This easy tahini sauce comes together in minutes! The silky, dairy-free sauce is amazing over falafel, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, salads and more.

Easy tahini sauce in a bowl with a spoon.

What is tahini sauce made of?

Store-bought tahini is the base for this easy sauce (tahini is a sesame seed butter, similar to peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds). Fresh lemon juice lends brightness and garlic adds flavor. The only other ingredient you need is water, which thins the sauce and creates a silky, spoonable texture.

The ingredients for the tahini sauce recipe arranged on a marble surface and labeled.

Sometimes store-bought tahini can be pretty bitter, in which case you can also add a touch of honey or maple syrup to balance the flavors (a hint of sweetness is also a great way to introduce the sauce to kids!).

How do you make easy tahini sauce?

In a mini food processor, combine garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt.

Process shot showing tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a mini food processor.

Process until combined (it will turn quite thick).

Process shot showing the pureed tahini, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor for the easy tahini sauce.

Add water and process, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally, until the sauce is smooth and silky. Feel free to add more water for a thinner sauce.

The finished tahini sauce in a mini food processor.

What to eat with tahini sauce

The tahini sauce is amazing on Healthy Pan Fried Falafel, Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls and Halloumi Salad, as well as on roasted or grilled vegetables, grain bowls, kebabs, lamb burgers and salmon. In addition, it's a fabulous dip for raw veggies, and a delicious vegan salad dressing (you can thin it with water so that it's pourable).

Tahini sauce drizzled over falafel patties in pita bread.

Tips for this recipe:

Store-bought tahini varies widely in its texture and flavor. I prefer to use a pourable tahini (shake the jar—you should hear it sloshing). Soom brand is my favorite.
A mini food processor makes it easy to create a silky smooth sauce. If you don’t have one you can simply whisk together the sauce (make sure the tahini you use is pourable).
If you’re sensitive to garlic, crush the garlic clove and let it steep in the lemon juice for 10-15 minutes (or longer). Discard the garlic clove before using the lemon juice—you’ll still get its flavor without the bite.
Try this easy tahini sauce over these crispy Pan-Fried Falafel and on this Seared Halloumi Salad!
For another variation, try this Green Tahini Sauce.
Find a ton of other easy, no-cook sauce recipes in my book, Build-a-Bowl.

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Easy Tahini Sauce (Vegan)

This easy tahini sauce comes together in minutes! The silky, dairy-free sauce is amazing over these crispy Pan-Fried Falafel, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, salads and even as a dip. Sometimes store-bought tahini can be rather bitter, in which you can add touch of honey or maple syrup—it’s not traditional but it balances the flavors (a hint of sweetness is also a great way to introduce the sauce to kids!). You can make the sauce thinner or thicker by adjusting the amount of water as you like. Check out the other Tips below!

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: easy tahini sauce, tahini sauce recipe

Servings: scant cup

Author: Nicki Sizemore

Equipment

Mini food processor

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled
½ cup well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional
Salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, plus more to taste

Instructions

In a mini food processor, process the garlic until finely chopped.
Add the tahini, lemon juice and honey (if using), and season with salt. Process until combined (it will be quite thick).
Add the water and process until smooth, stopping and scraping the sides occasionally. Season with salt to taste (feel free to add more lemon juice and/or honey as desired). For a thinner sauce, add another splash or two of water, and process until smooth.

Notes

Do Ahead: The tahini sauce can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 hours, or it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving (if needed, thin it with another 1-2 tablespoons of water).

Tips:

Store-bought tahini varies widely in its texture and flavor. I prefer to use a pourable tahini (shake the jar—you should hear it sloshing). Soom brand is my favorite.
A mini food processor makes it easy to create a silky smooth sauce. If you don’t have one you can simply whisk together the sauce (make sure the tahini you use is pourable).
If you’re sensitive to garlic, crush the garlic clove and let it steep in the lemon juice for 10-15 minutes (or longer). Discard the garlic clove before using the lemon juice—you’ll still get its flavor without the bite.
Try this easy tahini sauce over these crispy Pan-Fried Falafel and on this Seared Halloumi Salad!
For another variation, try this Green Tahini Sauce.
Find a ton of other easy, no-cook sauce recipes in my book, Build-a-Bowl.