Tahini Recipe (Super Easy & Creamy) (2024)

FAQs

Why is my tahini not creamy? ›

Adding a few tablespoons of mild-tasting oil is helpful.

This helps the tahini become more smooth, creamy, and drippy.

All you need to to is take it all out of the original jar and put it into a mini food processor. Process it until it is all smooth – make sure to hold on to the processor to keep it steady as there are some big lumps of sesame that it is trying to get through!

Knowing that tahini seizes, and how to fix it, is the key to how to make a great sauce with the desired consistency: smooth! Fix the seized mixture with the addition of ice cold water. ​You may only need a little water to smooth out the mixture; it's best to start with less water and add more as needed.

If you purchased tahini that seems dry and crumbly, you may want to thin it with oil so it develops a creamier texture. Whisk or stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time of your favorite oil. Keep adding any of these oils until the tahini is smooth and thin: Sesame oil, which gives a nutty flavor.

Because tahini has a high fat content, it has a high number of calories, and moderation is advised for the best health benefits. A large proportion of people with tree nut allergies are also likely to be allergic to sesame seeds.

But tahini has a thin consistency, which means that it won't stay put on the moist, slick surface of a fish fillet. To thicken the tahini and give it some holding power, the solution is a bit surprising: We stirred in 2 teaspoons of juice. You'd think that adding a liquid would thin tahini rather than thicken it.

If it is too bitter, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey. And if the flavor is too sharp, mellow it with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Tahini that hides in the fridge for too long (or stored in fridges that feel more like freezers) can turn chunky and hard. So hard you'll feel like you need a cement mixer to get things moving again. That's why, if you are storing your tahini in the fridge, make sure the temperature of your fridge is not too cold.

If your food processor isn't very powerful, you may need to blend it for an extra 5 minutes or add a bit of oil to help the process along. If the mixture heats up, let it rest to cool so as to not damage your food processor.

Fresh, good-quality tahini will have only an inch or so of oil floating on top and the paste on the bottom should look thick but not granular or rock-hard. Avoid brands that have added salt or oil; sesame seeds should be the only item in the ingredients list.

Should you stir tahini? ›

Once you get your jar of tahini home, you want to open it up and give it a stir to make sure it's incorporated. (If the oil has fully separated, such as in the photo above, Food editor Joe Yonan uses an immersion blender to reincorporate it, after which he says it stays emulsified.)

Bitterness is generally part and parcel of tahini - it's how ground sesame seeds taste. What you will find, however, is that some tahini can taste more bitter than others. This is down to a few things; like how that particular tahini is processed, or the levels of something called oxalic acid in the hulls of the seeds.

Add more water for a thinner consistency, more salt for more overall flavor, and/or more lemon juice for more tang. Your tahini sauce is good to go!

Although its shelf life can vary depending on factors related to how it is made, such as roasting, it will generally stay good for months, if not years. Like other nut and seed pastes, expired tahini has a musty, stale smell and tastes noticeably bitter and funky.

The cold will cause the tahini to thicken and then you'd need to let it come to room temperature to return it to its proper consistency, or put it in hot water to warm it up, which could run the risk of adding water to the tahini and reducing its shelf life.

We recommend storing your tahini in a cool and dry area, away from heat and moisture. Ideally, a pantry a cabinet would be ideal. Like peanut butter, you can also store tahini in the refrigerator if you like it thicker.