(updated 9/14/18)
If you love tahini, then you will love this homemade tahini recipe and how simple it is to make. It only takes 1 ingredient and a little patience!
Since I make my own Almond Butter, I thought why not my own tahini?! And of course, it was just as good, if not better, since I made it myself!
Tahini Ingredients
Tahini (sesame seed paste), is made with just one simple ingredient, sesame seeds.
Benefits of Tahini
Sesame seeds contain important B Vitamins – B1, B2, B3, B5, as well as a great supply of calcium, making tahini a healthy, wholesome ingredient. They also have beneficial trace elements like copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and manganese. Sesame seeds contain both omega 3 & 6 that improve the health of the brain.
Ways to Use Tahini
Tahini can be used in all different kinds of ways. It’s a main ingredient in recipes like this Simple White Bean Hummus, or it can be used as a binder in place of hummus for this ‘Chickpea of the Sea’ Salad Sandwich or these Stuffed Avocados.
You can also use it to make creamy salad dressings and dips, these can also be used as a spread for sandwiches. It can be used in soups and cookie recipes.
It pairs well with different flavors like lemon, miso, cumin, parsley, cilantro, garlic, etc.
It’s a wonderful vegan condiment that is so very good, and so very good for you!
Now, let’s get on with the recipe…
HOW TO MAKE TAHINI – STEP BY STEP
Add sesame seeds to your food processor or high speed blender…
and in a few minutes, you’ll have yourself homemade tahini!
It’s that easy to make, the hardest part is cleaning up!
HOMEMADE TAHINI RECIPE (1 INGREDIENT)
One ingredient and so easy to prepare! Tahini (sesame seed paste) is an essential and versatile ingredient to add to your healthy lifestyle.
Ingredients
- 3 cups sesame seeds (1 lb.) (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
Instructions
First you may want to toast your seeds to bring out the most flavor. You want your seeds to become fragrant and slightly darker during the process (I have to admit that I skip this step and it is completely optional.)
Toast your seeds one of two ways:
- Preheat oven to 350. Place seeds on roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet and roast for about 10-15 minutes making sure to move them around every few minutes so the seeds on the bottom don’t burn.
OR
- Dry roast over medium low heat in a skillet using one cup at a time (add more or less depending on your skillet). Be sure to move the seeds around frequently to ensure that they don’t burn.
Once you have toasted your seeds and they have cooled a bit, place them in your food processor, or blender, and process on high until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Will take apprx. 5-10 minutes to blend depending on your equipment.
Store your tahini in an airtight container in the fridge. Will last up to a couple months. Makes approx. 2 cups.
NOTES:
For the ultimate creamy tahini, source out sesame seeds that have been hulled. Sesame seeds with the hull will create a thicker consistency which I have shown here.
I’ve seen recipes call for 2 or 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil. This may help create a smoother texture but it will also alter the flavor slightly. I personally don’t care for oil in my tahini.
Have fun experimenting with different ways to use tahini…
So easy and delicious…Enjoy !
lysa jordan says
Tahini is my sauce saver. It always brings a nice texture and taste to my sauces….but weirdly I've never made some…! You really make me want to make my own.
Julie says
You should try it and see how it goes, especially if you use it alot like I do…I will playing around with this recipe a bit myself. :)
Julia says
Thank you for this. I made hummas for the first time last week. I could not find tahini in my grocery store so I used Sesame Oil. I put too much in and it overwhelmed the flavor.
Can I freeze this to make it last even longer?
Julie says
Unfortunately, I'm not sure about freezing it. I've never tried it myself. I suppose you could give it a try and see what happens. Sorry I couldn't help with that one. You could also make a hummus with just extra virgin olive oil if you have a hard time finding tahini or sesame seeds. Use no more than 1/4 cup to one can (15 oz) of chickpeas, it should have a light flavor and not overpower your hummus. Have fun experimenting with your hummus…I really enjoy making my own and am getting better at making it to my liking every time. Keep it up and you will get it just right!
Hope that helps a bit :)
Shadion says
you are soooooooooo encouraging me to give up the unhealthy lifestyle..
julie@thesimpleveganista says
Great! That is what I aim to do if I can. It's easy once you get the hang of it. Cheers!
Silly says
Hi! Not sure why but mine never became the slightest creamy. I tried blending & put it in the food processor. Am I missing something?
julie@thesimpleveganista says
Hmm, I don't know what couldv'e have happened except needing to let it process a little longer. It should only take 10 -15 minutes max, more like under 10 minutes depending on your equipment. Sorry it didn't smooth out for you. Hopefully you can try again and it will have a better outcome.
CD says
The 10-15 minute time frame was a key piece of information. I would surely have given up sooner. Thanks, so much, for the encouragement to give this a try.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Glad that helped, it definitely takes a few minutes!
Sandra says
I can't believe it's this easy! I will try it as soon as I can :)
Anonymous says
I make a tahini garlic sauce with 1 cup tahini, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup soy sauce and 3-4 cloves of garlic with water added to desired consistency and blend it until smooth in a food processor. My question, if I used enough seeds to yield 1 cup of tahini could I process them with the other ingredients would the seeds break down into a paste? I would love to save a few bucks by using the seeds instead of store-bought tahini.
julie@thesimpleveganista says
I would suggest processing the seeds first and then add the other ingredients just to be on the safe side. If you decide to try processing everything together, I'd love to know how it goes. Also, I would say to use 1 1/4 cup sesame seeds to yield one cup, maybe slightly more sesame seed paste. Good luck!
Anonymous says
It was just okay, not as good as when made with the store-bought tahini. I think the next time I'll try half store-bought and half homemade.
julie@thesimpleveganista says
It can be a bit more bitter than store bought tahini because of the shells not being removed. I have come to love it no less. Maybe the mix will work better for you next time. Thank you for sharing! :)
Kirin Pax says
Thinking about trying a small batch of seeds sprouted.
Kim Sterner says
Took a few minutes of trial and error (trying every appliance in my house, LOL!) but my Tahini came out great! I lightly toasted the hulled sesame seeds. My small 3 cup food processor did the trick :) Thank you!!! I'm newly vegan for health reasons and trying lots of different recipes. Buying tahini isn't in my budget but making it is! I eat a ton of hummus and it just got a lot cheaper and tastier! Homemade is ALWAYS better.
CD says
Thank you for the tip about using the 3 cup food processor! I didn’t bother with my 11-cup bowl and I’m sure that helped me reach a reasonable outcome.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Perfect, the bigger bowl would have been too large, the smaller bowl is easier to work with.
oceo says
I just made a very small batch just for fun because I have an unopened jar of tahini. I started with toasted seeds from the Asian store and added a few drops of sesame oil to the seeds. I have enough tahini to make hummus. Homemade tastes much fresher and better than commercial tahini.
Anonymous says
Does anyone have a tip to making the Tahini creamy? Or this really about how good your food processor is? Mine came out very paste like, I just used raw seeds like the author and I would rather not add any extra oil.
julie@thesimpleveganista says
I would suggest to keep processing for another five minutes or so, the natural oils from the sesame seeds will start to release and should make it creamier. Just when you think your done, do it a little longer. If that doesn't do the job then it could very well be your food processor. Hope that helps and it turns out well for you!
oceo says
I helped mine along with a few drops of sesame oil and then with a little bit of olive oil.
Anonymous says
Thanks for the recipe. I read elsewhere that the seeds should be soaked for 4 hours to "deactivate the phytic acid to make them more digestible, and to start the sprouting process so that they are more nutritious and because it also brings out the natural oil in the seeds". Would you agree with this? Is it worth doing that step?
Thanks in advance!
julie@thesimpleveganista says
I have never soaked mine before making my tahini but you can soak them to activate them nutritionally and neutralize any growth inhibitors found naturally in the seeds. It is up to you whether it's worth it or not. For me, I see it as a step that I will skip as I've never had any kind of issue with being able to digest tahini properly, at least that I'm aware of. I'm not sure about it bringing out more of the natural oils, they will come out naturally after being warmed up from processing. All in all, it couldn't hurt if yo have time and I would recommend trying it both ways to see what you prefer. I'd be interested to know how the soaking went and what the final outcome of your tahini was. Best of wishes :)
Kayla Norman says
Just so you know someone plagiarized your post. Here is the link: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/recipe-homemade-tahini/
julie@thesimpleveganista says
Thank you Kayla! Luckily I share with OGP and that post was indeed mine. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know! Cheers :)
Anonymous says
I got nowhere near this creamy. Mine lookes like gamasio…. but im going to keep trying!
julie@thesimpleveganista says
I hope you've got it now! Cheers :)
Victoria SpiritFitness says
Thank you for the recipe! It was the first time I made tahini and also the first time I tried it. I don't know why, but it is a little bit bitter (I made it with olive oil, but alone it tastes good)
julie@thesimpleveganista says
You're welcome Victoria! Tahini is on the bitter side. It will grow on you and you'll find lots of uses for it. I have adapted tahini to be my to go ingredient when creating creamy salad dressings. I love it in place of using cashews. I've had great luck with it and it fills that desire when the craving strikes. I haven't used tahini by itself, like on toast as I see some rave about, but it's a definite staple in my home. :)
Meg says
I tried making a small batch today (1 cup sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil). It didn't come out like your picture. Mine had a consistency closer to a packaged thai curry paste (not sure if that helps with explaining it), its quite thick and gets stuck to the spoon. I used the blender of at least 15 minutes though, not sure what went wrong…
julie@thesimpleveganista says
Not sure either, maybe blending a little longer would've done the job. Mine looks ultra smooth here because it's at rest. It's a little thicker than it appears but it is no where near a thick paste, it's very spreadable. When blending and the seeds start to become pasty, you'll want the paste to warm up so the seeds will release their oils. This will help you achieve a smoother texture. Depending on your blender/food processor you may have varying results. Try once more and see if it can work for you. Hope that helps…best of luck!
Anonymous says
I love tahini so much that I have been making it for quite awhile. This is because I can eat it straight out of the jar like some people eat peanut or almond butter…I make my own almond butter too for this reason!!!! So small batches for dressings or hummus it a good thing for me :-)
Anonymous says
Hello :-) First I want to tell you how much I'm really glad that I, accidentally, found your blog. Absolutely beautiful and healthy recipes. Thank you so much for sharing. Also, I want to ask you if you used a specific kind of sesame seeds? Are those peeled seeds? Because I just wanted to make my own tahini and I so failed! :D I used seeds with its peel. Thank you!
julie@thesimpleveganista says
Thank you so much for the kind words. Sorry you had a failed recipe but keep trying. I used regular sesame seeds from Bob's Red Mill. They are not hulled and have the skin, or peel. I might suggest blending for longer or adding a smidge of oil as needed. Just when you think you're tahini is ready, blend a minute or two more. It may also be your blender/processor that is not doing the job right. Best of luck with your next batch. You can still try to continue blending your batch and see if it helps. :)
MOHAMED SAYED says
Hi there, I accidentally came across the about conversations. I thoroughly enjoyed going through the interesting talks. Am very health conscious person. I buy my tahini past and use it on my homemade gourmet sandwich full of homegrown organic salad leaves.
I’d like to thank you all for sharing your personal experiences. Well done and keep up with the noble work.
With kind regards.
M O.
Mindy says
“Hulled” means “with the hulls (natural casing) removed.” I think “unhulled sesame seeds” is what you meant?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
Yes, thank you for pointing that out. I have changed the wording, much better to understand. Thank you! x0
Tom says
What kind of food processor do you use and at what speed? Mine just manages to drive the seeds up the side where they stick while the blades run free.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
I have a Cuisinart Elite which does the job well. I do have to stop the machine and scrap the seeds down a few times until it starts to get creamy. You may have to do it 5 – 10 times if you don’t have a high powered food processor/blender. It’s well worth the effort though, and once it gets creamy it comes along easily.
CD says
The tip about stopping the machine and scraping the seeds down several times was also a key tip. For me, this recipe requires staying close to the food processor and giving it regular attention (i.e. stopping, scraping down, etc.). I have a Kitchen Aid so I thought that might have been powerful enough but it did require the scraping. I did only have about 1.5 cups of sesame seeds on hand, though, (used in a 3-cup bowl) so that might have also made a difference. If I had the full 3 cups of sesame seeds that might have helped to keep things moving. I look forward to trying my result in my Lemon Tahini Sauce recipe to see how well it works instead of store bought. Thanks for the inspiration!
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
So glad it all turned out well and I hope you like the taste of homemade. I think even with using the full amount of sesame seeds you’ll still need to scrape the sides, but having more does make it move easier. Thank you for all the feedback, I know it will help others too to see what you had to say.
Enjoy the tahini sauce, I just made some myself tonight to drizzle on my dinner, it’s so good! :)
Bonnie says
Read your blog and thanks for the recipes. I am on the Blood Type A diet and found your article very helpful!