This chocolate tahini frosting has just the right balance of sweet and salty flavors. It’s paleo diet friendly, vegan, refined sugar free, and has a rich, gooey consistency similar to that of a fudge frosting.
This icing is perfect on cakes and cupcakes, but you can also heat it up on the stove or in the microwave and use it as a paleo and vegan hot fudge sauce. It has just that type of fudge sauce consistency when heated.
What to serve with this tahini frosting
Try it on this decadent chocolate black bean cake. It’s vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free too.
Main ingredients and substitutions
This tahini frosting recipe has only four ingredients. It’s so easy to make and comes together in just a few minutes.
The most important ingredient in this recipe is, of course, tahini. Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It’s becoming more and more popular these days and I’ve never had trouble finding it at any of my local grocery stores. Tahini has a rich, velvety consistency and a nutty, savory flavor that pairs perfectly with chocolate.
I opted to use cocoa powder as the chocolate component in this recipe. Cocoa powder is easy to work with, contains no added sugar, and is full of chocolaty flavor.
This tahini frosting is refined sugar free and sweetened with maple syrup. If you don’t need this recipe to be vegan, you could substitute raw honey as the sweetener instead. I prefer to stick with maple syrup though because it adds a more neutral sweetness than honey and doesn’t overpower the flavor of the tahini.
A small amount of salt really helps bring this tahini frosting together. The flavor of the tahini just shines when it’s accompanied by both sweet and salty elements. You can omit the salt if you need to follow a reduced sodium diet, but if not, I don’t recommend skipping the salt.
More vegan treats to try
- These chickpea flour brownies are fudgy, chewy, and chocolaty.
- Use this gluten-free sweet chocolate hummus as a fruit dip for fresh strawberries or any other type of fruit you like.
- This peanut butter chocolate freezer fudge is rich, creamy, and melts in your mouth.
Tahini Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup tahini
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 8 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the maple syrup, tahini, salt, and cocoa powder to a mixing bowl.
- Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly until the cocoa is completely dissolved and the frosting thickens to a spreadable consistency.
- Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before frosting the cake or cupcakes (or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week).
- Makes enough for 16 cupcakes or a two layer 9 inch cake.
Notes
- Be sure to chill the frosting in the fridge for at least 30 minutes after mixing it to achieve the ideal texture for spreading on cupcakes or cakes.
- You can also use this tahini frosting as a paleo hot fudge sauce by heating it to your desired temperature on the stove or in the microwave.