Tahini is one of my all-time favorite ingredients. It’s rich and creamy yet totally dairy-free, and instantly adds a decadently delicious texture to dressings, dips and sauces. These vegan recipes with tahini will highlight just how versatile this simple ingredient is, and help you find lots of new ways to put it to use!
I swear - there are countless ways to incorporate tahini into your diet and it's one of the most commonly used ingredients in my recipes.
Sweet or savory, breakfast or dinner...it doesn't matter. Tahini adds an incredible depth of flavor that instantly makes a recipe taste more complex and interesting.
Whether you're drizzling my Creamy Tahini Dressing over a bed of greens or stirring it into Tahini Coffee Cake, you'll be rewarded with extra creaminess, a nutty flavor, and a slight bitterness that works so well with sweet or fresh elements. It's a must-have ingredient in any pantry!
What is tahini?
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds, similar to peanut butter.
It's a staple ingredient in many Middle Eastern dishes, adding an essential flavor and naturally creamy texture to garlic hummus, creamy salad dressings, baba ganoush, countless dips and sauces, and so much more.
It has a slightly bitter, earthy, nutty flavor that is much more complex than typical peanut or almond butter.
Plus, it's completely gluten-free and made from seeds, not tree nuts, so it's suitable for many people with allergies.
Sesame seeds are high in fiber, healthy fats, and plant-based protein, which makes it a nutrient-dense boost to any diet.
I often like to include tahini in both sweet and savory dishes because it works so well with a range of flavors.
Think about an ingredient like peanut butter. With the right sweeteners or spices, it can be either a decadent dessert or a rich, savory sauce. The same goes for tahini.
Especially when you're baking, it's similar to adding miso or brown butter; you get these extra flavor notes that make the final dish greater than the sum of its parts. So good!
Best Tahini Brands
If you think all tahini is the same, think again. I've tried lots of brands over the years and one really stands out for me: Mighty Sesame.
This is not a sponsored post, but I've worked with Mighty Sesame for years.
I love them because they are organic and only contain one ingredient: sesame seeds.
Their tahini is always runny, not clumpy, like many other brands. Plus, it comes in a convenient squeeze bottle that makes waste a thing of the past.
If you can't find Mighty Sesame near you, look for these brands instead:
- Joyva
- Krinos
- Sesame King
These are all great-tasting brands with pourable tahini. You can often find them in standard grocery stores, although you may need to order online if you're looking for a specific option.
Note: You want a pourable, runny tahini paste when you're cooking with it. Clumpy tahini that separates into oil and hard seed paste is not optimal. Often the cheaper tahini is really clumpy. Don't waste your money.
Can you make tahini at home?
Absolutely! It's so simple, too. Toast the sesame seeds over low heat in a large frying pan, then blend them in the food processor with a little olive oil until you reach your desired consistency.
21 Best Vegan Recipes with Tahini
Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus
When you think "tahini," you probably also think "hummus." It's an essential ingredient in any traditional hummus recipe, adding a nutty bite that makes it creamier and smoother than anything else.
This homemade hummus uses roasted garlic for that sweet, savory note plus fresh lemon juice and olive oil. It's so easy, but seriously good.
Chickpea and Tahini Stew
This is one of those pantry recipes that you can't believe tastes this darn good with such simple ingredients. The secret to the best vegan stews? Adding tahini to make a naturally creamy sauce packed with flavor.
Chickpea Tahini Salad
If you ever find yourself craving hearty salads that eat like a main meal, you'll want to give this one a go.
It's full of cooling summer veggies like cucumbers and tomatoes, all enrobed in the most deliciously savory tahini sauce with lemon juice and maple syrup. Serve with air fried chickpea pakora fritters or warm pita bread for a super simple summer lunch.
Roasted Vegetables with Whipped Tahini
Whipping tahini aerates it, making it thick and creamy. All those air bubbles also helps you taste it like never before.
It's the perfect condiment for sweet roasted vegetables, and you'll be craving it all winter long.
Easy Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tahini isn't just for savory dishes! It's also a stellar ingredient for making your sweet treats taste creamy and complex without adding lots of oil or nut butters.
These chewy oat tahini cookies are still sweet and chewy, but with a subtle savoriness that makes them way more interesting.
Lemon Tahini Orzo Salad
This vegan tahini pasta salad gets a deeper, richer flavor thanks to nutty tahini. The dressing couldn't be simpler - just tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil. The acidity of the lemon juice balances the richness of the sesame paste, and brings it all together.
Feel free to use chickpea pasta to make this simple tahini pasta dish even more filling.
Tahini Lime Slaw
When you think of a slaw, you probably think of a side salad but this hearty option eats more like a main meal.
The combination of chickpeas, tahini, lime juice, pepitas, and veggies is so satisfying, especially during the hot summer months.
Rainbow Chopped Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing
When you're demolishing heaps of fresh veggies at once, you need something rich and creamy to make it really stick. That's where the tahini comes in.
Tahini can stand in for olive oil, giving you that essential creaminess without any added oil.
Brussels Sprouts with Tempeh
For this delicious dish, smoky roasted sprouts and tempeh are nestled on a puddle of lemon tahini sauce. It's sweet, tangy, and full of umami flavors that bring out the natural sweetness of the sprouts.
Tofu Florentine
If you find yourself craving hollandaise sauce and need to scratch that it, tahini will help you out. It adds a rich, smooth consistency and umami flavor that takes this tofu florentine over the top.
Homemade Tahini Granola
If you want to make your own granola, toss rolled oats with a creamy mixture of tahini, maple syrup, olive oil, and seasonings, then bake until crispy and crunchy. Serve over vegan yogurt with fruit for the easiest plant-based breakfast.
Extra Creamy Muhammara
If you're not familiar, muhammara is a popular Middle Eastern dip made by blending roasted red peppers and walnuts.
The subtle earthiness of tahini makes this delicious dip even creamier and balances all of the other ingredients. It's essential - don't skip it!
Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip
This lusciously creamy dip looks like hummus, but is made with cannellini beans, roasted garlic, olive oil, lemon, and of course, tahini.
The cannellini beans make it even creamier than traditional hummus, letting that sweet roasted garlic flavor shine.
Middle Eastern Sheet Pan Dinner
For a hearty vegan dinner on the fly, roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and chickpeas with lots of warm spices. Drizzle with tahini and serve over a bed of greens for a veggie-rich, delicious dish.
Roasted Delicata with Maple Tahini
Adding a little maple syrup makes tahini even more complex and interesting. It's the perfect sauce to drizzle over sweet roasted delicata and kale.
Tahini Coffee Cake
Tahini gives this heavenly coffee cake a decadent, gourmet flavor that elevates it to a new level. You'll need to add some to the batter and also drizzle some on top for a creamy sauce.
Fiesta Black Bean Dip
I often like to play with the basic formula of hummus and tweak the beans, seasonings, and flavors to make it my own.
This black bean hummus is warm and spicy thanks to dried peppers, while the tahini gives it body and depth. Perfect for parties!
Turmeric Cauliflower Bowl
These delicious cauliflower bowls are packed with Mediterranean flavors, like turmeric, chickpeas, couscous, and more, all under a delicious tahini drizzle.
Easy Beet Hummus
Beets give this hummus a slightly sweet, earthy flavor and the most incredible pink color. The tahini helps balance out the roots and make this hummus taste more complex and grounded.
Crispy Chopped Salad
This hearty chopped salad is filled with Middle Eastern flavors, but in a new way.
The smoky roasted chickpeas rest on a bed of cabbage, red onions, peppers, and greens, all coated with a lemony tahini dressing. Perfect for meal prepping!
Vegan Sweet Potato Mash
Sweet potatoes can be overly sweet, but not when paired with tahini. Good ol' sesame seed paste is the secret ingredient you need to add extra flavor to every bite.
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