There’s been a heatwave in Georgia the past couple weeks, and cool, crisp fall air – perfect for cozy baking – feels far away. To get through the final stretch of summer in the South, I made cold tahini (sesame paste) pudding, known in Turkey as tahinli puding.
My friend, who grew up in Istanbul, sent me the recipe last week, when temperatures were over 90 degrees F. A creamy, refreshing dessert straight from the fridge was just what I needed to cool down.
This dairy-free pudding is highly versatile. Use a plant-based milk of your choice – my friend recommends almond milk but I used oat milk since it’s what I had on hand – and sprinkle with your favorite toppings. Toasted pistachios, raspberries, mint leaves…anything goes!
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of your choice)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup granulated or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional; omit for a fully dairy-free pudding)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Combine: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond milk, egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch, and flour.
- Heat: Transfer mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil, mixing frequently, until thick; this process should take just a few minutes.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Whisk in tahini, honey, vanilla extract, and butter (if using,) then remove from heat.
- Let Cool: Transfer pudding to a long, shallow glass storage container, baking pan, or other big shallow dish to cool (this allow for faster cooling,) cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- Garnish and Serve: Once cold, portion out into bowls, ramekins, or small mason jars. Sprinkle with pistachios, raspberries, mint leaves, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, or other toppings, then serve.
Note
In this version of the recipe, I loosely – not scientifically! – converted Turkish glass measurements into US customary measurements. So the consistency of this pudding might differ a bit from traditional tahinli puding. I also added honey, since it goes so well with tahini.
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