This lemon tahini dressing is ultra creamy, zesty, and nutty! It's ready in less than 5 minutes, simple to whip up, and goes on just about everything. Pair it with salads, roasted vegetables, pasta dishes, and so much more.
Table of Contents
💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients: You just need 5 simple ingredients to make this recipe.
- Better than store-bought: Dressing from the store pales in comparison to homemade. Plus, there are endless ways to customize this recipe.
- Versatile: Use lemon tahini dressing for salads, vegetables, pitas, wraps, and so much more. Get creative with it!
- Diet-friendly: Since this recipe is oil-free, vegan, and gluten-free, it’s a great option for a wide variety of dietary needs and preferences.
If you love creamy dressings, you need to test out our creamy balsamic dressing, creamy vegan ranch, creamy cilantro lime dressing, and vegan Caesar dressing.
🤔 What is tahini?
Tahini is a seed butter made by grinding whole sesame seeds. This nut-free spread carries a very distinct nutty, sweet, and mildly bitter flavor.
Depending on the brand, the overall flavor and creaminess vary greatly, so it’s important to source a quality brand made with 100% sesame seeds.
You can find tahini in most grocery stores in the international or Middle Eastern aisles. Generally, we try to stay away from brands that are thick, grainy, and stiff-looking. They won’t make for a very luscious lemon tahini dressing.
🍋 What is lemon tahini dressing?
Lemon tahini dressing is one of the easiest sauces to put together, but it’s incredibly rich, creamy, and downright addicting.
Due to its versatility and flavor profile, this dressing is delicious on salads, as a dip for vegetables, mixed with roasted potatoes, or paired with anything else you can think of.
The base is made primarily from tahini, lemon, garlic, and maple syrup, and all you have to do is whisk it together in a bowl. That’s right, no blender is required!
🌱 Is tahini dressing vegan?
Yes, tahini dressing is almost always vegan-friendly. The creaminess comes from tahini, so no dairy products are typically needed.
If you follow this recipe, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how rich and velvety it turns out!
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Tahini: For a silky, creamy, and velvety sauce, try to source smooth, runny tahini. You’ll have the best luck finding it at Mediterranean markets or in the international aisle of large supermarkets. Some brands to look for are ARZ Fine Foods, Tamam, Alkanatar, Baron’s, Okka, and Soom. Alternatively, try making your own if you have a high-speed blender.
- Maple syrup: Sweetens the dressing, balancing out the bitterness of the tahini and the tartness of the lemon.
- Garlic: Provides a zesty, savory punch. Use fresh garlic cloves for the best taste, although garlic powder will work in a pinch. Reduce the overall amount if you use powdered garlic.
- Dijon: Imparts a tangy kick. You can replace Dijon mustard with more lemon juice if you prefer, or omit it altogether.
- Lemon juice: Adds a bright acidity that rounds out the creaminess of the tahini. Make sure it is freshly squeezed, not lemon juice concentrate.
- Sea salt: To enhance the other ingredients, we prefer sea salt.
- Water: To thin the dressing.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make lemon tahini dressing
Step 1: Combine the ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, minced garlic, Dijon, and lemon juice until well combined.
Step 2: Add the water
While continuing to whisk, slowly add in water until your desired consistency is achieved. We use ¼ cup total, but you may need more or less depending on the tahini you're using.
Step 3: Adjust seasonings
Season with sea salt to taste. Add lemon juice for more tartness, maple syrup for sweetness, or garlic for more of a bite. Happy eating!
If you have questions about this lemon tahini dressing recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🥗 How to use tahini dressing
Lemon tahini dressing is so versatile, the possibilities are virtually endless for pairing options. Here are a few ideas to spark your creativity:
- Greens: Drizzle it over your favorite bowl of greens like kale, romaine, and spinach. Then, add salad toppings like veggies, dried fruits, nuts, and proteins.
- Vegetables: Dip fresh vegetables in it, pair it with roasted veggies, or serve it over baked potatoes or sweet potatoes.
- Grain bowls: Liven up rice, quinoa, or farro buddha bowls with lemon tahini dressing.
- Wraps: Use it for pitas, falafel wraps, sandwich spreads, and more.
- Pasta: Use lemon tahini as a flavor-packed sauce for pasta dishes like spaghetti, penne, and zucchini noodles.
🌡️ Storage
We love keeping lemon tahini dressing on hand to liven up meals during busy weeks. To keep it fresh, just follow these storage tips:
- Fridge: Keep your dressing in the fridge for about 5-6 days. It will thicken as it sits, but you can add a few teaspoons of water and stir it before each use. We recommend keeping it in an airtight container like a mason jar to preserve the flavors best.
- Freezer: If you don’t finish it in time, just transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready for more, thaw it in the fridge overnight and give it a stir in the morning.
♻️ Variations
- Herbs & spices: Season your dressing with different herbs or spices to add a unique flavor component. Some options include coriander, cumin, Aleppo pepper, cayenne, paprika, thyme, rosemary, or sage.
- Spicy: If you enjoy spice, add your favorite hot sauce in for a kick!
- Nut butter: If you don’t have access to runny tahini, try making this recipe with cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Runny tahini: When sourcing tahini, look for smooth, runny brands. It makes the sauce much easier to whisk together. Avoid tahini that looks dry, grainy, and stiff.
- Fresh ingredients: For the best flavors, ensure you’re using fresh lemon and garlic.
- Add water slowly: Prevent a runny dressing by slowly incorporating the water while continuously whisking the mixture.
💬 FAQ
Tahini dressing tastes slightly more bitter than peanut butter with bright citrus notes and a creamy texture.
Since tahini is made from ground sesame seeds, which are full of fiber, protein, copper, phosphorus, and selenium. All of these nutrients and minerals play an important role in reducing your risk of disease and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Peanut butter and tahini have very similar nutritional profiles. Both are high in healthy fats and low in sugar. The benefit of tahini is that it’s completely free of nuts, making it an allergen-friendly condiment.
🍴 More sauce recipes
If you enjoyed this lemon tahini dressing recipe, check out some more of our favorite sauces like these:
- Zesty Jalapeño Nacho Sauce: Spicy, cheesy, and zesty sauce without any dairy.
- Vegan Pesto: Simple, dairy-free pesto made with cashews instead of pine nuts.
- Hummus: Full of creamy chickpeas, tahini, fresh spices, and lemon.
- Vegan Tzatziki: Cool, creamy, and refreshing tzatziki made dairy-free.
📋 Recipe
Best Lemon Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup runny tahini
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Sea salt to taste
- ¼ cup water to thin
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, minced garlic, Dijon, and lemon juice until well combined.
- While continuing to whisk, slowly add in water until your desired consistency is achieved. We use ¼ cup total, but you may need more or less depending on the tahini you're using.
- Season with sea salt to taste. Add lemon juice for more tartness, maple syrup for sweetness, or garlic for more of a bite.
- Serve over salads, grain bowls, roasted veggies, falafel pitas, and more. Happy eating!
Notes
- Runny tahini: When sourcing tahini, look for smooth, runny brands. It makes the sauce much easier to whisk together. Avoid tahini that looks dry, grainy, and stiff.
- Fresh ingredients: For the best flavors, ensure you’re using fresh lemon and garlic.
- Add water slowly: Prevent a runny dressing by slowly incorporating the water while continuously whisking the mixture.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Note: We've updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.
Moira
Perfect tartness for a nice creamy dressing for my green salads or my Buddha Bowls!!