How to Make Tahini Paste

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Baking sheet

  • Parchment paper

  • Hulled, white sesame seeds

  • Cooling rack

  • Food processor or blender

  • Olive oil or vegetable oil

  • Rubber spatula

  • Airtight container

Prepared tahini paste is available in most grocery stores, but you can make your own with little effort. It takes just a few minutes for a food processor or blender to grind sesame seeds into tahini paste, an ingredient essential to making hummus and baba ghanoush. For the smoothest tahini, choose hulled, white sesame seeds and grind them with a little bit of olive oil or vegetable oil.

Advertisement

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper, and spread a thin layer of hulled white sesame seeds on top. A standard baking sheet comfortably holds about a cup of sesame seeds.

Advertisement

Step 3

Toast the sesame seeds in the oven for about 6 minutes, until they are fragrant and slightly darker. Jostle the baking sheet after the first few minutes to stir the sesame seeds and toast them evenly.

Advertisement

Step 4

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let the sesame seeds cool completely.

Advertisement

Step 5

Gather the edges of the parchment paper together to lift the sesame seeds up and funnel them into a food processor or blender.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Step 6

Process the sesame seeds in the food processor for about 3 minutes, until they turn into a thick, grainy paste. In a blender, pulse the seeds at high power for about 1 minute until they turn into a fine powder.

Advertisement

Step 7

Remove the cover to the small opening in the lid of the food processor or blender. With the motor running, pour in enough olive oil or vegetable oil to blend the sesame seeds into a smooth paste. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil per cup of whole sesame seeds.

Advertisement

Step 8

Turn off the food processor or blender and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Process the sesame paste for several seconds to make sure everything is well blended. In a blender, you may need to repeat this step a few times before the tahini is smooth.

Step 9

Transfer the tahini to a sealable container and store it in the refrigerator. The oil might separate from the sesame paste over time, but you can simply stir the tahini to redistribute the oil.

Tip

For a coarser tahini with a stronger flavor, use unhulled, natural sesame seeds.

Increase the amount of oil for a thinner tahini.

Most blenders can only handle a small amount of sesame seeds at a time. Avoid straining the blender's motor by limiting each batch to 1 cup of sesame seeds.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

references & resources