Black Sesame Brownies (Printable Version)

Fudgy chocolate squares with nutty black sesame flavor, ready in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
04 - 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup black sesame paste (tahini-style, unsweetened)
08 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ Chocolate

10 - 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped (60–70% cacao)

→ Garnish (optional)

11 - 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, and black sesame paste. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula, mixing until just combined.
06 - Gently fold in the chopped dark chocolate.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle black sesame seeds over the surface if using.
08 - Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Let cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into squares.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The black sesame adds this incredible nutty depth that makes people pause and say wait what is that
  • They stay fudgy for days unlike regular brownies that dry out
02 -
  • I once tried using black sesame powder instead of paste and the brownies turned out dry and grainy, the paste is non negotiable
  • Underbaking slightly is better than overbaking, they continue cooking as they cool and fudgy beats dry every time
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional here, cold butter or eggs will ruin your emulsion
  • Use a kitchen scale for the flour and cocoa, scooping directly compacts flour and leads to dry brownies

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