This creamy and delicious Easy Healthy Tahini Sauce is a versatile vegan sauce that’s simple to make with pantry ingredients. It’s the ideal sauce for falafel sandwiches, shawarmas, vegetables, buddha bowls, and more!
Tahini sauce is popular all year 'round and it's dairy-free so great for a vegan or lactose-free diet and pairs perfectly with my air fryer falafels.
Jump to:
A version of this simple and healthy Tahini recipe used to be on the back of the Falafel mix box, but it's not there anymore. So I decided I should probably capture it, so at least it's there for my kids. There are a lot of recipes on the internet for tahini sauce, but this is the way I have always made it.
🥘INGREDIENTS
For this healthy tahini recipe, you'll need:
- 1 cup tahini (see below)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ¾ cup warm water
- ¼ cup lemon juice (from concentrate) Realemon
💭TOP TIP
*Let your tahini sit out for at least 30 minutes before making your sauce.
Tahini should be stored in the fridge after opening, but the oil separates and the ground sesame hardens, making it hard to stir.
A jar of tahini (any brand) is what you'll need to buy from the grocery store to make this sauce the easy way. Or you can make your own homemade tahini from scratch.
But it can be a bit confusing, although it may say Tahini sauce, it's not actually Tahini sauce (it's just toasted ground-up sesame seeds or sesame seed paste) so you need to add lemon juice and garlic to make it into a sauce that tastes yummy.
* Do not get sesame paste, as that's an entirely different thing!
You can use leftover plain tahini in baking, in a hummus recipe, salad dressings, and other recipes.
🔪INSTRUCTIONS
Mix everything together in a small bowl (it will thicken as you stir) until it forms a smooth paste, then refrigerate. It's as simple as that!
Hint: This sauce tastes best if it has a chance to sit in the fridge for at least an hour or two so the flavors can meld.
📖VARIATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS
- Lemon juice - you can use fresh lemon juice, but you'll need to double the amount (to ½ cup) and cut the water (to ¼ cup)
- Garlic - fresh garlic is best, but you can substitute minced garlic in a jar *I do not recommend using garlic powder (the flavor won't be strong enough)
- Tahini paste -you can use any brand or make your own tahini paste
🥗What to serve with Tahini
These are my favorite delicious ways to use Tahini:
- On a falafel with pita bread (shown) or falafel salad
- Serve it with fresh veggies
- Spread it on a burger or sandwich
- Use it as a Shawarma sauce
- Drizzle it on grilled or roasted vegetables
- Use it as dressing on Buddha bowls (grain bowls)
- Dip Souvlaki or Kabobs in it
👪 SERVING SIZE
This creamy tahini recipe makes 18 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW POINTS
This vegan tahini recipe is 6 Weight Watchers points (for 2 tbsp) but it's healthy fats and it's so worth it! If you pair it with my Air Fryer Falafels, it's still only a 9 ww point meal! Or have 1 tablespoon of tahini sauce for a 7 ww pt meal.
🍽EQUIPMENT
You will need a sharp knife for cutting garlic and a cutting board, as well as a spoon and mixing bowl for this easy recipe (see equipment recommendation photos and links in the recipe card).
🌡️STORAGE
Store this Easy Tahini Sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This sauce does not freeze well.
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, tahini is dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.
Tahini sauce is made of tahini (toasted ground sesame seeds), lemon, and garlic.
Tzatziki sauce is made with yogurt and cucumber and tahini sauce is made with sesame seeds. Although, they both have garlic and lemon in them.
Tahini sauce has a creamy texture and a nutty flavor, as well as a tanginess (lemony flavor).
Tahini sauce will last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
🦺FOOD SAFETY
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
⭐ COMMENTS & REVIEWS
Did you know that commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you loved this recipe, please comment and leave a 5 star rating in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings !
So if you are looking for a simple and delicious tahini sauce that's healthy, you'll love this one!
📋Healthy Tahini sauce recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup tahini
- 6 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup warm water
- ¼ cup lemon juice (from concentrate) Realemon
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a bowl (it will thicken as you stir). Hint: This sauce tastes best if it has a chance to sit in the fridge for at least an hour or two
Terri Gilson
Anyone who loves Middle Eastern flavors will swoon for this Easy Healthy Tahini Sauce. It's great on falafel, shawarma, veggies, and buddha bowls. I originally found a similar recipe on the back of a falafel mix box, and I'm so glad I captured it to pass down to my kids.