Name: Maple Tahini Dressing
Prep time: 2 min
Total time: 2 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup tahini; Juice of 1/2 a lemon; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; Pinch of salt + pepper; 3 - 5 tablespoons of water

This maple tahini dressing is perfect on almost any salad. It’s sweet, acidic, and has just the right amount of sesame flavor. Plus, it’s super easy to make!

A spoon being pulled out of a jar of tahini dressing, next to some lemon halves

Salads are one of my favorite foods, and one of the foods I most frequently eat. And sure, side salads are great. But a big salad is a wonderful meal all by itself. If made correctly, a salad is fresh, healthy, and vibrant. However, a salad is only as good as its dressing. If you don’t have a good dressing, you won’t have a good salad. It's that simple.

This maple tahini dressing is one of my favorite dressing recipes. It has a rich, almost nutty flavor from the tahini. But it’s balanced out by sweetness from apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, with a splash of sweetness from maple syrup. The end result is a dressing that’s rich, complex, and goes well with almost any salad. Plus, it only takes 2 minutes to make!

What You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients you need to make this simple tahini salad dressing. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact amounts for each ingredient.

Tahini
Lemon juice – Use freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
Apple cider vinegar
Maple syrup – Make sure that your maple syrup is 100% pure syrup.
Salt
Pepper – Always use freshly-ground black pepper for dressings.
Water

What is Tahini?

Tahini is a paste that is made out of ground sesame seeds. It’s very thick and has a smooth flavor of both sesame and nuts. It’s a common item in Middle Eastern cuisines, and one of the primary ingredients in hummus.

Close up of a spoon pouring tahini dressing on top of roast carrots, on top of arugula, chickpeas, and pomegranate seeds

How to Make Maple Tahini Dressing

Here’s how to make this easy tahini dressing. It only takes about 2 minutes to make!

Combine the ingredients. Add all of the ingredients to a mason jar, starting with a small amount of water.
Shake. Put the lid on the mason jar and shake vigorously until all of the ingredients are combined.
Adjust. Check the consistency of the salad dressing. It will probably be too thick. Add more water and shake again. Repeat until the tahini dressing is your desired consistency.

Side by side of a jar without a lid, with tahini and vinegar, separated, in it, and a jar with a lid half on with tahini dressing in it

Tips for Success

Here are a few tricks and tips for when making this mouthwatering maple tahini dressing.

Adjust the seasonings. The flavor of a salad dressing can change a lot depending on your ingredients. It’s important to always taste and adjust the seasonings. After making this dressing, taste it and see what it needs. You might need to add a little more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.
Shake it again. After a little while, the tahini dressing might start to separate. Don’t worry, that’s normal! When you’re ready to use it, just shake it up again until it’s smooth and combined.
Alter the sweetness. This dressing has a little kick of sweetness from maple syrup. Depending on what type of salad you’re making, you may want to increase or decrease the sweetness a little bit. If the salad has a lot of sweet ingredients, like fresh fruit, you can dial back the maple syrup. But if the salad is full of bitter ingredients, you might want to add more maple syrup.

What to Serve it With

This maple tahini dressing goes well on almost all salads, or drizzled over roast vegetables. Here are a few of my favorite salads that you could use this dressing on.

Overhead view of a salad with arugula, chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, and roasted carrots, with tahini dressing on top

How to Store Leftover Maple Tahini Dressing

You can store leftover tahini dressing in an airtight jar in the fridge. It will last for up to 10 days. If the dressing is thicker after sitting in the fridge, just add a little bit of water to it.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

I don’t recommend freezing maple tahini salad dressing. It will last in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months, but the texture won’t be perfect when it thaws. Since this recipe is so quick and easy, I recommend making it fresh rather than freezing it.

A jar of tahini dressing with a spoon in it, next to a lemon half

More Easy Salad Dressing Recipes

If you’re like me and simply can’t get enough salads, then you need a good collection of dressings to make. Here are a few of my favorites.

Prep: 2

Total: 2

Ingredients

1/4 cup tahini
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Pinch of salt + pepper
3 – 5 tablespoons of water

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a mason jar, starting with 3 tablespoons of water.
Shake hard until everything is combined.
If too thick, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Video

Notes

Store leftover dressing in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 10 days. If the dressing thickens in the fridge, add a little water and give it a shake.

Nutrition

cuisine: American

course: Dressing

Maple Tahini Dressing