Sweet Tahini Spread
Updated: Mar 6
I started to sell homemade sweet tahini spreads in farmers' markets in the fall of 2017 when most Americans associated tahini with hummus, or savory sauce drizzled over Falafel, and couldn't imagine it in a sweet context. In Eastern Mediterranean countries and across the Middle East, tahini mixed with something sweet is very common. Dates or carob molasses mixed with tahini are often served at breakfasts, or after a meal as a sweet dip for bread. In Israel, daycares serve pita bread with this sweet, yet very nutritious blend of tahini and Silan (date syrup) as a snack, and grocery stores carry jars of Halvah spread, a spreadable form of the firm candy.
Unfortunately, these commercial versions of halvah spreads are often loaded with sugar and additives. Fortunately, it takes only minutes to make your own spread at home.
All you need is good tahini and a natural sweetener: raw honey, maple, date or carob syrup, or agave. Read the nutrition label carefully to make sure your sweetener doesn't contain added sugar.
Enjoy your sweet tahini spread on your morning toast, drizzle it on a pancake, top it on ice cream, add a spoonful to your breakfast bowl, or dip fruit in it.
Makes 1/2 cup
Ingredients
1/2 cup (120 gr) tahini
2 Tablespoons of raw honey/pure maple/date syrup/carob syrup.
Optional: 1 Tablespoon of sesame seeds
Preparation
Combine tahini and sweetener in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Taste and add more sweetener if desired.
If using sesame seeds, lightly toast them in a dry pan on medium heat. Stir frequently, until seeds just start to turn light golden brown. Remove immediately and blend into the tahini mixture.
Transfer ready spread into a small glass jar, and store at room temperature
Notes
Sesame contains more oil than most nuts and seeds, this plant-based fat tends to separate, creating a thick solid mass at the bottom of the jar. Most commercial manufacturers add hydrogenated oils to maintain the smooth, creamy texture, but when you make a small batch of spread for your own home consumption, you don't want all of that. Stir well or place the jar in a warm bath (a bowl filled with hot water, avoid liquid entering the jar) if your spread becomes solid or crumbly over time.