Spicy Maple Tahini Sauce
Sweet and Spicy Maple Tahini Sauce. Perfect for any salad or grain bowl and just requires 6 simple ingredients. Easy to make, ready in just 5 minutes.
When it comes to homemade sauces, I will prioritize the sauces that require the least amount of effort. For me, I literally have to be able to just mix everything together in a bowl. If I can avoid using a blender or food processor, even better!
Cue this Spicy Maple Tahini Sauce. This is my current go to when I’m lazy and really just want to get to eating as soon as possible.
What is Tahini Sauce?
Tahini sauce is a Middle Eastern condiment that is commonly used to dress meats and vegetables in Middle Eastern cuisine. Typical preparations include tahini, lemon juice and garlic. However, many variations of this sauce now exist.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tahini: Good quality tahini is a must. I see a lot of people not enjoy tahini likely because they have used a low quality brand that is often thicker and very bitter. My go to options for tahini are Soom Foods and Whole Foods 365 Brand Tahini. If I’m in a pinch, Trader Joe’s also has a pretty decent tahini as well.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon is my usual go to. If you don’t have lemon available, you can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Maple Syrup: This is what helps balance out the tangy and bitter flavors coming from the other ingredients. You may adjust the amount you like here.
- Hot Sauce: Use your favorite brand and feel free to adjust the spice level to your preference.
- Salt: A little goes a long way and does help to counter any bitter notes along with the maple syrup.
How to Make Maple Tahini Sauce
The best part about this sauce is that it comes together very easily. Combine the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, hot sauce, and salt and whisk to combine.
You will notice your sauce start to stiffen and get lighter in color as you stir. This is the time to add the cold water in small portions. I like to pour in 1-2 tablespoons at first, give a good mix and see if I wish to have it thinner. Then I’ll add 1 tablespoon at a time after until I get the consistency I want.
Tips for the Perfect Sauce
- Adjust the flavors to your preference. This sauce is meant to be sweet, tangy and spicy. But you can rebalance the amounts to get the flavors you truly love and enjoy.
- Adjust the consistency of your tahini sauce by slowly adding water. I add it in 1 tablespoon at a time while whisking until I get the desired consistency I like.
- Use cold water. The cold temperature of the water helps to make this sauce nice and fluffy. To make the water cold, I like to add an ice cube to my water as I’m gathering my ingredients and just remove it when ready to pour into the dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
A good quality Tahini makes a big difference in terms of the flavor of your sauce. Bad quality tahini tends to have more of a bitter taste and more grit. Higher quality tahini is more creamy, nuttier and buttery in texture and taste. My go to brands are Soom Foods, Ziyad and Whole Foods 365 Branded tahini.
If your sauce is bitter, you may have used a poor quality tahini. To help remedy the sauce, you can pour in a small amount of olive oil and adjust with some extra maple syrup and salt to help get the right creamy and mellow flavor.
Store leftover sauce in an airtight jar or container and place in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can also place the sauce in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Serve
This sauce is vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free, so it makes it very versatile for anyone to enjoy. You can use it to complete a meal and add creaminess to any salad or grain bowl. Originally, this sauce was made to accompany this Roasted Cauliflower Salad recipe, but can also be used to top:
More Sauces to Try
Spicy Maple Tahini Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: One Bowl
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Sweet and Spicy Maple Tahini Sauce. Perfect for any salad or grain bowl and just requires 6 simple ingredients. Easy to make, ready in just 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp hot sauce, adjust more or less to heat preference
- Juice of 1 small lemon, about 2 tbsp
- 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste
- 3–4 tbsp of cold water or more to thin
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the tahini, maple syrup, hot sauce, lemon and salt and give a good whisk to fully combine. As you mix, you will notice your sauce start to thicken and lighten up in color.
- When the sauce has thickened, add 2 tablespoons of cold water and whisk the sauce again to combine.
- Adjust the consistency of your sauce by adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time while whisking until the sauce is thinned to your liking.
Notes
Adjust the flavors to your preference. This sauce is meant to be sweet, tangy and spicy. But you can rebalance the amounts to get the flavors you truly love and enjoy.
Adjust the consistency of your tahini sauce by slowly adding water. I add it in 1 tablespoon at a time while whisking until I get the desired consistency I like.
Use cold water. The cold temperature of the water helps to make this sauce nice and fluffy. To make the water cold, I like to add an ice cube to my water as I’m gathering my ingredients and just remove it when ready to pour into the dressing.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!
Quick and yummy topping for my kitchen sink Buddha bowl! Waited to add hot sauce till after my husband had his serving cus he doesn’t do heat and it was tasty without the hot sauce as well! Thank you!!
So glad to hear that your husband was able to enjoy it too (minus the hot sauce). Super grateful to you Shannon!