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Salted Tahini Brownies (Small Batch)

Filed Under: baked goods, chocolate, recipe, sweet treats, tahini Written By Leanne February 10, 2020

Jump to Recipe

These small batch, cast iron skillet brownies are perfect for sharing with someone special. They’re fudgy and indulgent, studded with thick swirls of tahini and finished with flaky sea salt for a flavor combination that will have your taste buds singing.

cast iron skillet brownies with bite

So you might be wondering, why is a dietitian posting a brownie recipe? And why isn’t it a “healthy” version?

I’m switching gears today and posting a butter/flour/sugar filled treat, with the caveat that it’s a small batch version because this is so much more my style than a lightened up recipe.

Regardless of how many times I hear that a black bean brownie is “just as good” or that you “wouldn’t even taste the difference”, I just don’t buy it you guys. I’m a sucker for a great brownie and I wanted to pull out all of the stops here!

Eat it, love it, and give thanks for the beautiful creation that is brownies.

cast iron skillet brownies for two

Small Batch Desserts

I love the idea of small batch baked goods because while yes, I do enjoy the occasional treat as much as the next person, I don’t need a week’s worth. We’re a two-person household so more often than not, half the batch inevitably goes to waste. Yes I could freeze, but this usually just isn’t that appealing to me later. Clearly I’m a high-maintenance dessert eater… but here we are.

This recipe bakes up in the cutest 6″ cast iron skillet so the presentation is spot on for a special occasion. Valentine’s Day perhaps? I found them on Amazon after making this pizookie recipe at a friend’s house and promptly deciding that I needed to have these in my kitchen too. I can think of so many fun uses for them like baked eggs or maybe even personal pizzas. So fun!

Ingredients

Here’s everything you need for making these small batch, cast iron skillet brownies. You probably already have most of them on hand!

Wet Ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Cane sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Baking powder
  • Pinch of fine sea salt

Extras:

  • Chopped dark chocolate (I used 65%)
  • Tahini + Honey
  • Instant espresso powder (optional, but I love it in anything chocolate)

I like using a liquid measuring cup to melt the butter, then adding all of the other wet ingredients right in. Since all of the ingredients are in such small quantities you can use a small bowl for the dry ingredients before mixing everything together and transferring it into the skillet.

Hello, beautiful tahini swirl!

What’s a good tahini substitute?

While tahini is highly recommended here (it did make it into the title after all), any nut butter would work . You can go classic with peanut butter, or mix things up with cashew or sunflower seed butter. Note that the color and texture will vary, and you may need more or less honey to get that sticky consistency that allows you to swirl it in.

You can also leave the tahini/nut butter out altogether although I love the contrast it provides, especially since the cast iron skillet is black.

Other recipes featuring tahini:

I have a plethora of recipes featuring tahini so if you love it as much as me, be sure to check these out too! I promise it won’t be one of those obscure ingredients that you never use.

  • Maple Tahini Snack Balls
  • Blueberry Farro Salad with Creamy Fresh Herb Dressing
  • Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins with Tahini Glaze

For a fun dessert for two, look no further than this sweet and salty skillet of goodness. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Print

Salted Tahini Brownies (Small Batch)

Print Recipe

These small batch, cast iron skillet salted tahini brownies are perfect for sharing with someone special. They’re fudgy and indulgent, studded with thick swirls of tahini and finished with flaky sea salt for a flavor combination that will have your taste buds singing.

  • Author: Leanne Ray, MS, RDN
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 17 minutes
  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Sweet Treats
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter (plus a little extra for greasing the pan)
  • 1/4 cup cane sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp instant espresso powder (if using)
  • 1–2 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate (I used 65%)
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • Flaky sea salt 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  2. Grease a mini cast iron skillet with butter and set aside.
  3. Melt butter in a liquid measuring cup (30-60 seconds), mix in sugar and set aside to cool. 
  4. Whisk up the egg, add to cooled butter/sugar mixture along with vanilla extract and stir to combine.
  5. In a separate small bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour through espresso powder. 
  6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined (do not over mix). Fold in dark chocolate and transfer to skillet. 
  7. Mix tahini and honey until a thick paste forms. Dot teaspoons on top of brownie batter and use a toothpick or knife to swirl. Finish with flaky salt. 
  8. Bake 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Best served immediately but will keep for up to one day if covered. 

Equipment

mixing bowls

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measuring cups

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tahini

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Notes

Want to shop this post/recipe? Here are the products and items I referenced (affiliate links):

  • Mini Lodge Cast Iron Skillet 
  • Instant Espresso Powder
  • Tahini
  • Flaky Salt

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 brownie
  • Calories: 410 calories
  • Fat: 23 grams
  • Carbohydrates: 45 grams
  • Fiber: 3 grams
  • Protein: 7 grams

Keywords: small batch brownies, valentines day, tahini dessert, cast iron baking

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I’m Leanne and I created this space to share beautiful, wholesome, plant-forward recipes that are equal parts approachable and delicious.

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