Hummus Recipe

Name: Hummus Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup dried chickpeas OR 1 can (15oz / 430g) chickpeas; 2 tablespoons tahini; ½ medium lemon - juiced; 1-2 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 ice cube or a splash of ice cold water; Salt to taste; Extra chickpeas; Smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper; Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil; Chopped parsley

BY Ayeh Manfre · UPDATED: Aug 24, 25 · PUBLISHED: Nov 2, 21 · 34 Comments

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Once you make this homemade Hummus recipe, you'll never buy store-bought again! It's so creamy, healthy and crazy easy to make in 5 minutes for the perfect appetizer or snack. Serve with fresh pita bread, veggie sticks or crunchy pita chips yum!

Bowl of hummus served with pita chips on the side

I guarantee that when you start making your own hummus from scratch, you will never buy it again! Hummus is definitely one of the most frequent dishes I make in my home, at least once every week or fortnight. I love having it as a quick healthy snack with veggie sticks, pita chips, and even love it as a spread in sandwiches or wraps. Not only is it delicious, its also nutritious as its high in protein, fiber and healthy fats.

Homemade hummus tastes 1000 times better than store-bought hummus. Plus its also healthier as its made with wholesome ingredients without any preservatives. All you need is a blender or food processor and its ready in 5 minutes, yep 5 minutes! It turns out deliciously creamy thanks to a few simple tips I'll share with you...

I had a lot of Middle Eastern best-friends throughout school and still do until today, so I have basically been eating hummus my whole life. It's something that's served on every table, especially as a mezze before a meal. I must say, every family and culture makes it a little differently with their own special touch, but they all have one thing in common...its addictive and once you go for a scoop you are hooked! My love for hummus has inspired me to make other hummus variations such as my white bean dip and roasted red pepper hummus.

Table of Contents

What makes this recipe special
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to cook and peel dried chickpeas for Hummus
How to make Hummus
Tips and Tricks
Storage Instructions
What to serve with Hummus?
FAQs
More Hummus Recipes
More Easy Dips
Recipe
Comments

What makes this recipe special

Quick & Easy: Ready in 5 mins - throw everything in a food processor and blend!
Healthy & Nutritious: Packed with plant protein, fiber and healthy fats
Versatile: Perfect for dipping as an appetizer or snack with fresh veggies or chips, spreading on a sandwich or pita and great as part of a mezze platter

Ingredients and Substitutions

Chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans, are the star ingredient to make hummus. You can use canned chickpeas which are always convenient, but you can also use dried chickpeas too. If using dry, they will need to be soaked overnight and boiled first - I have more info in my recipe card and below in post
Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds and is another key ingredient in hummus recipes, it adds a creamy and nutty flavor. If you can't get your hands on any, you can make it yourself by blending sesame seeds, or you can try cashew butter or sunflower seed butter or simply omit, but the flavor won't be exactly the same
Garlic, a few fresh garlic cloves bring bold flavor. I prefer only adding 1 small clove, but feel free to double if you're a garlic girl. You can swap for roasted garlic for a milder, sweeter taste too
Lemon - fresh lemon juice brightens the flavors and gives the hummus a lift. Bottled lemon juice can sometimes be a little too acidic but if thats what you have start with a very small amount
Extra virgin olive oil adds a smooth velvety texture and lovely rich taste, I always recommend a good quality olive oil for the best flavor
Salt balances and enhances all the flavors together
Ice cubes or a splash of ice cold water helps create an extra smooth and creamy texture while blending as it break down any chunks. A few tablespoons of aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) adds extra flavor and also helps with the creaminess
Garnish - elevate your hummus with added garnish. Its very traditional to create a well or design using the back of a spoon. Some popular garnish ideas are extra chickpeas, smoked paprika, sumac, pine nuts, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, fresh parsley, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

How to cook and peel dried chickpeas for Hummus

To make your hummus extra creamy, the key is to peel your chickpeas. I have to admit I don’t do this every single time I make it, however, when I do have a little extra time and add this step, it turns out soooo much smoother and creamier.

Rather than peeling every chickpea one by one, here is the technique I’ve been doing to speed up the process:

Soak dry chickpeas overnight in cold water
The next day, rinse under water and boil in fresh water in a pot on medium heat
Add 1 teaspoon baking soda as water starts to boil. Remove any foam that appears on the top
Cook dried chickpeas until very soft, approximately 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water
Add cooked chickpeas to a bowl, fill with cold water and with your hands, toss the chickpeas through the water massaging them for a minute. You will notice all the skins just fall right off and rise to the top of the water
Pour the water out into the sink, the first lot of skins will easily fall out with the water as they float. Fill the bowl with water again and repeat this step 3-4 times to remove the remaining skins. It will only take a few minutes to do this as the skins float to the top which makes them easier to separate from all the chickpeas
Ensure you discard the skins and throw them in the bin rather than down the sink

How to make Hummus

Creamy, healthy hummus made in 5 minutes, for the perfect appetizer or snack. Follow my simple steps below (note quantities are listed in the recipe card below)

Raw chickpeas being soaked in water overnights

Step 1: If using canned chickpeas, skip to step 3. Soak dried chickpeas overnight in cold water — use a large bowl as they’ll expand 2–3 times in size

Step 2: Boil chickpeas in fresh water over medium heat. Once boiling, add 1 teaspoon baking soda and skim off any foam. Cook until very soft (~ 20 minutes), then drain and rinse

Optional: peel chickpeas (see how to peel chickpeas quickly above)

Chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt added to a blender

Step 3: Add chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt to a blender

Ingredients blended until a creamy consistency

Step 4: Blend until smooth

Spatula being held close up to show the creamy texture

Step 5: Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed

Final hummus bowl with a swirl back with a spoon with garnish on top

Step 6: Serve in a bowl, make a swirl with the back of a spoon and garnish with chickpeas, paprika and olive oil. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

For an extra creamy hummus consistency, add 1-2 ice cubes or a good splash of ice cold water when blending. This helps break down the chickpeas and will remove any chunks or grains
If using canned chickpeas, save some of the liquid from the can called the "aquafaba". A few tablespoons can be added for extra flavor when blending and it will also add extra creaminess
If using dried chickpeas, once they have been soaked and boiled they can also be easily peeled if preferred. Check out my peeling tips above for these steps
Always taste for seasoning. Hummus is one of those recipes that everyone makes slightly different depending on their taste buds especially the garlic and oil quantities

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
Give it a quick stir and add if its thickened up too much, add a drizzle of olive oil
You can technically freeze hummus for up to 1-2 months, then thaw in the fridge, however for the best taste and texture enjoy it fresh

Pita chip used to dip into a bowl of hummus

What to serve with Hummus?

Hummus can be served in so many ways, here are some personal favorites:

For Dipping

Soft pita bread or crispy pita chips
Crackers / tortilla chips
Vegetables inc bell peppers, carrot, cucumber and celery sticks

Mains

Spread

FAQs

What is the secret to good hummus?

The very best hummus is made with good quality ingredients including high quality olive oil, tahini and chickpeas of course - it's also very important to taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Refer tips and recipe card for how to make it extra smooth

Why is my hummus grainy?

It could be due to the chickpeas not being blended enough as sometimes the outer skin layer of the chickpeas can be tougher. To make it extra creamy, add 1-2 ice cubes or a good splash of ice cold water when blending

Where is hummus from?

Hummus originated from the Middle East, specifically from the Levant region including Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, however surrounding countries also make and enjoy hummus. It's a staple dish enjoyed by many cultures whom all have their own slightly different recipes

Is hummus actually healthy?

Yes it sure is! Hummus is quite nutritious consisting of plant based protein and fibre from the chickpeas along with healthy fats from the olive oil and tahini paste. Homemade hummus is also healthier than store-bought as it doesn't include any preservatives or bad oils - always read the package ingredients

Hummus topped with paprika and olive oil with pita chips on the side

More Hummus Recipes

More Easy Dips

I love seeing your creations and remakes, so be sure to rate the recipe, comment and share your Hummus photo on Instagram so I can share the love!

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