How to Make Chocolate Halva Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate Halva Sandwich Cookies — soft, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate shortbread rounds sandwiched with a sweet tahini (halva-style) filling. These cookies are simple to make, fun to assemble, and always a crowd-pleaser.

Halva — the sweet sesame confection made from tahini and sugar — has become more popular in recent years, and for good reason. For me, a chocolate-halva sandwich was my favorite school lunch treat, lovingly prepared by my mother. That nostalgic combination inspired these Chocolate Halva Sandwich Cookies: crisp chocolate shortbread paired with a creamy tahini-sweet filling that tastes like halva without the crumbly candy texture.

What are Chocolate Halva Sandwich Cookies?

These are sandwich cookies made from two chocolate shortbread pieces filled with a smooth, halva-inspired tahini buttercream. The cookies are tender and slightly crumbly; the filling is sweet, nutty, and spreadable. You can optionally dip the edges in melted dark chocolate and roll them in chopped nuts for extra texture and flavor.

About Halva and Tahini

Halva is a dense, sweet confection common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It’s traditionally made from tahini (sesame paste) combined with sugar or honey. When shopping for halva, check ingredient lists — sugar-based halva will taste different from versions made with corn syrup or other sweeteners. In this recipe I recreate halva flavor by using tahini mixed into a butter-and-sugar filling; you may also fold in crumbled halva candy if you prefer a more authentic texture.

Recipe Overview

Ingredients — Cookies

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose (AP) flour (about 140 g or 5 oz)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (about 28 g or 1 oz)
• 1/2 cup powdered (confectioners’) sugar (about 60 g or 2 oz)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (113 g or 4 oz)

Ingredients — Halva-Style Filling

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (113 g / 4 oz)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (about 180 g / 6 oz)
• 2–3 Tbsp tahini paste — start with 2 Tbsp and add a third if needed for flavor and texture

How to Make the Cookies

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter with the powdered sugar until smooth and well combined.

2. Add the flour and cocoa powder, scraping the bowl as needed, and mix just until a moist dough forms. Avoid overmixing.

3. Shape the dough into a rectangle and sandwich it between two large sheets of parchment paper. Roll or press the dough to an even 1/4″ (6 mm) thickness. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30–45 minutes — chilling makes it easier to cut clean shapes and prevents spreading.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Remove the chilled dough and cut with a 2″ square or round cookie cutter (or any shape you prefer). Transfer the cut cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart. To keep the cookies from puffing, you can gently prick each cookie 2–3 times with a toothpick.

5. Bake on the middle rack for about 8–12 minutes, until edges look set and shiny with just a hint of golden color. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the pan for 10–15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Filling

1. In a clean mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy.

2. Add tahini paste, starting with 2 tablespoons. Beat on high for another 4–5 minutes. Taste and add the extra tablespoon of tahini if you prefer a stronger sesame/halva flavor. The filling should be smooth and spreadable; if it seems too stiff, a splash of milk will loosen it slightly.

Assembling and Finishing

1. Pair cookies of similar size. Spread about 1 teaspoon (or to taste) of the tahini filling on the flat side of half the cookies and top with the matching halves to form sandwiches.

2. Optional: melt 1 cup dark chocolate chips with 1 tsp vegetable shortening and dip the edges of each sandwich cookie. Roll the wet chocolate in chopped nuts if desired and place on a rack until the chocolate sets.

Baking, Storage & Tips

Bake on the middle oven rack at 350°F. Cookies are done when they appear set and no longer glossy. Unfilled cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Once filled, refrigerate within six hours because the tahini-butter filling benefits from cooling; filled cookies will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Note that cookies may soften slightly after a day or two when sandwiched — they are still delicious.

1. Cut and bake cookies within a couple of hours of rolling. Dough left too long can dry and crack while baking.
2. If you prefer a more authentic halva texture, crumble a piece of halva candy into the filling when mixing (optional).

Happy baking!

Author: Dikla Levy Frances

Full Recipe Summary

Ingredients (concise)

• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (140 g)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (28 g)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 g) for the cookies
• 1 stick unsalted butter (113 g) for the cookies
• 1 stick unsalted butter (113 g) for the filling
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (180 g) for the filling
• 2–3 Tbsp tahini paste
• Optional: 1 cup dark chocolate chips and 1 tsp vegetable shortening for dipping; 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Basic Instructions (concise)

• Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and cocoa, mix to a moist dough.
• Roll between parchment to 1/4″ thickness. Chill 30–45 minutes.
• Cut 2″ shapes, bake at 350°F for 8–12 minutes. Cool completely.
• Beat filling ingredients until smooth; spread on cookies and sandwich.
• Optional: dip edges in melted chocolate and nuts; allow to set.