Tahini Sauce Recipe

This quick and easy tahini sauce recipe requires just a few simple ingredients and comes together in 5 minutes. Tahini sauce ads a ton of flavor and luxurious creaminess to falafel, wraps, salads, and vegetables. 

I’ve been buying the creamy tahini sauce from Trader Joe’s for ages. I add it to my falafel wraps, veggie sandwiches, chickpea salads, and really anything that could use a little extra flavor and creaminess. I finally decided to make make my own tahini sauce and am so glad I made that switch.

Homemade tahini sauce is so stupid easy. It takes under 5 minutes to add the few simple ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.

Tahini sauce is vegan, gluten-free, and paleo. If you have a gluten allergy, be sure to check the tahini label, because even though sesame seeds are gluten-free, they can be contaminated during processing.

I always have a jar of tahini in my cupboard or fridge for my favorite Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing. I could eat that Mediterranean inspired salad every single day. One of the things I love about that dressing and this tahini sauce is that it doesn’t need any added oil.

What is Tahini?

It’s like a nut butter, but made with ground sesame seeds. Tahini is a popular ingredient in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. It’s also a main ingredient in hummus, so you know it’s got to be something special. While tahini has a stronger and sometimes slightly bitter flavor, it can also be used in sweet recipes. Check out these Tahini Ginger Cookies or these Chocolate Tahini Cookies. In this easy tahini sauce recipe, the tahini gets thinned and mellowed out with fresh lemon juice and water. It gets extra flavor from garlic. While I used finely minced fresh garlic, garlic powder works well too. You can experiment with other flavors. Dill would be a great way to add fresh herby flavor. If you like spicy foods, add a little cayenne pepper.

How to use Tahini Sauce

My favorite way to use tahini sauce is with falafel, which could often use some extra flavor and moisture. I make a huge batch of falafel and keep them in the freezer, pulling a few out for pitas for lunch. I stuff the pita pockets or a piece of lavash flatbread with as much greens as I can get in, raw red onion, tomato, cucumber, and falafel. For a quick and easy lunch or dinner, try my Easy Falafel Wrap. Then drizzle that creamy dreamy tahini sauce all over. Tahini sauce is also delicious drizzled over quinoa Buddha bowls.

Tahini sauce is fantastic on most any veggies. A drizzle over avocado and tomato? Yes! Roasted cauliflower or rainbow carrots? Oh yeah! These pretty rainbow carrots were roasted in the oven and then drizzled with tahini sauce and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and parsley. It makes such a lovely side dish.

The final way I use my tahini sauce this week was over a baked sweet potato stuffed with chickpeas, red onion, and tomatoes.

What’s your favorite way to use tahini sauce? I hope to update this post as I discover tasty new ways to use it.

How To Make Tahini Sauce

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Yield: about 1/2 cup

Tahini Sauce

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Total Time 4 minutes

This easy vegan tahini sauce requires just a few simple ingredients. It adds creaminess and flavor to wraps, veggies, falafel, salads, and more.

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup well stirred tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, well minced, or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 tablespoons water
• Pinch cumin (optional)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• 1 pinch cayenne (optional)

Instructions

1. Place tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar. Whisk in the water until you've reached the desired consistency. To add even more flavor, you can add cumin or parsley. Add cayenne pepper to add heat.
2. Enjoy your tahini sauce on falafel, salad, wraps, and veggies.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 31Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 90mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g