Using tahini, an ever-popular Middle Eastern paste made of ground sesame seeds, in place of peanut butter adds a savory, grown-up element to a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Affiliate Disclosure: My content may include affiliate links, which means that (at zero cost to you) I may earn some coffee money if you buy something through one of my links. I will use it to drink more coffee while creating more content like this.
Summary:
- Use a high-quality tahini for this recipe, if you can. Baron’s organic tahini comes in a two-pack and is easily available on Amazon.
- Sweeter jellies and jams work best here. I recommend berry jams like blackberry, raspberry, or blueberry.
- A sprinkle of salt on the tahini side of this sandwich really helps bring out the savory tahini flavor.
Tahini and jelly sandwiches were likely never supposed to happen.
Thank you, globalization! If you’ve never used tahini, this is an easy way to dip your toes in the pond. If you didn’t already know, tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made of toasted, unhulled, ground sesame seeds. It’s a vital part of Middle Eastern and North African cuisine. Tahini is a critical component of hummus, but has found a number of uses like in salad dressings and as an addition to baked goods like brownies.
Enter the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I’m a big proponent of not trying to fix things that aren’t broken. But one day, this tahini and jelly sandwich happened to me. It was too good to not share.
How to make a tahini and jelly sandwich
I’m not actually going to sit here and tell you how to make a tahini and jelly sandwich. That headline was for SEO purposes only.
That being said, I will nudge you gently here to toast your sandwich bread for this recipe. You wanna grill your sandwich? Even better. What I usually do when I find myself in this situation is: spread a knob of butter on either side of the sandwich. Flip over, then spread the tahini, spread the jelly (or jam, for that matter). Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toast/grill the sandwich for 2-3 minutes per side. Slice, and optionally wrap in parchment paper. Love your life.
How much tahini and jelly you want to put on your sandwich is entirely up to you. Yes, there’s a recipe below, but honestly, disregard it. I can’t tell you how to do this. You have to feel it in your heart.
Where can I find tahini?
Here’s a really helpful guide to 9 different brands of store-bought jarred tahini. I have tried two of these nine: Soom tahini and Trader Joe’s tahini. Soom can be expensive depending on where you purchase it from, and for this reason I prefer to use it in hummus and for salad dressings. I’ll use Trader Joe’s tahini, which I still love, for recipes like this tahini and jelly sandwich, and for swirling into baked goods like cookies or brownies.
Tahini can be found in most well-stocked grocery stores, depending on where you live. For convenience’s sake, it can also be purchased from Amazon. This Baron’s organic tahini, which coincidentally was ranked highest in the tahini guide linked above, comes in a two-pack.
What type of jelly should I use?
I think we’re close enough now for me to tell you that I prefer my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with… apricot jam. The tartness of the apricot holds hands with the sweet peanut butter like no other jam or jelly could.
If I’m using tahini, however, the sweeter jellies work best. Since tahini is earthy and even a little bitter, a high-quality strawberry, raspberry, blueberry or blackberry jelly or jam works really well. And in recipes like these that call for so few ingredients, the higher quality, the better. And here’s a pro-tip: if you’re working with less-than-ideal jam or jelly, throw in some frozen berries, pop the mixture on the stove, and smash the berries into the jelly.