Making your own tahini at home is not only easy, it’s cost effective and super delicious!
This recipe requires just 2 ingredients, 20 minutes, and a food processor to prepare! Let’s do it!
What is Tahini?
Tahini is made by grinding sesame seeds into a smooth paste. Sometimes the sesame seeds are hulled, sometimes they’re left unhulled; sometimes roasted, sometimes raw. We like to use tahini to make dressings, soft serve, snack bites, stuffed dates, and SO many other dishes. The possibilities are endless!
Origin of Tahini
Tahini is an Arabic name for ground sesame seeds. However, its origins are thought to have been in Persia, where it was called “ardeh.” Tahini later found its way to Israel and was held as a delicacy as sesame seeds were rather expensive to procure. In some cultures, tahini was even used as currency. (source)
How to Make Tahini
Note: Our method is not traditional, but one of convenience as it relies on a food processor or blender. Learn more about traditional tahini preparation here.
Our inspired take starts with buying hulled white sesame seeds. We recommend buying them from grocery store bulk bins. We prefer hulled over unhulled seeds because they have a less bitter taste. However, unhulled sesame seeds provide more nutrition, so choose as you desire.
Grind the seeds in a food processor until they become a smooth and creamy paste. You’ll want a good food processor for this recipe! A high-speed blender will also work.
Or if store-bought is more your style, check out our store-bought tahini review!
We hope you LOVE this recipe! It’s:
Creamy
Fresh
Versatile
Cost-effective
& Super delicious!
Ways to Use It
Tahini is one of the most commonly used ingredients in our pantry. We’ve used it in nearly 50 recipes on our site so far! We enjoy it in sauces, dips, dressings, desserts, on veggies, and pretty much anywhere you might use nut butter.
Here are some more of our favorite recipes to get you started:
Quick Ginger Garlic Miso Dressing // Tahini Stuffed Dates // Mustard Green Cherry Salad with Nut Cheese & Tahini Dressing // Kumquat Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing // Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl // Sweet Potato & Avocado Green Salad // 3-Ingredient Tahini Sauce for Everything // Super Cleansing Slaw with Rosemary Dressing //
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
How To Make Tahini
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C), and arrange sesame seeds on a bare baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly golden brown (being careful not to burn).
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then add to a food processor and blend until smooth, adding avocado or olive oil to encourage blending. The amount of oil you need will depend on the freshness of your sesame seeds and the power of your food processor.
- Scoop into a jar or sealed container and store in the refrigerator up to 3-4 weeks.
- Add tahini to your favorite hummus, salad dressings (pictured above), dips, sauces, falafel, and more!
Video
Notes
*Recipe makes ~1 cup tahini.
Carol says
Okay, this is the strangest experience! I put 1/4 C. of olive oil into the jar of my blender and then added 1 C. of sesame seeds and I blended them for less than a minute and it was the most amazing seamlessly blended emulsion I have ever seen. It tasted like heaven.
So, I decided to make another batch, this time, using water instead of oil in the exact same proportions. It became like mortar and the taste was horrible and bland. I tried to save it by then adding 1/4 C. of olive oil. It will not change. It’s like the sesame seeds initially absorbed the water and has begun to react to the added oil in a negative way. It will not emulsify at all and I will have to throw it out because there is nothing useful I can do with the second batch. Lesson learned. I wish I knew the chemical reason why! How interesting!!
Hi Carol, we’ve had a similar experience when adding liquid to nut butters! It has to do with it seizing up. Not totally sure on the science either!
Brenda Hicks says
I salute seeds instant pot stirring constantly about 5 to 10 min come out beautifully
Leah Cabot says
Hello! Is there any reason you couldn’t substitute filtered water for oil? I had to use 4 tbsp oil to get it runny.
Other than that, I loved it. Thank you.
I wonder how store bought tahini is able to just contain sesame seeds as the only ingredient?
Hi Leah, we haven’t tried it that way, but it might work. Let us know if you give it a try!
Tim says
More blending in a high quality food processor. Blend blend blend. It gets runny eventually but takes time.
Janet says
The video looks like hulled sesame seeds. Anything I should know to use unhulled sesame seeds?
Either should work! Hulled are less bitter.
Susan says
When buying in bulk , can the sesame seeds be stored in the freezer?
Yes!
Nikhil Jain says
Ya, but hulled sesame seeds lose 90% of the calcium and other minerals contained in the hull.
8ch says
Hi Loves. You’ve said best in a food processor but your vid looks like it’s made in a Vitamix or Blendtec or… Can you shed some light? Thanks for always sharing great content. We love ya!
Hi, good point! Blender and food processor both work!
8ch says
Thanks for getting back to us so quickly. Will give the Vita a whirl. Works like magic in the processor, too! X
Katie Z says
This was easy and delicious! Thank you!
We’re so glad to hear it, Katie! Thanks for sharing!
Mette says
I read through the comments, but can’t figure out why mine is the constancy of a thick paste. Definitely not creamy.
I’d say keep blending! And if it’s too thick, add a bit of neutral oil or untoasted sesame oil to encourage it along.
Shauna Bramham says
Thank you for the option to switch between US measurements and Metric
excellent!!!! will be back :-)
xo!
Claire says
Can you use a NutriBullet to make this? Is it ok then to add more liquid/oil as generally you need more liquid to make things in a NutriBullet.
That should work! The water will dilute the flavors though so just start with as little as needed to get it blending. Let us know how it goes!
Roberta Webley says
Is there a reason why you don’t use sesame oil in the recipe? I mean outside if the cost, would it not make a more sesame flavoured tahini? Just curious.
Hi Roberta, that’s a great option too! We just don’t always have it around.
Amy says
I tried to make tahini in the Vitamix by simply grinding a lot of sesame seeds. I added no additional oil, as your recipe calls for. I ended up with a very dry paste (still usable, but not moist), and the contents of the blender canister were quite hot. Had the process not generated so much heat, I might have tried to blend the seeds further. I was able to use what I had made, but I would definitely add a tablespoon or two of oil the next time, as advised here, perhaps to a better result.
Isabelle says
Hello Dana, I have a question about conservation. You say to store in the refrigerator up to 3-4 weeks, but the store-bought is good for months (if not a year) in the pantry. They don’t indicate adding any conservative ingredients to it. What’s the difference? I thought I could keep it the same way as store-bought :-/
Right. Some store-bought products are pressurized or heated to a certain temperature to kill bacteria and better preserve them. But with homemade that doesn’t happen. Homemade tahini should last up to 1-2 months, especially when refrigerated. But to be on the safe side we say less time, which encourages you to check for freshness at that point.
Suzie says
Thank you 4 your efforts to try to help others!
I made this…I used a hint of olive oil n the rest was sesame oil. I did add some salt..which really helped. Excited! Off to try chicks felafal..
Thanks so much for your support and for sharing your experience, Suzie!
Luis fernando says
Can use fresh Tahiti for my salad.I mean just made
Sure!
Gail says
Mine wasn’t so good but it may be down to my machine; it won’t work unless there’s about a cup of liquid in it & even then it doesn’t seem to ‘blend’, just whizz round. It’s called a Ninja (UK). Does anyone else have this problem. The flavour is good; I added garlic & lemon juice – but it’s definitely NOT creamy!
Hi Gail, other readers have reported issues with using a Ninja in some of our recipes. We’re thinking it’s probably not a very powerful machine!
Melinda says
Has anyone tried using mushroom broth in place of oil? It’s delicious!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Melinda!
Amy says
I buy my sesame seeds in 2lb bags at the local middle eastern grocery store. The price is great compared to buying them in the spice section at the regular grocery store.
Smart!
tathiane almeida says
Hi! My homemade tahini always turns out bitter… :(
Would you have a hint of why?
marie says
The reason why it might taste bitter is because the sesame seeds are probably old or rancid. Should use the freshest possible seeds. Buying in bulk may or may not be the best choice depending on how long they let them sit.
tathiane says
Thanks Marie!
Hi Tathiane, is it possible that you used unhulled sesame seeds? Otherwise, we would say Marie’s suggestion could be another reason!
Alma says
Could you put them in the frig for a longer period of time?
Yes!
Teri says
You most likely used sesame seeds that were not hulled. Hulled sesame seeds are best because the unhulled seeds tend to make the Tahini bitter.
tathiane says
Thanks Teri !
Marie says
Can I make tahini without oil?
Yes I think so, though we have not tried. If you do, report back on how it goes!
Roxanne says
Yes. Use a high powered machine, perhaps a blender. The bowl may have to be scraped a few times. Also, a little water may help. I don’t like to use oil.
Rita says
Had the same questions as above, but what’s the use of leaving a comment if the author is not responding to it??♀️
Hi Rita, We do our best to respond to all comments but due to the number of them we receive, it sometimes takes time. To answer your question, we have not tried this method and cannot say for sure, but if you give it a try, report back on how it goes.
Renee Zamora says
Wondering if I could grind the toasted sesame seeds in a coffee grinder and store them in my spice cabinet. Then add oil and blend as I need them for Tahini.
Hi Renee, we have not tried this method and cannot say for sure, but if you give it a try, report back on how it goes.
Silviana says
I made tahini paste and it turned out ok. It wan’t smooth as in the picture.
Roxanne says
This process needs a really high powered machine. Instead of a food processor, try a blender. Hope this helps.
Elisa says
Super easy and fast. Much easier than buying store bought, less expensive too. I can make what I need and not worry about leftovers and spoilage. This is now my go to for tahini.
So glad you enjoyed it, Elisa! Thanks for sharing!
kay says
I attempted. I had a huge jar of sesame seeds from Costco, so I “went for it”. I toasted and put in a “bullet-type” mixer. I found myself having to stop, remove mixer cup, shake it up or scrape it, add water and repeat. I added much more liquid than that stated in the recipe. All-in-all, I think I’ll buy a jar next time or use the “cheat” of peanut butter. Thanks for the recipe though :D
Hi Kay, we haven’t tried this in a “bullet-type” mixer, but think that could be the issue! If you give it another try, we would recommend using a good quality food processor.
Carmen Noori says
Easy to make and delishes for homemade hummus! Awesome taste
liza says
Very good questions! I am going to ask same things! Curious on why the toasting and food processor. I’m attempting this & hummus for first time.
We prefer the taste of toasting them and the creaminess the food processor provides!
Susan Ottwell says
Toasting seeds and nuts before making butters releases their oils more readily, so they need less oil during the grinding. Take care to not scorch the seeds, as that will make them bitter.
Chen says
You can’t really eat Tahini like this, you can only add it to other recepies. If you want to use it on it’s own, you need to mix it with equal amount of water and add lemon and spices (usually salt and pepper is enough, I like adding garlic, you should find your own mix here). It can be used as a spread or a dip or mixed it Israeli salad.
Source: Israeli (can’t have a meal without tahini here).
Sorry for English mistakes
mikayln says
thank you so much for sharing! i added the spices you mentioned and lemon juice and i thought it tastes a lot more like the store bought kind. personally liked this version better than the original recipe. thanks :)
Thanks for sharing!
Susan Ottwell says
When I have leftover tahini after making hummus I mix it with honey or date syrup and cinnamon and dip apple slices in it.
Jose Alberto says
Hello, and thank you. I was just wondering, is it possible to make tahini without added oil? Thank you.
It should work, but it will take longer and probably won’t be quite as creamy. Let us know if you give it a try though!
Kp says
Tahini on its own is particularly bland. If you’re going to use this as a sauce or spread, combine with equal parts water, chopped parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. To play with the consistency, add or subtract water. The result is a flavorful delicious sauce or spread that adds so much without taking away from the original tahini flavor.
Lori Hoch Stiefel says
Could this be done in a vitamix or does it have to be done in a food processor?
We haven’t tried a Vitamix, but another reader mentioned having success! Let us know if you give it a try!
beejay says
I’ve thought about trying this but have been reluctant. Do you mind if I ask a few questions? Here goes!
Why do you toast the sesame seeds? Is it for flavor or does it give the tahini a longer “shelf-life”?
Why did you not use sasame oil? I usually have that on hand for stir frying because it has a really high smoke point, so I’d use that. Just wondering if there is a reason or if you just used what you had.
What kind of food processor do you use? One of my friends tried to make tahini, but it never got smooth enough, no matter how much oil she added.
Thanks for your help if you get the time to answer!
Pipey says
Excellent questions! I was going to ask same things! Curious on why the toasting and food processor. I’m attempting this & hummus for first time.
(I don’t want to screw it up and turn myself & my family off.)
Jacquie Mertins says
Toasting brings out the flavor better and oils. Olive oil is a neural oil where sesame oil will make it taste more like Chinese food. The difference is incredible! I use a Nutra Bullet and mine comes out very smooth. The food processor does not always have enough power to have the blade cut through enough! Also a VitaMix works great.
Kayla says
Toasting the sesame seeds brings out a more nutty flavor. This is traditionally how tahini is made, but this is not required. I enjoy “raw tahini” as well, aka sesame seed butter. It’s really personal preference.
Some people do use sesame oil. Again, just another personal preference.
I wonder if your friend tried to process the sesame seeds and added oil at the same time. I’ve heard that some have issues with consistency when they don’t let the sesame seeds grind to a smooth texture first, and then add additional oil for a more liquefied spread. The kind of food processor used probably makes a difference on when it’s key to add the oil. Some may be more finicky than others.
Hope this helped. I know you didn’t ask me necessarily, but my Cuisinart food processor has stood the test of time.
norma says
Or a bullet would do a wonderful job too !!
Margie says
Is it the sesame seeds that you buy in the grocery stire in the spice section? They look dried.
Yep, those are the ones!
We toast the sesame seeds because we prefer the flavor. And sesame oil should work- we just don’t always have it around. We use a Cuisinart food processor. Hope that helps!