The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

Did I self-proclaim the nickname #TahiniQueenie a few years ago? Yes, yes I did.

Why you ask? Because after a trip to Israel where we ate a good amount tahini-based dips and dishes, I couldn’t stop cooking and baking with tahini. If you haven’t tried my favorite recipes using tahini yet, here’s a list to get you started.

Lately, I can’t stop drizzling and dipping things in this easy-to-make, basic tahini sauce. It’s nut free, and perfect to drizzle over roasted sweet potatoes, carrots or cauliflower or to spoon over a quick buddha bowl or salad. Creamy, quick to make, earthy and ridiculously addicting — I hope you give it a try!

The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (1)

What is tahini?

Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds and it’s very similar to how peanut butter or almond butter is made. Good tahini is creamy, mild, nutty, toasty and spoonable. It should not be overly bitter, thick or pasty. My favorite brand of tahini is bySoom (plus it’s female-owned!).

Ingredients in basic tahini sauce

You’ll only need a handful of super simple ingredients to make this incredible tahini sauce. Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • Tahini: you’ll want to use a natural tahini that’s just ground sesame seeds. More info on tahini and my favorite brand below! It’s a nut-free option to using nut butter that’s creamy, mild and toasty. Great for adding your favorite flavors like in this easy sauce. Use the code ‘ambitiouskitchen’ to get 10% off my favorite brand, Soom!
  • Garlic: for a punch of delicious flavor.
  • Lemon juice: a little lemon juice adds the perfect acidity to this tahini sauce recipe.
  • Water: you’ll want to add a bit of water, just a small amount at a time, to thin out the sauce to your liking.
  • Salt & pepper: to bring all of the flavors together.
  • Optional add-ins: dijon mustard for a slightly tangy flavor and pure maple syrup for a little sweetness to pair with the nutty tahini and zippy lemon juice.

The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (2)

How to make creamy tahini sauce

A one-step, one-bowl recipe? Yes, please:

In a small bowl mix together tahini, garlic, lemon juice, water and salt until well combined and creamy. Add maple syrup if you’d like it to be a little sweeter or dijon mustard if you want some tang. Drizzle over whatever your heart desires.

Customize your sauce

Feel free to get a little creative with your tahini sauce. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Get herby. Blend it up with cilantro, parsley, basil or even mint for an herby dip or dressing.
  • Go earthy. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric for an earthy yummy yellow dressing or dip.
  • Add protein. Stir in 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt for a creamy, protein packed dressing.

The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (3)

Ways to use this tahini sauce

Not only will you fall in love with this easy, creamy tahini sauce, but you’ll also be obsessed with all of the ways you can use it. Here’s what I suggest:

  1. As a dip. It’s the perfect dip for yummy sweet potato fries, raw veggies or even chicken nuggets.
  2. As a topping. Spoon it onto your favorite burgers like this one or this one, or on your go-to sandwiches.
  3. As a dressing. Use it as a salad dressing like this salad for creamy, delicious flavor.
  4. As a drizzle. Drizzle it on roasted or grilled veggies for a wonderfully savory side dish.

The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (4)

How to store homemade tahini sauce

Store this creamy vegan tahini sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If the sauce appears too thick for your liking when you take it out of the fridge, simply add a bit of water and mix it well.

More sauces, dips & dressings

  • Spicy Green Cashew Dip
  • Creamy Tahini Poppy Seed Dressing
  • Our Favorite Homemade Tomato Sauce (using fresh tomatoes!)
  • Sunshine Dressing
  • Jalapeño Cashew Cream Sauce

Get all of my sauces recipes here!

I hope you love this delicious basic tahini sauce recipe and find some fun, creative ways to use it! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below so others know how you liked it! Thank you for your readership! xo.

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The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (6)

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

ServesServes 8 servings

The BEST basic tahini sauce made with simple ingredients like all natural tahini, lemon juice, garlic and optional flavor add-ins. This creamy, easy tahini sauce recipe is vegan, nut free and delicious as a dressing or dip for tons of different recipes.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated (or sub ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • Optional: ½ teaspoon dijon for a little zing
  • 2-3 tablespoons warm water, to thin out a bit
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: 1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup to sweeten a little

Instructions

  • In a small bowl mix together tahini, garlic, lemon juice, water and salt until well combined and creamy. Drizzle over whatever your heart desires.

Recipe Notes

I like to use hulled tahini for tahini sauce. Soom is my favorite brand!

See the full post for fun ways to customize your tahini sauce, plus storing tips.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 92calCarbohydrates: 4.1gProtein: 2.6gFat: 8.1gSaturated Fat: 1.1gFiber: 1.4gSugar: 0.3g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by:Eat Love Eats

The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

How do you make tahini sauce not bitter? ›

If it is too bitter, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey. And if the flavor is too sharp, mellow it with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon olive oil.

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!

Does lemon juice thicken tahini? ›

Tahini Paste: Add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, and any additional add-ins to a medium bowl. Whisk together; the tahini will become very thick and lighter in color.

Why does my homemade tahini taste 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.

Why does tahini upset my stomach? ›

However, the content of fat and protein in tahini is relatively high. Eating too much tahini can easily cause indigestion.

What thickens tahini? ›

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

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.

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!

Why did my tahini sauce break? ›

Because tahini is made purely from sesame seeds, which have a high oil content, even the highest quality brands will separate over time.

Why did my tahini sauce curdle? ›

Tahini "seizes up" when a small amount of water-based liquid is added but the emulsion has not yet inverted. It's not really a problem. As more liquid is incorporated, the emulsion will invert and things will become smooth again.

Why is my tahini sauce chunky? ›

Much of its makeup is carbohydrates, and when a small amount of juice (or any water-containing liquid) is added to tahini, a portion of each carbohydrate molecule is drawn to the water. As a result, clumps of carbohydrates appear.

How can you tell if tahini is rancid? ›

It will have a noticeable, sharp rancid smell.

Do you refrigerate tahini after opening? ›

Store-bought tahini can either live in a cool dark place or in the fridge (we prefer the pantry, as the fridge can change the consistency of your tahini, making it less silky smooth). If you've mixed your tahini with other ingredients to make a sauce, always keep it in the fridge and use it within 5 days.

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.

How do you take the bitterness out of sesame seeds? ›

Preparation of sprouted and de-bittered sesame seed flour

After sprouting, the seeds were divided into two portions. The first portions were properly rinsed, put in a cooking pot, covered with water and boiled to a temperature of 100 °C for 20 min in a covered container to remove bitterness.

Which tahini is not bitter? ›

#1: Baron's Organic Tahini

Naturally mild sweetness and not too bitter. Texture: 5 – About as creamy and smooth as it gets. Overall thoughts: 4.25 – We love how easy it is to stir and how creamy it is, and the flavor was pretty delicious.

Does tahini sauce taste bitter? ›

The sesame seed paste has “a strong, earthy taste with bitter undertones, but it should be a very pleasant bitterness with a hint of sweetness when it first hits the palate,” Reem Kassis writes in “The Arabesque Table.” It is one of the key ingredients in hummus, responsible for the dip's slight nuttiness, but it can ...

How do you mix tahini before using? ›

If you're working with a jar of tahini, the first thing you'll need to do is give it a good stir. Tahini can be quite thick and can settle at the bottom of the jar, so it's important to make sure it's evenly mixed before using it. Once your tahini is mixed, you can start adding it to your recipes.

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