Name: Tahini Ranch Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup tahini; 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1.5 tbsp dried chives; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp dried parsley; 1/2 tsp dried dill

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Tahini ranch dressing is herby, creamy and so easy to make! Use this dairy free ranch with tahini on salads, as a dip or sauce for your favorite meals. This tahini ranch is made with pantry staples in less than 5 minutes with no blender needed!

If you love this homemade tahini dressing, you should try Balsamic Tahini Dressing or Maple Tahini Dressing.

Tahini ranch dressing in a dressing pour bottle with a salad in the background.

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Why you will love this recipe

Easy to make – you don’t need any equipment to make this homemade tahini ranch dressing, just a bowl and a spoon and a few minutes. This is a great recipe to keep on hand for meals all week long.
Simple, pantry ingredients – you can make ranch dressing anytime with just a few pantry staples like tahini, apple cider vinegar and spices. It’s so easy and super thick and creamy!
Dairy free and mayo free – This creamy ranch dressing is made without dairy or mayo, but it’s still super rich and creamy. This herbaceous ranch dressing is made with tahini and apple cider vinegar which makes the dressing creamy and has that same buttermilk ranch flavor.

Ingredients

Tahini – tahini is made from ground up sesame seeds and has the consistency of runny almond butter or peanut butter. It has a slight nutty flavor that isn’t overpowering. Tahini is the perfect base for creamy sauces and dressings and can even be used in sweet recipes (like this tahini fudge).
Apple cider vinegar – apple cider vinegar helps to give this dressing the same kick that buttermilk gives to ranch dressing. You could also use lemon juice but I prefer apple cider vinegar.
Spices – Dried chives, salt, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried dill. These are my go-to ranch seasoning combination. You could also use store bought ranch seasoning.
Water – water is used to thin out the dressing.

How to make tahini ranch dressing

Start by measuring out the tahini, apple cider vinegar and spices into a bowl. Stir well. You will notice that the tahini quickly gets very thick after mixing it with the vinegar.

e tahini, apple cider vinegar and spices into a measuring cup.

e tahini, apple cider vinegar and spices into a measuring cup before being stirred together.

Add the water and stir well. At first it will look like the tahini and water don’t want to mix, just keep stirring. Once well combined and smooth, let the dressing sit for 3-5 minutes to thicken.

e tahini, apple cider vinegar and spices into a measuring cup after being stirred together.

Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week.

Top tips

Tahini based sauces (like this tahini ranch dressing) will thicken in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge a few minutes in advance so they can thin out a bit. You may decide to add a little more water (1-2 tablespoons) to get the same consistency after being in the fridge.
You can easily double or triple the recipe, however I recommend that you blend the water, tahini and apple cider vinegar together in a blender (or use an immersion blender) so that you are sure the sauce is well combined. Don’t add the spices right away or your dressing will turn green.
Be sure to stir your tahini when you open the jar and again right before measuring it out for recipes. The oil on top of the tahini needs to be mixed into the sesame paste to create the perfect consistency.
If you plan on making this into a ranch dip, make it thicker (use slightly less water), to make it into dressing.

Other additions

Fresh garlic – If you love a really garlicy ranch sauce, add some fresh garlic to kick up the flavor in this tahini ranch dressing. I recommend that you finely grate the garlic on a microplate to ensure that no one gets a big chunk of fresh garlic.
Fresh dill and/or fresh chives
Crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for some heat
Smoked paprika to make it smoky
Minced onion flakes or garlic granules
Yogurt (regular or dairy free) – adding yogurt can help to make the dressing even creamier. Be sure to add an extra pinch of salt if you are adding yogurt.
Sweetness – if you want to balance out the vinegar a bit, add just a teaspoon or two of maple syrup.

Ways to use tahini ranch sauce

Salad dressing – On your favorite green salad, kale salad, buffalo cauliflower salad, buffalo chickpea salad or broccoli salad.
Use it as a dip – for fresh veggies, roasted veggies, fries, broccoli tots, chicken nuggets, buffalo cauliflower.
Make it a sauce – use it on burgers, drizzled over buffalo chicken bites, in chicken salad or tuna salad instead of mayo or on grain bowls.

Tahini ranch dressing in a large bottle next to a salad.

Common questions

What is tahini

Tahini is a pasta that is made from sesame seeds. It has a similar texture to runny almond butter or peanut butter and often comes in a jar with a layer of oil on top. It’s important to stir in the oil before using the tahini or it will be dry.

Tahini is often used in Mediterranean dishes, its one of the main ingredients in hummus and it’s a great way to make sauces thick and creamy without dairy or mayo.

Tahini has a nutty, very distinct flavor but is mellow enough to be used as a base for sauces and dressing. Tahini is very versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory meals.

You can typically find tahini in the grocery store around the nut butters or in the international foods section of the store. Some of my favorite brands are Trader Joe’s Tahini, 365 Brand from Whole Foods, Thrive Market Organic Tahini or Soom Foods Tahini.

Tahini ranch dressing being poured over a salad.

Other recipes that use tahini

You might be all for trying this tahini ranch but don’t want to get stuck with a jar of tahini and no idea of other ways to use it. Here are some of my favorite tahini recipes that are sure to turn you into a tahini lover for life!

What else can you use besides tahini?

If you don’t have tahini on hand or can’t have sesame seeds, you could make my cashew ranch dressing instead. You can substitute the cashews for sunflower seeds or hemp hearts to keep it nut free if needed.

Also you could try this with almond butter or sunbutter but the flavor will be slightly different.

Tahini ranch dressing in a small glass container.

Can you double or triple the recipe?

Yes! You can easily double or triple this tahini ranch dressing to keep on hand all week long. I would recommend blending up the tahini, apple cider vinegar and water in a blender or using an immersion blender though so that everything gets well mixed. Add the spices after blending or your dressing will turn green.

Storing leftover tahini ranch dressing

Fridge – Store leftover tahini ranch in the fridge for up to a week in a well-sealed airtight container.

Freezer – You can also freeze this dressing for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container. Be sure to stir it well when defrosted.

Tahini ranch dressing on top of a salad.

Substitutions

Tahini – you could try sunbutter or almond butter (the kind you have to stir with the oil on top, make sure it’s unsweetened) in place of the tahini or you could make dairy free ranch dressing with cashews or replace the cashews with sunflower seeds or hemp hearts.
Apple cider vinegar – you could also use lemon juice or white wine vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar.
Spices – if you don’t have dried chives, you could use onion powder (1 teaspoon). You can use fresh dill (1-2 tablespoons) in place of the fresh dill.

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