Bakery Style Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Update (07/10/2020): This recipe was reformulated and retested to create a better muffin.

These Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins are quick to make and seriously delicious! These fluffy muffins feature tahini in the batter, giving that delicious nutty flavor that blends to beautifully with all the mini chocolate chips! The best part about these Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins? How easy they are to make! They require just 2 bowls (one for wet and one for dry) and no special gadgets or processes! The wet ingredients are just mixed into the dry and then baked up into fluffy, delicious, chocolate perfection!

WHAT IS TAHINI?

Tahini is a condiment that is made from toasted sesame seeds! Tahini can be made at home, or can easily be found in most grocery stores. It tastes, quite literally, like concentrated sesame seeds. Now you might be thinking – sesame seed muffins? I know, I know, it sounds kind of weird, but I swear it is magical! Adding the sweet, chocolatey flavors of Chocolate Chip Muffins perfectly compliment the tahini, taking it from a more savory ingredient to one that perfectly compliments the sweet flavors. The way I like to describe tahini is similar to peanut butter. Peanuts, without the added sweetness, are typically a savory ingredient, but add a little sugar (in the form of sweet peanut butter, for example) and you have a whole other story! An ingredient that just screams ‘perfect for desserts’. Same goes for tahini!

Furthermore, these Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins, as the name suggests, has chocolate in it! Tahini and chocolate were made for each other! The combo is like a grown-up version of Nutella – it’s just a tad bit nuttier, which makes it excellent for use Chocolate Chip Muffins!

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Tall Muffin Tops

The purpose of placing the Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins into a higher temperature oven and then turning down the heat, is that it creates a taller muffin top without overcooking them. By placing the Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins in a super hot oven, the muffins rapidly rise up, creating a taller muffin. However, if we baked the Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins at this hot temperature the entire time, the bottoms and tops would likely burn before the insides were properly cooked – therefore the oven temperature is reduced to prevent burning and uneven baking.

HOLD THE GLUTEN, PLEASE

In making these Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins you do not want to overmix as you do not want to overwork the gluten either, because who wants a chewy muffin! Gluten in flour is activated by the presence of water, and strengthened by physical agitation. This is why you knead bread dough! While gluten development is important in some foods, in something like muffins, you want the gluten development to be absolutely minimal, ensuring a tender, soft muffin! So when adding the wet ingredients to the dry, it is crucial to only mix the batter until it just becomes smooth!

Making the Tahini Chocolate Chip Muffins

1.Whisk together the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Whisk together the wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl or large measuring cup, add the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, tahini, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients together until they are well-combined and smooth.

3. Add wet to dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, mix the batter together until it smooth and well-combined, but be careful not to overmix!

4. Fold in chocolate chips: Add the chocolate chips to the batter, then using a spatula, fold the chocolate chips until they are well dispersed throughout the batter.

5. Bake: Evenly distribute the batter into the cupcake pans, then sprinkle with coarse sugar, and place into the oven to bake. Be sure to turn your oven down as soon as you place the muffins in to bake!

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Source: Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction