Homemade Tahini

OHHH my goodness. Talk about a great ingredient that is a mainstay in pantries from coast to coast. Tahini paste is incredibly easy to make and incredibly delicious to boot. 

Ground sesame seeds are transformed into tahini sauce in a flash. This recipe is versatile, easy to make fresh at home, and blows anything store bought out of the water. It is naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten free and adds a nutty flavor to anything.

What Is Tahini? 

Tahini is a ground or pureed mixture of hulled sesame seeds with olive oil and is often described as peanut butter in terms of how it looks. If we are being honest here, think of it just like you would almond butter or cashew butter. Just a different nut or seed being ground into a velvety paste. 

It is commonly seen in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. It is what gives hummus recipes body and velvety texture, it gives baba ghanoush (baba ganoush) a boost, it is used in ice cream flavors, it can be incorporated in salad dressings, and it is great in marinades. 

What Does Tahini Taste like? 

In terms of flavor, it is, as you might expect, nutty, earthy, and slightly bitter. It can be made from toasted and raw sesame seeds depending on its application and your palate.

Personally, I like mine toasted. It can be a little grainy in texture, which adds to the chopstication of a dish.

Tahini vs. Tahina

What’s the Difference between Tahini & Tahina?

Let’s get something straight here first and foremost. Tahini and tehini, differ in one letter are interchangeable in the opinion of most people. They both represent a simple paste made with sesame seeds. We are focusing on this in particular. 

Tahini is used to make tahina sauce which is used just as many ways if not more. Tahina is a condiment made with tahini. It is a blend of garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and sometimes spices. This is the magic sauce in hummus and in many other dishes. 

Health Benefits of Tahini

Let’s go over some fun facts. Tahini has more protein in a serving than you would get from milk or many varieties of nuts. It is high in B vitamins as well as vitamin E. Not to mention it touts magnesium, calcium, and iron. 

Storage

How do you store tahini? Storing tahini is like storing any other nut butter. A cool place out of the sun is ideal.

Always give it a smell test before you use it. Like nuts and oils, it is high in fat and it can spoil easily and since we aren’t using any preservatives, this can happen faster than with store bought.

The funky and musty smell it gives off when this happens is a dead giveaway. 

Easy Tahini Recipe

You can easily buy store-bought tahini, but it is often the consistency of cement and sometimes includes stabilizers and other ingredients that simply aren’t necessary. That is why making it at home is so glorious!

These are the only ingredients you will need.

• Sesame Seeds- white are best for this recipe, although black can add an unexpected color.
• Neutral Oil- Avocado, canola and grapeseed are good choices. Smoke point isn’t important, but flavor is. Using sesame oil will be overwhelming.

How to Make Tahini

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the sesame seeds into an even layer on the parchment and bake for 10 minutes or so.

As soon as they have a light brown exterior, take them out of the oven. Keep in mind they will continue to get darker after you take them out. Keep a close eye on them as they can easily get too dark and in turn, bitter and it happens fast!

Once completely cooled, put your toasted sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon of oil in a food processor, and blend until smooth. If it needs more oil, add it by the ½ tablespoon blending in between each addition. I like to use olive oil, but other neutral oils work too. Avocado oil and vegetable oil are close seconds.

Scoop the finished tahini into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. You may need to give it a good stir before each use much like you would with natural peanut butter, it has the tendency to separate.

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Print Recipe

4.93 from 14 votes

Homemade Tahini

Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is creamy, nutty and used in dishes like hummus or on its own for a spread or dip.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: homemade tahini, tahini

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 921kcal

Author: Jessica Formicola

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sesame seeds
• 1-2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado oil , grapeseed oil, canola oil)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the sesame seeds into an even layer on the parchment and bake for 10 minutes or so.
• As soon as they have a light brown exterior, take them out of the oven. Keep in mind they will continue to get darker after you take them out. Keep a close eye on them as they can easily get too dark and in turn, bitter.
• Once completely cooled, put your toasted sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a food processor, and blend until smooth. If it needs more oil, add it by the ½ tablespoon blending in between each addition.
• Scoop the finished tahini into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. You may need to give it a good stir before each use much like you would with natural peanut butter, it has the tendency to separate.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool dry place.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments and ratings!

Nutrition

Calories: 921kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 82g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 1463mg | Iron: 22mg