Easy Tahini Recipe
- PREP 10min
- COOK 5min
- TOTAL 15min
Making tahini at home is easy and cheaper than buying it from the store. I also think it tastes better! For the best deals, look for sesame seeds in bulk bins or at International, Asian, and Middle Eastern markets.
While you can make tahini from unhulled, sprouted, or hulled sesame seeds, we prefer hulled seeds.
You Will Need
1 cup (140g) sesame seeds, we prefer hulled
2 to 4 tablespoons neutral flavored oil such as avocado, grape seed, vegetable or a light olive oil
Pinch of salt, optional
Directions
Add sesame seeds to a wide, dry saucepan over medium-low heat and toast, stirring constantly, until the seeds become fragrant and turn light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stay close and keep stirring, as the seeds can burn quickly.
Add the toasted sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor, then process until a crumbly paste, about 1 minute.
Add 2 tablespoons of the oil, then process for 2 to 3 minutes more, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor a couple of times.
Check the tahini’s consistency. It should be smooth, not gritty, and should be pourable. You may need to process for another minute and add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil.
Taste the tahini for seasoning, then add salt to taste. Process 5 to 10 seconds to mix.
Store tahini in an airtight container in the fridge for one month.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep tahini in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for a month. After some time in the fridge, it might separate like natural peanut butter. To fix this, stir it well before using it.
- Sprouted and black sesame seeds: You can make tahini from sprouted or black sesame seeds. If you have sprouted your seeds at home, make sure that you dry and toast them before making the tahini.
- Unhulled sesame seeds: Tahini made from unhulled sesame seeds tastes more bitter and isn’t as smooth as when made from hulled seeds. I recommend using hulled seeds.
- Sesame seeds not processing: The sesame seeds take a minute or two to start breaking down (watch our video for reference). If your seeds are whirling around your processor bowl, you may need a higher-powered processor, or the blade may be sitting above the seeds. If you think this is the case, try increasing the sesame seeds in the bowl.
- Blender: I prefer using my food processor, but if you have a high-powered blender, you should be able to make tahini. As you blend, stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the blender to incorporate all the seeds.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.