Tahini Mustard Dressing

It only takes about 5 minutes to whip up this tahini dijon dressing and it works great for meal prep.  Whether you're vegan, gluten-free, or love trying new dressings on your greens, it’s an excellent choice to elevate any dish it's added to. 

The creamy dressing is easy to make at home and can be customized to suit your taste preferences.  Add fresh garlic or fresh herbs to change up the dressing.  Adjust the water added to make a thin dressing for vegan Buddha bowls or a thick dressing to be used as a dip.

For more Dijon mustard-inspired dressings, try my creamy Dijon cashew dressing recipe or vegan honey mustard dressing.  If you want more ideas for tahini-based dressing, try oil-free hummus, smoky tahini dressing, or lemon herb tahini dressing with cilantro.

Recipe feature

• Only four simple ingredients are needed (plus water)!
• There’s no blending, no soaking nuts, just a bowl and a whisk (plus measuring utensils).
• Easy to whip up in 5 minutes.
• Works great for meal prep!
• Vegan, dairy-free, plant-based, gluten-free, and oil-free!
• Customize to suit your taste preferences by adding fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, or dill.

Ingredient notes

The ingredients for the maple mustard tahini dressing are simple, but please see the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Tahini - This is the main ingredient used to create a creamy dressing and bind all the lovely flavors together.  Use a good quality pourable tahini.  Stir before measuring, the contents at the bottom of the jar tend to be drier than the top.

Dijon-style mustard - Adds flavor and a little tang.  I wouldn’t substitute it with regular yellow mustard, but spicy brown mustard should work.  It will have a slightly different flavor.  For mustard inspired dressing try, spicy mustard dressing or vegan honey mustard dressing.

Maple syrup - Adds just a little sweetness.  Agave syrup should work as a substitute.

Lemon juice - The acidity cuts through the bitterness of tahini and brightens up the dressing.  Apple cider vinegar should work, but add half the amount, then taste, and add more if needed.

Variations

Fresh herbs: Try adding herbs like freshly chopped cilantro, parsley, and dill.

Dried spices: Add garlic powder, ground cumin, or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.

Tips

• The tahini will seize up when you add the lemon juice, the water will thin it back out to become pourable.
• Use quality tahini since it's the prominent flavor in the dressing.
• How much water you’ll need depends on how thick your tahini is and if you want the dressing thicker to be used as a dip or thinner to be used as a dressing.

How to make tahini mustard dressing

1. Whisk together the tahini, dijon mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.

2. The dressing will thicken up, then slowly drizzle in 2 tablespoons of water while whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. How much water you’ll need will depend on how thin your tahini is.  Start with 2 tablespoons and add more if needed.

3. Finally, taste and adjust to suit your preferences, more sweetener, lemon, or mustard.  You can also add herbs such as parsley or dill for more flavor.

Serving suggestions

This versatile dressing pairs well with a variety of dishes, but here are a few suggestions.

• Drizzle on roasted vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots.
• As a dressing for salads.
• Use it as a dip for raw veggies
• Try it on a butternut squash bowl or a vegetable rice bowl with chickpeas.
• Enjoy it on kale salad with sweet potatoes.

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week.  It may thicken after being refrigerated.  If it does, whisk in a tablespoon of water at a time to thin it out until it reaches your desired consistency.

Frequently asked questions

Related recipes

• Creamy dijon cashew dressing
• Oil-Free strawberry vinaigrette
• Oil-free hummus or hummus without garlic
• Vegan honey mustard (uses maple syrup)

I hope you enjoy this recipe for vegan dijon tahini dressing!  If you like the recipe, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.