Homemade Dark Chocolate Tahini: Your 3-Ingredient, Oil-Free, Vegan Delight

Indulge in this lusciously smooth, oil-free dark chocolate tahini spread, crafted with just three simple ingredients. Effortlessly blend it to perfection and serve with crispy baked apple chips for an irresistible, wholesome treat!

During the quiet days of quarantine, a culinary obsession took root in my kitchen: a store-bought chocolate tahini spread. Its rich, nuanced flavor and creamy texture quickly became a daily ritual, a spoonful of pure bliss that felt like a decadent dessert syrup.

My partner, M, soon joined the chocolate tahini fan club, and what started as a personal indulgence quickly became a shared passion. As our consumption rates soared, the realization hit: a chocolate tahini shortage in our pantry was imminent. Facing the dilemma of either hoarding the precious jars like a secret treasure or embracing the challenge of crafting my own, I chose the latter.

And so, a delicious journey began – one that led to this incredibly easy, 3-ingredient Dark Chocolate Tahini recipe. In just about 30 minutes of active prep and blending time, you can create a batch of this luscious spread that rivals any store-bought version, and perhaps even surpasses it. It’s perfect for those who want to hide and hoard it for themselves, or for generous souls eager to share its goodness. Are you ready to discover the magic?

Why Craft Your Own Dark Chocolate Tahini?

If you’ve followed my culinary adventures for any length of time, you know my profound appreciation for tahini. It’s my absolute favorite go-to ingredient, effortlessly elevating any dish with its unique nutty flavor and wholesome fats. It’s incredibly versatile, acting as a creamy base for dressings, sauces, and, of course, delightful spreads. Naturally, my next step was to combine it with another profound culinary love: dark chocolate!

The question I often get is, “What does chocolate tahini actually taste like?” While my immediate answer is “heaven,” let me try to provide a more objective description. Imagine a symphony of flavors: it’s delightfully sweet, with a subtle tanginess that brightens the palate, followed by a distinctive sesame “bite” that grounds the richness, all enveloped in an abundant, deep chocolatey essence. For this recipe, I intentionally kept the sweetness mild, allowing the pure, earthy integrity of the sesame seeds to shine through alongside the robust cacao. This balance makes it a lower-sugar option, perfect for those who appreciate natural flavors.

Even if you consider yourself merely an occasional tahini enthusiast – or perhaps even a skeptic – I strongly encourage you to give this homemade dark chocolate tahini a try. The enchanting combination of dark chocolate and sesame creates a surprisingly harmonious and universally appealing spread. After all, who can resist a truly exceptional chocolate dip, especially one that’s made with such simple, wholesome ingredients?

The Simple Ingredients You’ll Need for Dark Chocolate Tahini

One of the most remarkable aspects of this recipe is its incredible simplicity, requiring just three core ingredients to achieve a truly gourmet result. You’ll need:

• Sesame Seeds: The foundation of our tahini. Opt for hulled, raw sesame seeds for the smoothest texture and best flavor. These tiny powerhouses are packed with healthy fats, calcium, and other essential minerals.
• Raw Cacao Powder: This is where the rich, intense chocolate flavor comes from. Raw cacao is minimally processed, retaining more antioxidants and nutrients compared to conventional cocoa powder. It offers a wonderfully deep, slightly bitter chocolate note that perfectly complements the sesame.
• Unrefined Coconut Sugar: Our natural sweetener of choice. Unlike refined white sugar, coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index and a subtle caramel-like flavor that enhances the overall taste profile without being overly sweet. It dissolves beautifully, ensuring a smooth spread.

That’s truly all it takes! With these three pantry staples and a good blender or food processor, you’re well on your way to creating an incredibly delicious and surprisingly healthy chocolate tahini spread.

Crafting Homemade Sesame Tahini: The Essential First Step

The journey to decadent dark chocolate tahini begins with perfecting your base: homemade sesame tahini. While it might seem like an extra step, making your own tahini is surprisingly straightforward and yields a flavor and freshness that store-bought versions often can’t match. The secret to exceptional tahini lies in a crucial preliminary step: lightly toasting your sesame seeds.

Toasting the sesame seeds is an absolute game-changer. It unlocks a deeper, more complex nutty and roasted flavor profile, transforming bland raw seeds into aromatic gems. Beyond flavor, toasting serves a practical purpose: the gentle heat encourages the seeds to release their natural oils, making them significantly easier to blend into a luxuriously smooth butter. This reduces strain on your appliance and speeds up the process.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven heats, line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and makes for easy cleanup.
2. Evenly spread your raw sesame seeds in a single layer across the prepared baking sheet. Avoid overcrowding, as this can lead to uneven toasting.
3. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and toast for approximately 8 minutes. It’s vital to stay near the oven and monitor the seeds closely, as they can go from perfectly toasted to burnt very quickly.
4. Halfway through the toasting time (around the 4-minute mark), remove the baking sheet from the oven and give the seeds a good stir or shake. This ensures they toast uniformly, preventing some from burning while others remain under-toasted.
5. Once toasted, the sesame seeds should be lightly golden brown and emit a wonderfully fragrant, nutty aroma. Remove them immediately from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on the baking sheet before proceeding. Cooling them slightly helps prevent overheating your blender in the next step.

The Art of Achieving Perfect Sesame Tahini Consistency

Now that your sesame seeds are perfectly toasted and slightly cooled, it’s time for the magical transformation into creamy tahini. This step requires a bit of patience, but the reward of freshly made, silky-smooth tahini is absolutely worth it.

Here’s the detailed process for blending your sesame seeds:

1. Carefully transfer the toasted sesame seeds into a high-speed blender or a robust food processor. A powerful appliance is key here to achieve the desired smooth consistency without adding extra oil.
2. Begin blending on the lowest setting. Gradually increase the speed very slowly over the course of 6 to 8 minutes. This gradual increase helps the seeds break down evenly and prevents the blender from working too hard initially.
3. As you blend, you’ll observe distinct stages of transformation:
   • **Flour/Powder:** Initially, the seeds will grind into a fine powder.
   • **Crumbly Paste:** Continue blending, and the powder will start to clump together, forming a crumbly, coarse paste.
   • **Thick Butter:** Eventually, the natural oils will begin to release more significantly, turning the paste into a thicker, more cohesive butter.
   • **Smooth and Creamy:** With continued blending, the butter will thin out and become incredibly smooth, fluid, and glossy – this is the desired tahini consistency.

4. If you’ve ever made your own nut or seed butter before, you know this can be a lengthy process even with the best equipment. It’s crucial to give your blender or food processor time to rest every 45-60 seconds or so. This prevents the motor from overheating and prolongs the life of your appliance.
5. During these rest periods, use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender jar. This ensures all the sesame particles are incorporated into the blending process, resulting in a uniformly smooth tahini.
6. Patience is truly a virtue here. Resist the urge to add any extra oil, as the seeds contain plenty of natural oils that will eventually release. Trust the process, and you’ll be rewarded with easily the best, freshest tahini you’ve ever tasted – a perfectly creamy, unadulterated base for our chocolate spread.

Transforming Tahini into a Dark Chocolate Dream

You’ve achieved a masterpiece: a perfectly smooth, creamy, and flavorful homemade tahini. At this point, you could certainly stop and enjoy it as is – it’s wonderful plain! But if you’re ready to elevate it to an even more irresistible level, let’s infuse it with the magic of dark chocolate.

With your freshly blended tahini still in the blender or food processor, it’s time to introduce the remaining two ingredients that will complete our dark chocolate tahini:

1. Add the raw cacao powder and the unrefined coconut sugar directly into the blender with the tahini. Ensure they are evenly distributed on top of the tahini for easier blending.
2. Process the mixture again. Start on a low speed to gently combine the dry ingredients with the tahini, then gradually increase the speed. Continue blending until there are absolutely no more cacao clumps visible and the entire mixture is unified, smooth, and beautifully creamy. The color will transform into a rich, deep chocolate hue.
3. Just as before, you may need to pause the blender occasionally and scrape down the sides of the jar with a spatula. This ensures all the ingredients are fully incorporated and contributes to that velvety smooth texture we’re aiming for.
4. Once blended, I insist you grab a spoon and conduct a crucial taste test! This is your opportunity to customize the flavor to your exact preference.
   • For a more intense, deeper chocolate flavor, add another teaspoon or two of raw cacao powder and blend briefly to incorporate.
   • If you prefer a little more sweetness, add a touch more unrefined coconut sugar, starting with half a teaspoon, blending, and tasting again until it’s just right.

Once you’re satisfied with the balance of flavors, your homemade dark chocolate tahini is ready to be enjoyed! This simple customization ensures your spread is perfectly tailored to your palate.

Perfect Pairings: Bare Snacks Apple Chips and Beyond

Now that you’ve created this incredible Dark Chocolate Tahini, the next delightful step is deciding how to enjoy it! And what could be better than dipping a spoon directly into its velvety depths? Well, for a truly exceptional experience, try pairing it with Bare Snacks Apple Chips.

These apple chips are a match made in heaven for our homemade chocolate tahini. They are perfectly baked, meaning they contain no added oils or sugars, making them a wonderfully crispy, sweet, and tart treat that complements the rich, bittersweet tahini beautifully. Their natural sweetness and satisfying crunch provide the ideal contrast to the creamy, dense spread, creating a harmonious textural and flavor experience.

Consider serving them on a delightful snack or dessert platter. Arrange a bowl of your luscious dark chocolate tahini alongside a generous pile of Bare Snacks Apple Chips for an elegant yet easy dunking station. This combination is not only incredibly delicious but also a healthier alternative to many traditional dessert options, being both refined-sugar-free and oil-free.

But the pairing possibilities don’t stop there! While apple chips are fantastic, feel free to experiment with other natural dippers like fresh fruit slices (strawberries, banana, pear), pretzels for a sweet and salty crunch, or even other baked vegetable chips for an adventurous twist. The versatility of this dark chocolate tahini means it can adapt to almost any snack craving.

Creative Ways to Enjoy Your Dark Chocolate Tahini

This versatile Dark Chocolate Tahini is an absolute game-changer in the kitchen, ready to elevate any meal or snack whenever you crave a touch of dessert-like indulgence. A single batch of this recipe yields approximately 2 cups of the delectable spread, ensuring you have plenty to enjoy over several weeks.

To keep your homemade chocolate tahini fresh and ready for action, simply store it in air-tight mason jars in the refrigerator. It maintains its quality and delicious flavor for several weeks, if not months, meaning you can always have a healthy, flavorful spread on hand.

Beyond the delightful pairing with baked apple chips, the possibilities for enjoying this bittersweet chocolate spread are truly endless. Here are some of my favorite serving suggestions, encouraging you to get creative:

• Dolloped in Oatmeal: Stir a generous spoonful into your morning oatmeal or porridge for a rich, satisfying, and energizing start to your day.
• Drizzled on Yogurt or Smoothie Bowls: Transform plain yogurt or a vibrant smoothie bowl into a gourmet dessert with a decadent drizzle.
• Baked into Goods: Incorporate it into your favorite baked goods recipes, like cookies, brownies, or muffins, for an extra layer of chocolatey, nutty depth.
• Spread on Pancakes or Waffles: Ditch the maple syrup and spread this tahini on warm pancakes or waffles for a sophisticated, plant-based breakfast or brunch.
• Spread on Toast or Rice Cakes: A simple yet satisfying snack. Spread it thickly on whole-grain toast, gluten-free bread, or crispy rice cakes for a quick treat.
• Mixed into Protein Shakes: Add a tablespoon to your post-workout protein shake for a boost of healthy fats and an irresistible chocolate flavor.
• Drizzled on Ice Cream or Dessert: Elevate any scoop of vegan ice cream, fruit crumble, or other dessert with a luxurious chocolate tahini topping.
• As a Dip for Fresh Fruit: Serve it with an assortment of fresh berries, sliced bananas, apple wedges, or pear slices for a simple, elegant, and healthy dessert. Strawberries dipped in this tahini are particularly divine!
• By the Spoonful: Let’s be honest, sometimes the best way to enjoy it is straight from the jar, one glorious spoonful at a time. No judgment here!

This dark chocolate tahini is perfect for any occasion – from a casual weeknight treat to a special gathering. Make a batch for Valentine’s Day weekend, a holiday party, or just a cozy night in, and let all your loved ones dip in and experience its magic. Enjoy every last bite!

Explore More Healthy Dips & Spreads

If you’ve fallen in love with the versatility and deliciousness of this homemade dark chocolate tahini, you’re in for a treat! My kitchen is a hub for crafting wholesome, flavorful spreads that are perfect for everything from healthy snacks to decadent desserts. Here are a few more of my favorite recipes you might enjoy exploring:

• Pina Colada Peanut Butter

  Escape to a tropical paradise with this unique and creamy peanut butter infused with the flavors of pineapple and coconut. It’s a fantastic twist on a classic spread!

• Roasted Peanut Cashew Butter

  Discover the rich, deep flavor of a homemade nut butter blend. This simple two-ingredient recipe combines roasted peanuts and cashews for an irresistible, protein-packed spread.

• Raw Walnut Cashew Butter

  For those who prefer their nuts raw, this butter offers a delicate, creamy texture and a subtle, naturally sweet flavor from the blend of walnuts and cashews. It’s perfect for a lighter option.

• 2-Ingredient Roasted Hazelnut Nutella

  Craving a classic chocolate-hazelnut spread without all the additives? This easy recipe delivers an authentic, rich “Nutella” experience with just two wholesome ingredients.

Your Feedback Matters!

If you embark on the delightful journey of making this Dark Chocolate Tahini recipe, I would absolutely love to hear about your experience! Your feedback helps me to continually create and refine delicious recipes for our community.

Please take a moment to leave me a comment, rating, and review below the recipe card. Your insights are invaluable and truly appreciated!

Don’t forget to give me a shout on Instagram and use the hashtag #floraandvino to share your beautiful culinary creations with me. I adore seeing what you make!

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XO Lauren

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This post is brought to you by Bare Snacks, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!

Photography by Hot Pan Kitchen