Sesame Seed Recipes

January 21, 2021 6:21 AM

Trader Joe's sells these delicious sesame honey almonds and sesame honey cashews that are great for snacking. At the end of the bag, there are significant residual sesame seeds leftover, along with some broken nuts. We're talking at least a quarter cup. What can I do with these sesame seeds so they don't go to waste?

The sesame seeds are already sweetened and have some cashew/almond flavor. And because they're in a bag of nuts, some have turned to sesame dust.

What delicious recipes can I make?

posted by stripesandplaid to Food & Drink (20 answers total)

I would probably just use them as a topping (for salad, or anything that needs a little sweetness & crunch).

With Trader Joe's chili lime almonds, I just add more nuts (usually peanuts) to the bag until all the flavor is used up, which might be nice for the sesame dust.
posted by mskyle at 6:24 AM on January 21, 2021 [8 favorites]

I'd probably use them on top of some sort of muffin or quick bread.
posted by kathrynm at 6:34 AM on January 21, 2021

I like a Korean spinach recipe that uses sesame oil and also sesame seeds as a condiment. I gather there are a lot of recipes in Japan and Korea that use sesame seeds that way. But if they're too sweet, I think it would taste weird, so maybe stick with muffins.
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:35 AM on January 21, 2021

I'd sprinkle a pinch of them over a spicy noodle dish.
posted by saladin at 6:36 AM on January 21, 2021 [7 favorites]

I bet they’d be tasty on oatmeal.
posted by leastlikelycowgirl at 6:48 AM on January 21, 2021 [7 favorites]

Could you roll them into a cookie dough?
posted by mdonley at 6:50 AM on January 21, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: if you make yeasted breads, they'd be great sprinkled over a loaf of enriched bread - like a pan loaf of a sweetened, milk-based bread. an egg wash will help them stick and make the loaf all shiny. just before baking, brush the top with egg whites, then sprinkle on the seeds.
posted by Caxton1476 at 6:52 AM on January 21, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Add them to homemade granola.
posted by rebekah at 6:56 AM on January 21, 2021 [8 favorites]

Another vote for a small batch of cookie dough, used half and half with the same amount of chocolate chips (probably milk, but I could see dark or white working too) or maybe crystallised ginger. You could also use them in a crumble-type topping, e.g. as a replacement for the oats on the top of this recipe.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 7:00 AM on January 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

+1 oatmeal!
posted by scratch at 7:24 AM on January 21, 2021 [2 favorites]

maybe add to a pb&j or similar

probably good as a topping on vanilla yogurt or cottage cheese
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:50 AM on January 21, 2021 [4 favorites]

Baked or grilled chicken, tossed in bottled teriyaki or similar sauce, dusted with those leftovers. Or over salad with a sesame or ginger-carrot dressing.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:55 AM on January 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

Sesame and nuts are often used as toppings/garnish for noodle dishes, and any residual sweetness would probably seem intentional.
posted by pipeski at 8:03 AM on January 21, 2021

Toss them with popcorn.
posted by dywypi at 8:11 AM on January 21, 2021 [4 favorites]

Best answer: They might be good on top of a small batch of rice krispie treats (probably even better with a heartier cereal--we usually use things like Cheerios, Chex, or puffed wheat).
posted by wintersweet at 8:11 AM on January 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

Something that I really like at the moment is lightly toast them in a dry frying pan til they're golden. Then grind them up in a mortar and pestle. You get a delicious almost peanut butter consistency. I'll then add this paste to miso/soy sauce/fish sauce (whatever asian seasonings you have around). I find it a really delicious soup base combo for homemade ramen type dishes.
posted by multivalent at 8:14 AM on January 21, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I bet these would be great on top of vanilla ice cream.
posted by mmascolino at 8:28 AM on January 21, 2021 [10 favorites]

Best answer: Sesame tofu!
posted by sugarbomb at 10:55 AM on January 21, 2021

plant them!
posted by bq at 11:54 AM on January 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: You'll have to stock up, but Pasteli, rolled thinner than in this photo, has been our pandemic delight. If you have a silicone baking mat and a good rolling pin, that works better than waxed paper.
posted by Scram at 11:11 PM on January 21, 2021