meant for this recipe specifically, and of course it is not authentic to the traditional version, but the mixture of sesame, sugar and salt is the perfect partner to these cookies, and it only felt right to give them their proper (sesame salt) name.
Ingredients for these gomashio cookies
Now that we’ve gone over what gomashio is, here is everything for these nutty-sesame-brown-butter cookies:
- 16 tbsp salted butter, or vegan butter substitute *see recipe notes
- 1/2 cup tahini (or sesame seed paste), 120 grams
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, 80 grams
- 1 cup white sugar, 220 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups & 2 tbsp flour, 300 grams
- 6 tbsp cornstarch, 42 grams
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1/8 tsp if using Morton’s
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp large flake salt
- 1 tbsp cane sugar or demerara sugar any large grain sugar will work here
How to brown the butter for these gomashio cookies
Browning butter is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen. With this recipe, you are only browning 1/2 of the entire butter amount. Then you mix it with nutty, drizzly tahini to get an amazing, flavor-packed base for the cookie dough.
To brown butter, put a pan on medium-low heat and let the butter fully melt. Stir occasionally, until you see the milk solids start to separate and form flecks on the bottom of the pan. Let the butter fizz a bit and continue to stir. Cook low and slow for about 3-4 minutes, or until the milk solids start to become a golden brown. Remove the butter from the heat and stir until it is a deep, almost dark gold brown.
Let it cool for a few minutes and then whisk in the tahini, and you’re ready for the rest of the gomashio cookie recipe!
Preparing the cookie dough
The rest of the dough is very standard. That’s what I love about this cookie – it’s unique and innovative while following the same cookie formula we all know and love.
So after browning the butter, add the other 8 tbsp of softened butter, the brown butter/tahini mixture, two eggs, the brown sugar and the granulated sugar to a stand mixer. Beat on medium low for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture has lightened in color and is fluffy.
While the mixer is running, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a spatula to form a dough. Put this in the fridge to chill for a few minutes while you prepare the gomashio.
How to make gomashio for these cookies
For the last step of the recipe, add the sesame seeds to a pan on medium-low heat and toast until the white sesame seeds are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, lightly crush the seeds with the flake salt and cane sugar to create the gomashio coating.
Baking these gomashio cookies
The fun part (and a few tips and tricks!) come with the baking. Here’s how I suggest you bake to get the best results:
- Scoop the cookie dough into 1.5 ounce balls and roll the tops in the gomashio.
- Place the balls evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10-11 minutes.
- Smack the baking sheet on the counter a few times to help flatten the cookies. They’ll come out a bit puffy, but smack the sheet on the counter a few times and watch them flatten like magic. Use a bowl or cup to swirl around the edges of the cookie, helping to form them into perfect circles.
- Let the cookies cool for 10-15 minutes before eating, then enjoy!
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are a few cookies that I’ve been loving lately!
Why is this recipe in grams?
Baking is a very finicky and exact science. The only way to ensure complete accuracy is through measuring by weight, and not volume. As much as I wish I could give you multiple ways to measure ingredients, in this recipe measuring by cups might cause some volatility and miss-matched results. I want to ensure you get the best results with this recipe (and I want to keep this recipe fool-proof!) so I highly recommend getting a small affordable kitchen scale if you want to move forward with this cake recipe!
And that’s it for these gomashio (sesame salt) cookies!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Gomashio (Sesame Salt) Cookies
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or electric mixer
- 1 small skillet
- 1 mortar and pestle or spice grinder or small blender
Ingredients
- 16 tbsp salted butter *see recipe notes
- 1/2 cup tahini (or sesame seed paste) 120 grams
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 80 grams
- 1 cup white sugar 220 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups & 2 tbsp flour 300 grams
- 6 tbsp cornstarch 42 grams
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1/8 tsp if using Morton's
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp large flake salt
- 1 tbsp cane sugar or demerara sugar any large grain sugar will work here
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Leave 8 tbsp of butter out on the counter to soften. In a small saucepan, brown the other 8 tbsp of the butter. Put a pan on medium-low heat and let the butter fully melt. Stir occasionally, until you see the milk solids start to separate and form flecks on the bottom of the pan. Let the butter fizz a bit and continue to stir. Cook low and slow for about 3-4 minutes, or until the milk solids start to become a golden brown. Remove the butter from the heat and stir until it is a deep, almost dark gold brown.
- Pour the browned butter into a bowl and whisk it to lower the temperature slightly. Add in the tahini and whisk until smooth.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the other 8 tbsp of softened butter, the brown butter/tahini mixture, two eggs, the brown sugar and the granulated sugar. Beat on medium low for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture has lightened in color and is fluffy.
- While the mixer is running, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a spatula to form a dough. Put this in the fridge to chill for a few minutes while you prepare the gomashio.
- Add the sesame seeds to a pan on medium-low heat and toast until the white sesame seeds are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, lightly crush the seeds with the flake salt and cane sugar to create the gomashio coating.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 1.5 ounce balls and roll the tops in the gomashio.
- Place the balls evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10-11 minutes.
- Smack the baking sheet on the counter a few times to help flatten the cookies. They'll come out a bit puffy, but smack the sheet on the counter a few times and watch them flatten like magic. Use a bowl or cup to swirl around the edges of the cookie, helping to form them into perfect circles.
- Let the cookies cool for 10-15 minutes before eating, then enjoy!
Wow these were so good and I’ve never had a cookie like it before. 10/10 amen.
I made these last night and they are delicious! Tastes like if halva were a cookie. Mine turned out very crisp-crunchy, no chewiness at all. Is there something you would suggest to help them be more chewy? What about leaving out the cornstarch? My dough was not very doughy like yours looks in your photo, it was very light and fluffy.
Hello! My first suggestion is that there might be too much flour, cornstarch is actually a softening agent, not a crisping one, so there’s no need to remove that. My other suggestion is to use large or extra large eggs next time, I’ve found that works wonders in softening a cookie!
Hi! These look SO good and I really want to make them but have an egg allergy. Do you have any suggestions on what to substitute/how to adjust to make without egg? I’m willing to experiment with this one.
Hello! I’m so sorry for missing this! I’ve had many people have success with flax egg or with using Just Egg in the recipe, if you try it let me know!
Any substitution ideas for the eggs? To make them vegan?
Do you think using almond flour would work? I would love to try these but can’t have flour.
I am so sorry for missing this! Do you have access to a gluten free 1:1 blend? That is the best substitute!
I can’t wait to try these! I love your recipes Justine.
Two qustions.
16 tbs butter = what is that equivalent to in grams?
Tahini = unhulled or hulled?
Thank you
226 grams! 2 sticks of butter, if you have those available. And hulled is preferred, but there’s not too noticeable of a difference except for a slight bitterness if you use unhulled. I hope this helps!
I’m preparing to make these in the next few days but don’t have tahini on hand. I am planning on making black sesame paste (black sesame seeds ground with sesame oil) for another pastry, do you think that would work here?
Hello! I haven’t personally tried it, but I’d recommend blending hulled sesame seeds if you have them on hand. If you do try it with the black sesame paste, please report back!
These are delicious, but mine didn’t have the beautiful cracked top like yours. Any suggestions?
Lynn
Hi Lynn! For the cracked tops, I recommend giving the tray a really hard couple of smacks on the counter to help flatten them down. It’s also helpful to make sure you have sugar in the gomashio topping, which is proven to help create beautiful cookie cracked tops!
These are so unique and delicious!!