Brown Butter Halva & White Chocolate Cookies
These Brown Butter Halva & White Chocolate Cookies are everything a bakery-style cookie should be; chewy in the centre, crisp at the edges, and full of caramelised, nutty flavour. Brown butter, tahini, and crumbled halva give them a deep sesame richness, while white chocolate chunks bring balance and sweetness.
Brown Butter Halva & White Chocolate Cookies
Chewy brown butter cookies studded with chunks of white chocolate and halva. Nutty, buttery, and deeply aromatic with tahini for richness and sesame depth.
Ingredients
- 100g unsalted butter
- 30ml neutral oil (e.g. sunflower)
- 100g light brown sugar
- 60g caster sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 175g plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 90g halva, crumbled (plus extra for topping)
- 90g white chocolate, chopped into chunks or chips (plus extra for topping)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 3–5 minutes. Don’t let it burn. Pour through a sieve into a heatproof bowl to stop it cooking further and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the oil, brown sugar, and caster sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, tahini, and vanilla until glossy and thick.
- Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Mix gently until just combined.
- Fold in the halva and white chocolate, being careful not to break up the halva too much — you want pockets of it to stay visible.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour (overnight if possible).
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). Line two baking trays with parchment. Scoop 12 balls of dough and place them well spaced apart, they will spread to 3 or 4 inches. Press a few extra pieces of halva and white chocolate onto each cookie before baking.
- Bake for 11–13 minutes, checking half way through, until the edges are golden but the centres are still soft. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
285Fat
16 gCarbs
30 gProtein
4 gSugar
18 gApproximate values per cookie
Ingredients and sourcing tips
Brown butter
Take the butter just to a toasty hazelnut stage, not dark brown. Let it cool completely before adding sugar or eggs to avoid splitting. The browned milk solids give a nutty, deep flavour that complements tahini and halva.
Halva
Use a dry, crumbly Middle Eastern sesame halva rather than a smoother version, I used the Koska Traditional Turkish Plain Halva in my recipe. The little pockets melt slightly as they bake, giving bursts of sweetness. Store it in the fridge before crumbling so it holds texture.
White chocolate
Use chunks or chips with at least 28% cocoa butter. Good-quality white chocolate will melt into creamy pockets that balance the earthy sesame flavour.
Tahini
Choose a light, runny tahini for smooth mixing. A darker, roasted one will work too but gives a stronger, slightly bitter note. If the tahini is entirely separated and too stiff to mix, place the jar into a pan of just boiled water to soften and then mix the oil into the solids.
Variations and dietary swaps
Dairy-free version
Use a vegan butter alternative that browns (like a cultured plant butter) and vegan white chocolate. Halva is usually dairy-free, but check the label.
Add crunch
You can fold in chopped toasted nuts such as pistachios or macadamias for extra texture.
Add spice
A pinch of cardamom, cinnamon, or coffee extract works beautifully for extra depth if you prefer less sweetness.
Kitchen notes
Chilling time
An hour is the minimum to firm the dough and improve flavour. Overnight chilling deepens the nutty notes and gives a chewier centre.
Halva and chocolate topping
Adding extra pieces to the top before baking gives a more defined, bakery-style look and ensures every bite includes melted chocolate and halva. You only need a couple of tablespoons of each.
Baking time
The cookies will look under-baked at 11 minutes — that’s correct. They firm up as they cool. For a crisp edge and chewy middle, pull them out just as the centres lose their shine. Many domestic ovens don’t have even temperatures throughout, even on the fan setting, so check the cookies half way through and rotate or swap the trays if some are browning faster than the others.
Storage
Keep in an airtight tin for up to 4 days or freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen for 1–2 minutes longer.
Serving suggestions
Serve slightly warm with coffee or the classic glass of cold milk. They make a brilliant edible gift — the flavour develops even more after a day. You can also crumble them over vanilla ice cream for a quick dessert.
