Tahini Date Shake
Creamy, dairy-free shake made with tahini, dates and bananas. This rich smoothie would be a lovely after-dinner drink or afternoon treat!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on June 17, 2026
If you’re craving a cold and creamy treat with redeeming qualities, this date “shake” recipe is for you! It features nutty tahini and caramel-like dates, two of the Middle East’s most beloved ingredients. Frozen bananas form a creamy, sweet base in place of vanilla ice cream.
The dates and bananas take off tahini’s savory edge, making it taste like dessert. The result is a decadent treat that’s closer to a milkshake than a banana smoothie in terms of sweetness and richness. It’s dairy-free and vegan.
This Date Shake is Different
Date shakes made with vanilla ice cream have been served in Palm Springs, California, for nearly 100 years. It’s no wonder that a surplus of locally grown dates in the hot Coachella Valley desert would find its way into cold ice cream!
I created this recipe based on a memorable shake I sampled at a restaurant on the other side of the world, during a food tour in Tel Aviv, Israel. It’s so delicious that I wanted to share it with you again today, along with new photos. This recipe even inspired the Banana Pecan Shakes in my cookbook (page 207).
Whether you’re interested in a healthier taste of Palm Springs or you’re intrigued by a no-milkshake concept with tahini, I hope you’ll give it a try. Readers report that this recipe is so rich and creamy that they like to eat it with a spoon, like ice cream!
“What an excellent substitution for a shake. I have never tried tahini in a smoothie/shake before and man was I missing out! Thank you for yet another great recipe”
Recipe Tip
Fresh, plump dates are easy to work with, while older dates need special care. If your dates are shriveled and difficult to tear open, soak them in boiling-hot water for 5 minutes. Once drained and cooled, you can easily tear them open to remove the pits. They’ll blend well, too.
Please let me know how your date shake turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Tahini Date Shake
This creamy, dairy-free shake is made with tahini, dates and bananas. This rich smoothie would be a lovely after-dinner drink or afternoon treat! Recipe yields two small shakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk or milk of choice (nut-free if necessary)
- 2 sliced and frozen ripe (but not overripe) bananas
- ¼ cup well-stirred tahini
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted and torn into pieces*
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon real vanilla extract
- Optional garnishes: pinch of cinnamon and/or sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the milk, frozen banana slices, tahini, dates, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and add more vanilla or cinnamon if desired. If you’d like to lighten it up, blend in some ice as well. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
*Date tip: If your dates are old and difficult to tear open, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes before using.
Change it up: Substitute nut butter for the tahini, like peanut butter, almond butter or pecan butter.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
You could try making this with Silan, which is dates “honey” sirup and is easier to blend.
Love all of these photos, Kathryne, and this tahini shake sounds divine.
Oh my goodness girl! You’re in Austin! I haven’t kept up like I should have – a belated welcome to this city!
<3 Anna
Austin sounds like such a delight! Definitely a foodie haven! And this shake looks awesome too. Definitely need to try!
Pinned! I’ll be recreating this on my blog soon. Thanks for the inspiration Kate!
Wow, never thought of that combo! Looks divine!
I *never* would have thought to put tahini in a shake. Yum.
I love dding dates to my smoothies too but I would have never thought to combine them with tahini. That sounds so creamy and delicious!
i can’t get enough of tahini in smoothies/shakes. i make a really similar smoothie but with cardamom instead of cinnamon. so good. your pictures are making me seriously hongry. and thirsty!
Oh, cardamom sounds lovely!
I have a few leftover dates from when I made granola bars – now I think I’ve finally figured out what to do make them! Love the unique combination of ingredients.
I’m so happy you did a post on the rest of your trip, Kate! Unfortunately I didn’t make it to Israel during my 5 years growing up in the Middle East but it sounds like the food scene is definitely worth going for. Enjoy the last bit of your time in Austin! :)
This shake is definitely happening considering I have over six huge containers of Medjool dates sitting on my dinning room table right now. :)
That’s a lot of dates! It’s really a beautiful country. I really want to see more of the Middle East now!
Kate, this shake saved my day! I was upset when waking up this morning because I had nothing to eat for breakfast (excepted a very ripe banana that I didn’t know what to do with) but felt SO hungry (or hangry should I say), and then, when checking my bloglovin feed, I found your recipe. I had everything to make it and it was the perfect solution to use this poor little banana! (so, yes, it even works with fresh banana) And of course it tasted absolutely delicious! I was a bit sceptic about tahini in a shake, but it pairs so well with dates and brings so much richness and creaminess! Thanks to you, my day had a new (and good!) start!
Perfect!!! Happy to hear that you found my shake in time, Nina. :)
its a beautiful experience and thank you for sharing that with us. And I will be making this shake very soon, immediately after i stock up on tahini :)
It’s refreshing to hear about Israel in a non-political context and see that there is beauty, vibrancy, and joy (yummy, yummy joy) in a place so associated with frequent sorrows. Looking forward to our next stop on the tour!
Thank you, Anne! I appreciate it.
That looks like an amazing trip! I would love to travel there one day. The food looks amazing and inspiring too.
This shake looks perfect! I have made something similar and really love these flavours together.
Love the addition of your travels and the photos are gorgeous!This is also one of my favorite smoothie recipes but I have yet to try it with tahini. Can’t wait to give a try!!
Great photos! It’s so cool that you’ve do this much travelling this early on in life. I’m almost 30 and I have yet to cross an ocean! Perhaps after getting through your upcoming posts on the trip I’ll have no choice but to pick a destination and book that flight :)
Book a flight! I’m all for it. :) I got to spend a semester in France during college and I’ve been traveling as much as possible ever since!
I’m so excited to make this shake…I have everything in the fridge and I’m thinking it’s going to be lunch today. Delicious!!! xx
This shake looks amazing, I usually add some dates or prunes in my shake if they are lying around with bananas, but tahini, yum. I’m gonna buy some. What brand of tahini did you use? The orange/white/brown container?
I felt safe there! I really wish we could have gone to Jerusalem. I actually used Whole Foods’ brand tahini and it was great. Can’t say I have a favorite brand yet!
I make a tahini banana honey shake but I love the addition of dates here!
The first time I had them in shakes was during a 120 F day when we were (perhaps unwisely) biking around Palm Springs. I thought I was going to die unless we stopped somewhere with AC and this little shop that had date shakes materialized so I went in and ordered one even though I thought it sounded a bit odd….turns out dates are nature’s answer to caramel :)
Dates are totally nature’s caramel! I’m learning to like them. So far I like them best in smoothies!
Sometimes, it’s actually a good thing that you don’t get to see all the attractions in the places you have visited so you have more reasons to come back! Oh and that market looks incredible. So stuffed with good food to keep one healthy and fit.
I loove tahini but never tried it on a shake!! Such a cool idea <3
I love the Middle Eastern flare the tahini adds to this delicious smoothie!
you had me a tahini date shake but the photos and story of your trip are amazing. roof top yoga is my jam, while those spices and dates are my dream. thanks for sharing. xo
I made this shake over the weekend and it was to-die-for! Now I need to stock up on more bananas to freeze because I’m already craving another one. :) Ugh, so good. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hooray! Glad you loved it, Sarah.
I made this shake after dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS. It tastes like a milkshake but better! I bought a jar of tahini to make hummus but after I saw this recipe, I wanted to try it because I had all of the ingredients on hand. I cannot wait to make it again tomorrow!! LOVE YOUR BLOG!
Awesome!!! So glad you enjoyed it, Alice!
Your trip photos look amazing! I love reading your blog posts, and appreciate how frequently you supply a steady stream of delicious recipes and color. Did you bring back any interesting flavors/spices from your trip? I am looking for recipes with nigella seeds, and know they are used atop middle eastern breads, among other things. As I kid, my father used to bring us home crescent rolls from a local bakery in Hartford, CT. I never knew what the tasty black seeds were and only recently realized they are nigella sativa, sometimes called black cumin. Thank you!
Thank you, Anna! I can’t recall if I had any nigella seeds over there. If I did, I probably mistook them for black sesame seeds! I definitely came back with a greater appreciation for tahini and dates. They use them in everything! Oh and halva, too.
Another winner! I was out of bananas so I subbed Goya frozen ripe plantains.
Thanks, Dave! Glad you enjoyed it.
Yours was my gateway to tahini smoothies. and like a previous poster stated I cannot get enough of tahini in my smoothies! It’s bad. Real bad. I really love the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg or cardamom, and am SERIOUSLY hooked on the halva with blended frozen strawberries (I do banana and strawberries sometimes)…I don’t blog and don’t want to name drop but maybe you’re familiar? I’d love to see your version, Kate!!
Awesome, thanks Jennifer! Your strawberry halva smoothie sounds amazing!!!
Usually I don’t like bananas in smoothies, but I thought they went really well with this whole mixture! Delicious shake, thanks for sharing.
Definitely gonna try this! Kate next time your in Austin I would recommend trying Peace Bakery off N. Lamar and Breaker. Super awesome Mediterranean restaurant and bakery.
Thanks, David! I just added it to my list!
Just made this. Yum! And a great source of calcium.
Thanks, Bec!
Obsessed with this shake and sharing with every one I know. Thanks!
Delicious and unique!
I made this, but with coconut milk instead of almond milk, and it turned out great! Thanks for this recipe :)
This was amazing. The tahini seemed like such an odd addition, but it turned out so delicious! I used 3 dates instead of 4 and I didn’t have vanilla extract and it still turned out perfect. Thanks for another outstanding recipe.
Thank you, Carrie! I’m glad you liked the smoothies.
Hey Kate! Do you think I could subtitute yogurt for tahini?
I had the most delicious tahini, date, banana and walnut smoothie when I was in Israel. I was hoping to recreate the recipe at home and after a quick google for inspiration, I came across this. I never before realised how unique the flavour of date and tahini was to this country and drinking the smoothie while looking back at the photos really brings back the memories!
Yoram Ottolenghi has a great documentary where he tours through Jerusalem, in both Jewish and Palestinian homes and shows how food can be a means to bring people together. Highly recommended, as Israel has such an original and diverse cuisine.
Thanks for the recipe and photos.
I tasted some amazing banana ice cream yesterday at my local farm shop and I was so tempted to get some but my body really doesn’t agree with dairy so I resisted temptation! When I got home I made this with a frozen banana from the freezer and it was everything I needed and more. Second time making it and definitely not the last.
I’m so glad this hit the spot, Georgia!
All of your recipes are awesome . Thank You So Much . Joanne
Thank you, Joanne!
This was absolutely delicious!! My boyfriend and are huge fans of your recipes. I’ve already bought three copies of your cookbook. One for us and two for gifts. I rarely give cookbooks as gifts but we’ve been so impressed with your cooking that I’m excited to share it with my loved ones.
We made your Southwestern Kale Power Salad for dinner and I noticed this shake recipe on your site. A few hours after dinner, we were craving a sweet treat and realized that we had everything for the date shake. It absolutely exceeded our expectations. You are a fantastic chef and your recipes never disappoint. Thank you for another delicious recipe Kate! :-)
Thank you so much for such a kind comment, Alicia! Thanks for buying the book and sharing it with others. And I *love* this as a sweet-tooth craving, too! Thank you for reading. :)
wow this is just fantastic! so delicious. i added a few handfuls of ice and i used fresh home made unfiltered almond milk. it turned out like ice cream so i served it in a bowl with a spoon. i will be making this again and again. next time i’ll try adding a bit of fresh mint. thank you so much for the wonderful recipes you provide.
Tasty! Thank you, for your review. And, you are very welcome!
I found this recipe by chance. I was searching smoothie recipes with tahini as an ingredient. All I can say is, WOW! Am I ever glad I found this one. It was amazing and extremely satisfying to my sweet tooth. Going in my recipe box as a new fav! Thanks for sharing.
I am glad you did! Thank you for the kind words and for your review, Tan.
Oh goodness Kate. This one is a winner!!! 5 stars aren’t enough.
I used homemade almond milk and am drinking this for breakfast.
Thank you so much for another wonderful recipe.
You’re so sweet, Morgan! Thank you. I appreciate the kind words and review.
A super delicious recipe! Was needing something to do with the Tahini I got from Israel.
I love that! Thank you, for your comment and review Shivi.
Delicious! I like to spoon it out of the glass like a dessert. So good, the perfect treat.
Thanks for your review, Elena!
I was not expecting to like this as much as I did! It is DELICIOUS and a perfect dessert/afternoon snack. Definitely will make again and again.
Great to hear, Olivia!
this is a really delicious adaptation of the tahini-date shake i fell in love with last october when i visited tel-aviv. i discovered this shake at a super cute breakfast/lunch cafe, and couldn’t resist ordering it. it blew my MIND, it was so delicious. ever since then, i’ve been dreaming of that shake and wishing i could visit that cafe on command.
i found this version of the shake and it’s quite delicious, although the one i devoured was slightly different and maybe a little more dreamy but still delicious!
the one i had in tel-aviv had walnuts and oatmeal in it, and i forget which milk substitute, but the other ingredients seem to be the same.
i just made this for dinner even though it’s traditionally a breakfast meal (treating myself!) i don’t have any pecans right now, but i did make this as-is and added about 1/4 cup of rolled oats with some ice, only 1 banana, and used oatly oatmilk. it’s like drinking ice cream for dinner!
highly recommend :) and recommend playing around with ingredients, too!
thanks for creating this post for us tel-aviv dreamers!
Thank you for your detailed feedback!