Is Tahini Gluten Free?

Are you thinking about buying tahini to use as a dip or in making your hummus or baba ghanoush? Are you celiac or trying to limit gluten in your diet? Is tahini gluten free? Here’s what you’re going to need to know.

Tahini is typically free of gluten. However, gluten-containing ingredients are used in some brands or recipes to thicken the condiment.

Therefore, it is critical to carefully inspect product packaging and contact the manufacturer directly to confirm.

Fortunately, gluten intolerant/sensitive means you do not have to avoid Tahini completely. But, as with other foods, you must exercise caution and mindfulness.

Nonetheless, the fact that you conducted this search and are here today demonstrates that you have the right mindset. Let’s take a closer look at tahini to see why it’s still safe to eat – for the most part!

Tahini is gluten-free! Isn’t that wonderful news? We should yell it from the mountaintops. To understand why tahini is gluten free, we must first define tahini and the ingredients used to make it.

Tahini is defined as a smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are gluten-free because they belong to the nut family and do not contain any wheat.

Hooray! That means that if you follow a gluten-free diet, you can eat tahini and foods containing it.

Is all tahini gluten free?

But… Before you get too excited about gluten-free Tahini, there are a few things to think about. Even though sesame tahini has only one ingredient, it isn’t always gluten free when purchased in a store.

There could be two reasons for this. Gluten could be used to thicken the tahini, or the factory where the tahini is made may also be processing gluten-containing foods.

Cross-contamination is a possibility if gluten products use the same facility, and companies will not state that the tahini is gluten free for liability reasons.

When purchasing Tahini, it is critical to ALWAYS CHECK THE LABELS. But, to make things easier for you, I’ve compiled a list of brands that guarantee their tahini is gluten free.

Mighty Sesame Company Tahini

Soom Foods Tahini Paste

Pepperwood Organics Ethiopian Tahini

What is tahini made of?

Tahini sauce is traditionally made entirely of sesame seeds, even though some recipes and brands may include lemon juice, garlic, and other natural flavorings.

Tahini is primarily a paste made from sesame seeds. And they are prepared in a very specific manner. The sesame seeds are first soaked in water. The bran is then separated from the kernels by crushing them.

The smashed seeds are then immersed in saltwater, which causes the bran to sink and naturally fall out. The floating kernels are then skimmed off, roasted, and coarsely pulverized to make the oily paste known as Tahini.

Of course, this is how it has always been done, but with recent advancements in food technology, manufacturing, and processing, this is not the only way it can be done.

Even though many companies on the market sell their product with sesame seeds as the only component, this is not the case for every single one of those companies. Some of them use other ingredients to boost the flavor even further.

Therefore, it is imperative to examine the product packaging and website or talk to the manufacturer if it is not explicitly indicated in any one of those places.

tahini in a white bowl and a spoon of sesame seeds on blue background

Is tahini safe for celiacs?

In its many brands and preparations, tahini ought to be safe for celiacs to consume. Nevertheless, that is not always the case, and it depends on the brand that you select as well as where and how it is manufactured.

For example, some companies would pack their tahini in a facility that also processes wheat, while other brands will use a separate facility.

And in this particular scenario, it might lead to cross-contamination, which would render the tahini completely unusable for anyone with celiac disease.

For this reason, it is necessary to deliberately seek out companies that promote gluten-free or who can confirm that they are gluten-free if you were to contact them and ask them about it.

Some companies may print it directly on the product’s packaging, while others will document the product’s appropriateness on the listing pages for similar items on their website.

Types of tahini

Tahini comes in various forms, including jarred, tinned, and dried varieties. Jarred tahini, which is found in dark and light variations, is the most prevalent variety of tahini.

Dark tahini has unhulled sesame seeds, which include beneficial nutrients. Unhulled sesame seeds have more fiber and minerals than hulled sesame seeds.

According to some, dark tahini has a more powerful flavor, but light tahini tastes better. It is a personal choice, so you may want to test both and decide for yourself.

Tahini health benefits

Tahini’s main component, sesame seeds, provides various health advantages. Tahini is high in plant-based fats, which are thought to be healthier for the heart than animal fat. It includes some fiber from the seeds and is a natural source of protein.

Tahini is high in B vitamins, which aid in the use of dietary energy. It also includes lignin’s sesame and sesamol.

Lignans are anti-inflammatory compounds present in plant-based meals. Ligans are also linked to a lower risk of cancer.

1. Omega-3 and omega-6

Omega-3 fats are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties, but omega-6 fats can promote inflammation when consumed in larger quantities than omega-3 fats.

The conventional American diet has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 10:1 (often as high as 30:1) when a healthy ratio is about 4:1.

Omega-6 fatty acids are more abundant in sesame seeds and tahini than omega-3 fatty acids, but it is considered a balanced ratio.

2. Iron

Tahini is an excellent source of iron. The iron present in tahini is a mineral that aids in the formation of hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells.

Hemoglobin aids in the transfer of oxygen to your body’s cells. A lack of iron causes anemia, and symptoms include fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and pale skin.

Vegans are more likely to develop anemia since the majority of high-iron nutrients are found in animal products. Tahini is an excellent source of iron from plants.

3. Calcium

Tahini is a good source of calcium, with one tablespoon providing 6% of the daily requirement. Plant-based calcium, like iron, is especially useful for persons who forgo dairy products, such as vegans.

Calcium is essential for bone health, but it plays a crucial role in muscle action and blood pressure management.

Tahini recipe

Making tahini at home may be an extra step you don’t want to do. That’s why I compiled a list of gluten-free tahini companies above.

However, if you’re on a strict gluten-free diet and even tiny levels of gluten cause you problems, making your own tahini is the best method to ensure it’s gluten-free.

Make homemade tahini if you have celiac disease, IBS, severe constipation, or are on an anti-inflammatory diet owing to an illness. It takes only a few minutes and is less expensive than purchasing high-quality pre-packaged tahini.

Making your tahini is simple and delicious. It’s less expensive, and you have more control over the ingredients, assuring a gluten-free sauce.

There are only three ingredients in this recipe:

1 cup sesame seeds, white
1 teaspoon avocado oil
Salt

How to make tahini?

Preheat the oven to 300℉ in the first step.
Prepare a baking pan by lining it with a baking sheet. Pour your white sesame seeds on top, making sure they are properly distributed.
Toast sesame seeds in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the sesame seeds from the oven and set them aside to cool for 20 minutes.
Combine your baked sesame seeds and oil in a blender or food processor. Blend for 1-2 minutes, or until a paste forms. You may need to scoop the paste off the edge with a spoon and place it back toward the blades.
Serve immediately or move the paste (now tahini) to an airtight container – a glass jar works well here. Place in the refrigerator.

Tahini should keep in the jar for 2-3 weeks; however, the quality may deteriorate, and the paste will separate with time.

If this is the case, whisk with a fork or spoon to ensure the oil is properly distributed back into the crushed sesame seeds.

Extra tip: Use less oil if you like a thicker tahini. More oil, on the other hand, makes tahini thinner.

So, is tahini gluten free?

Tahini is nothing more than sesame seed butter. It is usually made entirely with powdered sesame seeds, without added oils or preservatives. Tahini is a common component in hummus, but it may also be found in other Middle Eastern recipes.

Protein, unsaturated fats, iron, and calcium are all abundant in tahini. It’s paleo-friendly, gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, and vegan.

You should still examine the ingredient list to ensure there are no preservatives or substances added that contain gluten or other things you should avoid.

Is Tahini Gluten Free?