Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies with Lemon Curd
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Updated Oct 23, 2026, Published Mar 07, 2016
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These Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies are buttery and nutty, with a spoonful of tart lemon curd in the middle. I know, black sesame and lemon might not be your usual cookie combination, but I promise they’re so good together. I love that you can mix the dough by hand, so no fancy equipment necessary. And if you happen to have some leftover lemon curd, you can easily make my lemon alfajores.
This legit is maybe the strangest looking cookie I’ve ever made. I hesitated about sharing this one but the flavor combo was too good to keep to myself! Black sesame and lemon are actually such a good combination. The rich sesame flavor gives the tart curd something to balance against, so each bite is buttery, nutty and bright.
I love that these cookies are sort of Halloween-looking, they lean spooky and haunted. If I were hosting a Halloween party, these would definitely make the cut on my menu along with these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and my chili cornbread casserole.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies with Lemon Curd
- Black sesame paste – This gives the cookies their rich, nutty sesame flavor and dark, spooky color. If the paste has separated, make sure to stir it very well before measuring. I usually purchase this at my local Asian market but you can also swap it out for tahini. (The color will be completely different.)
- Lemon curd – You can follow the recipe to make it from scratch but if you’re pressed for time, store-bought lemon curd can work in a pinch.
- Brown and granulated sugars – The cookies use both, with brown sugar adding a little molasses flavor and white granulated sugar adding chewiness.
- Eggs and egg yolks – These thicken the lemon curd and give it a rich, silky texture. I like to use organic eggs with a rich yellow yolk for this, it makes the lemon curd a beautiful bright yellow.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How To Make Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies with Lemon Curd
- Mix the curd. Rub the zest into the sugar, then whisk in the eggs, yolks, salt and lemon juice.
- Cook and chill. Whisk over medium-low heat until thickened. Add the butter, strain, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Make the dough. Mix the sesame paste, butter, and sugars. Add the egg, vanilla, leaveners and salt, then fold in the flour.
- Chill and shape. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Scoop into 2-tablespoon portions, roll into balls and space 2 inches apart.
- Bake and indent. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Immediately press a tablespoon into each center.
- Cool and fill. Cool completely, then add the lemon curd and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Make Ahead & Storage Info
Make Ahead: The lemon curd can be made up to 3 days in advance. Keep it covered with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface until ready to use. You can also bake and indent the cookies up to 2 days ahead, keep them in an airtight container, and fill them when you’re ready to serve.
Storage: Store the filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies with Lemon Curd
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Curd:
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies:
- ¼ cup (63g) black sesame paste
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (105g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (56g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
To Make the Lemon Curd:
- In a medium saucepan, rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the oils. Then add the eggs, egg yolks, and salt. Whisk until combined. Then, while continuously whisking, add in the lemon juice.
- Place the pot over medium-low heat and continue whisking until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the butter. Strain the lemon curd into a small bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until completely chilled.
To Make the Cookies:
- In a large bowl, use a whisk or hand mixer on medium speed to combine the black sesame paste, softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Next, beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix again until just combined. Now fold in the flour until no specks remain. The dough should be soft and supple. Transfer to the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside. Using a 1-ounce cookie dough scooper (or 2 tablespoons), scoop out a ball of dough. Roll the dough into a ball using the palm of your hands. Transfer to the cookie sheet being sure to space the cookies about 2-inches apart since they’ll spread a bit. You can fit at least 9 cookies per sheet.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies have spread and domed. As soon as you remove the baking sheet from the oven, quickly use a tablespoon to make an indentation at the center of each cookie. (As the cookies cool, it will be harder to make the indentation.)
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack until they’re room temperature. Once cooled, add a teaspoon of the lemon curd to the center of the cookies and sprinkle with a few black sesame seeds. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Notes
Quick Tips
When I opened up my jar of black sesame paste, it was oily on top and all clumpy on the bottom. To solve this issue, I added the entire thing to the blender and pulsed until it was very smooth (about 30 seconds). I recommend this if yours is similar. If you don’t have or can’t find black sesame paste, you can use tahini paste. It will taste very similar, though will look a completely different color.Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: The lemon curd can be made up to 3 days in advance. Keep it covered with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface until ready to use. You can also bake and indent the cookies up to 2 days ahead, keep them in an airtight container, and fill them when you’re ready to serve. Storage: Store the filled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The salt amount was omitted from the directions, and the cookies are hard cookies. :/ I wish I knew that before completing the recipe.
Hi,
Would you please be able to provide this recipe in grams? I’m from Australia and us folks (and those from the UK) get very confused with these measurements. Thank you! It looks fantastic!
Ah, I made the other tahini cookies a few days ago and filled with black currant jam and an eye of lemon curd. Came back on your blog to find the recipe again and found this one! So perfect
I was hesitate on the tahini to flour ratio after seeing other recipes but wouldn’t change it for a second
Thank you!
I’m wondering if this cookie would stand up well on its own, without the curd in the middle? Maybe baked in a ball, and dusted in confectioners sugar for color contrast.
might want to change the “(from 5 blood oranges)” part under the lemon curd ingredients (; but this sounds delicious- i’m betting that the lemon cuts through the richness of the sesame wonderfully.