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By Katja Heino 2 Comments
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Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe

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Homemade Tahini in glass jars

I’m never buying store-bought tahini again.

I’ve been on a little bit of a tahini bender lately.  And I can’t believe that it has taken me this long to make my own. It’s so freaking easy!!

If you aren’t familiar with tahini, it’s a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s extremely versatile and can be used in cooking sweet and savory dishes. What I love best about this rich, creamy sauce is that it’s packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Tahini is relatively high in calcium and protein and loaded with B vitamins, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron and zinc.

When you think about tahini, you may start thinking about hummus.  But there is so much more that you can do with it.  I use it to make sauces, dressing, and desserts.  A few of my favorite recipes are Creamy Turmeric Dressing, Green Goddess Dressing, and No Bake Tahini Honey Granola Nut Bars.  And of course, there is always my no bean Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Hummus.

There are 2 types of tahini that you can make at home: hulled and unhulled.  Hulled sesame seeds just means that the outside shell has been removed from the seed.  Tahini made from hulled sesame seeds is lighter, creamier and and has a more subtle, smooth flavor. Tahini made from unhulled sesame seeds has a darker, richer flavor and contains more nutrients. It is slightly more bitter. It is also more nutrient dense.  One tablespoon of unhulled sesame seeds contains about 88 milligrams of calcium, whereas one tablespoon of hulled sesame seeds contains just five to ten milligrams.

You can see that I’ve made tahini from both unhulled and hulled sesame seeds so you can see the difference.

Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe | hulled and unhulled sesame seeds

Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe \ www.savorylotus.com

This recipe uses one and 1/4 cups of sesame seeds and yields about a cup of creamy tahini, depending on how much olive oil or sesame oil you use.  The amount of oil that you use depends on how thick you like your tahini.  I prefer mine pretty runny because it makes it easier to incorporate into recipes.

Once you have your sesame seeds, you are ready to go.  Simply lightly toast them in a skillet and process them smooth in your food processor.  Like I said, you can use either olive oil or sesame oil.  I personally prefer olive oil because #1 I have tons of good quality organic olive oil laying around and #2 I prefer the flavor when I use olive oil versus the sesame oil.  It’s totally a personal preference.

Not only do I use it in the recipes I listed above, I also use it like any nut or seed butter.  My current obsession is tahini and honey on a banana. I also love tahini and cacao powder in my smoothie.  So may ways to use this stuff!

So are you ready to give it a try?  I think you are really going to like it.  It’s smooth, creamy and WAY better than the tahini I’ve been buying at the store.

xo,

Katja

LIGHTLY TOAST SESAME SEEDS

Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe | toasting sesame seeds | www.savorylotus.com

ALLOW SEEDS TO COOL

Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe \\\ www.savorylotus.com

Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe \\\\ www.savorylotus.com

PROCESS UNTIL CRUMBLY (ABOUT ONE MINUTE)

Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe ~ www.savorylotus.com

ADD OIL AND PROCESS UNTIL CREAMY SMOOTH

Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe ~~ www.savorylotus.com

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Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe

  • Author: Katja from Savory Lotus
  • Yield: 1 cup 1x
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Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/4 cup sesame seeds (hulled OR unhulled)
  • 2–5 tbsp of olive oil (my fav brand) OR sesame oil (like this)

Instructions

  1. Toast sesame seeds by heating a large dry skillet on low-medium heat. Add sesame seeds and toast (stirring constantly) until fragrant and slightly golden (not brown) – about 3-5 minutes.  Transfer to large baking sheet to cool completely. Be careful as sesame seeds burn very easily.
  2. Once cooled, add sesame seeds to food processor and process until you get a thick, crumbly paste- about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and process until creamy smooth.  Add oil one tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.
  3. Store in airtight glass jar for up to a month in refrigerator.

Notes

The amount of oil you use depends on the consistency that you like.  I prefer mine quite runny, so I add 4-5 tablespoons of oil.  Start with 2 tablespoons and add more oil one tablespoon at a time until you get it just right.

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Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe | www.savorylotus.com

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Filed Under: Condiments and Such Tagged With: hummus, sesame seeds, tahini

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Comments

  1. Morgan Wood says

    April 20, 2020 at 1:26 pm

    This sounds and looks delicious!!! Question for you – why is it necessary to cool the seeds before processing? I’d think they would be a bit softer right out of the oven… thanks!

    Reply
    • Katja Heino says

      April 21, 2020 at 12:11 pm

      Hi, Morgan! I cool my nits and seeds before I process the into nut or seed butter so I don’t get any moisture from the cooling. Just my preference. Hope that helps. 🙂

      Reply

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Hi I’m Katja!

And this is how we do healthy in our family. Just REAL food. Simple. Easy. Gluten free. More about Savory Lotus

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weekend dinner inspiration • NEW POST: LEMON HER weekend dinner inspiration • NEW POST: LEMON HERB SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN 🍋🌿 • spatchcock chicken is hands down the quickest + easiest way to cook a whole chicken • if you’ve never tried it, it’s a real game changer • the chicken comes out super moist on the inside and crispy on the outside • always a crowd pleaser 🙌 especially when you add the extra lemon herb pan sauce 

recipe link in bio:
https://www.savorylotus.com/lemon-herb-spatchcock-chicken/
how do you start your day? 💪🏃‍♀️🧘🏽‍♀️🚴🏽‍♂️☕️

mindset mindset mindset 🧠🧠• having a morning routine allows us to set an intention for the day rather then just letting the day run away from us • it helps determine our mind set and the tone for the rest of the day ✨✨

things like meditation, journaling, yoga, exercise, and other self-care practices can help us start the day feeling calm and inspired 🧘🏻 • consciously selecting the thoughts we have, the foods we eat , and the news/social media/images we see matters • a solid morning routine can reduce stress, boost energy, increase mental clarity, and leave us feeling 🤩

creating a morning routine looks different for us all • routine comes easier for some than others • we all have different priorities, time limits, physical needs/abilities, and health concerns there • are no rules • find what works for you 

i know that i feel better when i stick to my morning routine • i know that i feel better when i don’t engage with my phone or social media the first hour or two after waking up • i know i feel better when i consciously select what i bring into my head space first thing in the morning, including the thoughts that i have 

my morning routine currently looks like this:  10 minutes of quiet meditation, some form of elimination pathways opening like Gua Sha, coffee e nema, an epsom salts bath, or a sauna, yoga/workout, and a big green juice 🥬🥒🍏

👉👉 do you have a morning routine?  i’d love to hear how you start your day • leave me a comment below ⤵️⤵️
what’s not to love about a fritter? ❤️ • what’s not to love about a fritter? ❤️ •  made a batch of my BUTTERNUT SQUASH FRITTERS this morning • a great way to get more vegetables onto your plate • so good with a plate of fried eggs and steamed kale • made with just a few simple ingredients • don’t skip the fresh herbs 🍀🌱🍀

* butternut squash (about 3 pounds)- peeled and shredded
* eggs, whisked
* 1/2 cup gluten free flour (I used a combo of almond flour and tapioca) 
* 1/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped ( any combo of parsley, basil, sage, or cilantro)
* 1/4–1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp salt
* ghee or avocado oil for cooking

1. in a large bowl, combine shredded butternut squash, eggs, flour, herbs, garlic powder, and salt.  mix to combine. 
2. in a large skillet, heat a liberal amount of fat of choice over medium high heat.  scoop out 2 tablespoons of mixture into hand, squeeze into a ball, and place into skillet, flattening with the back of a spatula or measuring cup. cook until golden brown.  flip and cook other side.  repeat until mixture is all gone, adding more fat as needed. 
3. place cooked fritters onto a wire rack while cooking the rest.  serve immediately or freeze for later once cooled.
self-care is about creating healthy habits ❤️• having a “self-care” routine before you get sick can keep you healthy 💪 • and it doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming • there are so many ways to care for yourself that are 100% free:
💧 hydration
☀️ sunshine,
🌈 fresh air
🌲 nature
🤸🏼‍♂️ movement
🙏 gratitude
👯 connection
🧘🏽‍♀️ meditation

the body usually gives us signals that something is starting to be out of balance • it’s important that we listen or it can lead to more serious health issues • every day is another chance to start taking care of ourselves 

my self-care routine focuses heavily on detoxification/elimination because i’m in heal mode • my toxic burden bucket 🪣 got too full + it put me over the edge • the liver, kidneys, large intestine, lymphatic system, and sweat glands 💦💦 work hard every day to reduce the build up of environmental contaminants and need regular support to keep functioning optimally • my self-care routine includes:

• infrared sauna for sweating
• Gua Sha to move lymph
• epsom salt baths
• daily movement
• hydration
• cold-pressed juices for nutrition
• coffee enemas
• ozone therapy 
• red light therapy 
• time in nature

don’t wait until you get sick to decide to take care of yourself • you only have this one body and this one precious life • it is NOT normal to feel crappy as we age • let’s change the paradigm and move forward in age with grace + vitality ✨✨• than you, @dr.jess.md for motivating me to take things to the next level
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