Tahini is a condiment thats a staple ingredient in Middle Eastern recipes like hummus, baba ghanoush, along with various dressings and dips.
It has an unctuous, creamy texture and a delicious nutty flavor.
However, many people need a substitute for tahini, whether due to allergies, difficulty finding the ingredient, or the high cost.
In these cases, using tahini substitutes can allow you to modify recipes that call for tahini.
Whether you dont have any tahini on hand or youre allergic to sesame, keep reading for the best tahini substitutes to try.
We will cover:
- What Is Tahini?
- Why Do You Need a Tahini Alternative?
- The 9 Best Tahini Substitutes
Lets jump in!
What Is Tahini?
If youre a fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, you are probably well-versed in the rich usage of tahini, also known as sesame butter.
Tahini is a nutritious condiment made by grinding sesame seeds into a paste in much the same way that peanut butter, almond butter, or other nut butters are made.
Oftentimes, sesame oil and salt are added as well.
Therefore, tahini has a similar texture and consistency to many nut butters.
Tahini can be used straight up as a condiment on sandwiches, or as a dip. It is also an integral ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, other dips, and salad dressings.
Tahini has its origins in Middle Eastern cuisine, but it is becoming more widely available in the United States and other countries.
It is usually found in either the condiment aisle or international foods section of grocery stores.
Why Do You Need a Tahini Alternative?
So, if tahini is so tasty, why do people need alternatives to tahini?
The primary reason that most people need tahini substitutes is due to an allergy to sesame.
According to research, sesame ranks as the ninth-most common food allergy among adults and children.
If you are allergic or sensitive to tahini, you need to have a sesame-free tahini substitute.
Another reason that people often look for a tahini substitutes is due to the high cost of the product. Particularly if you have to buy tahini at a specialty food market, the price per unit weight may be exorbitantly high for your budget.
Some tahini replacements are much more affordable and cost effective.
Additionally, even though tahini is becoming more readily available, it can still be hard to find in certain areas of the country and around the world.
Many people who want to make recipes that use tahini cant find it in their local grocery store, so they need a tahini substitute that is more commonplace.
Some people also seek a low-fat tahini substitute.
Although the types of fat in tahini are heart-healthy unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, if you are trying to follow a low-fat diet, you might need a reduced-fat tahini substitute.
With that said, most tahini replacements are nut butter-based because these options best replicate the taste and texture of creamy tahini.
Tahini is inherently high in fat, so using a low-fat tahini substitute is going to deviate further from the original product.
Some commercially-available tahinis also contain added salt, so if youre watching your salt intake, you might need a low-sodium diet tahini substitute.
Finally, another reason that people often need a tahini substitutes is simply because theyve run out and dont have time to get more before they want to eat or prepare a recipe requiring this ingredient.
The 9 Best Tahini Substitutes
The best tahini substitutes for your recipe replicate the taste and consistency of tahini while being safe for your diet, cheaper, or readily available at your supermarket, depending on which aspect of tahini has you needing a tahini replacement product.
Based on your needs, choose the most appropriate tahini alternatives from the following options of the best tahini substitutes to try:
#1: Cashew Butter
Cashew butter is one of the best tahini substitutes because it has a more neutral, creamy flavor like tahini compared to many of the other nut butters often recommended to be used as substitute.
For example, peanut butter and almond butter are often the go-to recommendations for people seeking an alternative to tahini, but these nut butters have a much more distinctive flavor than tahini.
Therefore, using them can alter the taste profile of the dish you are making.
Given the mild flavor, cashew butter works really well as a substitute for tahini in salad dressings, sauces, and plant-based dips.
Its a safe alternative to tahini for those with sesame allergies; however, as cashews are tree nuts, it is not safe for anyone with nut allergies.
Relative to tahini, cashew butter usually has slightly more calories, carbohydrates, and protein, but less fat.
If you are using cashew butter as a substitute for tahini, you can use it in a one-to-one ratio.
#2: Almond Butter
Like cashew butter, almond butter is a safe tahini substitute for people with sesame allergies, provided they dont also have nut allergies.
It can also be used in a one-to-one ratio, which makes using it as an alternative to tahini in recipes quite convenient.
It has a slightly nuttier flavor than the more neutral cashew butter, but it is relatively accessible these days in most large grocery stores.
#3: Peanut Butter
Peanuts have a much more pronounced and distinctive flavor than sesame seeds.
Therefore, peanut butter will most significantly change the flavor profile of whatever you are making when used as a tahini substitute.
However, while it may not be the best substitute in terms of flavor, it has a very similar creamy texture to tahini (as long as you dont use chunky peanut butter!), and is extremely affordable and available relative to tahini.
You can use peanut butter in a one-to one-ratio when substituting for tahini.
#4: Other Nut Butters
Although cashew butter, almond butter, and peanut butter tend to be more readily available than other nut butters, you can certainly use macadamia nut butter, Brazil nut butter, or pecan nut butter as a substitute for tahini.
Any nut butter can be used in a one-to one-ratio for tahini, but each will impart a somewhat different taste.
#5: Sunflower Seed Butter
If you are looking for a tahini substitute that replicates the taste and texture of tahini fairly well but is much more affordable, sunflower seed butter can be a good option.
Sunflower seed butter is also relatively easy to find in most grocery stores these days because it also serves as a peanut butter substitute for children with peanut allergies or in schools that require a peanut-free cafeteria.
Sunflower seed butter is often slightly thicker than tahini, but you can thin it out with a little bit of water or additional oil.
Additionally, some are sweetened slightly with sugar to better replicate sweetened peanut butters, so if you are using it as a tahini substitute in a savory recipe, look for unsweetened sunflower seed butter.
Compared to tahini, sunflower seed butter is usually a bit higher in calories, proteins, carbohydrates, and fat.
You can substitute it in your recipes for tahini at a one-to-one ratio.
#6: Chickpea Butter
Chickpea butter is a relatively new product but makes for a fantastic tahini alternative.
Like peanut butter, chickpea butter is made by blending chickpeas until they are smooth, often with the addition of healthy oils.
An example is Little Chickpea, a non-dairy, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, non-GMO and sustainably-produced butter.
Chickpeas are also much more environmentally sustainable than almonds or other nuts.
Finally, chickpea butter is one of the best substitutes for tahini because it has the flavor profile often associated with tahini.
For example, hummuswhich usually uses tahiniis made predominantly from chickpeas.
#7: Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt may not be the first option that comes to mind when you are thinking of a tahini replacement, but its a good choice for people who want to have a low-fat tahini substitute.
Its also much lower in sodium than tahinis that have added salt.
Its important to note that the whole milk Greek yogurt or other Greek yogurts that contain some fat will act more closely like tahini in a recipe then trying to substitute the creamy condiment for fat-free Greek yogurt.
In either case however, using Greek yogurt as a tahini substitute works best in recipes for salad dressings, dips, and sauces, because these have a thinner consistency.
In general, you will find the Greek yogurt does have a thinner consistency than tahini so if you are looking for the stiffness and body of a regular tahini, Greek yogurt isnt the best alternative.
Generally, Greek yogurt doesnt substitute for tahini in a one-to-one ratio, but it depends on the specific yogurt you use and how thick and strained it is.
#8: Sesame Oil
Sesame oil will have a more pronounced sesame flavor than tahini, but since they are both derived from the same ingredient, the flavor profile is the same.
Sesame oil is higher in fat than tahini, but it is lower in carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium. It is also much lower in protein and fiber.
Its a lot thinner than tahini, so it cannot be substituted at a one-to-one ratio.
That said, it still works well as a substitute for tahini in hummus, dips, and dressings.
#9: Black Sesame Paste
Its unlikely that black sesame paste will be a viable tahini alternative for most people, because if you are allergic to sesame seeds, you will be allergic to black sesame paste, and if you are having trouble finding tahini, theres a good chance you wont be able to find black sesame paste either.
However, if you happen to have some on hand and have run out of tahini, or have a local Asian market with a good Japanese condiment section, black sesame paste makes a wonderful substitute for tahini.
It has a similar taste and texture, and a really beautiful flavor.
Ready to get cooking? Which tahini substitute works best for you?
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