Growing up in Turkey, halva holds a special place in my heart. It’s one of those nostalgic flavors that instantly transports me back to childhood. In fact, one of the very first recipes I ever shared on my blog, way back in the early days of Plenty Sweet, was for tahini cookies with chocolate chips and halva mixed in.
Recently, a wave of halva-inspired nostalgia washed over me when a colleague returned from a trip to Israel with a box of individually wrapped halva. As I was about to pop a piece into my mouth, I realized something was missing: cookie dough.
Clearly, this halva needed to be enveloped in a soft, buttery cookie, just like in my old recipe. Inspired by those early baking adventures and a delicious-looking recipe from Broma Bakery, I set out to create the ultimate mini-batch chocolate halva cookies.
And let me tell you, these cookies are amazing. They’re chewy, soft, and perfectly sweet, with a delightful crunch around the edges. And chocolate dough makes everything better (am I right?!). Go ahead and some chocolate chips to the mix if you’re so chocolate-ly inclined.
The result? Pure cookie perfection.
[Editing Elif here] I just had an idea! If you don’t have halva on hand (which is quite likely) just make this: 1 tsp tahini (or other nut/seed butter) 1 tsp maple syrup and add enough oat flour to turn it into a cookie dough consistency (about 1 tbsp, start with a pinch). Add a drop of vanilla and a pinch of salt to amp up the flavor. Set it for 5 minutes in the fridge/freezer then use as you would use the halva here. I’ll bet it will work!
But here’s the best part: this recipe is mini-batch, so you only end up with two gloriously delicious cookies (or three small ones). No need to worry about a whole tray of temptation staring you down!
So go ahead, give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think! I have a feeling you’ll be just as smitten with these little bites of halva heaven as I am.
Mini-batch Chocolate Halva Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (plant) butter softened (14 g)
- 2 tbsp sugar (24 g) sub granulated sweetener
- 2 tbsp flour (15 g) gf all purpose if desired
- 2 tsp cocoa powder (4 g)
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- drop of vanilla
- pinch of salt
Mix-in
- 3 tbsp crumbled halva (20 g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment.
- In a small bowl and a fork/whisk cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (took me a few min). Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and stir until no clumps remain. (Optional: also add a pinch of espresso powder to amp up the flavor)
- In a mug/other bowl mix flour, baking soda, pinch of salt.
- Gradually add dry to wet, stopping as soon as you get a nice soft cookie dough. If the dough gets too crumbly add a drop of water.
- Fold in your crumbled halva, do not overmix so you still end up with chunks of halva. Make rounds between palms, place and flatten on the parchment.
- Bake 12 minutes, cool for 5 and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have a food scale, remember to use the spoon & level method in measuring flour to avoid over-measuring, which will lead to dry cookies.Â
- If you don’t have halva on hand (which is quite likely) just make this: 1 tsp tahini (or other nut/seed butter) 1 tsp maple syrup and add enough oat flour to turn it into a cookie dough consistency (about 1 tbsp, start with a pinch). Add a drop of vanilla and a pinch of salt to amp up the flavor. Set it for 5 minutes in the fridge/freezer then use as you would use the halva here. I’ll bet it will work!
The only changes I made were: (1) I used half white sugar and half light brown sugar for a more complex flavor, and (2) I tripled your recipe and made 8 cookies. Everything else I made exactly the same, and it was absolutely incredible! You’d never guess they were vegan, dairy-free, eggless, and nut-free! Thanks for the recipe!