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This tahini ice cream layers a vanilla custard enriched with full-fat Greek yogurt, then folds in ribbons of tahini and liquid honey after churning. The finished texture should be creamy and scoopable, with tang from the yogurt, nutty sesame flavor from the tahini, and that delicious graham-cracker or sesame-snap crunch.
This isn’t a shortcut frozen yogurt situation. We’re making a proper churned custard with whole milk, whipping cream, egg yolks, and sugar, then whisking in full-fat Greek yogurt once the custard has cooled. The yogurt brings a tang, but you still get all that rich, creamy texture from the classic base.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
This is also a dessert you’ll want to plan for. The active work takes about 40 minutes, but your ice-cream-maker bowl needs at least 12 hours in the freezer, the custard needs at least 4 hours to chill, and the finished ice cream needs at least 6 hours to freeze. Make it ahead, forget about it in the freezer, and your future self will be VERY happy.
Why You’ll Love This Tahini Ice Cream
- Sweet, nutty contrast: Runny tahini brings that nutty, earthy sesame flavor, while liquid honey adds sweetness that balances it all out!
- Creamy with a little tang: Whole milk, whipping cream, egg yolks, and full-fat Greek yogurt create a rich custard base, with the yogurt adding a slight tang.
- Texture you can choose: Go with graham crackers for a crumbly finish or sesame snaps to lean even further into that sesame flavor while adding a crunch.
- Designed for making ahead: This tahini ice cream recipe needs plenty of chilling and freezing time, making it the perfect dessert to prepare the day before you plan to serve it.
What Does Tahini Ice Cream Taste Like?
Tahini ice cream has a creamy, sweet, nutty flavor with a sesame edge. Tahini itself is a smooth sesame paste with a slightly bitter quality, which makes it so good in desserts when you balance it with the right amount of sweetness.
In this recipe, liquid honey softens that slight bitterness, vanilla rounds everything out, and full-fat Greek yogurt brings a slight tang to the rich custard. Because the tahini is swirled in instead of fully blended into the base, some bites will have a bigger hit of sesame than others.
The result is a Mediterranean-inspired frozen dessert that’s familiar but unique!
Key Ingredients
Full-Fat Greek Yogurt
Use a plain, full-fat Greek yogurt with 4–5% fat for this recipe. The yogurt gets whisked into the custard after it has cooled to room temperature, giving the finished ice cream a little tang without replacing the rich dairy custard underneath.
If you have more yogurt hanging out in your fridge afterward, I’ve got plenty of other Greek yogurt recipes to help you use it up.
Runny Tahini
You want your tahini to be smooth, fully stirred, and pourable. That consistency is important because we’re drizzling it between layers of churned ice cream and creating ribbons rather than trying to mix a thick spoonful into the frozen base.
Liquid Honey
The ¼ cup of liquid honey is divided between the two layers of ice cream along with the tahini. It brings sweetness to those sesame ribbons and helps create little pockets of honey throughout every scoop.
Egg Yolks, Milk, and Whipping Cream
These three ingredients create the custard foundation. Egg yolks help thicken the base as it cooks, while whole milk and whipping cream provide the rich dairy base that gives the finished ice cream its creamy texture.
Graham Crackers or Sesame Snaps
This is where you can pick and choose. Graham crackers add a crumbly texture that contrasts with the ice cream, while sesame snaps add crunch and reinforce the sesame flavor from the tahini. You only need one or the other.
Why Tempering the Eggs Matters
Tempering sounds fancy, but all we’re doing is slowly bringing the temperature of the egg yolks up before they meet the rest of the hot dairy. Gradually adding the hot milk-and-cream mixture while constantly whisking helps prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Once everything goes back into the pot, the custard cooks over medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes. You’re looking for it to lightly coat the back of a spoon. It should never come to a boil.
And please don’t skip the sieve! Straining the cooked custard isn’t just an extra cleanup step. It catches any tiny pieces of cooked egg before the Greek yogurt goes in, which helps protect that smooth, creamy texture we worked so hard for.
How to Keep the Tahini-Honey Swirl Visible
The secret here is knowing when to stop mixing. You want the churned ice cream to reach a soft-serve consistency before you start layering in the tahini and honey.
Instead of adding all the tahini and honey at once, they’re divided between two layers of ice cream. Once they’re drizzled over each layer, gently move a knife through the mixture to create ribbons without completely combining everything.
We’re swirling, not stirring! If you get too aggressive, you’ll lose those gorgeous streaks and blend the tahini and honey straight into the custard.
When you scoop into the frozen tahini ice cream, you should still be able to see those distinct tahini-honey ribbons running through it.
Troubleshooting Tahini Ice Cream
The Custard Looks Scrambled
The hot dairy may have been added to the yolks too quickly, or the heat may have been too high. Whisk constantly while tempering the eggs, then keep the heat at medium-low once the mixture goes back into the pot. Straining the cooked custard through a sieve will also catch any small cooked-egg pieces.
A Skin Is Forming While the Base Cools
Give the custard a whisk every so often while it comes to room temperature. This helps prevent a skin from forming on top before you whisk in the Greek yogurt.
The Ice Cream Is Not Churning Properly
Temperature matters here. Your ice-cream-maker bowl needs to freeze for at least 12 hours, and your custard base needs at least 4 hours in the refrigerator so it’s properly cold before churning.
Every ice cream maker works a little differently, so follow your machine’s instructions rather than trying to force a universal setting or churn time.
The Swirl Disappeared
Aggressive mixing will incorporate the tahini and honey into the base instead of leaving behind those beautiful ribbons. Use gentle knife movements once you’ve layered everything together.
The Ice Cream Is Too Firm to Scoop
Homemade tahini ice cream can be firm straight from the freezer. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping so it has a chance to soften slightly.
Serving and Make-Ahead Notes
This recipe was made for planning ahead. You can prepare the custard base and leave it to chill overnight, then churn, layer, and freeze it the following day.
When you’re ready to serve, finish each scoop with the texture you chose for the recipe, either those crumbly graham-cracker pieces or crunchy sesame snaps.
If you’re craving something more fruit-forward, my Greek frozen yogurt is a separate no-machine recipe.
For another frozen dessert with that sweet-and-savory thing going on, try my pistachio ice cream next.
FAQs
Tahini ice cream has a nutty, earthy sesame flavor balanced by sweet honey and vanilla. In this recipe, full-fat Greek yogurt gives the custard a gentle tang, while the tahini and honey are swirled through after churning so some bites have a stronger sesame flavor than others.
Yes. This recipe was developed for an ice cream maker, and the bowl needs to freeze for at least 12 hours before churning. A tested no-churn method isn’t included, so follow your machine’s instructions for the most reliable texture.
Tempering warms the egg yolks gradually so they thicken the custard without scrambling. Add the hot milk-and-cream mixture slowly while whisking constantly, then return the combined mixture to medium-low heat until it lightly coats the back of a spoon.
Chill the cooked base for at least 4 hours or overnight before churning. After layering in the tahini, honey, and optional topping, cover the pan and freeze the finished ice cream for at least 6 hours.
Yes. The recipe offers either six broken graham crackers or three packs of broken sesame snaps as an optional topping. Choose graham crackers for a crumbly contrast or sesame snaps for extra sesame flavor and crunch.
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Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups whipping cream
- 1 ½ cups full fat 4-5% plain Greek yogurt
- 6 tbsp runny tahini
- ¼ cup liquid honey
Topping
- Optional: 6 graham crackers, broken up into pieces OR 3 packs of sesame snaps, broken up into pieces
Instructions
Start Cooking- Friendly reminder! Remember to freeze the bowl of your ice cream maker at least 12 hours before you plan to churn the ice cream.
- To a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt and vanilla extract until well-combined. Set aside.
- Add the milk and cream to a medium pot over medium heat. Heat until the mixture just starts to simmer (do not boil) and then immediately remove from the heat.
- Slowly pour ½ cup of the hot milk & cream mixture into the egg-sugar mixture, whisking constantly (in this step you are tempering the eggs so they do not scramble when added back to the hot pan). Repeat by slowly pouring in another ½ cup of the hot milk & cream mixture to the egg-sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Finally, slowly stream in the rest of the hot milk & cream mixture, whisking constantly as you go until completely combined.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot and set back on the oven over medium-low heat. Whisk occasionally and heat until the mixture has thickened just enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly, about 10-12 minutes. Take the pot off the heat.
- Put a sieve over a medium bowl and pour the mixture out of the pot through the sieve into the bowl.
- Set aside and let cool to room temperature, whisking once and a while so a skin doesn’t form on the mixture. Once cooled to room temperature, whisk in the Greek yogurt until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- After the mixture has chilled for at least 4 hours, place a loaf pan or 8×8 inch square pan in the freezer. Next, pour the cold cream mixture into the ice cream maker and churn according to the ice cream maker’s instructions, until the mixture resembles soft serve ice cream, about 20-25 minutes. Then, take the pan out of the freezer and scoop half of the ice cream from the ice cream maker into the pan. Drizzle with 3 tbsp tahini and 2 tbsp honey and use a knife to gently swirl into the ice cream. Add the remaining ice cream to the pan and use the back of a spoon to spread it out. Drizzle with 3 tbsp tahini and 2 tbsp honey and use a knife to swirl it into the ice cream.
- Add the crushed graham crackers over the top of the ice cream and use a knife to swirl into the ice cream.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let chill in the freezer for at least 6 hours.
- When ready to enjoy, take the ice cream out of the freezer and let it sit for a few minutes for easier scooping.
- Can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Make this gluten-free by using certified gluten-free ingredients!
- If you love using Greek yogurt in recipes, we have so many more for you: Your Greek Yogurt is Capable of So Much More (15 Recipes to Prove It)
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