Tahini is far more than a hummus ingredient: this creamy sesame paste works in dressings, sauces, dips, falafel and even fudgy desserts. Below you will find twenty tried and tested ways to use up that jar in your pantry, from smoky eggplant spreads to nutty tahini cookies. Most come straight from the Gourmandelle kitchen, with a couple of favorites borrowed from fellow food bloggers. Grab a spoon and start experimenting.
How to cook with tahini (other than hummus)
The easiest way to use tahini is to treat it as both a savory base and a sweet one: whisk it with lemon and water for dressings and sauces, blend it into dips, or fold it into cookies and halva where it replaces butter. Remember that a little goes a long way, since too much turns dishes bitter, so start with a teaspoon and build up from there. If your jar has separated, blend the whole thing smooth again before measuring. And when tahini seizes and thickens the moment it meets acid, simply loosen it with cold water, adding a splash at a time until it turns pourable.
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Tahini dips and spreads to replace your hummus habit
Start here if you love hummus, because these creamy tahini spreads prove there is a whole world of dips beyond chickpeas.
Mutabal | Tahini Eggplant Spread
Smoky roasted eggplant blended with tahini, lemon and garlic makes mutabal, the silkier Levantine cousin of baba ganoush. It is creamy, savory and perfect scooped onto warm flatbread. Char the eggplant directly over a flame until the skin blisters, then let the flesh drain well so the dip stays thick rather than watery.
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Roasted Eggplant Mousse
Whipped until light and airy, this roasted eggplant mousse turns humble eggplant and tahini into an elegant party dip. The nutty sesame paste rounds out the smoky flesh and keeps the texture luxuriously smooth. For the fluffiest result, blend the warm eggplant with tahini and a splash of cold water, drizzling in the oil last so it emulsifies.
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Kalamata White Bean Dip
Briny kalamata olives and creamy white beans come together in a Mediterranean spread that proves dips go far beyond chickpea hummus. A spoonful of tahini stirred in adds body and a gentle nuttiness that balances the salty olives. Make it a day ahead so the flavors meld, then loosen with a little olive oil before serving at room temperature.
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Tahini dressings, sauces and bowls
Thinned with a little water and lemon, tahini becomes a pourable dressing that transforms salads, pasta and grain bowls in seconds.
Spinach Salad with Tahini Dressing
Fresh baby spinach gets a glossy, protein rich coat from a hemp oil and tahini dressing in this quick detox salad. The dressing is nutty, tangy and clings to every leaf without weighing it down. Whisk the tahini with lemon juice first, then thin it gradually with water until it pours, since it thickens the moment acid hits it.
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Creamy Lemon Tahini Pasta
This weeknight hero comes together in under fifteen minutes with fewer than ten ingredients, thanks to a bright lemon tahini sauce that turns silky the second it meets hot pasta. It is comforting and dairy free. Reserve a little starchy pasta water and whisk it into the tahini so the sauce coats each strand instead of clumping.
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Tofu Sweet Potato Bowl with Tahini Sauce
Roasted sweet potatoes and golden tofu pile into a cozy grain bowl finished with a pourable tahini sauce that ties every bite together. It is hearty, plant powered and meal prep friendly. Roast the tofu and sweet potato on the same sheet pan to save time, and drizzle the tahini on just before eating so the vegetables stay crisp.
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5 Best Easy Stir-Fry Sauces
Five make ahead sauces turn any pile of vegetables and noodles into dinner, and a sesame forward version shows exactly how tahini shines in Asian inspired cooking. Each one is quick and deeply savory. Batch a jar of the sesame sauce and keep it chilled, then loosen it with a splash of warm water or tamari as it firms up in the fridge.
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Falafel and patties made for dunking in tahini
Nothing pairs with tahini quite like a crisp falafel, so line up these vegan patties and keep a bowl of sauce ready for dipping.
Green Chickpea Patties with Tahini
Vibrant green chickpea patties packed with fresh herbs get their signature richness from a drizzle of tahini sauce. They are crisp outside, tender inside and genuinely wholesome. Chill the shaped patties for twenty minutes before frying so they hold together, and serve with an extra pool of lemony tahini for dipping.
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Quinoa Falafel
This clever twist swaps some of the chickpeas for protein rich quinoa, giving classic falafel a lighter, nuttier crumb. Baked or pan fried, they beg for a generous swirl of tahini sauce. Pulse the mixture just until it holds together, leaving a little texture, so the falafel stay fluffy rather than dense inside.
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Healthy Vegan Falafel
A wholesome take on the street food favorite, these vegan falafel skip the deep fryer without sacrificing that craveable golden crust. Loaded with parsley and cumin, they are made for scooping through tahini. Soak dried chickpeas overnight instead of using canned ones, since raw soaked chickpeas are the secret to falafel that fry up crisp rather than crumbly.
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Mini Falafel Bites
Bite sized and pan fried, these crispy mini falafel are the ultimate party snack served with a bowl of tahini for dunking. They are vegan, freezer friendly and disappear fast. Keep them warm in a low oven while you fry in batches so every bite reaches the table hot and shatteringly crisp.
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Easy Falafel Wrap
Everything you love about falafel tucked into a handheld wrap with crunchy vegetables and a river of creamy tahini sauce. Ready in about thirty minutes, it makes a satisfying lunch on the go. Warm the flatbread briefly before rolling so it stays pliable and does not crack around the generous tahini filling.
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Pink Falafels
Beetroot tints these playful falafel a gorgeous magenta, making them as eye catching as they are delicious. Their earthy sweetness pairs beautifully with a cool, nutty tahini drizzle. Squeeze the excess moisture from the grated beet with a clean towel before mixing, or the batter turns too wet to shape into neat rounds.
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Falafel in a Pan
No deep frying required, these falafel cook up crisp in a shallow pan of oil for an easier, less messy weeknight version. Golden and fragrant, they are perfect over salad with lashings of tahini. Press each ball into a small patty so more surface area touches the pan and browns evenly on both sides.
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Quinoa Balls
Quick, protein packed quinoa balls make a versatile appetizer or lunchbox filler that comes together in no time. Their mild, nutty flavor is the ideal canvas for a bold tahini dipping sauce. Roll the mixture while the quinoa is still slightly warm, since it binds far more easily than cold, fully dried grains.
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Sweet ways to cook with tahini
Tahini is a secret weapon in the dessert kitchen, adding a halva like richness that balances sugar the way peanut butter does.
Tahini Cookies
If you only bake one thing from this list, make it these tahini cookies, where the sesame paste replaces butter for a tender, halva like crumb. They are simple, vegan and irresistibly nutty. Do not overbake them, since they firm up as they cool and stay softest when the centers still look barely set as you pull the tray out.
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Raw Vegan Halvah
Just three ingredients and no cooking stand between you and this fudgy raw halvah, the sweetest showcase for everything tahini can do. Rich, dense and lightly sweetened, it satisfies like candy. Press the mixture firmly into a lined tin and chill until solid before slicing, so the bars hold clean edges instead of crumbling apart.
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Koulourakia (Greek Easter Cookies)
These traditional Greek twist cookies are crisp, lightly sweet and made for dunking in coffee or tea. A brush of tahini in place of the usual egg wash gives the vegan version a glossy finish and helps a scatter of sesame seeds stick. Twist the ropes fairly tight, as they relax and puff in the oven and loose shapes lose their pretty definition.
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Sesame sides that love a tahini drizzle
Round out the table with these toasty sesame recipes, the natural companions to every tahini dip and sauce above.
Gluten-Free Flatbreads with Sesame
Just five ingredients turn out these soft, foldable gluten free flatbreads flecked with toasted sesame, the perfect vehicle for every tahini dip on this list. They cook in minutes in a hot skillet. Keep the finished flatbreads stacked under a clean towel so they steam gently and stay pliable instead of drying out and cracking.
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How to Make Gomasio (Macrobiotic Sesame Salt)
Gomasio is a macrobiotic sesame salt that delivers the same toasty, nutty depth as tahini in a crunchy, sprinkle on form. Scatter it over bowls, salads and roasted vegetables for instant savoriness. Toast the sesame seeds low and slow until fragrant, then grind them only lightly so the gomasio stays loose and never turns into a paste.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What can I make with tahini besides hummus? Plenty. Tahini shines in salad dressings, creamy pasta sauces, grain bowls, eggplant dips like mutabal, falafel sauce, and sweet treats such as tahini cookies and raw halva. It works anywhere you want a nutty, savory or subtly bitter depth.
How do you fix tahini that has separated? Tip the whole jar, oil and all, into a blender or food processor and blitz for a minute or two until it is smooth and emulsified again. Stirring by hand rarely works once the oil has fully risen to the top.
Why does my tahini get thick and clumpy when I add lemon juice? Acid causes tahini to seize and stiffen, which is completely normal. Just keep whisking and add cold water a little at a time and it will relax back into a smooth, pourable sauce.
Is tahini healthy? Tahini is made purely from ground sesame seeds and provides plant based protein, healthy fats and minerals such as calcium and iron. Because it is calorie dense, a spoonful or two per serving is usually plenty.
Can tahini be used in sweet recipes? Absolutely. Its nutty, slightly bitter flavor is wonderful in cookies, brownies, halva and frostings, where it balances sugar much like peanut butter does. Swap it in for butter or nut butter to add a distinctive sesame richness.
What is a good substitute for tahini? Smooth nut or seed butters such as cashew, almond or sunflower seed butter are the closest swaps in dips and dressings. In a pinch you can also blend toasted sesame seeds with a neutral oil until they turn smooth.
