If you love tahini, then you will love how simple it is to make at home. I was in the store the other day picking up a new jar for myself and I saw a bag of sesame seeds for $3 dollars and decided to make it myself since the jar I was about to buy cost $8. What the heck I thought...I make my own Almond Butter, why not my own tahini?! Of course, it was just as good if not better since I made it myself. Tahini (sesame seed paste) is full of wholesome nutrition. Sesame seeds contain important B Vitamins...B1, B2, B3, B5, as well as a great supply of calcium. They also have beneficial trace elements like copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and manganese. Sesame seeds contain both omega 3 & 6 that improve the health of the brain. I'm learning to use tahini in all different kinds of ways. You can use it in salad dressings, dips, hummus, soups, cookies, or just eat it plain spread on toast. It pairs well with different flavors like lemon, miso, cumin, parsley, cilantro, garlic, etc. So very good and so very good for you!

Homemade Tahini [Vegan]

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Serves

2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sesame seeds (1 lb.)

Preparation

First you may want to toast your seeds to bring out the most flavor. You want your seeds to become fragrant and slightly darker during the process (I have to admit that I usually skip this step and it is completely optional.) Toast your seeds one of two ways:
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Place seeds on roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet and roast for about 10-15 minutes making sure to move them around every few minutes so the seeds on the bottom don't burn.
OR
  1. Dry roast over medium low heat in a skillet using one cup at a time (add more or less depending on your skillet). Be sure to move the seeds around frequently to ensure that they don't burn.
Once you have toasted your seeds and they have cooled a bit, place them in your food processor, or blender, and process on high until creamy, scrapping down the sides as needed. Will take approx. 5-10 minutes to blend depending on your equipment.  

Notes

Store your tahini in an air-tight container in the fridge. Will last up to a couple months. Since homemade tahini is made using the whole sesame seed and not hulled seeds like store bought tahini, unless you find hulled seeds to use, your consistency may not be as creamy but it's not a big difference and you’re getting the added benefits of extra fiber and nutrition from the outer shells. The majority of the calcium is lost when the seeds are hulled. To add extra creaminess use 2 or 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil when blending if desired. This will help create a smoother texture but it will also alter the flavor slightly.



About The Author

Julie West

See My Recipes

Julie West loves sharing the wonderful world of vegan foods and healthful eating and living. She began a vegan lifestyle in the early part of 2011 and hasn't looked back. Since then, Julie has become passionate about creating healthy vegan dishes, some 100% raw, and sharing her lifestyle. Her blog, The Simple Veganista, is about all the simple, beautiful plant foods and the different ways to put them together that taste great. Eating vegan is not about restrictions; it's about creating new habits, healthy habits that encompass the world around us, making it a better place for all.

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