Easy Tahini Recipe

Making your own tahini at home is an easy and rewarding process. Our recipe takes just minutes to whip up, yet it produces a homemade tahini with far superior flavor than anything you’ll find in stores.

What is Tahini?

Ever wondered what tahini is and how to make it at home? With our guide, you’ll discover all you need to know about this delicious ingredient, from its uses in recipes other than hummus, to a simple and cost-effective way of making it yourself.

Tahini is a paste widely used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, made from sesame seeds. It’s vegan, gluten-free, nutty in taste and surprisingly easy to make – all you need is a frying pan, some hulled (lighter color) or unhulled (darker color) sesame seeds and a food processor. While you can make tahini using both types of seeds, we prefer using the hulled variety; the end result will be smoother, less bitter and more flavourful.

Related: Hulled Sesame Seeds vs. Unhulled Sesame Seeds

Ways to Use Tahini

Tahini is much more than just a hummus condiment – although it’s certainly great for that! Here are some other delicious ways to use it: create Baba Ganoush, a roasted eggplant dip; make your own tahini salad dressing; turn it into a sauce or dressing of your own; serve alongside falafel; or even in desserts.

Once you’ve got tahini in the fridge (it lasts over a month), experiment and discover your own unique uses for this versatile ingredient!

Related: Substitutes for Sesame Seeds

How to Make Tahini in Minutes

Making tahini just couldn’t be easier – it’s essentially the same process as making nut butter! All you need are some sesame seeds, a food processor, and a little oil. Simply grind the seeds until they become smooth and you’ll have your delicious tahini in minutes.

Tahini Ingredients

You only need THREE ingredients to make tahini.

1. Sesame seeds — For added nuttiness, we usually opt for hulled sesame seeds that are lightly toasted. Of course, you can always skip this step entirely if you’d prefer.
2. Oil — To get that creamy texture, just add a few tablespoons of your neutral-flavored oil of choice. Avocado oil, light olive oil, vegetable oil, and grape seed oil all work great!
3. Salt is an optional ingredient, but it really does add a touch of flavor and makes the tahini taste even better.

Process for Making Tahini

Making tahini is easy and only requires a few simple steps.

Step 1, Toast the sesame seeds. 

Toasting the sesame seeds on the stovetop before making the tahini is highly recommended as it adds a depth of flavor that can’t be achieved any other way. Be careful though, since they are so tiny, they burn quickly and easily. So heat up your pan to medium-low and stir constantly with a spoon until the seeds darken ever so slightly in color and become fragrant – you’ll love the end result!

Step 2, Process the sesame seeds until crumbly. 

When the sesame seeds have cooled down, simply add them to the bowl of a food processor, close the lid and process until it forms a crumbly paste.

Step 3, Add oil and process into a smooth cream. 

For an extra smooth and pourable tahini, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil to the food processor bowl. You can reduce this amount if you’d like, however it won’t be as smooth or have a similar consistency to store-bought tahini. After processing, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl and doing a little more processing, your tahini is ready to use in whatever recipe you wish!

Can I use a blender?

With a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, you can use it to make tahini. When using this method, be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the blender regularly so all the seeds are blended into the sauce.

Storing Tips

Tahini can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month and may separate as natural peanut butter does. To restore it to its original smoothness, just stir it well before using it.