There are two groups of people when it comes to tahini. One group salivates over Asian crunch salads, falafels, or oil-free and vegan salad dressings, and run to the grocery store to prepare it all as soon as possible. The other group looks at the sesame seeds, oil and salt mixture, and thinks, “Meh, I’d rather try anything else.”
Sesame is the ninth most common food allergy among children and adults in the U.S., so sometimes that add-on for falafels, Baba ghanoush or hummus isn’t a matter of choice. A serving of tahini, or any other sesame dish, could lead to hives or anaphylaxis. Other times, it has nothing to do with food allergies; the nutty, bitter taste just isn’t a family favorite at the dinner table.
The good news is there are alternatives that pair just as well as tahini sauce, and this isn’t something that has to be a staple on the spice rack. Here are several alternatives.
Substitute for Tahini If You’re Allergic to Sesame
If a health crisis is on the horizon after consuming tahini, then don’t try these other food options that don’t contain the word sesame in them:
- Benne
- Benne seed
- Benniseed Gingelly
- Gingelly oil Gomasio (sesame salt)
- Halvah
- Tehina Til
The other food options like sesame flour, sesame paste and sesame salt are easy to recognize by name. If you’re not allergic to all nuts, you could try that same oil and salt mixture with any of these nuts:
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Peanuts
- Poppy seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Walnuts
When you’ve chosen a seed, grind one cup in a food processor with about three to four tablespoons of (avocado, grape seed, vegetable or a light olive) oil. It’s that easy to make.
Substitute for Tahini If You’re Allergic to All Nuts
Cleary, all the nuts mentioned above are not an option. Neither is cashew, macadamia or brazil nut butter, three other common substitutes for tahini. Greek yogurt can be an option if you’re looking for a thicker dip for falafels. Or, choose avocado oil for falafels. (Hummus is already made with olive oil, along with garlic and chickpeas. The tahini just gives hummus a nuttier flavor.)
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