Two nuts. One cookie. The flavour combination that our pastry team can't stop eating.

Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 12 minutes | Makes: 20 cookies | Difficulty: Easy

This recipe came from our bakehouse kitchen on a day when we had sesame butter and pistachio drizzle sitting side by side on the bench and thought: what if we put both in a cookie?

Turns out — sesame and pistachio is one of those combinations that sounds unusual but works immediately. The sesame brings a deep, toasty, almost savoury nuttiness. The pistachio brings brightness and a buttery sweetness. Together in a cookie with brown butter and sea salt, it's the kind of thing you eat three of before you realise what happened.

We're using Just Nuts Sesame Butter — our newest range, NZ-made from real sesame seeds with no filler — and finishing with a generous drizzle of Just Nuts Pistachio Drizzle while the cookies are still warm.

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

• 170g butter, browned (this adds a nutty caramel depth that amplifies the sesame)
• 130g Just Nuts Sesame Butter
• 150g brown sugar
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 260g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

Topping

• Just Nuts Pistachio Drizzle
• Crushed pistachios
• Extra sesame seeds (mix of black and white)
• Flaky sea salt

Method

Brown the Butter

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally. It will foam, then the milk solids will turn golden and smell nutty — about 5 minutes. Don't walk away; it goes from browned to burned fast.
2. Pour into a heatproof bowl. Let cool to room temperature (or speed it up in the fridge for 15 minutes — you want it cool but still liquid).

Make the Dough

1. Whisk the browned butter, Just Nuts Sesame Butter, and both sugars until smooth and thick.
2. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk until glossy.
3. Fold in flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined.
4. Fold in white and black sesame seeds.
5. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes (or overnight — the flavour develops as it rests).

Bake

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line trays with baking paper.
2. Scoop generous tablespoon-sized balls onto trays, spacing 5cm apart.
3. Press a few extra sesame seeds (both colours) into the top of each cookie.
4. Bake 10–12 minutes. Edges set, centres still soft and slightly underdone.
5. Cool on tray for 5 minutes.

Finish

1. While cookies are still warm, drizzle generously with Just Nuts Pistachio Drizzle. Go heavy — it soaks into the warm surface and creates a pistachio glaze.
2. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
3. Let the drizzle set for a few minutes before stacking (if you can wait that long).

Why This Combination Works

Sesame and pistachio are both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern pantry staples, but they're rarely paired together in Western baking. That's a missed opportunity.

Just Nuts Sesame Butter brings a roasted depth that's completely different from tahini — richer, smoother, NZ-made from whole seeds. In this cookie, it replaces some of the regular butter, which means sesame flavour is baked into the structure of the cookie itself, not just a topping.

Just Nuts Pistachio Drizzle on top adds a contrasting sweet nuttiness and that gorgeous green colour. The warm cookie absorbs the drizzle slightly, creating a pistachio shell on the surface. It's functional and beautiful.

Brown butter ties everything together — the nutty caramel notes from browned milk solids bridge the gap between the two nut flavours.

The Blue Moon Tips

Brown butter is non-negotiable. Regular melted butter will work, but browned butter adds a toasty depth that makes the sesame flavour sing. It's the difference between a good cookie and the one people ask for the recipe.

Don't skip the chill. Resting the dough in the fridge firms up the fats and lets the flour hydrate. Result: thicker cookies that don't spread flat, with more concentrated flavour.

Make it a gift. Stack these in a jar with parchment between layers, tie a ribbon, and include a jar of Just Nuts Pistachio Drizzle. Instant homemade gift that looks like you spent hours.

Shop the Recipe

• Just Nuts Sesame Butter — NEW
• Just Nuts Pistachio Drizzle
• Just Nuts Pistachio Spread (alternative: use as filling instead of drizzle topping)

Shop All Just Nuts →