These vegan salted caramel tahini cups are incredibly decadent considering all you need to make them is tahini, coconut oil and dates.

A stack of tahini cups filled with date caramel.

Recipe Features

  • quick and easy – you’ll need just 3 ingredients and about 15 minutes hands-on time
  • dietary features – vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, no added sugar
  • delicious – decadent, rich and addictive, these simple whole food treats are always a hit!

Ingredient Notes

  • tahini – use a creamy, smooth and drippy tahini with just sesame seeds listed as the ingredients, it should not be overly bitter and should have a slightly sweet, nutty flavour, I like Arz Fine Foods and Soom brands best
  • dates – any kind of dates work as long as they’re soft and moist
  • coconut oil – this cannot be substituted in this recipe as it’s what makes the cups harden

Step by Step Instructions

Before you start: Get the dates soaking in a bowl of hot water and prepare muffin liners or silicone baking cups. You can either place the liners on a baking tray or use a muffin tin to keep them in place. Just be sure you can fit the tray in your freezer.

Step 1. Mix the tahini and coconut oil and scoop some into the cups. Freeze the cup bottoms until hardened.

Tahini and coconut oil in a metal mixing bowl
Melted coconut oil and tahini in 3 muffin liners on a white plate.

Step 2. Blend the soaked and drained dates with a pinch of sea salt then add to the cups.

Date paste in a small white dish.
Date paste in 3 muffin liners on a small white plate.

Step 3. Pour the rest of the tahini mixture over top and freeze until hardened. Once they’ve hardened, they’re ready to enjoy!

Stack of 3 tahini cups with date filling, a few dates in background.

Notes and Tips

  • Maple Syrup: For additional sweetness, add 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup to the tahini. The tahini I like is very smooth and slightly sweet but I’ve found some brands to be bitter. If your tahini is on the bitter side, consider adding a hint of sweetness. 
  • Storage: Up to 2 months in an airtight container in the freezer. Enjoy straight from the freezer anytime.
A stack of tahini cups filled with date caramel.

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A stack of 4 tahini cups with dates inside, one cut in half to show inside.

Salted Caramel Tahini Cups

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 9 tahini cups 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No-Bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

These decadent tahini caramel cups are sure to be your new favourite treat. They’re easy to make with just a few ingredients and have the most amazing taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

★★★★★

4.8 from 6 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (65 g)
  • 1/2 cup smooth, drippy tahini (120 g)
  • 1 cup packed, pitted dates (220 g)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Soak the pitted dates in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well nd set aside.
  2. White they dates are soaking, gently mix the melted coconut oil, tahini and maple syrup (if using) together in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
  3. Prepare 9 muffin liners or silicone baking cups and add 1 tbsp of the mixture into each one. Place them in the freezer to harden. They should take about 10 minutes to harden completely.
  4. In a food processor, blend the soaked dates with the sea salt until smooth and creamy like a thick paste. You may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides.
  5. Pull the hardened cups from the freezer and divide the date mixture by spoonfuls into each one. Evenly spoon the remaining tahini mixture onto each one. Spreading around a little so they’re somewhat flat.
  6. Place back in the freezer until hardened, about 20-30 minutes.
  7. Store in the freezer in a sealed container for up to 2 months and enjoy anytime.

Notes

For a little additional sweetness you can add 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup to the tahini. The tahini I like is very smooth and slightly sweet but I’ve found some brands to be bitter. If your tahini is on the bitter side, consider adding a hint of sweetness. 

For treats like these, I use silicone baking cups similar to these ones. I find they work better than paper liners and they last forever!

Adapted from Rawsome Vegan Baking by Emily Von Euw.

Keywords: tahini cups, caramel tahini cups, no-bake tahini recipe

Update Note: Originally published on January 29, 2015. Updated in January 2020 with new photos and text.