Black sesame paste you can make at home in under 20 minutes, with just sesame seeds and a splash of oil. I kept eyeing that big Costco jar of black sesame spread but never committed, and by the time I was ready it was gone. Now I just make my own: it's fresher, cheaper, and I'm never stuck waiting for it to come back in stock.
Swirl it into my matcha latte ice cream or spoon it over red bean ice cream, two easy ways to turn a spoonful of paste into an actual dessert.
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What Is Black Sesame Paste?
Black sesame paste is a smooth, thick spread made from ground black sesame seeds. It's similar in texture to nut butter or tahini but has a deeper, more intense flavor. Think roasted and nutty with a slight bitterness that mellows out once you add a little oil.
It's used across Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cooking in both sweet and savory dishes. You'll find it in mochi, ice cream, tang yuan, noodles, soups, and spreads. It's different from black sesame tahini, which uses raw or lightly toasted seeds and has a milder, thinner result.
Once you have a jar ready, you'll keep finding reasons to use it.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fast. Ready in about 20 minutes from start to finish.
- 4 ingredients. Sesame seeds, oil, optional sweetener, optional salt.
- Versatile. Use it in desserts, lattes, ice cream, bread spreads, noodles, and more.
- Customizable. Keep it plain for savory recipes or sweeten it for desserts.
- No specialty equipment required. A food processor, blender, or spice grinder all work.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Black sesame seeds: The star of the paste. Find them at Asian grocery stores or in the international aisle at most large supermarkets. Fresh seeds smell nutty before you even toast them.
- Oil: Avocado, vegetable, grapeseed, or light olive oil all work. Avoid strongly flavored oils like extra virgin olive oil unless you want that coming through. Coconut oil works too, though the paste will solidify in the fridge, just let it sit at room temperature before using.
- Sweetener: Optional, but helpful if you're using this as a dessert base. Powdered sugar blends in smoothly, honey adds a floral note, condensed milk makes it richer and creamier. I used honey on this recipe.
- Salt: Just a pinch. It sharpens the flavor and keeps the paste from tasting flat.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Black Sesame Paste
- Toast the Seeds - Add black sesame seeds to a dry pan over low to medium-low heat. Stir often for 5 to 8 minutes. You'll know they're ready when they smell nutty and fragrant. Keep the heat low. These seeds are already dark, so it's hard to see when they start to burn, but you'll smell it fast.
- Cool Completely - Transfer the seeds to a plate or flat surface and let them cool fully before blending. Blending hot seeds can make the paste bitter and can also cause clumping. Give it 10 to 15 minutes.
- Blend Until Fine - Add the cooled seeds to your food processor, blender, or spice grinder. Blend until the seeds are finely ground. Scrape down the sides as needed. This step takes a couple of minutes depending on your machine.
- Add Oil, Sweeten, and Season - Add one tablespoon of oil at a time while blending until the sesame mixture turns into a smooth paste. Some batches need two tablespoons, some need four, so add just enough to reach the texture you want. Scrape the sides often. Add honey. Add a pinch of salt, then blend again until smooth and fully combined.
- Store - Spoon the paste into a clean jar with a lid. Refrigerate for up to two weeks. The oil will naturally separate over time, so just give it a stir before using.
Ways to Use Black Sesame Paste
Once you have a jar in the fridge, here's what to do with it.
- Lattes and drinks. Whisk a spoonful into warm milk with a little honey. This is the whole reason I started making it. I had a black sesame latte during a layover in Taiwan and haven't stopped thinking about it since.
- Ice cream. Swirl it into a Ninja Creami base for a creamy, nutty black sesame ice cream. Works especially well with coconut milk or condensed milk bases.
- Mochi and tang yuan filling. Mix the sweetened paste with a little softened butter or shortening so it firms up enough to wrap inside glutinous rice dough. This is one of the most traditional uses for this paste in Chinese and Japanese desserts.
- Toast and bread. Use the sweetened version the way you'd use peanut butter. It's really good on warm pandesal straight from the oven.
- Noodles and soups. Thin it with soy sauce, sesame oil, and a splash of water for a nutty noodle sauce, or stir a spoonful straight into ramen broth for something richer. Adds real depth to garlic noodles.
- Baking. Swirl it into muffins, rolls, or brownie batter. Try it alongside ube in these ube muffins.
Tips for the Best Black Sesame Paste
- Don't skip the cooling step. This is the step people are most likely to rush past, but blending hot seeds affects the final flavor and can cause clumping. Give it the full 10 to 15 minutes.
- Toast on low heat. These seeds burn faster than you think because you can't see the color change easily. Keep the heat low and stay close to the pan.
- Add oil gradually. Starting with too much oil at once makes it hard to control the texture. One tablespoon at a time gives you more control over how thick or thin the paste turns out.
- Use a food processor for larger batches. A spice grinder works great for small amounts, but if you're making a full cup of seeds, a food processor handles it more evenly.
- Taste before you sweeten. Plain black sesame paste is genuinely versatile. If you add sweetener before you taste, you might over-sweeten it and lose the option to use it in savory dishes. Taste first, then decide.
Black Sesame Seeds and Their Benefits
Beyond the flavor, one of the reasons I started buying black sesame seeds in bulk is their reputation for hair health. Traditional Chinese medicine has long pointed to black sesame as good for hair and scalp health, and the seeds are naturally rich in iron, calcium, zinc, and healthy fats.
I'm no doctor, so take that as folklore rather than medical advice, but it's a nice bonus when something this tasty also has something going for it nutritionally. It gave me one more reason to keep a jar of this paste stocked.
Storage
Store in a clean glass jar with a tight lid in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Stir before each use since the oil separates naturally.
If you used coconut oil, the paste will solidify in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before stirring and using.
To freeze, portion into an ice cube tray, freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Keeps for up to three months, handy if you want pre-portioned amounts ready for mochi filling or a quick spoonful in your next latte.
Recipe FAQs
Tahini is made from raw or lightly toasted sesame seeds and has a thinner consistency and milder flavor. Black sesame paste uses fully toasted seeds and tends to be thicker, richer, and more intense in flavor. Both can be used in similar ways, but the paste is better for desserts and stronger flavored dishes.
Yes. A high-speed blender or spice grinder both work. You may need to stop and scrape the sides more often with a regular blender. A food processor gives you the most control for larger batches.
It usually needs more blending time. Keep going and add oil one tablespoon at a time. The more you blend, the smoother it gets. Patience is key here.
The oil is what helps the seeds turn into a smooth paste. Without it, you'll end up with a dry powder. You can try reducing the oil amount slightly if you want a thicker result, but some oil is necessary.
Up to two weeks in the fridge in a clean, airtight jar. The oil will separate as it sits, which is normal. Stir it back together before using.
More Recipes You'll Love
- Ninja Creami Ube Ice Cream Recipe
- Easy Ube Halaya Jam
- Ninja Creami Mango Ice Cream
- Homemade Pandesal
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Homemade Black Sesame Paste
Equipment
- Food processor, blender, or spice grinder
- Small glass jar with lid
Ingredients
- 1 cup black sesame seeds
- 2 to 4 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or honey optional
- Pinch of salt optional
Instructions
- Add the black sesame seeds to a dry pan over low to medium-low heat.1 cup black sesame seeds
- Toast for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the seeds smell nutty and fragrant.
- Transfer the toasted seeds to a plate and let them cool completely.
- Add the cooled sesame seeds to a food processor, blender, or spice grinder.
- Blend until finely ground, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the oil 1 tablespoon at a time and continue blending until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.2 to 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- Add powdered sugar, honey, or condensed milk if making a sweet version.1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or honey
- Add a pinch of salt, if using, and blend again.Pinch of salt
- Transfer to a clean jar and store in the refrigerator.
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Notes
- Toast the seeds over low heat because black sesame seeds can burn quickly and it’s harder to see color changes.
- Let the seeds cool completely before blending to avoid bitterness and clumping.
- Add oil slowly so you can control the texture.
- Use avocado oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or another neutral oil.
- Coconut oil works, but the paste will solidify in the fridge.
- Keep it unsweetened if you want to use it for savory recipes.
- Sweeten it if you plan to use it for lattes, ice cream, toast, or desserts.
- Stir before using because the oil may separate.
Jane says
Made a latte with this this morning and it tasted just like the one I had in Taiwan! Thank you!
Rose Sioson says
Hello Jane! I do that too! That's amazing, glad it got you back to Taiwan for a minute. Thanks for making it.