Liven up meals and introduce sesame to your little one with baby-friendly tahini sauce 3 different ways: simple lemon tahini sauce, yogurt tahini sauce, and herby green tahini sauce. Mix and match them with vegetables, proteins, and grains for healthy, flavorful family meals!
This post has been written and medically reviewed by Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).
Tahini Sauce 3 Ways
A delicious sauce is my secret weapon for flavorful weeknight meals that feel special but are still easy to pull off. They're also a great way to keep allergens in your baby's diet (read more about why that's important here!) and introduce new flavors early to help our little one become a more adventurous eater. Tahini based sauces are some of my favorite - not only are they incredibly delicious, but tahini is also very nutrient dense and a super easy way to include sesame - a top food allergen - in your little one's diet. Here, I share the recipe for three different tahini sauces - Basic Lemon Tahini Sauce, Yogurt Tahini Sauce, and Herby Green Tahini Sauce - that are all healthy, delicious, baby-friendly, and easy to pair with proteins, roasted veggies, grain bowls, salads, and more!
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What is Tahini?
Tahini is an earthy, nutty tasting paste made from sesame seeds traditional to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. It typically contains ground sesame seeds, and sometimes oil or salt. It is often a key ingredient in hummus and other dips, and is often part of sauces drizzled on wraps, sandwiches, vegetables, fish, and other proteins.
3 Easy, Delicious, Baby-Friendly Tahini Sauces
Basic Lemon Tahini Sauce
This is a standard, all-purpose tahini sauce that is super easy to whip up with just a few simple ingredients and pairs well with pita sandwiches and wraps, Mediterranean inspired proteins, grain bowls, and salads.
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic - grate it using a microplane zester or use a garlic press
- juice from 1 lemon ( about 2 tablespoons)
- 2-4 tablespoons cold water
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (12 months and up only!)
Creamy Yogurt Tahini Sauce
This yogurt tahini sauce is light and tangy with a more mild tahini flavor. It's delicious as a dip or drizzle with roasted veggies, pita bread, toast, salads and yogurt or grain bowls.
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons cold water
- Optional additions: 1-2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (12 months and up only), 1 clove garlic, pinch of salt
Herby Green Tahini Sauce
This fresh, punchy sauce is loaded with herbs and flavors you might find in falafel. I actually love it for dipping falafel or drizzling on Mediterranean style meatballs and bowls.
- ¼ cup tahini
- juice from 1 lime (2-3 tablespoons)
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup parsley
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 3-4 tablespoons water
Feel free to use other tender herbs, such as basil, dill, or chives here too or in place of the others.
How To Make The Sauces
For the full printable recipes, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- For the Basic Lemon Tahini Sauce and Yogurt Tahini Sauce, simply whisk all of the ingredients together, adding water a little at a time until you reach the smooth, pourable consistency you like.
- For the Herby Green Tahini Sauce, blend everything in a food processor or blender, starting with just a small bit of water and adding more as needed, until you reach the consistency you like.
Recipe Variations
- For the yogurt and basic lemon sauces, you can add a bit of honey or maple syrup and/or leave out the garlic for a balanced, sweeter leaning sauce (for 12 months of age and up!).
- Taste sauces first and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Feel free to swap lemon for lime (and vice versa) if you'd like.
Why Is My Tahini Sauce Seizing?
When making tahini sauce, it will often seize up (or thicken into a paste) as a result of the natural oils in the tahini mixing with liquid when there is not yet enough liquid to make a true emulsion. This is normal, so don't panic! Keep adding liquid, a little at a time, and stirring until your sauce is smooth and pourable. Using cold water can help minimize this reaction and give you the creamy consistency you're aiming for.
Storing Tahini Sauce
Store tahini sauce in an airtight container, (I like to use a mason jar) in the refrigerator. Sauces will keep for about a week, sometimes more.
How To Use Tahini Sauce for Babies and Family Meals
- Drizzle over grain bowls or salads (serve separate components 'deconstructed' for babies and toddlers).
- Slather on sandwiches, wraps, and pita pockets (like grain bowls, you can serve the components separately for babies and toddlers).
- Use as a dip for meatballs or bean patties, like my Beef Kofta or Baked Falafel. Or as a dip for veggies fritters, like my Quinoa Zucchini Fritters or Beet Fritters.
- Elevate basic grilled proteins like chicken, fish or steak.
- Drizzle on grilled or roasted veggies like eggplant, butternut squash, zucchini or sweet potatoes. Try my Za'atar Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Sauce! (pictured above)
- Spread thinly on lightly toasted bread or flatbread strips or baby led weaning.
- Drizzle on yogurt bowls or avocado toast for a savory spin on breakfast.
What Kind of Tahini Is Best?
All of these recipes are based on smooth, pourable tahini. I find this thinner style tahini easier to measure, pour and mix. It's also usually milder in flavor. That said, you can use a thicker tahini, you'll just need to add a little more water. You also may need to taste and adjust lemon juice and other elements if your tahini is stronger in flavor. Soom brand tahini is a favorite brand that is smooth, pourable and mild.
This delicious tahini is creamy and mild with a smooth, pourable consistency. It's made with just one ingredient - sesame seeds!
Track your baby's journey through starting solids! Get my 100 First Foods Checklist and Allergen Checklist Bundle today!
Baby Friendly Tahini Sauce Recipe 3 Ways
Liven up meals and introduce sesame to your little one with baby-friendly tahini sauce 3 different ways: simple lemon tahini sauce, yogurt tahini sauce, and herby green tahini sauce. Mix and match them with vegetables, proteins, and grains for healthy, flavorful family meals!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: about ½ cup each 1x
- Category: sauce
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
Basic Lemon Tahini Sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane zester
- juice from 1 lemon, about 2 tbsp
- 2-4 tablespoon cold water
Creamy Yogurt Tahini Sauce
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoon cold water
- 1 clove garlic, grated ona microplane (optional)
Herby Green Tahini Sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- juice form 1 large lime, 2-3 tbsp
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup parsley
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
Instructions
For the Basic Lemon and Creamy Yogurt:
- Finely grate garlic (if using) with a microplane zester, press with a garlic press, or very finely mince.
- Whisk everything together, starting on the low end of water. Add more water as needed, continuing to whisk, until you reach a smooth, pourable consistency.
For the Herby Green:
- Add all ingredients to a mini food processor or blender, starting at the low end of the water.
- Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed to reach a smooth consistency.
Notes
- Recipes are based on runny, pourable tahini. If you're using thicker paste-like tahini, you might need to add more water.
- When making tahini sauce, it will often seize up (or thicken into a paste) as a result of the natural oils in the tahini mixing with liquid when there is not yet enough liquid to make a true emulsion. This is normal, so don't panic! Keep adding liquid, a little at a time, and stirring until your sauce is smooth and pourable. Using cold water can help minimize this reaction and give you the creamy consistency you're aiming for.
- Tahini sauce will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week (sometimes more).
- For the yogurt and basic lemon sauces, you can add a bit of honey or maple syrup and/or leave out the garlic for a balanced, sweeter leaning sauce (for 12 months of age and up!).
- Feel free to swap in other herbs in the green sauce, such as basil, mint, dill, or chives.
- Feel free to swap lemon for lime (and vice versa) in any of the sauces.
- Taste sauces first and add a pinch of salt if needed.
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