Maple Tahini Dressing
Maple mustard tahini dressing is the perfect salad dressing or dip for all your fall and winter meals.
This healthy, creamy salad dressing is so easy to make, just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes! Perfect for winter salads, dipping roasted veggies in or pouring over roasted salmon for a fun way to change up your normal routine. Naturally vegan, gluten free, dairy free, paleo and can easily be made Whole30 friendly.
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Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – all you need to make this simple maple tahini dressing is a fork or a whisk and a small bowl. You could even try shaking the dressing in a jar but I prefer using a whisk to ensure it’s well combined.
- Simple ingredients – this recipe uses 5 ingredients (plus water) to make a delicious, creamy slightly sweet dressing that you can use almost anywhere. Maple syrup, tahini, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and water are all you need to make this delightful and creamy dressing. You can use medjool dates to make this dressing Whole30 compliant.
- Perfect for meal prep – make a large batch of this dressing and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container! You will be surprised how quickly it disappears!
- Versatile – you can use this tahini mustard dressing on salads, as a dip for roasted veggies or fries, over chicken or salmon or grain bowls. This maple tahini dressing is the perfect balance of flavors and goes well with anything, especially fall and winter veggies.
Ingredients
- Tahini – tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds (like peanut butter or almond butter) and is traditionally used in Mediterranean dishes (like hummus or falafel). Tahini is a great base for salad dressings and sauces and is peanut free and nut free!
- Apple cider vinegar – the apple cider vinegar helps to brighten up the dressing and brings balance to the fat from the tahini to make a well balanced dressing (especially when combined with salt and maple syrup).
- Water – water helps to make the dressing the perfect pourable consistency. You can decide exactly how thick (or runny) you want your dressing by how much water you add.
- Maple syrup – maple syrup helps to balance out the dressing, as tahini can sometimes have a bit of a bitter quality to it. There is just enough maple syrup to balance the dressing, not enough to make it overly sweet.
- Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard has a special tang and really helps this dressing shine. It’s also a bit salty and helps create that umami in the dressing.
- Salt – salt is necessary to balance out the dressing and makes it delicious!
How to make maple tahini dressing
Measure all the ingredients in a small bowl or jar.
Whisk the ingredients well with a small whisk or fork. You could even try shaking the jar (with a tight-sealing lid on) but I prefer to mix with a fork to ensure all the ingredients get well combined.
Top tips
- This dressing tends to thicken up as it sits – if it seems too runny at first, let it sit for 10 minutes or so and it will thicken. It gets even thicker when stored in the fridge. If you have time, leave the dressing out on the counter for 5 minutes after being refrigerated and it will be easier to pour and will get closer to it’s original thickness.
- I find it’s easiest to whisk the dressing with a small whisk or fork vs. using a spoon or shaking the dressing to ensure that the dressing is smooth and there are not clumps of tahini leftover.
- Dressing may separate a bit when stored in the fridge, simply shake or stir before using.
- Tahini can get thick at the bottom of the jar – be sure to stir it well before measuring for this recipe. You may want to use a high speed blender when making this dressing if you find the tahini is really thick at the bottom of the jar.
- This dressing is made to be a good balance between sweet, savory and salty. If you find the dressing to be too sweet, simply add a bit more tahini and apple cider vinegar. If you find the dressing to be too acidic, add more maple syrup.
- You can control how thick or thin this dressing is by how much water you add to the dressing. If you love a thick dressing, reduce the water to 2 tablespoons then add 1 teaspoon at a time (3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon) until the dressing reaches your desired consistency.
How to use maple tahini dressing
- On salads – some great salad combinations this would work well with include:
- Shredded brussel sprouts + butternut squash + pomegranate seeds
- Tuscan kale + sweet potato + roasted red pepper + dried cranberries
- Arugula + red onion + roasted red pepper + pumpkin seeds
- As a dip or drizzled over roasted vegetables (including sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, butternut squash, acorn squash)
- Drizzled over roasted sweet potatoes
- As a dip for sweet potato tots, broccoli tots, carrot fries or butternut squash fries
- Drizzled over roasted salmon or chicken
- As a sauce for grain bowls
Common questions
What is tahini
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. Tahini is thick and creamy but has a runny consistency similar to natural peanut butter or natural almond butter. Tahini is used in many Mediterranean dishes like hummus and falafel and is a great base for creamy dressings, so you don’t have to use mayo.
Where can you buy tahini
You can buy tahini at most grocery stores, typically in the international foods section or in the same area of the peanut butter and nut butters. I usually buy my tahini from Trader Joe’s – it’s a great price and always in stock. You can also buy tahini online if you can’t find it in your local stores.
Do you have to mix tahini when you open the jar?
Yes the oil helps to make the tahini creamy! Tahini often separates the paste from the oil in the jar while it sits on the shelves (just like natural almond butter or peanut butter). You will need to mix the oil in well. Typically I use a butter knife for this.
What are other recipes that use tahini?
- Tahini Ranch Dressing
- Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
- Hummus Pasta Salad
- Tahini Herb Crusted Salmon
- Creamy Tahini Pasta Sauce
- Tahini Pesto
- Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Balsamic Tahini Dressing
Can you double this recipe?
Yes! You can easily double or triple this recipe for meal prep or for parties.
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftover tahini maple dressing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in a well-sealed container. Remember the dressing with thicken in the fridge. Allow the dressing to sit out for 5 minutes to make it easier to pour. You may need to add more water if it gets too thick.
- Freezer: You can freeze this dressing for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing it in 2 tablespoon servings so you can get out what you need without having to defrost the entire batch. You can use silicone ice cube trays to freeze the dressing into cubes. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer safe bag and be sure to label the bag with the name of the recipe, the serving size, the date frozen and the use by date.
Substitutions
- Tahini: You can also use natural almond butter or sunflower seed butter in place of the tahini if you don’t have tahini on hand. The flavor will change slightly but it will still be delicious.
- Apple cider vinegar: You could use the juice of 1-2 lemons (depending on the size) or white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar (the flavor will change with this) in place of the apple cider vinegar.
- Dijon mustard: If you don’t have any Dijon mustard, you could also use a grainy mustard if you have it on hand. Otherwise, omit the mustard and add ¼ tsp. more salt if needed.
- Maple syrup: This helps to balance out the dressing. You could use 1-2 pitted medjool dates (soak in hot water first) to make this dressing Whole30 friendly. You will want to use a high speed blender if you decide to use the dates. Otherwise you can use honey in place of the maple syrup or omit it completely.
If you love this recipe, you should try
- Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl
- Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Tahini Dressing
- Roasted Mediterranean Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing
- Riced Broccoli Salad with Cranberry and Walnuts
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Maple Tahini Dressing
$1.80 Recipe/$0.45 ServingMaple tahini dressing is perfect for fall and winter salads, roasted veggies or to pour over roasted salmon or chicken. Use as a dressing, dip or sauce, this mustard maple tahini dressing is ready in 3 minutes with 5 ingredients and is gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup tahini - $1.16
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar - $0.24
- 1/4 cup water - $0.00
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup - $0.31
- 1 tbsp. dijon mustard - $0.06
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - $0.03
Instructions
- Measure all the ingredients in a small bowl or jar.
- Stir the dressing with a fork or small whisk. You could also try shaking the dressing in a well sealed jar or container.
Notes
This recipe makes about 3/4 cup of dressing. The serving size is 2.5 tbsp. per serving.
Can you double this recipe?
Yes! You can easily double or triple this recipe for meal prep or for parties.
Storage:
Fridge: Store in a well sealed container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Freezer: Store in the freezer up to 3 months. I recommend freezing it in 2 tablespoon servings so you can get out what you need without having to defrost the entire batch. You can use silicone ice cube trays to freeze the dressing into cubes. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer safe bag and be sure to label the bag with the name of the recipe, the serving size, the date frozen and the use by date.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
134
Fat
11
g
Carbohydrates
7
g
Fiber
1
g
Sugar
2
g
Protein
4
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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