Tahini Recipe (Super Easy & Creamy) (2024)

Home Recipes Courses Sauces, Dressings and Seasonings Tahini Recipe (Super Easy & Creamy)

by Lisa Bryan

149 Comments

Updated Nov 17, 2023

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Tahini is easy to make at home and can be used in many recipes. For super creamy tahini (and not one that’s gloppy and separated) use a high-powered blender and follow my tips below. I’ve also got a quick video to show you how to make it.

Homemade tahini is fresh, smooth and tastes better than anything you can buy in the store. It’s frequently used as a sauce or dressing. You can also use it in myHummus, Tahini Sauce, LemonTahini Dressing, Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies and so many other recipes.

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WHAT IS TAHINI?

Tahini is one of those ingredients that I like to consider a flavor-enhancer, because it’s seedy simplicity makes everything taste delicious. It’s also super easy to make at home with a few tips I’ll share below. And you know my philosophy, fresh is best – so there’s no need to buy it from the store again.

So what exactly is tahini?Quite simply, it’s just toasted and ground sesame seeds.Tahini is a staple ingredient in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern culture (I enjoyed my fair share of it when I lived in the Middle East) and it’s frequently used as an ingredient in hummus or served alongside falafel, pita or baba ganoush as a condiment or sauce.

TAHINI INGREDIENTS

This couldn’t be an easier recipe – there’s only two ingredients! Tahini is made from sesame seeds and a little olive oil. That makes it naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.

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After posting my Hummus recipe (where I use this tahini), I received numerous requests for a tahini recipe and video. And you know me, I’m happy to oblige. Especially when that means I now have a fresh jar of tahini in my fridge for a variety of recipes.

But I do have a few tips on making super creamy tahini, because if you’ve done any Google searching you’re likely to see examples of gloppy, separated and overly oily tahini. Stuff that doesn’t look very appetizing. So let me help you out.

Tahini Tips

  • Use a high-powered blender. Like my favorite Vitamix. Food processors are great, but they’re just not as powerful as blenders, so can’t deliver the creaminess (without double or triple the oil) that makes for the best tahini. Case in point: when you use a Vitamix to make tahini, you only need 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 4 cups of sesame seeds. If you use a food processor, you’ll use that same amount of oil for 1 cup of sesame seeds.
  • Use hulled sesame seeds. Hulled sesame seeds will make a smoother tahini and taste less bitter.
  • Gently toast the sesame seeds. Sesame seeds will burn quite quickly, so make sure to keep an eye on them on the stove. You only want them turn a slightly golden color to help release their natural oils.
  • Use a high quality oil. I prefer olive oil or avocado oil.
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How to Store Tahini

The tahini recipe below calls for 4 cups of sesame seeds, which may sound like a lot. But remember that once it’s blended, that’s only about 2 cups of tahini.

Homemade tahini will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a month, but you could always freeze leftovers. Just do what I do for fresh herbs and compound butters – freeze the tahini in an ice cube trayand pop out a cube when you need it.

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More Easy Vegan Sauce Recipes

  • Vegan Alfredo Sauce
  • Basil Pesto
  • Marinara Sauce
  • Salted Caramel Sauce

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Tahini Recipe (Super Easy & Creamy!)

4.90 from 29 votes

Prep: 2 minutes mins

Cook: 6 minutes mins

Total: 8 minutes mins

Servings: 16 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Tahini is super easy to make at home. Gently toast the sesame seeds, add them to a high-powered blender with a little olive oil and you're done. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Gently toast the sesame seeds (stirring constantly) on medium low for 5 minutes, or until slightly golden. Then, let them cool to room temperature.

  • Once the sesame seeds have cooled, add them to your Vitamix. Blend on high for one minute, using the tamper to push the seeds into the blades, creating a tahini paste.

  • Add the olive oil and blend for another minute to create a creamy consistency.

Lisa’s Tips

  • The recipe makes approximately 2 cups of tahini.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.4g | Protein: 7.7g | Fat: 24.6g | Saturated Fat: 3.6g | Sodium: 17.7mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 0.2g

Course: Appetizer, sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Tahini, Tahini Dressing, Tahini Sauce

©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

Read More About Me

Tahini Recipe (Super Easy & Creamy) (2024)

FAQs

Why is my tahini sauce not smooth? ›

The key to smooth and runny tahini is to give it time, so keep blending. Transfer to a container and enjoy!

What thickens tahini? ›

Adding a small amount of water to tahini causes it to thicken into a paste because of carbohydrate binding.

What happens when you add water to tahini? ›

A small amount of added water acts like a glue, wetting particles just enough to get them to stick together, but eventually if you add too much water, the mixture turns into an evenly thinned-out liquid.

Does lemon juice thicken tahini? ›

When a small amount of lemon juice (or water) is added to the tahini or peanut butter, the hydrophilic dry particles are drawn to the water. As a result, it clumps up. As water is added, more clumps develop, causing the tahini to thicken overall.

Why is my tahini lumpy? ›

Tahini that hides in the fridge for too long (or stored in fridges that feel more like freezers) can turn chunky and hard. So hard you'll feel like you need a cement mixer to get things moving again. That's why, if you are storing your tahini in the fridge, make sure the temperature of your fridge is not too cold.

What happens if you put too much tahini in hummus? ›

As I said earlier, tahini has a mildly bitter flavour, so if your hummus is bitter, you've most likely added too much tahini. Also make sure that the tahini you do have is hulled, as opposed to unhulled. Hulled tahini just means that the bitter husks on the outside of the sesame seed have been removed before blending.

What cuts the bitterness of tahini? ›

Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed is best! The acidity helps cut through some of the bitterness of the tahini. If preferred, lemon juice will also work.

How do you keep tahini smooth? ›

So here is my super easy way to stop tahini separating! All you need to to is take it all out of the original jar and put it into a mini food processor. Process it until it is all smooth – make sure to hold on to the processor to keep it steady as there are some big lumps of sesame that it is trying to get through!

Can too much tahini be bad for you? ›

Risks and Side Effects

Most nuts and seeds, including sesame seeds, are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which are described as “pro-inflammatory” because they can contribute to certain problems when they're consumed in high amounts. For that reason, nuts and seeds, including tahini, are best when eaten in moderation.

Do you stir tahini before using? ›

Stir your tahini well before using, as the oil separates during storage. Once opened, you may have to vigorously stir the oil back into the sesame paste. Store the jar in your fridge to prevent spoiling. Tahini keeps for many months, but the oils will go rancid over time.

Is it worth making tahini? ›

Homemade Tahini has a rich nutty taste and is easy to make with just two ingredients – sesame seeds and oil. It is so much better and cheaper than store bought tahini. Tahini paste is a perfect addition not only to hummus, but also to make salad dressings and dips.

Why does tahini go bad? ›

Tahini can go bad, especially if it's exposed to moisture or direct heat. It will have a noticeable, sharp rancid smell.

Why is my homemade tahini bitter? ›

Bitterness is generally part and parcel of tahini - it's how ground sesame seeds taste. What you will find, however, is that some tahini can taste more bitter than others. This is down to a few things; like how that particular tahini is processed, or the levels of something called oxalic acid in the hulls of the seeds.

How do you mix tahini easily? ›

Once you get your jar of tahini home, you want to open it up and give it a stir to make sure it's incorporated. (If the oil has fully separated, such as in the photo above, Food editor Joe Yonan uses an immersion blender to reincorporate it, after which he says it stays emulsified.)

How do you soften tahini sauce? ›

If your tahini is dry, or if you prefer a thinner sauce, add more water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency.

Why is tahini so hard to stir? ›

With just a shake, the nutty condiment is ready to be squeezed onto whatever my heart desires, without so much as a hint of streaky separation. Because tahini is made purely from sesame seeds, which have a high oil content, even the highest quality brands will separate over time.

What is the texture of tahini paste? ›

Tahini is the Arabic name for ground sesame seeds. It can be served as a dip or as a component of other dishes. The sesame paste has kind of an oily surface with a peanut butter-like texture.

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