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Hummus

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This homemade hummus recipe is quick and easy to make, super-smooth and creamy, and tastes so fresh and flavorful!

This past month, I’ve been on a mission to improve my hummus game.

I’ve had a basic hummus recipe here on the blog that I’ve made and enjoyed for years. But while it was good — I have to admit — it wasn’t knock-your-socks-off great.  And ever since we became regulars at this little falafel joint here in Barcelona that introduced us to the creamiest, dreamiest, smoothest, most-flavorful hummus ever, I knew that I needed to go back to the drawing board and kick my old hummus recipe up a notch.

And thus — the hummus testing began.

My first mission was to improve the flavor of my hummus, which was actually a piece of cake. More tahini, more lemon juice, more garlic, and more salt instantly livened and brightened up the flavor of this dip. Plus a generous sprinkle of ground sumac on top (the preferred spice of our falafel spot), or maybe some paprika if you prefer.

My second mission was to improve the texture of my hummus and make it as silky-smooth as possible, which ended up being a total recipe-testing rabbit hole. Turns out that the internet is full of opinions about exactly how to achieve the perfect creamy texture, most of which have to do with how to cook your chickpeas. So in the quest for killer hummus, I put on my Ali’s Test Kitchen hat and tried ’em all. From Solmonov’s famous method of soaking dried chickpeas overnight and then boiling them until they are overcooked in baking soda, to Epicurious’ shortened method of just boiling a can of chickpeas in water for 20 minutes, to Melissa Clark’s scratch Instant Pot hummus, to the Washington Post’s super-speedy method of pureeing the hummus for a full 3 minutes in the food processor, to various tips from around the internet to incorporate aquafaba, use a blender, and (ugh) individually peel every one of those little chickpeas — well, let’s just say it’s a good thing that Barclay and I love hummus because we’re nearly twenty batches in this month (and counting).

Our conclusion?

I hate to say it, but the difference between most of these methods was surprisingly microscopic. From the way that people talk online, I was expecting pretty dramatic differences between the various methods once we lined our batches of hummus up side by side for round after round of blind taste-testing. But most of our conversations ended up being like, “Dang, I don’t know, I mean maybe batch three is a teeny bit smoother than batch four?! Maybe?”

In the end, the most game-changing factor for us ended up being the easiest, quickest, almost-hate-to-admit-it-after-all-of-that-testing step of all — simply pureeing your hummus an extra few minutes in the food processor. I know, it seems so obvious. But giving the food processor a few extra minutes to work its magic seemed to be the key factor in achieving that perfectly creamy, light, whipped texture that we were going for.

That said, yes, the flavor and texture may have been a tiny bit better with boiled-from-scratch chickpeas, either made on the stove or in the Instant Pot. Or yes, if you’re using canned chickpeas and have an extra 20 minutes to boil them before pureeing, the texture may be just a tiny bit creamier. But honestly, after blitzing our final three batches for 4 full minutes in the food processor — one with chickpeas boiled from scratch, one with canned chickpeas boiled for 20 minutes, and one with chickpeas just straight outta the can — Barclay and I couldn’t even reach an agreement with blind taste-testing about which one was the smoothest. Those extra few minutes in the food processor seemed to even them all out!

Anyway, I know that hummus-making opinions on the internet are very passionate. So to each hummus maker, his or her own. But, if you’d like to try the winning recipe and method that we landed on in our house after our hummus-a-thon, here it is!

Classic Hummus | 1-Minute Video

What Is Hummus?

Alright, first let’s back up for a sec — just exactly what is hummus? In case this is new to you, it’s a classic dish from the Middle East and Mediterranean made primarily from chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), tahini (ground sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and salt. Various countries add in their own staple ingredients, like ground cumin. And of course, if you look for hummus at any American grocery store nowadays, there are about a million variations that you can buy. It can be served warm or cold, as a dip or as a spread, and above all, it’s downright delicious.

Hummus Ingredients

One of the other things I love about making homemade hummus is that most all of the ingredients can be found in your pantry, making this an easy impromptu dip to make for parties, game day, or a regular ol’ delicious weeknight dinner. You will need:

  • Chickpeas*: I simply recommend buying a can of good organic chickpeas, which we will rinse and drain and add straight to the hummus.
  • Tahini: Since this ingredient is arguably the most prominent flavor in hummus, I recommend purchasing a jar of good-quality tahini.
  • Garlic: This recipe calls for two cloves, but feel free to double that if you would like more garlicky flavor.
  • Lemon juice: Fresh, please!
  • Ground cumin: I absolutely love the added flavor of some cumin in hummus.
  • Olive oil: We will incorporate some into the hummus itself, and then drizzle extra on top for serving.
  • Salt: I always use fine sea salt.
  • Cold water: This is another game-changing ingredient when it comes to the texture of your hummus. If it’s too thick and not smoothing out, just add in some more water.

*Or, as I mentioned earlier, feel free to instead use:

  • Chickpeas that have been cooked from scratch: Either in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. I recommend overcooking them a bit to slightly soften the chickpeas and loosen up the skins.
  • Canned chickpeas that have been simmered for 20 minutes: If you have the extra time, just rinse and drain your chickpeas. Transfer them to a saucepan and cover with an extra inch or two of water. Then bring to a simmer, continue simmering for 20 minutes, and drain. If you happen to buy a brand of chickpeas that seems to be harder and undercooked — I’ve found that brands can vary significantly — this method may be helpful.

Then, of course, there are the toppings. For a classic batch of hummus, I recommend drizzling some olive oil on top of the dip, and then sprinkling it with either ground sumac or paprika, plus maybe a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley. But the sky’s the limit with other toppings you could add! Toasted pine nuts, chopped roasted red peppers, and everything bagel seasoning are a few of my other faves.

How To Make Hummus

To make this hummus recipe, simply:

  1. Puree the first seven ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Tahini, cold water, olive oil, cumin, salt, garlic and lemon.
  2. Add in the chickpeas. One can, rinsed in warm water and drained.
  3. Puree for 3-4 minutes, or until smooth. Yep, put that food processor to work! Just keep it going and going until the hummus is nice and smooth, pausing once or twice to scrape the sides down. If the hummus seems too thick, feel free to add in an extra tablespoon or two of water too.
  4. Taste and season. Give the hummus a taste, and add in extra salt, cumin and/or lemon juice if needed.
  5. Garnish and serve. Transfer it to a serving bowl, add on any toppings that you would like, and enjoy!!

Hummus Recipe Variations

The sky’s the limit if you’d like to get creative and mix things up with your hummus! Some of my favorite variations include:

  • roasted red pepper hummus: a classic, and even better with some crushed red pepper flakes sprinkled in too
  • pesto hummus: store-bought or homemade, plus maybe an extra garnish of toasted pine nuts
  • roasted garlic hummus: nix the fresh garlic in favor of a few cloves of rich, sweet, roasted garlic

Ways To Use Hummus

Of course, you can always use hummus as a dip. But it’s also delicious used in:

  • toast: I’ve been on a major hummus toast kick this year (more on that coming soon!)
  • burgers/sandwiches: just use the hummus as a spread for extra flavor
  • wraps: similarly, hummus makes a great spread in wraps or gyros
  • salads: mix in some extra lemon juice, water and oil, and hummus can double as a delicious salad dressing
  • mixed into pasta: similarly, just thin the hummus out with some water, and it can be used as a sauce for hot noodles or cold pasta salads
  • as a “crust” for chicken: this old hummus-crusted chicken recipe is still one of my faves
  • deviled eggs: the flavors in hummus pair perfectly with deviled eggs!
  • mashed potatoes: so good.

More Favorite Dip Recipes

Looking for more great dip recipes? Here are a few more of my faves:

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Hummus

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 238 reviews
  • Author: Ali
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6 -8 servings 1x

Description

This homemade hummus recipe is quick and easy to make, super-smooth and creamy, and tastes so fresh and flavorful!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/3 cup good-quality tahini
  • 24 tablespoons cold water, or more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • juice of 1 lemon (23 tablespoons)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas*, rinsed and drained
  • optional toppings: extra drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, sprinkle of ground sumac or paprika, toasted pine nuts

Instructions

  1. Add tahini, cold water, olive oil, cumin, salt, garlic and lemon juice to a food processor.  Puree until smooth.
  2. Add in the chickpeas.  Puree for 3-4 minutes, pausing halfway to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the hummus is smooth.  If it seems too thick, add in another tablespoon or two of water.
  3. Taste and season with additional salt, cumin, and/or lemon juice if needed.
  4. Serve immediately, garnished with your desired toppings.  Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Notes

Or, as mentioned above, feel free to instead use:

  • Chickpeas that have been cooked from scratch: Either in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.  I recommend overcooking them a bit to slightly soften the chickpeas and loosen up the skins.
  • Canned chickpeas that have been simmered for 20 minutes: If you have the extra time, just rinse and drain your chickpeas. Transfer them to a saucepan and cover with an extra inch or two of water.  Then bring to a simmer, continue simmering for 20 minutes, and drain.

These two methods may yield slightly smoother hummus.  But in my experience, the difference was negligible and arguably not worth the extra time and effort.

 

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435 comments on “Hummus”

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  1. Would this be better if made the day before and refrigerated? Thank you!

  2. I made this today with love for a party tomorrow. I shall come back once I hear how they like it. 😎However until then I LOVE it, and it is my very first Hummus home dish…that (I made) 🤗

  3. I absolutely love this recipe! I make it 2-3 times every month and it is always a favorite of friends and family. Delicious, easy and so healthy.

  4. Perfect blend of ingredients. Delicious! I’m a hummus fan and this recipe really nails it. Thank you!

  5. So yummy and easy!!! Thank you!

  6. I made your roasted chickpeas to try and add some protein to our salads – sick of tofu. When I saw you included sumac, one of my favorite spices, I gave it a shot. I don’t like chickpeas as a matter of course but these crunchy little gems were stars. So in a quest to find the perfect hummus recipe, which I like but don’t love, I made your hummus. It was all I could do not to suck down the entire recipe! I did take the time to remove most, if not all of those pesky chickpea skins, which I credit with the amazing smoothness of the end result. Adding ice water, blending for 4 minutes, and topping with good olive oil, sumac and finely chopped parsley made a party-worthy result I will make every chance I get!! Thank you for doing the tedious work so we can enjoy these fabulous recipes!

  7. Could you make this in a blender instead?!

  8. Have you ever tried to freeze this? I am afraid I would only be able to eat half of it at a time.

  9. Fabulous! So easy and delicious! Than you for sharing!

  10. Oh my goodness…. I never thought I could love hummus any more than I already do, but your recipe did it!! This was absolutely perfect!! Tasted great exactly as written. I just a splash more of lemon juice & pinch more of salt of more liking

  11. Very good. It’s a keeper. By any chance to you have all the nutrients figure out to share on here?

  12. Oh this is good!

  13. This was so good!! I add a little extra lemon juice.

  14. I’ve made this on repeat for several months now. It’s so good and so easy. I don’t even need to read recipe anymore. I do soak and use dried chickpeas but that’s just because I can my own and this saves me a step. I double the recipe and we have it with whatever veggies are in the garden or on wraps.

  15. Sooooo good! It makes store bought hummus taste like cardboard by comparison.

  16. Absolutely delicious! I was having a hard time finding good hummus at the store and this was so easy and delightful! Can’t wait to try roasted pepper next!

  17. This was amazing thank you!!!!

  18. My husband, the pickiest hummus eater, said it was good. And the kids love it!!

  19. This recipe is INSANE!! By far the best hummus recipe and we buy homemade hummus often. After trying this recipe, it will be hard to buy hummus again. It was so easy to make. And I’m from NY so anything quick and effective works for me! I can’t wait to try it with roasted red pepper! ❤️

  20. I can recommend simmering the canned chickpeas for 20 minutes in water and using the liquid from the can instead of cold water in the recipe. Much smoother texture and good flavor. I did my own texture and taste test of these two methods

  21. You said a good quality tahini but I have no idea- are there brands you can recommend?

  22. Very good, easy to make! Reminds me of the hummus at one of my favorite mediterranean restaurants. Thank you for the revipe!

  23. Excellent! I like personalizing taste options at the end, too! Great recipe, thanks!

  24. Absolute favorite hummus ever!

  25. The very best recipe and I have tried many. Everyone will ask for the recipe!

  26. How many cups does this recipe make?

  27. Can you easily double this recipe?

    How far ahead can you make it!

  28. Great recipe, I added crunchy chili oil and it was a fantastic addition.

  29. SOOOOOOOO tasty and easy! Hosting Bunco tonight and doing a Mediterranean menu so this is perfect.

  30. Amazing!!! So good! I added pesto on top!

  31. Best hummus I have ever made! Been making this recipe for years and I’ve always meant to leave a comment. Always fun to try different variations. I like to use the aquafaba to make vegan Pavlova‘s.

  32. So tasty you won’t stop eating it. Yum