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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 209 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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387 comments on “Hummus”

  1. What a delicious easy recipe! I used to not like hummus until I made it myself. I just cut down on the salt a wee bit. If using canned chickpeas i noticed that nemed brand canned chickpeas seemed to have softer chickpeas. Love the fluffy creamy texture. Thanks for the recipe!






  2. Hi do you have the nutritional information for this hummus dip? Specifically saturated fat, sugars and carbs.

  3. Can you freeze this?

  4. I have searched for this good of a recipe for years. This is one of the best hummus’ I’ve eaten. I was using the Zahav recipe, but it’s inconsistent and fussy. I’m now making hummus again each week for my family. I do de-shell the garbanzos.






    • I have recently been looking for new recipes as I have gone vegan since the new year. This recipe was beyond amazing and way better than hummus at the store! 10/10!!!






  5. I made this recipe with canned chickpeas. I did pop the skins of each pea and it definitely makes it more creamy.
    I added extra lemon juice and half a teaspoon of Cavender’s Salt free Greek Seasoning. If you’ve never tried Cavender’s it’s excellent in vegetables, soups and casseroles.

    Great recipe and easy to make.






  6. This was absolutely awesome! So creamy! So tasty!






  7. This recipe was incredible! I’ll never use another recipe again!! I used canned beans and simmered them for 20 min. I made 4x the recipe and its half gone in a couple days!

    Next I’m thinking of using another kind of bean. Thoughts on other beans and any adjustments you would make to the other ingredients in the recipe? I have some pinto beans to use so I was thinking of keeping everything else the same and seeing how things turn out!






  8. I don’t comment often on recipes, but this is too good not to. Just tried it with some super fresh and crunchy carrots. AMAZING!

  9. Best hummus I’ve ever had! Just made my second batch, I use it for everything, it’s great on sandwiches. I like to sprinkle a dash of Chipotle seasoning on top for an added little kick!

  10. My go-to hummus recipe. Better than store bought by a mile!






  11. I’ve enjoyed eating store bought hummus for many years, but I cannot believe how incredible this recipe taste!! Perfect and so easy.






  12. Fantastic recipe! Quick and simple. Tasted so much better than store bought. Will never buy pre-made again. Thanks so much for sharing.






  13. I absolutely LOVE this hummus! I make it at least one a week! ?






  14. I just made this and it turned out nice…. except for the salt. Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love salt… I use too much of It according to my husband when I cook… even when I think it isn’t even salty… but this recipe with the 3/4 tsp of salt was basically a salt hummus. Thank goodness I had carrots which helped combat the saltiness. I will make this recipe again but use probably 1/4 tsp to maybe a 1/2 tsp of sea salt. But it did come out nice and creamy and I was very happy otherwise.






  15. Abso!Italy the best hummus recipe! Had to add a little more water, oil, and lemon juice for texture. I think it was because I started with dry chickpeas that I pressure cooked. Use it in place of mayo on a sandwich. Mmmm!






  16. It’s a great recipe and easy, the only thing i didn’t have was the tahini but it still taste good. I did add a little extra garlic and roasted them. Thanks for the recipe?






  17. I’ve made your hummus recipe twice and it’s the best! I used garbanzos made in the instapot… From organic USA grown.. Palouse from Washington State… I swear they make a huge difference in texture.. I followed your recipe to the T… added water to get the smooth texture…. I am hooked!






  18. My go to falafel. Red pepper addition is the best! I omit the cumin and chop in. 1/2 jar roasted peppers and 1/2 jalapeño. Yum!

  19. Great recipe. I added 3 garlic cloves and I read a tip saying if you use 2 ice cubes instead of the water. Came out excellent. I also put chopped black and green olives on top before serving. Blend it for 5 minutes for sure. Came out really creamy.

  20. hello ALI, I really appreciate your efforts, the way you research a recipe and then share it with us. I tried in my kitchen the same procedure you discussed for hummus in your blog, the taste is simply amazing
    .






  21. 5 stars

    This is one of the best homemade hummus recipes I have tried! Love it!

  22. This really is an amazing hummus recipe. The simple tricks of adding cold water and running the food processor longer work great. I’m sharing your recipe with a link to your website on my website






  23. I use macadamia nut paste instead of tahini because it is healthy and handy in the fridge
    I like to add a little cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit too






  24. Turned out thick but fluffy and creamy. Absolutely perfect consistency and flavor profile. This is my new go-to!!!! Thank you!






  25. I made a big batch, one with cumin, pesto and original. They are superb. Tonight’s dinner is bread & hummus! Great recipe.






  26. Great recipe! I ended up substituting some of the water with lemon juice, I also added more cumin and salt. Next time I may add one more cloves of garlic but this is a very good recipe to start with and build upon for whatever kind of hummus you’d like. Topped with some paprika and parsley.






  27. I made two changes and the result was PERFECTION. 1. I peeled the skin off of the chick peas. (This was time consuming but I think it made a big difference.) 2. I added two ice cubes instead of cold water. I have made hummus many, many times and was never completely happy with the texture. This hummus was what I’ve been looking for – perfectly smooth and creamy. I’m not sure if it was the chick pea peeling, ice cubes, or extra time in the food processor, but I will not chance a thing next time I make it!






  28. Love this recipe ?and I love home made hummus, so much better than store bought!
    I did cut back on the salt and added more garlic and lemon ?! Yum!!!
    I also made a batch with Jalapeños in it for my friend who likes every thing spicy ?!

  29. If your not using canned how many cups of chickpeas?

  30. Excellent recipe. Definitely a keeper






  31. My daughter says this hummus is better than the one at Pita jungle! So easy to make and so tasty I love it!






  32. Very good. I followed the recipe to a tee but opted for the stick blender to get it super creamy. Yum!

  33. This is the best homemade hummus recipe I’ve tried. We are garlic aholics so we added a bunch!






  34. This is a good basic recipe. I cooked my own chickpeas (the whole bag, 16 oz?) Used 2 lemons from our trees, and extra tahini and olive oil. I added pickled garlic and pickled jalapeños and it’s so flavorful!






  35. My wife really loves hummus and eats it all of the time. She has her favorite brands and remembering an earlier attempt of mine to make our own hummus she was not particularly excited when I told her that I was going to make some hummus again using our recipe. And then she tasted what I had done and said, “Wow. This is great. Let’s have it as a side dish with dinner.” And the rest is history.






  36. So so good! I peeled the chick peas and add an ice cube or two when I’m blending everything together. I’ll never need another hummus recipe again!






  37. Hey Ali I don’t remember if I had already commented on this one (age, ya know, lol). Anyway I love this hummus recipe as a base to play with… hummus is SO open to experimenting! Today I just made some with extra EVOO and crushed red pepper. It’s so easy and such an awesome healthy snack to have around, I’m definitely going to have to do this more often! Thanks Ali keep the good stuff coming…






  38. Super easy & delicious! I didn’t change a thing. Added the extra 2 cloves of garlic as suggested. I used unsalted organic canned chickpeas rinsed & drained.

    This was my dinner with fresh veggies and pistachios. Absolutely loved it!

    I rarely follow a recipe exactly but, this didn’t require any adjustments.






  39. Truly the best hummus I’ve ever tried! Thank you!






  40. This really is an excellent recipe. I use organic chickpeas out of the can and don’t alter anything else, and it comes out perfectly creamy after 3-4 minutes in my Vitamix.
    I used to buy organic dried beans, soak, boil, etc., and I don’t think it’s worth the effort when you can buy high quality organic canned and make fresh hummus in 6 minutes.
    Thank you so much for this recipe! We make it all the time.






  41. Great base recipe! I add more garlic, and red pepper flakes, and it is bomb!!






  42. Delicious!! Added roasted red peppers and chili flakes. Thoroughly enjoyed and so quick & easy to make.






  43. So delicious and creamy!






  44. First time making homemade hummus. Will never buy store bought again. Used an extra garlic clove which gave it a kick. Very easy and tasty.






  45. It’s delicious but a little too garlicky! Any suggestions on how to cut the garlic flavor?

  46. Hello, I’m Ahmed, Palestinian and I have a falafel shop in İstanbul. I can tell you this, the best way to have smooth hummus is by adding ice instead of water, so you better drain the chickpeas well in order to be able to add more ice while mixing. Another tip, mixing chickpeas when they are hot is much better, makes your life easier with the blinder since the hummus will thicken once it’s cooled down.






  47. The best hummus recipe I’ve tried ! So creamy and delicious.






  48. you spoke about smoothness. a trick i learned is worth the effort if you want smooth and creamy. manually remove the skins. that’s it. as with all recipes, you play with the measurements because the sizes of garlic and lemons for example vary, your personal tastes vary. play with it. don’t just call it bland and give up. this is a great recipe.






  49. Followed the instructions exactly as posted and it came out beautifully. Great recipe!