Tahini Butter

From my years spent working in restaurant kitchens, I’ve learned that butter is the quiet hero of the kitchen. It’s the foundation of rich soups and sauces, it gives a glossy finish to perfectly seared steaks, and it’s the reason roasted veggies emerge deeply caramelized. And it only gets better when it’s turned into flavored butter. Here, creamy butter meets tahini’s sesame richness and soy sauce’s salty depth. Lime zest and juice bring bright acidity, and honey smooths out any bitterness from the tahini. The result is a silky, nutty tahini butter that’s just a little unexpected in the best way.

Tahini butter melts beautifully over roasted vegetables, swipes easily onto warm toast, and adds instant depth to grilled meat and seafood. The recipe works wonderfully as written, but I like to consider it as a jumping-off point. Feel free to experiment: Swap in miso paste for half of the tahini to add complexity, or whisk in a minced garlic clove to add pungency. For a sweeter version, skip the soy sauce and lime, and lean into honey instead to let the rich sesame take center stage.

Tahini Butter Ingredients

• Tahini: The best tahinis have a smooth, creamy consistency and a nutty flavor. It’s OK if your tahini is a little bitter (that bitterness balances out the richness), but it shouldn’t be overwhelmingly astringent.
• Butter: It’s much easier to make flavored butters with room-temperature butter, so make sure to let it sit on the counter for about an hour before prepping this tahini butter. If you forgot, you can grate the butter to soften it faster (or use another hack for softening butter quickly).
• Soy sauce: This umami-rich ingredient brings out tahini’s savory, salty notes. You can use tamari or soy sauce for this recipe.
• Lime juice and zest: Lime juice brings the acidity, while the zest adds aromatic, bright notes.
• Honey: Feel free to swap in maple syrup, agave or the sweetener of your choice. A touch of sweetness helps to balance the tahini’s bitterness.

Directions

Step 1: Make the tahini butter

In a small bowl, beat the butter, tahini, soy sauce, lime juice, honey and lime zest until they’re blended.

Editor’s Tip: If your tahini is very thick and pasty, pop it in the microwave and heat it in five-second increments until it’s softened.

Step 2: Prepare the butter for storage

You can store the tahini butter in an airtight container or form it into a log by placing it on a piece of parchment paper and rolling it tightly.

How to Store Tahini Butter

Store tahini butter in the refrigerator, either in an airtight container or rolled into a log wrapped in parchment paper. It’ll last for up to two weeks in the fridge. Before using it, let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to soften. Alternatively, you could microwave it in five-second increments until it’s softened.

Can you freeze tahini butter?

You can freeze tahini butter for up to three months. I like to roll the butter in parchment paper then pop it into a freezer-safe container or bag with the air squeezed out to prevent it from absorbing off flavors in the freezer. Thaw the tahini butter overnight in the fridge before serving it.

How to Use Tahini Butter

• Add it to sweet potatoes: One of my go-to weeknight dinners is sweet potatoes with tahini butter. I’ll often cut the sweet potatoes in half and roast them cut side–down so they get a little caramelized. If I’m only cooking one or two sweet potatoes, there’s plenty of room on the sheet tray to add chickpeas. The roasted chickpeas add a nice crunch to the dish!
• Use it as a finishing butter: Add a pat or scoop of tahini butter to grilled steak, roasted chicken or baked salmon.
• Toss it with pasta: Melt the butter in a skillet and add cooked pasta for a super easy meal. Add a splash of the starchy pasta cooking water to turn the butter into a silken sauce that clings to the noodles.
• Spread it on toast: Tahini butter tastes fantastic on warm toast or flatbread. Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds to really lean into the sesame vibes.

Tahini Butter Tips

What is tahini butter?

Some people call sesame seed paste “tahini butter,” but here we’re referring to a compound butter made by mixing tahini paste with butter.

How do you make homemade tahini for tahini butter?

If you’re not happy with store-bought tahini brands, you can make homemade tahini with sesame seeds and a neutral oil. To add depth, you can toast the seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they’re fragrant, four to five minutes. Add 1 cup of sesame seeds to a food processor and process them for two to three minutes or until the mixture resembles a crumbly paste. Add 2 tablespoons of neutral oil and process the mixture for one to two minutes, scraping the sides as necessary. Continue adding oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Store the mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two months.

Should tahini butter be refrigerated?

Tahini butter (and open jars of tahini) should be stored in the refrigerator. It will thicken as it sits at cold temperatures, so I recommend removing it from the fridge before using it. If needed, you can warm it in the microwave in five-second increments.