This tangy and sweet lemon maple tahini dressing is perfect on everything! Drizzle on salads, buddha bowls, falafel, veggie burgers or even cooked vegetables. Only 3 ingredients (+ salt/water).
This is my go-to salad dressing and I will tell you why: It’s super simple to make; all you need is a whisk and a bowl, unlike my Vegan Ranch or Vegan Caesar that require a high powered blender.
Besides being ridiculously easy, this maple tahini dressing is creamy and bright with natural sweetness. It tastes great with kale, romaine, spinach or even arugula based salads. This dressing can be used for more than just salads, too!
What is tahini?
Tahini is basically just ground up sesame seeds, or sesame seed butter. The taste of tahini is very unique – nutty, a little earthy and bitter but not in a bad way. It is used in hummus, served with falafel and is a staple in both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Tahini is pretty easy to find nowadays. I almost always get it at Trader Joe’s because I shop there frequently and it’s a great price, but many other stores have it as well.
How to make tahini dressing
In a bowl, add 1/2 cup of tahini, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup maple syrup (or less if you don’t want a sweet dressing) and a little salt. Whisk well until creamy and smooth. Add 2-4 tablespoons of water to reach a desirable consistency. That’s it!
Tips
- Use high quality tahini that is smooth, not chunky or too thick.
- If your tahini IS chunky or has gotten really hard in the fridge, use an immersion blender or regular blender instead of a whisk.
- If you don’t want the dressing very sweet, use less maple syrup or none at all.
- It will thicken as it sits, so add more water as needed before serving, especially after it’s been stored in the refrigerator.
What goes well with tahini dressing?
- Dark leafy green salads, such as kale, spinach or arugula
- Romaine based leafy green salads
- Salad toppings: chickpeas, avocado, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and even brown rice
- Drizzle it on a buddha bowl with rice, beans and veggies
- Falafel
- Veggie Burgers
- Steamed or roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts
Lemon Maple Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, or less to taste
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 2-4 tablespoons water, or more as needed to thin
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl. Whisk until creamy and smooth, adding water as needed to thin the dressing. This will depend on the thickness of your tahini. If your tahini is really thick or chunky and difficult to whisk, you can use a blender/food processor or immersion blender.
- Add more salt to taste. If you want a less sweet dressing, you can use less maple syrup, but I think 1/4 cup is just perfect for a sweet, lemony creamy dressing.
- Serve over salads, buddha bowls, drizzle on falafel, veggie burgers or steamed vegetables. Basically, pour it on everything!
Notes
- Store in the fridge for about a week. The dressing will thicken as it sits, so simply add a tablespoon of water or so and stir before using.
- The recipe makes about 1 cup of dressing. You can cut the recipe in half if you don’t want that much.
Simple. Easy. Delish. Thank you!
This is quite good!
Hi Isis. Thank you for all the great feedback you are giving my recipes! I appreciate it, and am glad you love the dressing!
Lovely dressing/sauce. I love it with a clove of minced garlic. I never made my tahini sauce with maple syrup before discovering your brilliant site. It’s such a good addition! Thanks for all the incredible recipes. You are the go to resource for vegan recipes for my family and our 2 close family friends!
Hi Jessica! I’m thrilled that you guys are loving my recipes, and that I am your go to resource for vegan recipes! Thanks for sharing your review and comments. I’m glad you love the dressing!
Very good! Had to add a little hot water to thin it out. Also added a little pink salt and garlic. Excited for my salad tonight.
I would love to make your vegan queso sauce. Unfortunately I have a potato allergy. Can you suggest a replacement ingredient? Thanks in advance.
You could honestly just leave it out, I think it will still be good. Thanks!
Is it 1/4 cup of lemon or 1/2? Description says 1/2, recipe card says 1/4. Thanks!
Oh sorry, that was a typo in the post, 1/4 cup lemon juice is correct. I will fix this now!
I just made this, and so far have only tasted it licking the fork I mixed it with. Yum! I’m so glad to have it, thank you!
Great! Thank you! It is lickable-good. 🙂
Delicious! Thanks so much for this & all of your recipes! I’m a longtime vegetarian & recent vegan. I’m trying to transition my young kids & spouse and all of your recipes are hits!
You are so welcome Emily! I know the transition can be challenging, especially with young kids. Been there! 🙂 I’m so happy the recipes are hits, and I hope you find many more that your family enjoys!
This looks great, like a go to dressing. Can you provide me with nutritional breakdown per tablespoon please!!!!
I’m sorry I don’t have that exact breakdown! The nutrition information I provide is an estimate only and is for 1/6th of the overall recipe. Thank you!
Tnank you… is the overall recipe 6 servings
That is how I divided it for the calculation, but how many servings will depend on what you use it for, how much dressing you like on a salad, the size of your salad, etc if that makes sense. The serving size is quite generous. Hope that makes sense!
Hi, I was wondering if I could substitute the maple syrup for liquid stevia? Thank you!
You probably could if you like the taste of liquid stevia, I personally don’t. It won’t have that maple syrup flavor either, but I’m sure it would work.
Oh snap! Dang your recipes rock! Thank you.
You’re welcome!
?Fantastic find do so love sauces ,all not wheat so nice thank you for your sharing tis wounderful will enjoy cooking ::preparing ?
This is totally my favorite daily dressing.