Mocha Brownies with Olive Oil and Tahini Swirl
Experience the perfect brownie: deep chocolate flavor, a hint of espresso, smooth olive oil, and a beautiful tahini swirl. These mocha brownies are rich, tender, and full of warm, toasty sesame notes.
Mocha Brownies with Olive Oil and Tahini Swirl – Elevate your brownie game with these dark, luscious brownies! A touch of espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor, blending together with a sesame swirl from tahini. Made with olive oil, these brownies is full of flavor and the perfect brownie texture. This recipe is perfect for the chocolate lovers in your life and is from Lebanese Baking by Maureen Abood.
For the longest time, I’ve made the same brownies. My go-to KISS Brownies have been my back-pocket recipe, quite honestly because I haven’t been able to find another recipe that I could possibly love as much. As the name suggests, these “keep it simple and sweet,” and that was good enough for me.
Until now.
When I welcomed Maureen Abood to the podcast to discuss her newly released cookbook, Lebanese Baking (affiliate link), I was inspired by how she explores Lebanon’s baking traditions, blending classic recipes with thoughtful American adaptations. There were so many recipes I bookmarked to try, but the one I couldn’t resist were her Mocha Brownies with Olive Oil and Tahini Swirl.
Olive oil is my fat of choice. Rich in polyphenols, extra virgin olive oil is heart-healthy and packed with good fat, and also contains vitamins E and K. I cook with olive every single day, so whenever I can bake with it, I jump at the opportunity! These brownies work beautifully when you swap butter for olive oil – they’re rich and fudge-y, and I love how a touch of espresso powder enhances the richness of the chocolate, while the tahini swirl adds a nutty, sesame flavor to each bite!
This brownie also received hearty approval from my family, so I’m happy to say that I have an additional go-to brownie to keep in my back pocket now!
How to Make Mocha Brownies with Olive Oil and Tahini Swirl
Maureen’s recipe for olive oil tahini brownies is a wonderful example of layering flavors and textures into a recipe. Olive oil replaces butter for a heart-healthy option, without sacrificing texture and moisture. A touch of espresso powder boosts the chocolate flavor. And the tahini swirl adds another surprise – if you love sesame flavors, you’ll enjoy the nutty-sweetness it imparts! Plus, the swirls are so pretty!
I also love how you can easily make this with a couple of bowls and a little arm power. No need to break out a mixer or melt butter on a stove. Simply combine your wet ingredients in one bowl, combine your dry ingredients in another, and fold together. Spread the batter into your baking pan, swirl in the tahini, bake, and enjoy!
Listen to the Podcast with Maureen Abood
For more baking and Lebanese-inspired recipes, check out my interview with Maureen Abood in Episode 121 of the Kitchen Confidante Podcast!
More Olive Oil Baking Recipes to Try
Cranberry Orange Olive Oil Cake
Pesto Pull-Apart Rolls
More Mocha Recipes to Try
Mocha Oatmeal Bowls
Mocha Coconut Granola
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of Lebanese Baking to review for the Kitchen Confidante Podcast Episode 121 with Maureen Abood. All opinions are, of course, my own. The post may have affiliate links; see my Disclosure page to learn more.
Mocha Brownies with Olive Oil and Tahini Swirl
Ingredients
- 105 grams
mild extra virgin olive oil
(½ cup plus 1 teaspoon), divided - 200 grams granulated white sugar (1 cup)
- 106 grams packed light brown sugar (½ cup)
- 2 large eggs cold
- 1 large egg yolk cold
- 14 grams pure vanilla extract (1 tablespoon)
- 135 grams unbleached all-purpose flour (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 57 grams cocoa powder (2∕3 cup)
- 7 grams espresso powder (1 tablespoon)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 85 grams semi-sweet or dark (60% cocoa) chocolate chips (½ cup)
Tahini Swirl
- 83 grams tahini (1∕3 cup)
- 22 grams confectioners’ sugar (3 tablespoons)
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 grams pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- 42 grams ice-cold water (3 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Lightly coat an 8-inch (20-cm) metal baking pan with 5 grams (1 teaspoon) of olive oil. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving the edges hanging over two opposing sides to help lift the brownies from the pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the white sugar, brown sugar, 100 grams (½ cup) of the olive oil, eggs and yolk, and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously to combine.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and sea salt. Add the mocha mixture to the sugar mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Make the tahini swirl. Stir the tahini until smooth.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the tahini, confectioners’ sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and water. Stir well to combine.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Dollop the tahini mixture on the batter in 3 rows of 3 dollops (9 total).
- Drag a wooden skewer or the tip of a paring knife through the batter, first vertically and then horizontally, to create swirls.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs at the tip, 35 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownie block cool for 10 minutes.
- Use the parchment sling to lift the brownie block from the pan. Allow the block to cool completely to room temperature to ensure that the pieces cut cleanly, at least 1 hour. The longer the brownies cool, the more cleanly they will cut.
- Cut 4 rows in each direction to create 16 pieces.
Notes
“Experimenting with nonessential butter in recipes, I tried using olive oil in homemade brownies. My mother made such deep, dark, chewy treats that it didn’t seem possible to achieve something similar without butter—but, habibi, the olive oil! A mild extra virgin olive oil beautifully enhances the chocolate flavor with a coffee boost. The swirl of tahini on top adds a savory, whimsical touch to these rich brownies.”
- You can store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- When swirling the tahini atop the batter, take care not to overswirl or run the tahini too deeply into the brownie batter, so that the swirls stay larger and more distinct without disappearing into the brownies.
- Don’t overbake these! You want the brownies to taste fudgy and moist.
- For easier and cleaner cutting, clean the knife after each cut.
Nutrition
COOKBOOK
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