By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 12
20 min
Make Your Own Tahini
Recipe GLPRf4b1de1e79852c
A simple and satisfying homemade tahini made by roasting and grinding sesame seeds with olive oil to create a creamy, nutty paste. Perfect for hummus, dressings, and Middle Eastern dishes.
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Ingredients
4 cups sesame seeds
1 cup olive oil
Directions
Place the sesame seeds in a large, dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the seeds, stirring frequently, for 8–10 minutes until they become fragrant and deepen slightly in color, being careful not to burn them.
Transfer the toasted sesame seeds to a food processor. Process continuously for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the seeds begin to release their natural oils and form a crumbly paste.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream, continuing to blend until the mixture transforms into a smooth, creamy tahini, about 3–5 minutes more.
Transfer the tahini to a clean jar or container and stir once more to ensure even consistency. Store in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Comments
Sesame seeds and olive oil are both reliably stocked at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Kroger, so no special trip required. A bulk pound of sesame seeds runs about $6–8 and olive oil $8–12, yielding tahini at roughly $1.20–1.60 per serving, well below store-bought jarred tahini at $0.40–0.60 per ounce. The stated 20 minutes is honest if you have a food processor; without one, plan 30–40 minutes of hand-grinding. This recipe is genuinely set-it-and-forget-it once blending starts, and the result keeps for weeks in a sealed jar, making it a practical pantry project rather than a weeknight dinner. It's North Carolina–relevant only in that it's a staple for hummus and other dips that pair well with Southern vegetables.
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