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!)

4.91 from 32 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.

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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

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