tahini

Roast Acorn Squash with Tahini Maple Sauce

Here is a perfect, cozy fall recipe! This simple tahini maple sauce adds just the right amount of sweetness to a roasted squash. Feel free to use other squash varieties with this recipe, like delicata or kabocha. This would be an excellent side dish to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner or just as a simple side dish for any fall dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 acorn squash

  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme

  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

  • 3 tbsp tahini

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

  • Juice from ½ lemon

  • Salt to taste

  • 3 tbsp water


Directions:

  • Cut squash in half, remove seeds, cut in wedges

  • Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme and roast in the oven at 425 for 45-50 minutes (flipping halfway)

  • Combine all ingredients for sauce in a bowl and whisk until smooth

  • Once squash is cooked, drizzle with the sauce and enjoy!

  • Optional (but highly recommended): sprinkle some cinnamon on top before serving

Gluten-Free Chocolate Tahini Brownies

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With Valentines Day right around the corner, I was inspired to bake something chocolatey and delicious! These brownies are so decadent, you wouldn’t believe that they are somewhat healthy! At least a whole lot healthier than most other brownie options out there!

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup tahini

  • 1/3 cup maple syrup

  • 1 tbsp melted and cooled coconut oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 tablespoon coconut flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips (my preference)

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Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  • In a large bowl, add the tahini, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and eggs and mix until smooth 

  • In a small bowl, mix together cocoa powder, coconut flour, salt and baking soda.

  • Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth. 

  • Fold in 1/3 cup chocolate chips into the batter. 

  • Spread batter evenly into a parchment-paper lined or greased 8x8 pan.

  • Bake for 22 minutes or until knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

  • After brownies have cooled a few minutes, drizzle with tahini or almond butter and a pinch of sea salt (optional).

Ultimate Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette

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I have been making this vinaigrette on repeat. The tahini adds richness and creaminess to this dressing. I think using a delicious dressing is the perfect way to spice up your salads. I will also use this as a dip for raw veggies, like carrots and peppers, or to top some charred broccolini or cauliflower! You can always thin it out with a bit more water or lemon juice. Enjoy!

Ingredients

This fall salad is ready to be dressed with my lemon tahini vinaigrette. It has kale, arugula, sweet potatoes, apples, and toasted pecans. A perfect lunch with a scoop of quinoa or some sliced chicken.

This fall salad is ready to be dressed with my lemon tahini vinaigrette. It has kale, arugula, sweet potatoes, apples, and toasted pecans. A perfect lunch with a scoop of quinoa or some sliced chicken.

  • ¼ cup tahini

  • ¼ cup water

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

  • ½   tsp sea salt 

  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients into a small blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, use a jar or bowl and whisk until smooth.

Chocolate Tahini Fudge Bites

These chocolate tahini fudge bites are perfect when craving a little something sweet. With this recipe, you can make a batch and store them in the freezer for that quick-fix dessert. You can enjoy these fudge-y bites, knowing that all the ingredients are ones that you recognize and that aren’t highly refined and processed. In my opinion, they are the perfect amount of sweet, yet they taste so decadent. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Ingredients:

(makes 30 fudge bites)

For the chocolate layer:

  • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil

  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Tahini layer:

  • 1 cup tahini

  • ¼ cup coconut oil 

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

  • To make the chocolate fudge layer, melt coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat until melted. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and pour into an 8x8 baking dish. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.

  • To make the tahini fudge layer, melt coconut oil in a small saucepan. Add tahini, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and let cool for about 2-3 minutes. Pour over the chocolate layer and return to freezer for 30 minutes.

  • Remove from freezer and slice into 30 pieces. Store fudge bites in freezer.

Notes:

  • You can always sub out a different nut or seed butter for the tahini.

  • You don’t have to include the chocolate layer - you can simplify and keep it a single layer fudge bite!

  • The chocolate layer is less “fudge-y” than the nut butter layer. I personally like the contrast in texture (it’s almost like an open face peanut butter cup), but if you prefer them to both be soft, add 1 cup of nut/seed butter to the chocolate mixture and reduce the amount of coconut oil and cocoa powder to 1/4 cup each!

Tahini Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These tahini cookies are a welcome alternative to a typical chocolate chip cookie, which is full of refined flours and sugars. We all know eating sugar is no good for our bodies - it offsets our blood sugar levels and is linked to weight gain, skin breakouts, heart disease, and Type II Diabetes to name a few - but many of us crave a little something sweet at some point during the day. This cookie is made with real, unrefined ingredients, like almond and coconut flour, tahnii, coconut oil, and maple syrup (a natural sweetener). For your chocolate, look for brands that are minimally processed and without additives, like Hu, Honey Mamas, and Pure 7….please share your favorite brands below in the comment section!


These cookies are a little “cakey” but they are honestly SO delicious and you can enjoy them guilt-free. Plus you can know that you are benefiting your health from the tahini too! Read on for more info about that!

Ingredients:

(makes 10-12 cookies)

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  • ¾ cup almond flour

  • ¼ cup coconut flour

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ tsp cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 egg

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup tahini

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1.5-2 ounces of a dark chocolate bar, coarsely chopped

  • 1 large pinch of Maldon Salt, for sprinkling on top

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the tahini, maple syrup, egg, coconut oil, and vanilla extract together until combined.

  • In another mixing bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to mix. Fold in chocolate chunks.

  • Refrigerate the dough for 5-10 minutes and then form 10-12 cookies from the batter and place on a parchment paper- lined baking sheet 

  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Sprinkle cookies with Maldon salt. Cool before serving.

Health Benefits of Tahini:

  • Sesame seeds are packed with antioxidants - in particular sesamin and sesamolin, which help lower LDL cholesterol levels and boost heart health

  • The high amounts of antioxidants also help prevent inflammation in our bodies by fighting free radicals

  • Tahini is an excellent source of healthy fats, which supports heart and brain health

  • It is a great source of plant-based iron, so it can be a useful addition to your diet if you are a vegetarian or vegan

  • Tahini contains amino acids, vitamin E, B vitamins, trace minerals and fatty acids, which helps to keep skin youthful by promoting skin cell rejuvenation 


Sources and Additional Reading: