Creamy Tahini Dressing
You're going to love this delicious creamy tahini dressing recipe! It's simple to make, full of nutritious ingredients and goes with everything.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 27, 2024
My friend Erin requested a tahini dressing recipe, and here it is! This tahini dressing is luxuriously creamy yet plant-based (no mayo!). It’s a fun alternative to your standard vinaigrette.
This tahini dressing is versatile and goes with a wide variety of salad ingredients. I listed a bunch of those ingredients below to help you craft your own salad. The tahini dressing will bring it all together.
I shared my go-to tahini sauce recipe a couple of months ago (have you tried it yet?). This salad dressing is similar but designed specifically for drizzling on salads, rather than using as a dipping sauce or on sandwiches.
For this salad dressing, I omitted the garlic and made up for the lost flavor by adding Dijon mustard. I also incorporated some olive oil in this dressing to make it extra luxurious. It’s easy to whisk together at a moment’s notice, and keeps well for about a week. I think you’re going to love it!
Watch How to Make Creamy Tahini Dressing
Tahini Dressing Tips & Notes
Buy good tahini! They vary a lot in flavor and consistency. The best tahini comes from Ethiopia, and my favorite brands of Ethiopian tahini are Soom Foods (affiliate link) and Trader Joe’s organic tahini.
Ice-cold water is key. Fill a glass with water and ice before you make this dressing so your water is very cold. The cold water ensures that the mixture emulsifies instead of getting all gloppy and weird. It also turns an already-creamy mixture into a remarkably creamy dressing! You’d almost think there’s mayonnaise in this dressing, but there’s not.
Balance tahini’s bitterness and tang with a little sweetener and some extra salt. A little bit of maple syrup or honey go a long way in making this salad taste well-balanced, complex, and totally delicious. This dressing also calls for a little more salt than most of my other dressings. Salt helps balance bitterness and brings out tahini’s best.
Tahini Dressing Salad Suggestions
This tahini dressing would be great on a salad with any of the following ingredients:
- Greens: kale, arugula, romaine, spring greens
- Tomatoes
- Bell pepper
- Radish
- Fennel
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Cabbage
- Summer squash
- Red onion or green onion
- Fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, chives, dill, parsley
- Beans: chickpeas, lentils
- Whole grains: quinoa, farro, wheat berries
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds
- Cheese: goat cheese, feta
Please tell me how you like this dressing in the comments! I’m so eager to hear how your salads turn out!
Looking for more homemade dressings to liven up your salads? Don’t miss my mint dressing, basic vinaigrette with variations, healthy honey mustard dressing, or carrot ginger dressing.
Creamy Tahini Dressing
You’re going to love this delicious creamy tahini dressing recipe! It’s simple to make, full of nutritious ingredients and goes with everything. Recipe yields about ¾ cup.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons ice-cold water, more as needed
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup or jar, combine the olive oil, tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and several twists of black pepper. Whisk until thoroughly blended.
- Add the cold water, and whisk again. The dressing should become remarkably creamy. Taste, and add more lemon juice (for zing) and pepper, if desired. If your dressing is too thick to drizzle, whisk in more cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Serve!
- This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week. It may thicken with time; simply thin it with a little more cool water as needed.
Notes
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
Change it up: You can stir in a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped fresh herbs (dill, basil, mint, cilantro or parsley) for an herbed tahini dressing. For full-blown green goddess flavor, see the herbs and amounts suggested here.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I might have done this wrong. I used the measurements then added the glass of water but it didn’t turn out creamy, just really watery. Did i miss a step?
Oh no! Did you use US measurements?
I made this last night for Quinoa bowls: black beans, cooked carrots, broccoli, green beans and chicken, and raw spinach and zucchini. I forgot the feta and it didn’t need it because it was so good! However, as I was making the dressing, all went really well until I added the cold water which separated the olive oil from the rest, it basically curdled and got worse and worse as I mixed it more. Any idea why?! We ate it anyway and thankfully it was just for my family so I didn’t have to worry about serving it to guests as it was quite unsightly – the kids said it looked like bread dough in olive oil!
Sounds delicious, Lauren! Thank you for your review.
Delicious. Used both honey and maple syrup and added extra lemon juice. Used it on a quinoa, black bean, sweet potato etc bowl. Husband loved it.
Hi – The same thing happened to me — added water and the dressing separated. I added a tiny bit more lemon juice and whisked and that fixed the problem. Then, while whisking, added cold water slowly to thin it out. Phew!
This was delicious! It was exactly what I wanted.
That’s great to hear, Janet! Thank you for your review.
Delicious recipe!! YUM!! Thank you. I’m a picky eater and a trained chef, so this says A LOT! Cheers
It is a good recipe but I wish I had left out the honey- too sweet for me and masked the tahini flavor.
So easy & yummy! I added one Tbl of low-sodium tamari to make my husband happy, but I think this dressing is perfect as is. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Tatum! I appreciate your review.
Do not add cold water! It coagulates by binding with the tahini solids and separating the oils, turning the whole thing into a thick oily glob!
Hi Mark, you need enough cold water for it to get creamy. It will seize at the start, but as you slowly add more it changes. I hope you try it!
My first batch was perfect, but the second batch coagulated…and I used ice cold water in it. It’s a coagulated mess, and I can’t get it to mix. I don’t know why.
I’m sorry to hear that. Did you change your tahini?
I kept stirring it, and put it in the frig. A day later, it was thick…but still delicious. So I have still been able to use it. I’ll put the thick dressing on the salad, and once it gets room temp, it gets its creaminess back. I tried to make 3X as much this time, and it’s easier if I just double the batch. So I know what I didn’t do right this time. Thank you! :O)
I Love all the recipes I’ve made from you, and they always turn out as expected. I did have to add quite a bit more ice water to this one, as the tahini seizes. It made a great dressing over a salad of roasted sweet potato, red pepper and paprika chicken pieces. Added green beans, a few leaves and pomegranate seeds from the freezer needed using up. Likewise some cashews I’d sauteed in coconut oil. Will definitely use this tahini dressing loads I’m sure!
Oh my goodness, this dressing is amazing! I’ve tried several tahini based dressing recipes, and they were all just okay to me, but this one was perfect! So creamy and delicious, and I’m already thinking of all this things I can do with it. I’m going to try it next time with dill and parsley to make a ranch flavored dressing. I’m sooo excited about this. Thank you!
Oh my goodness, this recipe is absolutely amazing. You’re right that you would not be able to tell there’s no Mayo in it. I made it the first couple times as is, which was so good, then the next time I was in the mood for a ranch dressing, so I blended a little dairy free yogurt in (I used the plain forager liquid yogurt), plus some ranch spices, like parsley, dill, garlic, and onion, and it was a delicious substitute for ranch, and I love knowing I’m getting extra nutrition from the tahini and olive oil instead of what’s in the store-bought dressings. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I made this dressing today for salad with leftover grilled chicken kebabs with roasted veggies. I used honey and will try maple syrup next time. Creamy and so delicious!
I’m glad you loved it, MB! Thank you for your review.
Amazing!! The best tahini dressing I’ve ever made or had!
Thank you so much!!
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Kim! Thank you for sharing.
I made this! Sooo yummy!! I didn’t make any changes either.
I added Beet juice to the recipe! Fantastic
This is amazing! Simple to throw together and just delicious. I drizzled a little on my vegetable korma and quinoa, and it made the dish next level! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe.
Wonderful, Angela! I appreciate your review.
This dressing is amazing! I had it on a mixed salad with roasted pumpkin, quinoa and crumbled goats cheese. It all went beautifully inside a wrap the next day too. This one’s a keeper!
That’s great to hear, Treena! I appreciate your review.
Delish. Just made it. Best tahini dressing EVER!
That’s great to hear, Robin! Thank you for your review.
So simple and just perfect! Enjoying on a bed of power greens with roasted butternut squash, chickpeas, cucumber and sprinkle of feta. I can see this working with just about anything. Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome, Sonja! I appreciate your review.
This dressing is divine!! Creamy, flavorful, tangy, and zesty. This will be my new go to!
I could eat this by the spoonful! It makes everything taste amazing. Raw veggies or roasted, kale, salads, bowls you can’t go wrong.
Maple syrup > honey and half a lemon is perf in my opinion.
I made this tonight for roasted vegetable bowls and it was delicious! The ice water makes it the perfect consistency! Thanks for always giving us the best recipes!
This is an awesome dressing! Easy to make and perfect with falafels. Thank you!
For anyone who makes homemade hummus and typically has tahini at the ready, this is a delicious way to try something different. Definitely recommend!
Absolutely delicious dressing!! I made this exactly as written and it did not disappoint. I put it over a salad of quinoa, shredded red cabbage, carrots, sliced cucumbers and pepitas. Perfect combination! Thank you!
I’m glad you love it, Lisa!
So delicious! I didn’t have Dijon so used wholegrain mustard but it worked well.
I also topped my salad with toasted mixed seeds which really complemented the flavours of the tahini dressing.
Thank you for sharing, Sam!
Oh my, this is it!!! I’m absolutely in love with the flavor. Thank you so much for sharing.
My husband I both love this dressing, great taste, healthy and so versatile. We use it on chicken, vegetables and salad.
Greetings from Norway! This dressing is absolutely delicious. I omitted the sweeteners (honey/maple syrup) completely as I like it fairly tangy (and perhaps it is also more common without in Europe?), and it was perfect! Thank you!
This is a keeper for sure! Best tahini dressing I’ve had. I added 2 tablespoons of flax oil in lieu of the 4 tbsp. of olive oil, and just increased the water. Everything else was as written. Delicious!
Wonderful to hear, Melinda!
Great recipe! Thank you for sharing. So easy and tastes amazing ❤️
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! Thank you for your comment and review.
I made it this tonite! I really like the taste of it! I think it can also make a nice vegetable dip. It was a very easy recipe and can be made for one or double and tripled ingredients for more people. I’m just starting to investigate Middle East food, like Turkish salad and meatballs, and turmeric rice. The good is so good I can’t settle for eating out!
Thank you for sharing, Barbara! Great to hear you loved it.
I love this recipe ! I 1/2 ed the Dijon and maple syrup. And 2x lemon and perfect for me !
I’m glad you loved it, Christine!
Oh my gosh. This dressing is amazing. So creamy. You will think there is mayo in this recipe. Science is wonderful. Thank you for sharing this dressing. :)
I’m glad you love it, Cricket! Thank you for sharing.
Really good! Didn’t change anything (except my lemon juice was garlic infused, from another recipe) and it is bomb!!
Great to hear, Natalia! I appreciate your review.
Just the recipe I was looking for! I used date syrup for the sweetener and subbed za’atar tahini for the plain tahini. This is going to be on regular rotation at my house.
That’s great to hear, Mary! I appreciate your review.
the cold water completely broke my already creamy and smooth dressing…?!
Hi Rob! Just keep stirring and you may need to add a bit more. See the notes and in the post.
Made it quickly. Used Agave syrup instead of maple. My new favorite creamy dressing!!! Plant based dieter.
So tasty, the BEST!!!!
Great to hear, Doreen! Thank you for your review.
Made exactly like the recipe but the oil separated right away. Very disappointed. Any suggestions why?
I’m sorry to hear that. Did you add the ice water?
This has been the favorite in our household and among friends whenever I make this tahini dressing for my quinoa salad. THE BEST! I didn’t have to tweak or change anything to adjust to my taste. This is so perfect! Also I love your other recipes too. Make my cooking life easier. THANK YOUUUU super!
I’m excited you enjoyed it, May! I appreciate your review.
Delicious, simple and healthy. Just made it and have a feeling this will now be a staple in our household.
I love to hear that, Erin! Thank you for your review.
I was skeptical because I don’t like the flavor of tahini. This is SO good! I love how the dijon comes through. Thank you, thank you!
You’re welcome, Hadley!
I just bought your cookbook and LOVE it! Thank you for putting goodness into a book.
You’re welcome, Cindy!
Love this dressing. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Looks good until I add the water to thin. The dressing immediately separates and I have to use an immersion blender to emulsify. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Carol!
I just made this to serve on a side salad with a Mediterranean baked fish recipe, and the dressing was amazing! I made it exactly to recipe with Soom tahini and did add a dash of Aleppo pepper at the end. Thanks for another great dressing recipe! I already love your sunshine dressing :)
Great recipe! I added some harissa, zaatar and grated ginger and it knocked it out of the park!
Thank you for this recipe Kate. I am garlic intolerant so the suggestion of using dijon mustard to replace garlic is much appreciated.
This dressing is insanely delicious. So simple but with addictive layers of flavors. Thank you so much for the recipe.