If you ever need a tahini substitute in the kitchen, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of great options for a replacement. Sometimes, people need to find a good tahini substitute if they happen to be allergic to sesame seeds, if they don’t enjoy the bitter taste, or if they simply don’t have access to it! While different kinds of nut butter make the best substitutes, there are other options too.
Tahini
Tahini is a popular Middle Eastern and Mediterranean condiment that is prepared from ground sesame seeds. This delicious, toasted spread can be eaten by itself, but it is also included in other preparations, such as baba ganoush and hummus. For more than 4,000 years, this spreadable condiment has been used in various forms, but it has only recently become known around the world. [1]
Tahini Substitutes
The best substitutes for tahini include peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, sesame oil, almond butter, soy butter, cashew butter, and hempseed butter, among others.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is less bitter than tahini but has a similar consistency, so this is an easy and effective replacement. [2]
Tahini enhances the flavor of hummus. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Almond Butter
The smooth consistency of almond butter can resemble tahini, but the taste will be slightly sweeter.
Sunflower Seed Butter
This seed butter is more savory than sweet, and while it is more textured than tahini, its flavor is quite similar.
Cashew Butter
Mixing a few cashew nuts with sugar and salt can create a cashew butter that is very close in flavor to tahini.
Chickpea Flour
After roasting the chickpeas, they can be blended into a very tahini-like spread. [3]
Soy Butter
If you are looking for an alternative to nuts and dairy, soy butter could work well as an option. Blend soy milk and oil till you get a thick consistency, to which you can add a few drops of lemon juice for flavor. The mixture needs to be refrigerated to get a butter-like consistency.
