Finally, a Tahini Goddess Dressing that is vegan, oil-free, rich, creamy and downright delicious. All you need is a whisk and a small pot, you don’t even need a blender.
VEGAN TAHINI GODDESS DRESSING
Goddess dressings are everywhere online these days, just google that term and there are billions. So many different versions. The one problem though, for me anyways and several of you, is they are loaded with oil. I don’t want to douse a healthy meal or salad with gobs of oil, do you? Those days are over for me. Plus, I’ve managed to create dozens of amazing, healthy sauces on this blog, all oil-free and since sauces are some of my most popular recipes with readers, I knew I could tackle on an oil-free tahini goddess dressing too.
This post really cracks me up as I write it because when I first created this dressing, I hated it, therefore I never planned to post it. But, after I let it sit in the fridge overnight, it magically turned into something I loved. With each day, it grew on me and I loved it more. I guess trying to taste a dressing while it’s still hot from the stove is just not going to work. Lol! But once it sat overnight and chilled, it was incredible.
Creating An Oil-Free Version of Trader Joe’s Goddess Dressing
The whole reason I created this dressing is because one of my readers, Chen, wrote me on Facebook asking me to recreate her favorite dressing, Trader Joe’s Goddess Dressing, but oil-free. I had never even tasted a goddess dressing before, so I had to go buy a bottle in order to see what the taste was. Theirs is loaded with oil, I mean, loaded, so I knew it would be a challenge. The next challenge was, I didn’t even care for the taste, lol! I found it much too sour for my taste and a bit too strong in the soy sauce flavor. Like, literally, my eyes twitched because it was so sour!
Soooooo, I set out to mimic the basic flavor, but tailor it to my own tastebuds, in other words, make it taste better in my opinion. To me, one thing many salad dressings lack, is the balance of acidity to sweet. I guess my tastebuds just flat out do not like things too sour. They need a small amount of sweetener to calm them down. So, that’s what I did here. The Trader Joe’s does not have any sweetener, but I didn’t care. I strongly felt it needed it.
The main ingredients in the Trader Joe’s are oil, soy sauce, tahini, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and a couple of others.
So, how to recreate that creamy, thick texture without so much oil? Well, I used a combo of “lite” canned coconut milk (full-fat will make it taste like coconut, which we don’t want!) and cornstarch and heated it to thicken it. Worked like a charm. It’s much less fattening, yet totally delicious.
My reader wanted a much healthier, lower fat version of the Goddess Dressing, and I achieved that. My version is just 5 g of fat per serving, versus Trader Joe’s which is 12 g fat! Win!
So, it’s a tad sweet, a little salty and a little sour and a good punch of tahini flavor. In other words, a great salad dressing! However, if you are not a tahini fan, try some of my other dressings like my Vegan Ranch, Vegan Caesar or one of my absolute favorites, my Lemon Pepper Almond Butter Dressing.
I hope you all love this Oil-Free Tahini Goddess Dressing! Be sure to leave me feedback below in the comment section after you make it! You can also tag me on Instagram using my tag #thevegan8, so I don’t miss it! Or, snap a pic and post it to my Facebook page!
Vegan Tahini Goddess Dressing (Oil-free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120g) canned "lite" coconut milk, the creamy milk combined with cornstarch is what thickens the dressing, as the way oil would, while keeping it lower fat)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (90g) water
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons very smooth tahini (I used Kroger Simple Truth brand)
- 3 tablespoons (45g) low sodium Tamari (I used one labeled 50% lite less sodium, if yours has more, you may need to adjust)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) apple cider vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (37) fresh lemon juice (this is the level of sour I loved, but feel free to adjust the day after it has chilled if needbe)
- 2 tablespoons (40g) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- This is not as sour or as strong in the soy sauce flavor as the Trader Joe's version, which I did on purpose. I love this milder version I created with just a touch of sweetness to balance out the flavors. It's just sour enough so my eyes don't twitch and I enjoy eating it on a salad! Feel free to add more lemon juice if you like, more similar to the Trader Joe's version.
- Also, make sure to use a tahini that you love! I can't stress that enough, no 2 brands are alike, some are downright gross and the flavor WILL affect your dressing, so keep that in mind! If you hate tahini, you could try cashew (use less since it's thicker) or almond butter I guess, but it will take on those flavors.
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients, except the cornstarch, to a small pot and whisk until completely mixed. Now, whisk in the cornstarch until it's 100% incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Turn the heat to medium-low. Once it starts to bubble well around the edges, whisk continually around the edges and within the pot for 2-3 minutes until it has thickened to a creamy dressing consistency. You do not want to walk away, you need to whisk the 2 minutes because it will thicken quickly. Don't cook too long, as it will just get thicker and thicker and keep in mind, it will thicken more in the fridge.
- Remove from the heat, whisk well and pour into a glass jar and store covered in the fridge overnight. It will not have the final amazing flavor until after it sits and chills overnight, so judge it the next day! Trust me on this. Hot tahini sour dressing does not taste good, but chilled and marinated overnight, does. After it has chilled 24 hours, taste and if you want it sweeter, saltier or more sour, feel free to adjust with more salt, lemon juice or syrup. It will get thick overnight, so if necessary add a touch more water or lemon juice. I added just a bit more lemon juice. Enjoy over salads, potatoes, veggie bowls or even my Falafel!
- This makes 1 1/2 cups, in other words, a lot!
Notes
The Vegan 8 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclosure policy here.
I totally want a salad now and I haven’t even had breakfast! That pour shot is so mouthwatering. I don’t know why I’ve never thought to actually cook a dressing to thicken it, but why the heck not. Although I can’t imagine tasting it warm, that would mess with my mind a little bit, so I’m glad you let it chill before judging it too harshly haha! Now you know I’m hesitant on tahini, but I love tangy with a little bit sweet dressings and it just looks so darn creamy. Perhaps almond butter or cashew butter could work in there too 🙂
Aww thanks so much Natalie! That pour shot was interesting doing it myself, lol! I really need an assistant on these shoots ;). Yes, I totally think cashew butter would be tasty here, just maybe a tad less since it is much more thick than the runny tahini I used and it is of course, sweeter. But tahini is definitely an acquired taste. Hubby is not really a fan. I like it, but it definitely needs to be prettied up with other flavors. Yes, hot tahini dressing (in this case anyways) was not good, hahaha!
What’s tamari? Does it have soy?
Yes, it is just a gluten-free soy sauce. If you need soy-free, then Coconut Aminos is soy sauce but it doesn’t taste nearly as salty or like soy sauce, but a more milder and sweeter version.
Hello I just made tahini dressing and put all ingredients into nutria check app this create 25 servings of 1tbsp = 15ml and the calories came out at 21 Kal per Servings 1 tablespoon.
So 2 tbsps is 42 calories
Does this mean nutra check is wrong ? Hope you don’t mind me asking , I’ve put in the fridge now waiting to c how it tastes 2 morrow
Thank you for recipe it looks ok so far
O tahini, how I love thee! I go through jars of the good stuff!
Right, it’s good stuff, as long as it’s a good brand!
Wow, this is incredible, Brandi. I think I have heard of Goddess dressing before – for sure never tasted it. Now that I see what you did with this, I want to try. I’m a big tahini fan anyways and like to put it into a lot of my sauces as well. So this is so right down my alley. Combined with that vibrant salad, it’s a total winner!
Since my diet is whole foods,plant based, it allows no oil (tahini is high in oil because it is ground sesame seed;very high in oil). Also, coconut is solid oil and saturated fat. That is not allowed either. The only way I can use a dressing is by combining flavors with herbs, mustards, lemon juices,balsamic vinegars with more solid but processed (via home processor) beans such as garbanzo,pinto, black bean or whatever bean preferred. Dressings such as these are savory and good on greens. Avocados are not allowed in my diet because theyare very high in fat content. No nuts are allowed either. Believe it or not, I have wonderful salads with excellent dressings completely fat free. To make a goddess dressing, I Would add some of the greens to the processed mixtures while processing. It would result in a green colored, savory, garlicky dressing.
Hi Judy! Tahini has natural oil in it from the sesame seeds, yes, but it is a whole food, it is not the same thing as olive or canola oil, which are nothing but 100% fat, for example, with all the nutrients removed.
I do not use any added oils in my recipes. But even with that, I completely understand everybody has different dietary needs and need to watch their fat intake based on their health issues. I created this dressing for a reader request for the Trader Joe’s Goddess Dressing, which is tahini based, so there has to be tahini in it or it’s nothing like the classic dressing. So since you avoid that, this dressing of course won’t work for you. You can make my Fat-Free Sweet Chili Mustard Sauce or my Fat-free BBQ both here on the blog.
I personally do not avoid nuts or coconut or avocado, as they are a whole food and I love them, I DO however avoid adding processed oils, which are nearly twice the fat of nut butters and are not a whole food. I am no oil, but I am not no fat, which are different.
Here are the fat free Sweet Chili Mustard Sauce and BBQ sauce:
https://thevegan8.com/2015/04/15/rice-blackbean-bowl-chili-mustard-sauce/
https://thevegan8.com/2015/06/06/smoky-barbecue-sweet-potato-chickpea-burgers/
This sounds great; however I “hate” coconut anything. Once the dressing is prepared is there any hint of a coconut flavor? Thanks!
Hi Traci! I hear ya, I promise there is NO coconut flavor, this is why I always use the “lite” canned coconut milk, it leaves absolutely no coconut taste to recipes. Also, the lemon juice and other ingredients are strong enough to mask any trace even if there was any, but there isn’t. I did a trial with cashew milk and did not like the taste, so that’s why I suggest the lite coconut milk. Let me know if you try it 🙂
Thank you so much for re-creating this Brandi ^_^. I had this yesterday and absolutely loved it! The balance of the saltiness, sourness and sweetness is just perfect. No more oily and salty TJ’s! You’re the best <3 <3 <3.
You are so welcome Chen! Thank you so much for giving it a trial run before I posted it, haha! I wanted to make sure you loved it beforehand, since it’s such a specific request. Thank you for requesting it too, I think many readers will love having this oil-free version! So happy you love it!
I’m so glad you decided to post it! =P ^_^
Your falafel will be on our next week’s dinner menu and this amazing dressing will go with them…can’t wait!
Its funny you post a salad dressing recipe because I have been thinking that I need to eat more salads but I just need to find a good salad dressing. I was looking for a fat free salad dressing because if I am going to have it daily I definitely would want it fat free, however I certainly don’t mind having something like this occasionally. Only you can make a salad looks so enticing. Hahahaha. I love the way the dressing looks so creamy and beautiful. Only thing I am concerned about is the tamari. Do you think there is any possible sub for the tamari? I am guessing probably not 🙁 But in any case it looks gorgeous and it is making me want to eat salad even more now.
Hey Christina! You are so sweet!! Thank you 🙂 Salads can be pretty boring, so I did my best to make the pics vibrant, lol. Oh, that’s right, you can’t do soy correct? In that case, just sub with coconut aminos and increase the salt to your taste. This will make the dressing more on the sweet side and milder, but should still be yummy. I did test one version in my first trial using coconut aminos and it was good, but too different from the Trader Joe’s, so that’s why I didn’t post it. But, it was still a good dressing regardless. This has a notable tahini flavor, which I rememeber you like tahini (from the cheese sauce :), but since you are super low-fat, you could get away with doing just 1/4 cup tahini and maybe just need to cook it a tad longer to thicken. It should still be good that way. That will also bring the serving down to 3 g of fat, instead of 5 g 🙂
Thanks for the tips about making it lower fat. 🙂 Yeah I don’t tolerate soy well. I have tried it here and there and I still have a negative reaction to it, so I avoid it best I can. I will definitely give it a try with coconut aminos. And yep I like tahini 🙂 So this dressing will be amazing I am sure.
Falafels are baking and I’ll try and get round to making this to go with them! Cannot get enough of tahini 😀
Wow, this dressing looks and sounds amazing! I’m using tahini more often, and have struggled with turning it into a dressing. Thanks for doing the work for me! I’ll make this very soon 🙂
I hope you love it Christina, let me know!! 🙂
Followup question: how long would this last in the fridge? A week, I’m guessing?
Yes, a good week!
I’m all about tahini in dressings! I love how creamy it makes everything without the need for a non-dairy sour cream, mayo, etc. Give me tahini over those options any day 🙂
SO good in dressings, you are so right!
Used tahini for the first time ever a few weeks ago for an upcoming recipe – SIGN ME UP !! I want it all day every day! 😉
Isn’t it delicious?! An acquired taste for sure, but goes great in sauces!
I’ll never understand why people put oil in tahini sauce, it doesn’t make sense. Your dressing is perfect and the pictures make me want to dive through the computer and bathe in that delicious dressing.
Yup! There is so much fat naturally in tahini that adding MORE fat in the means of oil is just silly and pointless to me!
I love goddess dressing! This sounds so good. I’d totally use it as a dip too. Glad to have an oil free sub! Great recipe!!
Thank you! Yes, it gets pretty thick overnight in the fridge and is great for carrot dipping!
I go through so much tahini. It is such a awesome ingredient and your salad dressing sounds delicious :O)
Thank you Mel!
This looks so good, Brandi! No need to go to Trader Joe’s anymore 😉 Pinning so i can definitely make this soon.
Thanks so much Vanessa!
This looks amazing! I am definitely going to try this, I love tahini on everything!!
Thank you Jess, definitely let me know what you think!
As I’ve already mentioned I LOVE goddess dressing!!! Back when we first went vegan someone shared a homemade version with me and while I loved it, I didn’t like how much oil it called for…didn’t always sit well in my tummy. So this is perfect! Do you think I could use coconut aminos? I know sometimes soy sauce is key, but I thought I’d ask. I think it’s hilarious that you didn’t like the dressing at first – glad you tried it again after allowing it to set. It looks delicious!! Oh, and I LOVE your salad bowl!
Thank you so much friend! Yeah, the ones at the store or nearly all versions online call for so much oil and I cannot stomach all that oil for both health or pain reasons. I’ve never been able to handle much oil without cramping or getting nauseated. Yes, you can definitely use coconut aminos! I actually tested a version with it, but you will definitely need to up the salt since it’s much less salty 🙂 Thank you! I got that in the home decorating section and thought it would be prettier for food than on my coffee table, haha!
I am always looking for new salad dressing recipes and this looks really good!
Thank you so much!!
Brandi,
Not being hugely enthusiastic about tahini and yet not wanting to miss out on something good, I only made half a recipe. And then I had to restrain myself from eating spoonfuls right out of the jar….
Thank you for another winner!
I’m so very happy to hear you loved it Molly, such a compliment, thank you!
I can’t believe no one else has asked, but is the first ingredient missing words or punctuation? Do you mean “canned “lite” coconut milk, OR MILK works too” or “canned “lite” coconut, milk works too?? It doesn’t make sense to me as is, and I’d really like to try the recipe. Thanks, and off to snoop the rest of your site. Looks freakin’ amazing!
Hi Nikita, I’m sorry about that, I have fixed it. It is for lite canned coconut milk. 🙂
How long will this keep in the refrigerator?
A good week and it’s still fine 🙂