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Chocolate frosted brownies are a beloved dessert that everyone knows and loves. They are easy to make, rich, chocolatey and a perfect sweet treat for any occasion. But have you ever had a brownie with salted tahini buttercream frosting? It may be one of the most surprising recipes with tahini, but the sweet and nutty tahini buttercream with the rich chocolate brownie is a unique spin on a classic that I think you and the sweet tooths (teeth?) in your life will love.
Brownies Ingredients
- Butter
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar
- Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Vanilla Extract
- Cocoa Powder
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable Oil
- Salt
Tahini Buttercream Ingredients
- Butter
- Tahini
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Sea Salt
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes- for sprinkling on top!
What is Tahini?
Tahini is a delicious and versatile ingredient found in classic, Middle Eastern cuisine, such as this Hummus. Made from ground sesame seeds, it has a nutty, slightly bitter flavor and creamy texture that is used in dips and sauces. It is full of healthy fats and proteins, so it is as nutritious as it is delicious. It is a sort of sesame seed version of peanut butter!
There are many different savory recipes with tahini, but in this recipe, we are going to sweeten it up and slather it onto these decadent Chocolate Brownies.
What are some different types of Brownies?
- Cakey Brownies
- Did your Mom make the big, cakey frosted brownies with the shiny chocolate frosting? My mom made them whenever it was our turn to bring soccer treats. I was very popular on those days!! Thanks mom!! Hehe. I am pretty sure that was this classic Hershey's Brownie recipe. Cakey Brownies like this are made by using a few ingredients and techniques. Whipping the butter and sugar together creates a light airy texture. Then, an addition of a little extra flour and some baking powder allows it to rise and become, lighter, and cakier.
- Fudgy Brownies
- Fudgy Brownies are rich and gooey and almost seem like they're undercooked. This texture is created by adding extra butter, as well as melted chocolate, or chocolate chunks into the batter. The chocolate chunks melt during baking and the melted chocolate along with the extra butter creates a rich and fudgy brownie.
- Chewy Brownies
- Chewy Brownies are what I think of when I think of Brownies made from a box. The addition of oil to the mix creates a chewy brownie, and the use of cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate or chocolate chunks, causes it to be chewy rather than fudgy.
Do as I say, not as I do! Use a 9 x 13 pan, not a round cake pan as I used here. I used a cake pan because I wanted to cut my brownies into pie slice shapes. But, the 9 x 13 pan works much better!
What kind are these Brownies?
Acutally, these frosted brownies fall into a category that I didn't list. These are in what I like to call the, "densely decadent" category. They are dense and chocolatey, but not overly sweet, because we get an additional layer of sweetness from the Tahini frosting. Yummmmm.
How to Make Salted Tahini Buttercream
The secret to fluffy buttercream is beating the butter for several minutes to incorporate air in until it is light and airy. In this recipe, we beat the butter and tahini together on high speed for 2-3 minutes until it is light and fluffy, then we add the Vanilla, Sea Salt, Brown and Powdered Sugars. Continue beating it all together until everything is incorporated. The brown sugar may still be a little grainy, but that is part of its charm.
Trav loves the sugary graininess, but if it is not your thing, you can substitute the brown sugar for an extra ยฝ cup of powdered sugar and you will have smooth silky, cloud like Tahini Buttercream!
Just a note... As soon as you are finished frosting, sprinkle the Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, right away. As soon as the frosting starts to dry, the flakes won't stick as well, so, make sure you do that right away. Then, just cut them up in your preferred size and shape and Enjoy! โฅ๏ธ
What is a good Tahini substitute?
If you don't have tahini on hand, or would like a good tahini substitute, there are several good options. Almond butter and cashew butter are both good in place of tahini. They might add a slightly different flavor, but they will have the same rich and delicious, nutty consistency.
More Recipes with Tahini
- Greek Hummus- This delicious hummus is made with garlic and garbanzos and tahini and topped with tzatziki and olives and all the delicious greek toppings!
- Cilantro Jalapeรฑo Hummus- Another delicious hummus recipe! This one is topped with jalapeรฑos and cilantro and is a homemade take on Trader Joe's cilantro jalapeno hummus.
- Blistered Shishito Peppers- This easy appetizer features blistered shishito peppers and a creamy tahini sauce for dipping. Unique and delicious!
More Decadent Recipes
- Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Marsala- Rich and creamy comfort food at its finest!
- Citrus Glazed Orange Cardamom Cake- A sweet treat perfect paired with a cup of tea!
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese- Rich and creamy, you'd never guess you are getting a serving of veggies!
- Burrata Caprese Crostini- Fresh and decadent at the same time! Try this delicious appetizer twist on caprese!
Thank you for checking out my recipe for Frosted Brownies with Salted Tahini Buttercream! If you make them, I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Thank you and thank you for visiting Mollie in Montana~*โฅ๏ธ
๐ Recipe
Frosted Brownies with Salted Tahini Buttercream
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 325ยฐ.
- Melt the Butter and 2oz of the Chocolate together in the microwave on 30 second intervals. Stir between intervals until butter and chocolate are smooth and melted together. Save the other 2 oz of chocolate for later...
- Stir the Sugar and Brown sugar into the chocolate and butter mixture.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, cocoa powder and oil into the mixture and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
- Add flour, corn starch, and salt to a separate bowl.
- Use a wooden spoon to Fold the dry ingredients slowly into the wet ingredients. The batter is going to be THICK!
- Add in the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate chunks and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
- Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
- Spread batter evenly into pan- again, it will be thick!
- Place in oven for 25 minutes. Check after 25 minutes by poking with a toothpick, if the toothpick is clean, or has a few crumbs on it, they are done! If the toothpick is wet, give them 5 more minutes in the oven.
- Pull them from the oven and let them cool completely.
- Cream room temperature Butter and Tahini for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add Vanilla, Sea Salt, and Sugars and continue to beat an additional minute.
- Once brownies have cooled COMPLETELY, frost them with the Tahini Buttercream and then immediately sprinkle them with Maldon Salt Flakes.
- Cut to desired size and indulge!!! ๐
Nutrition
Notes
Notes
- Sprinkle the Maldon salt flakes on as soon as you are done frosting, so that it sticks to the frosting as it dries.
- Don't be alarmed by the thickness of this batter. Normally I would say to line your baking dish with parchment paper, but in this case, simply buttering it will be just fine. The batter is too thick to spread onto the parchment paper. It is just a messy, frustrating experience! Butter is better. ๐
- For the Tahini frosting, feel free to substitute the brown sugar for an additional ยฝ cup of powdered sugar. If you are one who likes the graininess of the sugar in the frosting, add the brown sugar. If not, substitute it for more powdered.ย
Kimbarly says
Wow, these frosted brownies with salted tahini buttercream sound amazing! If you love rich chocolate flavor, you might also want to try the Hershey Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix recipe (https://www.simplerecipebox.com/hershey-triple-chocolate-brownie-mix-recipe-unveiled/). Itโs a straightforward way to make gooey, fudgy brownies that pair perfectly with unique frostings like yours!
mollieinmontana says
Kimbarly, I always love a good spin on a classic! I love your idea of using this tahini frosting on a tried and true classic Hershey brownie recipe. Thank you for the suggestion! ๐