20 recipes that use tahini

So you bought a jar of tahini for that homemade hummus recipe and now you don’t know how to use it. Does this sound familiar?

First of all, what is tahini?

Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds, and spoiler alert: It’s not just for hummus.

How do you use tahini?

You can use tahini like how you’d use other nut butters. It adds richness and flavor to meat, works with noodles, loves a good dip situation, and finds its way into breakfast and desserts like it’s NBD.

Looking for recipes that use tahini? Check these out:

Sauce

Cheezy Parsnip Fries with Smoky Tahini Sauce via A Dash of Soul

Tahini is kind of like Beyoncé. It can go solo, all you need is a drizzle to amp up any dish, but it also plays well with others. Add a squirt of fresh lemon juice or swirl it into yogurt to make a dipping sauce.

Dressing

Spicy potato kale bowls with mustard tahini dressing via This Savory Vegan

Combine tahini with vinegar, mustard and lemon juice to make a dressing. Toss it with greens, protein, and roasted vegetables for an easy dinner.

Dip

Oven baked sweet potato chips w/ cashew tahini dip via Tuulia

Swirl tahini into your favorite dips for extra flavor, or try this dip which is a great vegan option.

Hummus

Carrot, walnut & red lentil hummus via Blissful Basil

You thought I’d let you go without a hummus recipe? Nice try! This one earns its bright color from carrots, red lentils and curry powder. It’s nothing like the packaged hummus you’ll find at your supermarket.

Toast

Honey Lavender Sesame Toast via I Will Not Eat Oysters

Toast smeared with peanut butter or almond butter is a real treat - so try it with tahini next time. Add bananas and a drizzle of honey for an Instagram-ready breakfast.

Yogurt

Strawberry + pistachio tahini yogurt via Petite Pinotte

Yogurt can get boring real fast. Try mixing in tahini for an easy switch up, and don’t forget to add some fruit!

Oats

Tahini porridge with roasted banana + toasted almonds via Shanyara Leonie

You like almond butter in your morning oatmeal, so why not tahini? It works for both a sweet bowl of oats like in this roasted banana version, or in a savory version with a fried egg and hot sauce.

Granola

Maple, tahini & vanilla granola via Gather & Feast

Making your own granola is a fun weekend activity - you can test out different flavor combinations and make it your own. Try adding tahini to your next batch for even more flavor.

Noodles

Tahini butternut squash noodle bowl with spinach via Naturally Ella

Sesame noddles, move aside. Tahini noodles are here for your throne. Soba noodles, zoodles, or butternut squash noodles all work with tahini, making it a fit for all diets.

Cauliflower

Spiced cauliflower with tahini via Dishing Up the Dirt

I’m pretty much sold on any cauliflower recipe these days, so this one drizzled with tahini has my vote.

Tofu

Spicy tahini tofu stir fry via eatwell 101

Tofu loves a good sauce, so why not a tahini one? This recipe melds the creaminess of tahini with the spice of sriracha so you know it’s a winner.

Soup

Broccoli chickpea soup with turmeric + tahini via Ruby Josephine

No surprise here, tahini works in soups too. You can drizzle it on top or stir it in to make a velvety soup even more lush.

Chicken

Grilled tahini chicken via My Name is Yeh

Tahini as a marinade? Sign me up. Combine tahini with your favorite herbs and spices to add even more flavor to chicken.

Latte

Date-sweetened vegan chai latte with tahini via Will Frolic for Food

Tahini adds to a frothy latte - especially one with complimentary flavors like chai and dates.

Smoothie

Salted tahini maca smoothie via Running on Real Food

Tahini also works cold. Add tahini into your smoothies instead of peanut or almond butter for the same luscious texture.

Chocolate tahini cookies via Lazy Cat Kitchen

Surprise: tahini works in desserts too. Try it in cookies, like these chocolate and walnut ones.

Bread

Healthy honey flax tahini banana bread via Ambitious Kitchen

Tahini and bananas are like two best friends - they just go together. When your bananas get too soft, try switching out you go-to banana bread recipe with one that uses tahini instead.

Brownies

Vegan tahini brownies via Salted Plains

Chocolate and tahini are another pair that was just meant to be. Tahini adds a little extra decadence to what would otherwise be a basic brownie recipe.

Chocolate

Tahini butter cups with honey candied cereal via The Healthy Maven

Indulgence in two bites. Make homemade tahini butter cups to enjoy a grown-up take on your favorite Halloween find.

Fudge

Mocha tahini fudge via The Almond Eater

Fudge is a nostalgic treat - typically found in specialty candy stores where it’s made on site in all sorts of crazy flavors. Tahini is a great switch from the go-to peanut butter!