This easy homemade tahini recipe is so quick to make, takes just TWO ingredients, is less expensive than store-bought, and tastes WAY better! Make a double batch while you’re at it and store it in your fridge for several months to have on hand whenever you need it!
Use it make the best creamy Hummus Recipe or drizzle it over your homemade Falafel!
The scenario you may be familiar with: You’re really in the mood for some homemade hummus.  Garbanzo beans?  Check.  Olive oil?  Check.  Lemons?  Check.  Garlic?  Check.  Tahini paste? Aw, dang it. Well don’t let that stop you again. Tahini is not only super simple to make, but homemade is cheaper than store-bought and it tastes better!
What is Tahini?
Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment that is made from hulled sesame seeds that are toasted and then ground into a paste. It’s a popular staple in Middle Eastern, Greek, and East Asian cooking. It is served by itself as a condiment but also incorporated into a very wide variety of dishes, most famously a central ingredient in hummus.
Is tahini healthy? Tahini is relatively high in calcium and protein and is an excellent source of copper, zinc, iron, manganese, amino acids, and omega 3 and omega 6 oils.  Those nutrients help fight inflammation and are provide great cardiovascular support.  They also contribute to immune support.  Just one tablespoon of tahini has roughly 26 percent of the recommended daily intake of copper and 9 to 12 percent of zinc, iron and selenium. Â
How To Use Tahini
There are a number of delicious ways you can put your homemade to use. Here are just a few ideas:
- Hummus – its most popular use, check out our phenomenal Hummus Recipe.
- Baba Ganoush – like hummus, it’s wonderfully creamy and the tahini is a central star of the show.
- Tahin Pekmez – a popular dip in Turkey. Â It has the reputation as being the Turkish PBJ because it’s made with tahini (which has kind of a peanut-buttery taste) and grape molasses. Â Sound like a winning combination? Â It is!
- In Greece it’s a popular condiment in which to dip pita and souvlaki (grilled meat kabobs).
- In Israel it’s a staple topping for Falafel and shawarma. Â It’s also used to make halva-like treats.
- In East Asia it’s commonly used in noodle dishes.
- Throughout the Middle East it is used in sauces for meats and vegetables to enhance the flavor.
- It makes a really nice tahini salad dressing combined with lemon juice, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, garlic and salt.
- Drizzle it over your sandwiches, wraps, and lettuce wraps.
- Drizzle it over grilled meats and vegetables. It’s amazing on our Grilled Eggplant!
- Add it to your baked goods like cookies for a delicious twist!
Tahini Ingredients
To make tahini you only need two ingredients:
- Sesame seeds
- Olive Oil
You may be asking, “why do you need olive oil for tahini?” and that’s a good question because if you look at the ingredients of most commercially-sold tahini, it does not include olive oil. But there’s a good reason why homemade tahini needs the addition of olive oil and that’s because the oil from the sesame seeds cannot be fully extracted without specialized commercial equipment. If you put a bunch of sesame seeds in a regular blender you will get a heap dry ground sesame seeds. Another factor has to do with the freshness of the sesame seeds (the fresher the more oil) and unfortunately most of the sesame seeds available at the store have been sitting there, and in warehouses before that, for a long time. And so we add olive oil.
Shopping Tip:Â Buy sesame seeds in bulk. Â Buying the in tiny bags or cans with just a few ounces is expensive and they’re a better deal in bulk. Â You can buy sesame seeds in the bulk sections of some grocery stores or you can buy them online such as here.
Tips for Making Tahini
- Use hulled sesame seeds. Hulled sesame seeds have had their hard outer shell removed which 1) makes the tahini smoother and 2) less bitter tasting.
- Be careful toasting the sesame seeds. As soon as the sesame seeds start changing color watch very closely because they can scorch quickly which will make them bitter. Toast just until they’re golden.
- Use a high quality olive oil.
- Use a high-powered food processor or blender. A food processor like my mini-prep Cuisinart food processor (we’ve had ours for 17 years and it’s still going strong) does a good job and is ideal for smaller quantities like this but for a smoother tahini paste you can use a high-powered blender such as my Vitamix 5200 (we’ve been using it on average twice a day, every day, for the last 15 years and it’s a total workhorse).
How to Store Tahini
Stored in the fridge in an airtight jar, tahini will keep for 1-2 months; potentially longer but for optimal freshness use it within that time frame. The oil will separate during storage, which is completely normal. Just give it a good stir before using.
Tahini can also be frozen for up to 3-4 months. You can freeze it in its jar, leaving some headspace because it may expand a little. For convenient smaller portions you can also divide it up in ice cube trays, freeze it, then put the frozen cubes in a freezer bag or container, and just take out what you need. Either way, let the tahini thaw slowly, ideally in the fridge overnight.
Tahini Recipe
This tahini recipe uses one cup of sesame seeds which will make about 3/4 cup tahini paste, depending on how much olive oil you use.  How much olive oil you use will depend on how thick you want the paste.  You’ll need at least 3 tablespoons of olive oil and possibly up to 1/3 cup. Note: If you’re using a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, you may need less oil than if you’re using a food processor. Â
Let’s get started!
Heat a clean, dry cast iron or heavy duty skillet over medium high heat and add the sesame seeds. Â Stir frequently until they begin to turn golden brown and then stir constantly. Â Be careful, sesame seeds burn very easily.
You definitely don’t want burnt sesame seeds (they taste awful!), but you do want them generously golden brown for optimal flavor.
Once they’re toasted, let them cool a few minutes then add them to a food processor. Â I use and love Cuisinart’s mini prep food processor. Â With a 3-cup capacity it’s perfect for smaller jobs like this. Â We’ve had ours for over 15 years and it’s still going strong!
Start by adding 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Â Process the mixture into a paste, scraping down the sides. Â Add more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency. Â If you’re using it to make hummus, the paste should be fairly thickly “pourable” (like in the main recipe picture above).
Store the tahini paste in the refrigerator in an airtight jar.
Enjoy!
For more delicious homemade condiments be sure to try our:
- Tartar Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Jerk Sauce
- Bearnaise Sauce
- Black Bean Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Big Mac Sauce
- Jerk Sauce
- Ponzu Sauce
- Char Siu Sauce
- Romesco Sauce
- Eel Sauce
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Remoulade
- Hollandaise Sauce
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
Homemade Tahini
Ingredients
- 1 cup hulled sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons or more extra virgin olive oil ,see Note (see also blog post about why olive oil is added)
Instructions
- Heat a clean, dry cast iron or heavy duty skillet over medium high heat and add the sesame seeds. Stir frequently until they begin to turn golden brown and then stir constantly. Be careful, sesame seeds burn very easily.
- Once they're toasted, let them cool a few minutes then add them to a food processor. Start by adding 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Process the mixture into a paste, scraping down the sides. Add more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency (*see Note)
- Store the tahini in an airtight jar in the fridge and it will last for several months. Stir it throughly before you put it in the fridge because once it's chilled it's difficult to stir.  This makes a little less than 3/4 cup tahini paste, depending on how much olive oil you use.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet May 2017
Sherri says
Yes. Made it. Terrific. Made Hummus with it with Ina’s recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, glad you liked the tahini, Sherri! Nothing beats the flavor of homemade, the flavor is so robust!
Camille Fujoshi Martin says
This is going to sound sacrilegious but if you are on a crazy tight budget and cannot afford Olive oil and the stupid stores won’t bring the 1L bottles down to 4$ so its in your budget. You CAN use canola oil to make it. Olive oil is much healthier and gives it a nice flavour but don’t let your budget keep you down. I made it this way and made Hummus from scratch with it(Including using dry chickpees and cooking them in the slow cooker) and it came out delicious.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Camille, thanks for your input! You know though, I’ve see lots of brands of olive oil that are no more expensive than canola oil. I always marvel how expensive canola oil is such awful, awful stuff.
rowek1 says
Hi! Is there a difference between using white sesame seeds and black sesame seeds?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You can use either, but the black will obviously dramatically change the color of the tahini and whatever else you’re using it in. I have not tried it with black sesame seeds and so I can’t vouch for any flavor differences. But white sesame seeds are what are most commonly used for tahini.
spicycook says
I’m soo going to make this…been looking for Tahini paste all day.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, spicycook! Let us know how it goes!
Anonymous says
how long will the tahini paste last? Would it need to be refrigerated?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It will keep for several months – refrigerated is best to prevent it from going rancid.
Andrea says
Hi, how long should it take to process the sesame seeds in a food processor? I’m using a really good Cuisinart but it’s taking so long and I haven’t even reached a slightly runny consistency yet. In fact it’s still very thick and slightly grainy. I have added more oil but i’ve been going for over 10 mins now processing! Should it take longer or do i just need to keep adding more oil? Many thanks :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Andrea, yes, it sounds like you just need a little more oil. How fresh the sesame seeds are can impact how much oil is needed – the fresher the seeds the more natural oils will still be in them. Some stores carry seeds that have been sitting on the shelves or in warehouses for a long time and their natural oils dry out over time.
Donna says
My husband is on a diet….what is the calorie or carbohydrates per serving….what is a serving….
I thought this would be a great snack with some taste to do the Hummus with some grilled veggies….
Please help….Donna
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Donna, I haven’t figured the calorie/carb content. The easiest way to figure it out would be to visit a website like “calorie count” or “fitday” and enter in the ingredients. It will give you a complete breakdown of the nutritional content.
Allegra Daisy says
Thank you for the great recipe and all the information. In addition to the olive oil, I used a small amount of Meyer lemon oil. I love my hummus garlicky and lemony, so that little addition of the concentrated lemon oil really brightened the Tahiti up.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
The addition of the Meyer lemon oil sounds great, thanks for the feedback!
tahini says
One of the backbones of Middle Eastern food is tahini, a ground glue produced using sesame seeds. In Arabic and Hebrew, it is known as techinah, while the Turkish word, tahin, is clearly nearly related. The base of the statement seems, by all accounts, to be an Arabic word signifying “to pound,” which is likewise utilized as a base for different words portraying ground nourishments, for example, flour. Dissimilar to sesame glue, a famous fixing in Asian food, tahini is produced using sesame seeds which have been hulled, so it is a more refined item, and it likewise has less healthful quality, as the external packaging of the sesame seeds has been uprooted. What’s more, tahini has a tendency to be lighter in shade than Asian sesame glue.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for the info!
carolyn says
Hi,
I have brown sesame seeds. Your picture looks white, does it matter? I’m looking forward to making tahini and hummus from your recipes.
thanks,
Carolyn
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Carolyn! It sounds like what you have may be unhulled sesame seeds. You can use those as well, but they’ll impart a slightly more bitter taste. Once the tahini is mixed in with the hummus that will help temper the bitterness though.
Sarah Ball says
Hi thanks for the recipe, I’ve been searching for tahani in all our local supermarkets for over a week now as, yeah you guessed it I’m making humus!!! Thanks again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome! So happy you found this, Sarah – happy tahini and hummus making!
Carolyn says
If you buy the seeds in bulk, can they be frozen to keep longer? I love hummus, but my husband is not a big fan.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi, Carolyn! Yes, the seeds can absolutely be frozen in an airtight container or bag.
Cathy Thorne says
I’ve made this tahini paste three times now and it’s perfect, taste and texture. The flavor is robust and makes my hummus taste better than it ever tasted with the store bought tahini. I’ll never buy store bought again, this is so quick and easy to make and tastes so much better. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome! It’s true, nothing beats homemade for flavor. So happy you like it, Cathy, and thanks for the feedback!
Brian says
P.S. My sesame seeds roasted looked exactly like your pictures. The thickly pour-able texture was also achieved. I’m just unsure of the taste. Thanks!
Brian says
What is it supposed to taste like. I didn’t add any salt, toasted the hulled sesame seeds, added 3+2 tbsp olive oil and I find it very sesame seedy in flavor but not very tasty. Even slightly bitter. Is this right? Should I have added salt or some other seasoning. With salt I bet it would taste really good. I’m going to use it in Hummus. I’ve never tasted Tahini before, so I’m kinda in the dark. Please let me know if I did it right. Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Brian! Yes, it has a very strong sesame flavor and is slightly bitter. It’s definitely something I wouldn’t enjoy eating on its own. But just wait until you add it to your hummus – delicious!
Brian says
I added it to my slow cooker chick peas and made hummus. The hummus was wonderful. Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Excellent, thanks for your feedback, Brian!