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This collection of dietitian-designed recipes with tahini paste will give you plenty of ideas for ways to use tahini in your cooking. Here you’ll find recipes for sauces, dressings, salads, breakfasts, and even cookies. Many of these recipes are vegan or vegetarian. With this roundup, you’ll never have to ask “what to do with tahini?” again!
In this post you’ll find 18 healthy recipes with tahini from the blog along with some helpful tahini facts. Keep scrolling or click on the following sections to find what you’re looking for:
- what is tahini?
- tahini health + nutrition benefits
- what does tahini taste like?
- tahini sauces + dressings
- salads with tahini
- breakfasts with tahini
- side dishes with tahini
- other tahini recipes
What Is Tahini?
Tahini is a type of paste popular in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisines.
It’s made from toasted and ground hulled sesame seeds, giving it a delicious nutty flavour that’s similar in texture to a creamy nut butter.
Tahini is commonly used as part of a spread or dip, such as hummus, but can be used in a variety of ways!
Tahini Health & Nutrition Benefits
Tahini is a source of:
- heart-healthy unsaturated fats
- plant-based protein, with a 2 tablespoon serving providing roughly 7 grams
- dietary fiber, with a 2 tablespoon serving providing about 3 grams or 12% of your daily needs
- essential minerals like:
- calcium
- iron
- magnesium
TIP: If you follow a plant-based diet, tahini is an excellent ingredient to add to your meals! It’s a source of many of the nutrients that are harder(but not impossible)to find when eating only plants.
What Does Tahini Taste Like?
Tahini tastes like sesame seeds (its primary and/or only ingredient). It has a distinct earthy, nutty flavour that can be slightly bitter on its own.
While similar in texture to creamy nut butters (like almond or peanut), it has less of a natural sweetness to it.
Tahini works great in both savoury and sweet dishes alike!
Tahini Sauces & Dressings
Tahini is one of my go-to ingredients when I want a thick and creamy sauce or dressing. It’s an awesome alternative to dairy- or cream-based sauces, and provides a different flavour profile to similarly-textured sauces made with peanut butter or cashews.
1) Balsamic Tahini Dressing
5-Minute Creamy Balsamic Dressing (With Tahini)
This creamy balsamic vinaigrette dressing with tahini is so quick and easy to throw together! You can keep it in the fridge and use it to add flavour to salads, roasted vegetables, or grain bowls.
Get the recipe
2) “Cheesy” Miso Tahini Sauce
5-Minute Miso Tahini Sauce
This creamy, "cheesy," and delicious miso tahini sauce is made with just 6 ingredients and takes only 5 minutes to make! It's a healthy vegan sauce that's perfect for pastas, grain bowls, and more!
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3) Curry Tahini Dressing
Vegan Curry Tahini Dressing
This all-purpose curry tahini dressing is made with simple, healthy ingredients and adds SO much flavour to a variety of meals. The recipe is super quick and easy to make and is vegan, gluten-free!
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4) Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce (Vegan)
This simple lemon herb tahini sauce recipe tastes amazing with roasted veggies, proteins, grain bowls, and more! It's an all-purpose vegan/dairy-free sauce that's packed with healthy ingredients.
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Salads With Tahini
As mentioned above, tahini makes an awesome base for a creamy, hearty salad dressing. Because of its unique nutrition profile of healthy fats, protein, and fiber, it really helps to make a salad more filling and satisfying!
5) Broccoli Kale Salad Tahini Dressing
Broccoli Kale Salad With Tahini Dressing
This broccoli kale salad recipe is made with nutritious ingredients like quinoa, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and a creamy tahini dressing. It's a hearty and crunchy salad that's packed with fiber, healthy fats, and plant-based protein! Recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
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6) Broccoli, Cauliflower & Salmon Salad With Curry Tahini
This roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and salmon salad is made with arugula, quinoa, dried cherries, and a creamy curry tahini dressing. It's an easy, healthy, and balanced meal that packs in a ton of nutrition, like fiber and protein. Recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free.
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7) Crispy Tofu Salad With Miso Tahini Dressing
Crispy Tofu Salad With Miso Tahini Dressing
Filled with crunchy veggies and crispy tofu, this healthy salad is satisfying, delicious, and packed with nutrients. With a creamy and rich miso sesame tahini dressing, this recipe is vegan and gluten-free. This salad is meant to be eaten cold and enjoyed as a complete meal!
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8) Massaged Kale Salad With Maple Tahini Dressing
Massaged Kale Salad With Maple Tahini Dressing
This easy vegan massaged kale salad is made with a maple tahini dressing, roasted delicata squash, apples, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries. Delicious!
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Breakfasts With Tahini
If you’re someone who loves adding nut butter (like peanut or almond) to your breakfasts, why not trying swapping it for tahini for a different flavour profile and nutrient variety? I love it in smoothies, oatmeals, and homemade granolas!
9) Blueberry Tahini Smoothie
Blueberry Tahini Smoothie (Vegan)
This blueberry banana tahini smoothie is such a delicious, healthy, and filling breakfast idea! Tahini, cardamom, and vanilla add such a unique taste and "warming" touch to this recipe. It's not only a source of fiber, healthy fats, and protein – it also sneaks in some greens (I swear you can't taste the spinach at all!) Recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and naturally sweetened with fruit only.
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10) Mashed Banana Tahini Oatmeal Porridge
Mashed Banana Tahini Oatmeal Porridge
This tahini oatmeal porridge is made with mashed bananas, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and maple! It's such a delicious, warming, and nutritious breakfast to start your day. Recipe can easily be made gluten-free and vegan.
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11) Honey Tahini Granola With Chocolate Chips
Honey Tahini Granola With Chocolate Chips
This healthy honey tahini granola recipe is packed with delicious ingredients like walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and chocolate chips. It's so easy to make and is just perfect for breakfast!
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Side Dishes With Tahini
Looking to jazz up your vegetable side dishes? These recipes show how tahini can be a great pairing with vegetables!
12) Roasted Sweet Potato With Curry Tahini
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges With Curry Tahini
These oven-roasted sweet potato wedges are paired with the most flavourful and creamy curry tahini dressing! This is such a simple, healthy vegetable side dish to pair with a variety of meals. Recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
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13) Smashed Brussels Sprouts With Balsamic Tahini
Smashed Brussels Sprouts With Balsamic Tahini (Vegan)
These crispy smashed and roasted brussels sprouts are paired with a creamy balsamic tahini dressing! A delicious vegetable side dish that's both vegan and gluten-free.
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14) Japanese Sweet Potatoes With Miso Maple Tahini
Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes (Easy + Healthy)
These oven-roasted Japanese sweet potato cubes are paired with a delicious miso maple tahini dressing. They're so easy to make, perfect for a comforting and healthy vegetable side dish! Recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Get the recipe
Other
These honey tahini oatmeal cookies are one of the most popular recipes on my blog. I hope you love them as much as I (and other readers) have 🙂
15) Honey Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
Honey Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
These honey tahini oatmeal cookies are SO quick + easy to make. They use only 7 ingredients, like chocolate chips, vanilla, and walnuts. Healthy, gluten-free, and delicious!
Get the recipe
16) No-Bake Tahini Energy Balls
No-Bake Honey Tahini Energy Balls
These no-bake tahini energy balls are made with oats, chocolate chips, and honey! They're such a tasty and nutritious make-ahead snack idea. So easy and no equipment needed!
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17) Creamy Tahini Pasta
Creamy Tahini Pasta (25-Minutes!)
This creamy, vegan tahini pasta recipe is made with one of my favourite "cheesy" miso tahini sauces. It's delicious, quick to make, and nutritious. Feel free to add extra veggies, like broccoli!
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19) Creamy Harissa Tahini Pasta
This harissa pasta recipe pairs the most deliciously creamy sauce made from harissa, tahini, smoked paprika, and nutritional yeast with 4 different kinds of vegetables and (optional) shrimp for added protein. It's easy to make, so flavourful, and incredibly nutritious!
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And there you have it –18 Easy, Healthy Recipes With Tahinito cook and enjoy. If you make any of these recipes, don’t forget to tag me onInstagramorPinterest– seeing your creations always makes my day. You can alsosubscribe to my email listto never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
More Ingredient Roundups To Explore
- 30+ Healthy Recipes With Oats
- 10+ Healthy Recipes With Kale
- 10+ Healthy Recipes With Sweet Potatoes
- 30+ Healthy Recipes With Chia Seeds
- 30+ Healthy Recipes With Avocado
- 15+ Healthy Recipes With Strawberries
Get the Recipe:18 Healthy Recipes With Tahini, Including Balsamic Tahini Dressing
This vegan balsamic tahini dressing is made with simple, healthy ingredients like tahini, balsamic vinegar, lemon, and garlic. It's so quick and easy to throw together! You can keep it in the fridge and use it to add flavour to salads, roasted vegetables, or grain bowls. Plus, more recipes with tahini!
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 1.25 cups
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup water
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl, until a smooth dressing forms. Feel free to increase amount of water if you desire a runnier dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste, as desired.
Notes
*STORAGE: Leftovers of this dressing will keep in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for about a week. Separation is normal – just give it a quick stir before using!
*PAIRING IDEAS: This all-purpose dressing adds SO much flavour and a source of healthy, satiating fats to all sorts of dishes. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Use it as a creamy salad dressing – it would pair well with any leafy greens (like kale, arugula, spinach, or a spring mix) along with fresh veggies (like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers)!
- Drizzle it over roasted veggies, like broccoli, mushrooms, or sweet potatoes.
- Use it to add flavour to grain bowls or nourish bowls.
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Course: sauce
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: balsamic dressing, tahini
Author: Carrie Walder
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Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.
