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This easy hummus recipe goes with everything! You only need 6 ingredients and 5 minutes to make the BEST homemade hummus everyone loves!
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What is hummus?
Hummus is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine consisting of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, salt, and water. It's traditionally served as a dip with pita bread. In modern global cuisine, hummus is a popular spread for crackers, vegetables, sandwiches, flatbread, and artisan bread.
Why you'll love this recipe
- It requires only 6 everyday ingredients.
- You'll stretch dollars with this hummus recipe, especially if you cook the chickpeas from scratch.
- Homemade hummus tastes better than store-bought.
- Ready to eat in 5 minutes.
- This nutritious snack is naturally vegan and gluten free!
- You can freeze hummus into portions and thaw as needed.
- This recipe is customizable by simply adding various ingredients. I've included a list of ideas below.
Ingredient notes
Ingredients amounts are in the printable recipe below.
- chickpeas - Also called garbanzo beans. These beans are the primary ingredient in any classic hummus recipe. You can use canned chickpeas for convenience or cook dried chickpeas from scratch.
- tahini - This is a ground sesame seed paste you'll find at most grocery stores or you can make tahini from scratch in a few minutes. The texture is similar to a nut butter with a savory, nutty flavor – perfect for hummus.
- fresh garlic - Let me emphasize that fresh garlic, not granulated, is a key player in flavoring hummus. You can add as much or as little as you like.
- lemon - I recommend fresh lemon juice over the packaged variety for authentic lemon flavor.
- sea salt - The right amount of salt is important for balancing all of the flavors. Avoid over-salting, especially if you're not using reduced-sodium chickpeas.
- cold water - During blending, this helps to adjust the texture and consistency of the dip.
- (optional) garnish ingredients - Add visual appeal when serving hummus by drizzling a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling paprika, parsley, and a few cooked chickpeas.
How to make hummus
Homemade hummus is so easy to make, you'll hardly need this recipe, especially after you've made it a few times. In the meantime, enjoy these step-by-step photo instructions. You'll find the full, printable recipe below.
Step 1. Place chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a food processor or high speed blender such as a Vitamix.
Step 2. Blend ingredients on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes cohesive. Add small amounts of ice water to help this process along.
Step 3. Taste the hummus and, if necessary, increase the salt by adding a few pinches to balance the flavors.
At this point, you can also decide if you want to stop blending and enjoy the thicker texture or continue blending and add small amounts of cold water to create a thinner texture.
Step 4. To serve, transfer to a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika, fresh parsley, and a few whole chickpeas. Or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
Do you boil canned chickpeas for hummus?
It depends. Canned chickpeas are fully cooked but quite firm, which can give hummus a grainy texture. To soften the beans for a creamier texture, you can boil them in 1 ½ cups water or bean liquid for 10-20 minutes. This also makes the beans easier to peel if you plan to do so.
Do you peel chickpeas for hummus?
Peeling chickpeas is not a requirement for this hummus recipe, but doing so results in a silkier texture. The process is tedious, but it's as simple as squeezing each bean between two fingers to remove the thin outer skin. Cooking chickpeas can make this easier because the skins detach more easily once they cook to optimal softness.
Can you freeze hummus?
Yes! You can freeze hummus up to 90 days in freezer-safe containers or longer if vacuum sealed. I recommend packaging it in 8 or 12 ounce portions for modular storage and efficient thawing. Thaw in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours. For quicker thawing, place the sealed container in cold water (in the refrigerator) for an hour or so.
Hummus recipe tips
Dried chickpeas are cheaper than canned beans. I find that, once cooked, they taste nuttier and sweeter, which creates a more authentic flavor.
If you own a pressure cooker, I recommend using this Instant Pot Chickpeas recipe to cook dried chickpeas. These are usually ready in an hour from a completely dry state and even quicker if soaked.
You're welcome to substitute the water with olive oil or chickpea liquid (aquafaba) when blending hummus for this recipe. However, I find that water makes the hummus just as creamy without the added calories.
Serving ideas
There are countless ways to serve hummus. We love to use it as a spread on crackers, a veggie sandwich or veggie wrap, and most definitely on falafel. Serve hummus as a dip for pita chips, tortilla chips, or crostini on a charcuterie platter next to some salty olives. So good!
Also, consider adding toppings like roasted pepitas, hemp hearts, chopped olives or olive tapenade, crumbled goat or feta cheese, everything but the bagel seasoning, or za'atar seasoning, to name a few.
Recipe variations
Once you've mastered this easy hummus recipe, you can make variations. Here are some ideas.
- roasted red pepper hummus - This is the kid-friendly version because the sweetness balances out the natural bitterness from tahini and garlic.
- roasted garlic - This is a delicious substitute for fresh garlic and offers a milder, sweeter flavor.
- cilantro and lime - Add fresh cilantro and lime for classic Mexican flavor.
- Jalapeño - Add fresh OR pickled jalapeno to spice things up. Start small and adjust as needed.
- avocado - Add some California cuisine vibes to your dip by adding fresh avocado to it.
- beet hummus - add cooked beets for a healthy, fun twist!
Recommended dips
- Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Guacamole Dip
- Greek Yogurt Onion Dip
- Herb Artichoke White Bean Dip
📖 Recipe
Authentic Hummus Recipe
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling (2x or 3x), the light gray ingredient amount doesn’t scale. Please adjust those accordingly.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce can) Chickpeas, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 4 tablespoons Sesame Tahini
- 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 tablespoons Water (very cold), or more as needed
- Optional garnish (paprika, olive oil, and fresh parsley)
Instructions
- Drain and rinse CHICKPEAS. *See footnote if using salted chickpeas.
- In a food processor with the blade attachment, blend CHICKPEAS, TAHINI, LEMON ZEST, LEMON JUICE, GARLIC, and SALT until well-combined.
- Continue blending and add COLD WATER in small amounts until hummus texture is to your liking, stopping and scraping the sides as needed.
- Refrigerate hummus in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 90 days (longer if vacuum sealed).
- To serve as a dip, place hummus in a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika, fresh parsley, and a few whole chickpeas.
Recipe Notes
You can cook chickpeas from scratch using the Instant Pot or oven. They're usually softer than canned chickpeas, which means creamier hummus. It's also a great way to save money and reduce sodium. If using salted canned chickpeas, add salt to taste after blending hummus.
Equipment
- Microplane zester / grater to zest the lemon
- 6-quart Instant Pot if cooking chickpeas from scratch
- 7-cup food processor fitted with mixing blade
Kimberly says
This recipe resulted in delicious homemade hummus. Thanks for a simple, tasty recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for the feedback 🙂
JB says
The best hummus recipe out there! I make this hummus for a work snack almost weekly. Great flavors, the right blend of ingredients. It just never gets old. So good!
Stephannie says
I made this a few weeks ago for the first time, also using your instructions for cooking the chickpeas in the instant pot. OH MY GOODNESS I’m never buying store bought hummus again it was so good! I just made it again last week and blended it for longer which made the final product fluffy, light and delicious! Between my kids and myself, it was gone in a matter days!
The Kitchen Girl says
Such a compliment, Stephannie! I'm so glad you enjoyed this ... and the kids too! Thanks for reaching out and for leaving feedback 🙂
Frank says
This was super easy to make and came out amazing in the first try. Flavors were perfectly balanced, with a nice hint of garlic, lemon, and cumin, and not too salty. Very creamy too. This is my new go-to recipe for hummus.
Note that I used canned chickpeas, but will definitely try the Instant Pot recipe for dried chickpeas in the future.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Frank!! I'm so happy to hear it 🙂 If you love it this much with canned chickpeas, I can't wait for you to try it with scratch-cooked, but canned works great too lol. Thanks for the feedback ... much appreciated!
Louise says
This is easy and delicious! I cooked a 1 pound package of chickpeas for 45 minutes and let them cool about 30 minutes. Added 3 cups of cooked beans to double the ingredients all in the food processor and voila!! Creamy goodness and I froze the other 3 cups for another double batch later. Thanks for this recipe!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Louise! You're so welcome and thank YOU for taking time to comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed 🙂
Peggy says
Delicious, and I cooked my garbanzo beans in the instant pot for 40 minutes
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Peggy! Yep, I've had to add extra time to batches to get them extra soft. So glad you enjoyed and thanks for letting me know
Jennifer says
Absolutely delicious and simple!!!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Glad you gave it a go 🙂 Thanks for the feedback
Katie says
My kids and I just made this and it turned out great! They were so excited to eat carrots and hummus for lunch. Thanks! 🙂
Natasja says
Love this recipe!
So delicious
The Kitchen Girl says
So glad to hear it, Natasja! We love this hummus recipe so much, we hardly want to make any other recipe, other than the roasted red pepper version. Thanks for the review!
Sharon says
This recipe is fantastic! I love the smoked paprika...delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Traci Antonovich says
You're so welcome, Sharon...thanks for letting me know 🙂 I'm a super fan of paprika in hummus too!
JB says
Cannot function without this classic hummus recipe. I meal prep this recipe every week for lunches...it's always a winner! Smooth, creamy, and DELICIOUS every single time.
Traci Antonovich says
Awww thanks, JB! It makes me so happy that you love this one as much as I do 🙂
Kate says
This looks so good! I've never made my own hummus but I can't wait to try!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Kate...enjoy!
Raia Todd says
I love how easy this is. You really can't beat homemade hummus!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Raia! I totally agree about the homemade hummus. We never buy it packaged anymore 🙂
Sara says
I love hummus. I eat it almost every day and spend a fortune on the habit. I am totally going to try making my own and only stopping by the lovely Greek place in town a few times a week. Glad I found this recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
Perfect, Sara! So glad you can enjoy this recipe 🙂
Danielle says
I think I love everything about this hummus - the color, the consistency, the amount. Definitely the dip I would make for a small party with close friends. It is sooo goood!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Danielle! So glad to hear it! This hummus recipe is party-approved 🙂
Julia says
I was not a hummus fan until I made it myself! Homemade hummus is so tasty 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Haha, yep! True love happens with homemade hummus 🙂
Sonal says
This hummus is everything and love that you have given so many tips in the recipe re use as duo and condiment. I am Following this soon.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Sonal! Yes, I love to give too many tips LOL. Enjoy!
SHANIKA says
I love making Hummus! It's such the perfect snack and a great healthy option for the entire family!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Shanika! Yes indeed...that's what I love about hummus! 🙂
Beth says
I love Hummus and I recently fell in love with smoked paprika so this is a combo I will be trying! Yum!
Traci Antonovich says
I'm right there with you on the paprika, Beth 🙂 Thanks!
Krissy Allori says
I love Hummus! I'll bet this homemade version is so good. Looking forward to trying it.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Krissy! Yes, I hope you love it like we do 🙂
Andrea says
This looks like a delicious hummus. I'm intrigued by the baking of the chickpeas. I'm going to try that.
Traci Antonovich says
Yay Andrea! The baking version is SO cool 🙂 Glad you can enjoy this one!