Black Sesame Brownie (Printable version)

Fudgy brownie with nutty black sesame paste creating a rich, earthy chocolate swirl.

# What You'll Need:

→ Brownie Base

01 - 6 oz unsalted butter
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
06 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
09 - 3.5 oz dark chocolate, chopped

→ Black Sesame Swirl

10 - 1/4 cup black sesame paste, unsweetened
11 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
12 - 1 tablespoon hot water

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in granulated sugar and brown sugar until fully dissolved. Allow mixture to cool slightly.
03 - Whisk eggs into cooled butter mixture one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Fold dry mixture into wet ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Stir chopped dark chocolate into batter until evenly distributed.
06 - Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and smooth the top surface with a spatula.
07 - In a small bowl, whisk together black sesame paste, sugar, and hot water until smooth and pourable consistency is achieved.
08 - Dollop black sesame mixture over brownie batter in even intervals. Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl through batter in figure-eight patterns, creating marbled appearance.
09 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes until edges are set but center remains slightly fudgy. Toothpick inserted in center should emerge with moist crumbs.
10 - Allow brownies to cool completely in pan before lifting out using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 equal squares.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The earthy nuttiness of black sesame transforms chocolate into something entirely unexpected.
  • They're fudgy enough to feel indulgent but structured enough to actually cut into clean squares.
  • The swirl pattern looks far more impressive than the effort required to make it.
02 -
  • Black sesame paste separates if it sits, so stir it well before using and don't worry if it seems thick at first.
  • Overbaking turns these from fudgy to cake-like, so pull them out when they still look slightly underdone in the very center.
03 -
  • Chop your dark chocolate roughly instead of using chips, so you get those irregular chunks that melt unevenly and create texture.
  • If your black sesame paste seems overly thick, a tiny bit of sesame oil mixed in makes it swirl like a dream without affecting the flavor.
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