Black Tahini Ice Cream (vegan)
Tahini has become fairly well known in recent years, but fewer people have heard of black tahini. While the typical tahini we’re used to — white tahini — is made from white sesame seeds, black tahini is made from black sesame seeds. Also, white sesame seeds usually have their hulls removed, while black sesame seeds don’t. As a result, black sesame seeds have a deeper, richer flavor than white. (Get more info on black vs. white sesame seeds and tahini here or here.) White tahini makes a delicious ice cream (see: Salted Date, Tahini, and Cardamom Ice Cream and Ginger, Lemon, and Tahini Ice Cream), so Black Tahini Ice Cream definitely needed to happen.
The flavor of black tahini reminds me a little of dark chocolate and nuts, and not just because of the color. It has a nutty, earthy flavor with a hint of bitterness. Some say black tahini is more bitter than white, but to my palate the opposite is true. I find black tahini sweeter and smoother. In addition to having a stronger, richer flavor than typical tahini, black tahini is thicker, stickier, and (obviously) very black. I think it’s fun to eat ice cream the color of mud!
While I love Black Tahini Ice Cream, you can also take a shortcut and make Black Tahini Pudding if you’re in a hurry. Keeping the recipe the same, just chill the mixture and skip the churning. When it’s fully chilled, it will be thick like pudding. And very yummy.
In my experience, many grocery stores don’t carry black tahini. I found mine at Central Market in Houston. I used the Roland brand. Amazon carries several varieties: here, here, and here [affiliate links]. Beyond making ice cream, I love having black tahini for an afternoon snack. Spread it on toast, maybe drizzle it with honey or maple syrup, or dip apple slices in it. It goes well in smoothies, too. For whatever you normally do with white tahini, peanut butter, or almond butter, give black tahini a try!
Black Tahini Ice Cream (vegan)
Makes ~1 quart
Ingredients
Instructions
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BREAK UP THE DATES
Start by placing the dates and salt in the food processor. Pulse the food processor a few times to break up the dates.
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ADD HALF OF COCONUT MILK
Add about half of the coconut milk and process with the dates until fairly smooth.
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ADD TAHINI AND MAPLE SYRUP
Add the tahini and the maple syrup to the food processor and blend until very smooth.
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ADD REMAINING COCONUT MILK
Add the rest of the coconut milk and blend until smooth. Also add the vanilla extract and xanthan gum, if using.
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ADD NON-DAIRY MILK OF YOUR CHOICE
If your food processor can handle the liquid, add the milk and blend everything a final time. In my food processor, it's too much liquid, so I transfer the mixture to a large bowl and blend in the final 4 oz of non-dairy milk by hand with a whisk.
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CHILL
Transfer to a container and chill in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
For a quicker chilling time, place the bowl containing your mixture in an ice bath (a larger bowl containing ice water) for a few hours. Stir the mixture occasionally. As the water in the ice bath warms up, pour off some water and add ice to keep the mixture chilling as quickly as possible.
Ideally, the mixture will be about 40 degrees when you churn it.
When fully chilled, the mixture will be quite firm, like pudding. This is because of the dates and tahini. At this point you can skip churning and just eat it like pudding if you want!
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CHURN
Before you start churning, set up everything you'll need to quickly transfer the ice cream from the machine into a container for freezing. I use a knife to scrape down the dasher (or paddle) and a wooden spoon to scoop out the ice cream.
Set up your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour your mixture into the ice cream maker and churn. Because this mixture is very thick, it churns more quickly than most. (Don't worry -- it will churn!) In my machine the perfect churning time is 7 minutes, but your experience may vary.
The ice cream is ready when it has the consistency of soft serve and has started pulling away from the edge of the canister. You'll notice it also gets lighter in color as air is mixed in.
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STORE
When the ice cream has finished churning, scoop it as quickly as possible into your storage container. Cover it with plastic wrap or parchment paper, if using. (Placing a sheet of parchment paper between the container and lid will help prevent frost, or you can press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream.) Put the container in the freezer. The ice cream will be fully firm in a few hours.
