I first made this recipe when I needed a dessert to accompany a Korean meal. Sesame seeds are a popular ingredient in most Asian cuisines, and these cookies can be paired with a scoop of ice cream for an easy, tasty dessert with those meals. Turns out that different versions of sesame seed cookies are popular in many countries including Italy and parts of West Africa. South Carolina and Georgia in the USA have a popular sesame seed cookie called "benne wafers". So, I guess that makes these cookies a worldwide winner.

These are loaded with sesame seeds that give them a nutty flavor. They get an additional flavor boost from sesame oil. That means these are definitely for sesame seed lovers. If you're not one, you may prefer to try out one of my other cookie recipes.

Step-by-step photos for making
Sesame Seed Cookies

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients

• flour
• baking soda
• salt
• toasted sesame seeds -- If you are starting with raw sesame seeds, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Or, bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350° F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch them closely to avoid scorching.
• unsalted butter
• white and brown sugar
• eggs
• vanilla
• toasted sesame oil

view on Amazon:  organic toasted sesame seeds,  toasted sesame oil

Step 2. Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and some sesame seeds.

view on Amazon:  POURfect mixing bowls (I love these--they're easy to hold for adding ingredients without spills while the mixer is running); wire whisk

Step 3. Mix the batter. In large bowl, add butter and both sugars; beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy. (I use a stand mixer, but a hand-held mixer works fine, too.) Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in completely after each addiition. Add vanilla and sesame oil; mix to combine. Add flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, mixing completely after each addition.

view on Amazon:  my KitchenAid stand mixer

Step 4. Roll dough balls in sesame seeds. Add sesame seeds to a separate small bowl. With spoon or leveled medium scoop, drop walnut size balls of cookie dough into sesame seeds. Roll to cover in seeds. 

view on Amazon:  medium scoop -- the easiest way to make uniform cookie portions

see it in action:

Click here to see it in action

Click to pause

Step 5. Arrange on baking sheet. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets (12 per sheet on 13x18 half-sheet pan.). Use fingers to flatten each ball to a disk shape.  

view on Amazon: 

• medium scoop -- the easiest way to make uniform cookie portions
• 13x18 baking sheet (half sheet)
• parchment paper -- precut to a perfect fit for half-sheet pans
• economical set of silicone mats-- (in place of parchment paper) I love these--they have rounded corners for a perfect fit inside half and quarter baking sheets, and they are considerably more economical than the Silpat brand mats--3 mats for less than the cost of 1 Silpat.

Step 6. Bake until until set in center with no visible wet spots and very slightly browned around the edges. Cool completely on wire rack.

view on Amazon:  wire cooling rack --  this is the #1 recommendation of Cooks Illustrated's Test Kitchen; it fits perfectly inside the 18x13 (half sheet) baking pan, so it can double as a baking rack when needed

Store, make ahead, or freeze. Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They can be made ahead, wrapped tightly, and frozen for up to a month, too.

Great for ice cream sandwiches! These cookies are soft, yet sturdy, which makes them a great choice for ice cream sandwiches. Below are some I made using green tea ice cream (I added 2 tablespoons of matcha powder to my Vanilla Ice Cream recipe). These are fun to serve for dessert following a Korean, Chinese or Japanese meal.

These yummy cookies have slightly crispy edges and soft centers. They are great eaten alone or with a bowl of ice cream. If you are a sesame seed lover like me, you will find these quite addictive.

Make it a Yummy day!

Monica

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Sesame Seed Cookies

By Monica              Servings: 42-44 cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups toasted sesame seeds, divided
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; set aside.

In medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 cup sesame seeds; whisk to combine. Set aside.

In large bowl, add butter and both sugars; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in completely after each addiition. Add vanilla and sesame oil; mix to combine. Add flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Finished dough will be thick and sticky.

Add remaining 3/4 cup sesame seeds to separate small bowl. With spoon or leveled medium scoop, drop walnut size balls of cookie dough into sesame seeds. Roll to cover in seeds.

Place dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (12 per sheet on 13x18 half-sheet pan.). Use fingers to flatten each ball to a disk shape.  

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pans half way through, until set in center with no visible wet spots and very slightly browned on edges. Leave on pans for 5 minutes, transfer to wire cooling rack. Cool completely and store in airtight container.

May be made ahead and frozen.

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