Learn how to make tahini with just 1 ingredient (sesame seeds). All you need is a food processor and about 10 minutes. You will be rewarded with the most delicious, creamy, drippy tahini!
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Something magical happens when you give some sesame seeds a spin in a food processor. In just a few minutes you'll have a perfectly creamy, drippy homemade tahini with sesame-intense flavour. It's the definition of simplicity and so delicious!
Tahini is a pantry staple here at AVV HQ and the homemade version is so much nicer (and cheaper!) than most store-bought tahini. It's great for use in all kinds of sweet and savoury dishes.
My absolute favourite way to use it is in my Tahini Smoothie, Chocolate Tahini Crunch Bars, Tahini Granola, or my Tahini Banana Bread!
Mel x
Ingredients
Just like when making peanut butter or almond butter, all you need to make homemade tahini is one ingredient. In this case, that ingredient is sesame seeds. You can add a pinch of salt too, but it's not necessary.
How To Make Tahini At Home
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen.
First, you need to toast or dry roast the sesame seeds. You can do this on a baking sheet in the oven or in a dry skillet on the stovetop. Roasting/toasting releases the natural oils in the sesame seeds, which helps make the blending process easier and faster. It also intensifies the flavour of your tahini, making it taste more toasty and nutty.
Add the sesame seeds to a food processor and start processing. Patience is needed as you work through each stage of the process. First, it will start to look like clumpy coarse flour.
Then it will start to turn into a thick coarse paste.
You will probably start to feel like it's not going to work, and then all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, it will turn into creamy, drippy, perfectly smooth tahini with a creamy, drippy, melty, perfectly smooth consistency.
How To Use Homemade Tahini
Tahini is really versatile and can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It's a really popular ingredient in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. I love it:
- Drizzled on oatmeal.
- In smoothies like my tahini smoothie and pumpkin chocolate smoothie.
- Spread on toast (great with sliced bananas).
- Added to salad dressings, sauces, and dips like homemade curry hummus and dark chocolate hummus.
- In baked goods like cookies, tahini granola, and tahini banana bread.
- And for a really delicious chocolate treat, my Chocolate Tahini Crunch Bars!
Tahini Recipe FAQs
Tahini has a nutty, toasty, sesame flavour and is slightly bitter. Tahini made with roasted sesame seeds tends to taste a little milder than tahini made from unhulled or raw seeds.
Store your tahini in a jar or other airtight container. If you are going to finish it quickly (within a couple of weeks), then you can store it in the pantry (or other cool area), but if not, the refrigerator or freezer is best. In the fridge, it should keep well for up to 3 months, and in the freezer for 6 months. When freezing, I use an ice cube tray, so you can pop out just a cube or two as needed. The cubes defrost super-quickly.
Every food processor/blender's strength is a little different. Some will take less time, and some will take more time. It sounds like your tahini probably just needed an extra few minutes in the food processor. It should get there; you just need to be patient and keep going! However, it is possible that your food processor just isn't powerful enough for the job. Adding a tablespoon or two of good-quality olive oil will help loosen things up and make it easier on your food processor to get the consistency you need.
Yes, you can, but its flavour is stronger and more bitter than tahini made with white sesame seeds.
It is possible to use a blender if it's a high-powered one like a Blendtec or Vitamix, but even they will struggle a little to get things going without the addition of some oil. A food processor is the best option, especially for a recipe like this one with no added oil.
The coating on unhulled sesame seeds can be a little bitter. Using hulled sesame seeds will reduce the bitterness.
Yes, tahini can be used as a direct substitute for any nut butter in recipes. It has a very similar fat and protein content, so it won't affect how the recipe turns out. It is, however, generally a little thinner than peanut butter, so you might need to reduce the liquid a little to compensate.
Yes, it will work. However, toasting the seeds helps to release the oil, making blending easier and quicker. Raw seeds will take a little longer to turn to a drippy consistency but will eventually if you keep the food processor running long enough.
You can use either. Hulled sesame seeds result in a paler, milder, naturally slightly sweet, and extremely smooth tahini. Unhulled sesame seeds are darker in colour and will produce a darker, less smooth tahini with a stronger, slightly bitter flavour.
Recipe
How To Make Tahini
Author:Ingredients
- 2 cups (300 grams) sesame seeds
- OPTIONAL pinch of sea salt
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Toast or roast the sesame seeds. In a pan - Add sesame seeds to a dry skillet/frying pan and let them toast for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Stir almost constantly. They are ready when they become slightly darker and smell really nutty and toasty. In an oven - Preheat to 320°F (160°C). Spread the sesame seeds out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until they become slightly darker and smell nutty and toasty. Don't leave them unattended as they can burn easily.
- Let them cool for a few minutes before the next step.
- Add the sesame seeds (and optional sea salt) to a food processor and process continuously until completely smooth, creamy, and drippy. This could take up to 10 minutes (longer if your food processor isn't very powerful), and the tahini will go through several stages. First it will look like wet sand, then it will look thick, claggy and grainy, and then suddenly it will become silky smooth and creamy.
- If your food processor starts to struggle or get hot, turn it off and give it time to cool down before continuing.The key to good tahini is to be patient. Scrape the sides and the bottom occasionally for even mixing. At first, it will look like it's never going to happen, and then all of a sudden the clumpy-looking seeds will transform into drippy, smooth tahini before your eyes.
- Transfer the tahini to a jar or other airtight container for storage.
NOTES
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Clara Turner says
I toasted the seeds in a wok, stirring continuously. They smelt amazing but I may have toasted them a little too much as my tahini is peanut butter coloured almost, not pale like your photo? Tastes great though, thank you :)
Krista says
I prefer my tahini raw...
Would this still work if I instead use raw sesame seeds?
Randy Williams says
You specified 'food processor'. A Vitamix or other strong blender will not work?
I love the 1-ingredient aspect. Thank you :)
Melanie McDonald says
I talk about it in the post and the FAQs: "It is possible to use a blender if it's a high-powered one like a Blendtec or Vitamix but even they will struggle a little to get things going without the addition of some oil. A food processor is the best option."
So you can try in your blender but you will probably end up having to add oil. In a half-decent food processor you won't need to.