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    Home » Recipes » Blender sauces and salad dressings

    Magical lemon tahini sauce

    Dec 20, 2019 by Becky Striepe
    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print
    jar of lemon tahini sauce on a marble table
    jar of lemon tahini sauce on a marble table, text overlay

    Make this creamy, magical lemon tahini sauce in about five minutes, right in your blender. It's a healthy, flavorful dip or salad dressing!

    jar of lemon tahini sauce on a marble table, text overlay
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and substitutions
    • How to make lemon tahini sauce
    • Helpful tip
    • Serving and storage directions
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More easy tahini sauces
    • Lemon Tahini Sauce

    This bright, lemon tahini sauce is seriously addictive, but you know what I love almost as much as pouring this on all of the food? That it takes about five minutes to make. In the blender. BOOM.

    One batch yields about ¾ of a cup, but you can double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe easily.

    tahini, lemon, and other seasonings in cups on a marble table

    Ingredients and substitutions

    • tahini - Sesame seed pasta (aka tahini) is the base for your dressing.
    • lemon juice - Adds acidity. You can use lime juice or rice vinegar instead, if you prefer.
    • low-sodium soy sauce - Use gluten-free tamari for gluten-free lemon tahini sauce.
    • fresh ginger - Adds a touch of heat and amazing flavor! You can use a teaspoon of ground ginger instead. You may need to add more, depending on how old your ground ginger is.
    • garlic powder - Boosts the flavor with some umami goodness!
    • hot sauce - I like the sweet heat that sriracha adds to this sauce. You can also use gochujang or your favorite hot sauce instead.

    How to make lemon tahini sauce

    OK, y'all, this is a complicated recipe.

    Are you ready?

    Buckle up...

    Puree all of your ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, and you’re good to go.

    Helpful tip

    Stir your tahini before measuring! Tahini, like natural peanut butter, separates as it sits, and if you just use the tahini from the top of the jar, your sauce will be runny.

    Serving and storage directions

    I love this tahini sauce as a salad dressing. You can keep it simple with greens and chopped veggies or add air fryer falafel to the top to make it a meal.

    It's also delicious drizzled over roasted veggies or as a dip for baked tofu. Someone on Twitter recently said he uses this tahini dressing as a dip for french fries, and I am all in on that!

    Try it on your next Buddha bowl or use it in place of the usual dressing ingredients when you're making a massaged kale salad.

    You can really use this sauce anywhere your life could use a bit of bright, creamy, rich goodness. I've even used it as a sandwich spread or in place of sour cream on nachos.

    The only limit is your imagination, y'all.

    Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for four to five days.

    Frequently asked questions

    Why is my tahini sauce too thin?

    Tahini, like natural peanut butter, tends to separate. If you're using a new jar of tahini and don't stir well, you'll end up with watery sauce. Stir your jar of tahini well every time, and you'll have a seed butter that's much more predictable in recipes.

    If your tahini sauce is thicker or thinner than you'd like, don't worry!

    For thicker sauce, add more tahini. For thinner, add more water. Easy peasy!

    Can I double this recipe?

    Lemon tahini sauce multiplies easily, so make as little or as much as you need! Double, triple, etc!

    More easy tahini sauces

    • spooning tahini ranch dressing out of a mason jar
      Easy tahini ranch dressing in the blender
    • white bowl of tahini miso dressing with a spoon in it, so you can see the creamy texture
      5-minute tahini miso dressing
    • close-up of the bowl of tahini ranch dip
      Dilly Tahini Dip
    jar of lemon tahini sauce on a marble table, text overlay

    Lemon Tahini Sauce

    Make this creamy, magical lemon tahini sauce in about five minutes, right in your blender. It's a healthy, flavorful dip or salad dressing!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Sauces and Dressings
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Keyword: lemon tahini sauce, tahini dressing, tahini sauce
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 125kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup tahini
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
    • ½" piece fresh ginger
    • ½ teapoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon hot sauce of your choice - (or more, to taste)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Puree all of your ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, and you’re good to go.

    Video

    Notes

    It is so important that you stir your tahini well before you make this dressing. Like natural peanut butter, tahini separates. If you don't stir, you'll end up with watery sauce, because the solids are all on the bottom of the tahini jar.
    You can double or even triple this recipe, if you like! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for four to five days.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Lemon Tahini Sauce
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    125
    % Daily Value*
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

    More Blender sauces and salad dressings

    • raw hot sauce in a bowl with a spoon for serving
      Raw Hot Sauce from Any Peppers
    • bowl of vegan avocado pasta topped with chopped tomato
      Avocado Pesto Pasta
    • stir fry sauce without cornstarch in a mason jar on a white napkin
      Blender Stir Fry Sauce (no cornstarch!)
    • bowl of red pepper pesto pasta with spinach and black olives
      Vegan Red Pepper Pesto Fettuccini

    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Hiroe Gunnell

      June 11, 2021 at 11:14 am

      5 stars
      This sauce is amazing. So easy and quick. I like use it for Buddha bowl with tofu and roasted veggies. Add more water for salad.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        June 12, 2021 at 10:23 am

        Thank you, Hiroe! Enjoy the bowl and the salad!

        Reply
    2. Rita

      July 22, 2020 at 7:59 am

      5 stars
      Delicious on the falafel balls. I made a wrap with a couple of romaine leaves, 1/2 avocado, 3 falafel balls (2 oz each) , a couple tablespoons of the tahini a squeeze of lemon (1/4 lemon), and slice of home grown tomato marinated in vinaigrette. It was yummy. I had made falafel balls before with another recipe but they came out very dry..These were quite moist but held together beautifully in the air fryer.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        July 22, 2020 at 9:37 am

        Thank you, Rita! I appreciate you taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. That wrap sounds ah-mazing!

        Reply
        • Lidia

          February 22, 2021 at 8:18 pm

          Hi Becky!
          I made this recipe with gluten-free soya sauce and I should have halved it, but more lemon juice worked just fine.

          Question: how much is a serving? Is it a tablespoon?

          Reply
          • Becky Striepe

            February 23, 2021 at 8:17 am

            I'm always a fan of more lemon -- yum! Yes, a tablespoon is a serving.

            Reply
    3. Debbie

      June 11, 2020 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      We love it! I make a double batch because my husband loves it!

      Reply
    4. Kristin

      September 17, 2019 at 4:42 pm

      5 stars
      SO good!!!!!!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 18, 2019 at 4:06 pm

        Thank you, Krisin! I appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a comment and rating!

        Reply
    5. Nicky

      August 17, 2019 at 6:09 am

      Sounds yummy. I'll try this on salads this year, and everything else I can think of.
      How long does it keep?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        August 19, 2019 at 8:35 am

        I'd say 3-5 days in the fridge, but I'm very cautious about food safety.

        Reply
    6. Emily

      July 31, 2019 at 5:30 pm

      Hi! How is this only 27 calories!? I thought tahini had A LOT of calories in it?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        August 01, 2019 at 9:27 am

        Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you commented. This is not correct -- it was 127, not 27! I just fixed it.

        Reply
    7. Carla

      June 10, 2019 at 6:32 pm

      This is going to be a dumb question but the 1/4 cup of tahini is the “ tahini “ a seed or a sauce I get at the grocery store? Lol

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        June 11, 2019 at 11:39 am

        Not dumb at all! Tahini is sesame seed paste that is the consistency of peanut butter. You should be able to find it with the nut and seed butters at the grocery store. If it's not in that section, I know the store by my stocks it in their "International" section. Make sure you stir well before using it, because if you use the stuff at the top, you'll end up with a watery sauce and very thick paste left over in your tahini jar.

        Reply
    8. Sky

      January 29, 2019 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious!
      And am pleased to advise that It definitely works with cupcakes!

      .I tried dipping a bit of an apple, stilton and walnut savoury cupcake in the sauce and it was great......
      Double chocolate salted caramel sweet muffin, let's just say it may be an acquired taste *smiles*

      Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, have a 2nd bigger batch in the fridge chilling overnight

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 30, 2019 at 7:33 am

        Oh wow - I'll have to try it on sweets!

        Reply
    9. Jenny

      July 24, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      5 stars
      This is my very first homemade dressing and it is DELICIOUS! Didn’t even need to blend. I just shook it up a little in the jar and voila!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        July 25, 2018 at 10:36 am

        Oh, I love to hear that! Enjoy it, Jenny!

        Reply
    10. Denise

      April 04, 2018 at 11:45 am

      5 stars
      Delicious!! The family loved it! I skipped the puree step and just mixed and shook it up in a jar. Served over Buddha Bowls. Wow.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        April 04, 2018 at 12:06 pm

        Aw that is wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    11. Jessie Costa

      January 03, 2018 at 2:56 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best dressing I have EVER tasted and made!!!! Thank you! Love it!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 03, 2018 at 3:09 pm

        Oh my gosh, I love to hear that!

        Reply
    12. chalynda

      November 24, 2017 at 11:59 am

      Could I just use ground ginger powder?

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        November 24, 2017 at 12:31 pm

        Sure! Start with 1/2 teaspoon and add by the 1/4 teaspoon to taste.

        Reply

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    About Me

    photo of Becky Striepe
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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