Hummus
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Say goodbye to mediocre store-bought hummus — with this simple recipe, superior hummus is easy to whip up at home!
Hummus is a Middle Eastern spread made from a blend of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and spices. It’s commonly served as a starter or mezze, paired with pita bread, or as a side to dishes like falafel, kofta or kabobs. I was fortunate enough to learn how to prepare authentic hummus from a kabob maker in the Old City of Jerusalem. Using a few smart shortcuts I’ll share with you, it’s surprisingly easy to replicate at home. But you might ask, why go to this effort when I can just buy hummus at the store? Well, the benefits of homemade hummus are plenty. For starters, homemade hummus skips the soybean oil often found in store-bought varieties, staying true to traditional olive oil, and it swaps the artificial tang of citric acid with fresh, vibrant lemon juice. Also, no preservatives. Not only is homemade hummus healthier, but it also delivers a flavor that is heads and shoulders above store-bought varieties. And the best part is, it requires hardly any effort from you at all!
What You’ll Need To Make Hummus
- Chickpeas are the main ingredient in hummus. I use canned, which may come as a surprise since many hummus aficionados insist on using dried chickpeas. I assure you, it’s not necessary. I’ve made it both ways and there’s virtually no difference. I have also seen recipes that call for peeling the chickpeas. Supposedly, the skins prevent the hummus from getting super creamy. Again, I tried it — it took forever and I could not tell the difference. Keep it simple!
- The other key ingredient in hummus is tahini, a condiment made from toasted ground sesame seeds. Frequently used in Middle East cooking, tahini is also used in baba ghanoush and halva. You can find it in most supermarkets near the other nut butters.
- When you open a can of tahini, you will notice that the solids settle in the bottom the can, similar to natural peanut butter. It is very difficult to stir tahini in the can (the solids on the bottom are quite stiff) so I suggest scraping the entire contents of the can into a bowl, then using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer to blend. Place whatever tahini you don’t use back in the can and refrigerate until needed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by draining the chickpeas in a colander (no need to rinse them). You’ll need to save the canning liquid for the recipe and set aside a few whole chickpeas for serving.
Next, combine the drained chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, spices and 1/3 cup of the canning liquid in the bowl of a food processor.
Blitz for a few minutes until smooth and creamy, adding more of the reserved liquid to thin the hummus if desired. The hummus should just hold its shape when you drag a spoon through it.
Transfer the dip to a bowl and use a spoon to form a shallow well in the center. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the well, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and top with the reserved whole chick peas. Serve with pita wedges, pita chips or crudités. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Hummus
Say goodbye to mediocre store-bought hummus — with this simple recipe, superior hummus is easy to whip up at home!
Ingredients
- 2 (15½ oz.) cans chickpeas
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 2 lemons
- ¼ cup sesame tahini, well stirred (preferably Joyva Sesame Tahini)
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
- Paprika, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Reserving the liquid from the cans, drain the chickpeas in a colander (no need to rinse them). Set a few chickpeas aside for garnishing the hummus.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, olive oil, and ⅓ cup of the reserved canning liquid. Process for several minutes until smooth and creamy. The hummus should hold its shape when you drag a spoon through it; add more liquid and process again if it seems too thick. Taste and add adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl. Use the back of a spoon to swirl a shallow well in the center. Drizzle a little olive oil in the well; sprinkle with parsley and paprika, then garnish with the reserved chickpeas. Serve at room temperature with pita bread, pita chips or crudités.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Hummus can be made and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator up to two days ahead of time. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 98
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Sugar: 0
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 225 mg
- Cholesterol: 0
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Killer hummus recipe and so easy! I halved it since it makes quite a lot and I wasn’t sure how well it keeps. Believe me one can of chickpeas doesn’t seem like much but once you add the tahini, oil and chickpea liquid even half the recipe ends up making more than a standard store bought container. As always, one of my favorite thing about Jenn’s recipes is that she tells you how much salt to add!
Again, I’ve made a lot of hummus but this one is the best! Thanks again, Jenn!
I reviewed many recipes for Hummus and this one by far turned out the best. Easy, simple, quick to make and so good. Thank you!!
Delicious and a breeze to make!!! Will definitely make this rather than buy hummus at the grocery store.
YUM, YUM! I did add the zest of one of the lemons because I absolutely LOVE lemons! Delicious!
Haven’t made it yet, but your story in the recipe made me immediately wonder what they did in Jerusalem that you had to change to make it easy for home cooks? Was it just the canned chickpeas?
Hi John, It’s the canned chickpeas and canned tahini. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
I made fresh chickpeas & discarded the water I cooked them in. Should I add some water & if so how much to make the hummus. Thanks for your input. Jenny
Hi Jenny, I’d start with 1/3 cup and add more, bit by bit, if the hummus is too thick. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
My friend learned this trick in Jerusalem – add ice cubes! Rather than water or canning liquid, she was told the ice cubes in the processor make for lighter textured hummus. Hers is fabulous!
How long would this hummus last in a jar in the fridge?
Hi Brenda, I’d say about 2 days. (It may last longer than two days, but I always like to err on the conservative side from a food safety perspective.)
Hi..my chickpea cans are 454grams-19oz. How do I make your recipe with correct measurements?
Hi Mary, I’d increase the remaining ingredients by 1/4. Hope you enjoy!
I wish i tried to make this years ago! It’s so easy and tastes delicious! thank you so much!
Do you have a homemade pita recipe?
As of now, I don’t — I’m sorry! I’ll have to add that to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
I would LOVE a homemade pita recipe! Commercial bread is a poor substitute for fresh.
I’ve made a lot of hummus in my day and this is by far the best hummus recipe I’ve used. I’ve deleted all the others. 🙂
I just recently started making hummus at home, and this is about the 5th recipe I have tried and it is far and away the best! Creamy, flavorful, and delicious! I saved it on Pinterest so I won’t lose it. Thank you for the time and effort you put in to create this wonderful recipe.
Just made hummus for the first time ever using your recipe. It was fantastic and so easy. I’m a convert to homemade hummus! I made a half batch, although that might not last very long even with just one person. 😋
I just made this hummus! It took sheer will power to not eat half a bowl! So easy and probably the best hummus I’ve had. I made 1/2 the recipe because I only had 1 can of chick peas, so I made it in my magic bullet instead of the food processor. That worked great. I also left out the cayenne because we tend to be a little spice intolerant. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Fabulous…no more store bought hummus for me 😀
Thanks for a great recipe, Jen.
We LOVED this hummus! It’s so creamy and delicious. We used it for dipping vegetables and pita, as a sandwich spread (cucumbers, medium cheese and hummus on toasted multigrain bread), and as a bed for Falafel. Thank you for sharing the recipe, it now has a home in our ‘favourites’ file. 🙂
I served store bought hummus last night to guests. After they left, without eating hardly any of it, I tasted it and threw it away. Awful. Your email popped up for your recipe and I made it tonight. Honestly can’t stop eating it. Per usual with ANY recipe you post, delicious, easy and spot on. So happy I have your cookbook and have given as gifts to others-can’t wait for the next one Jenn!
💗
This is our family go -to Hummus recipe and I have shared it many times with friends and family. I think the proportions of lemon, tahini, garlic and spices are perfect. I use canned or soaked and pressure-cooked beans. When I cook the beans, I use a little of the cooking liquid to thin the hummus. It is good both ways, although I prefer when I cook my own beans as they just seem a bit more “soft” than canned. Of course, good quality olive oil is key to the deliciousness of the dish. I like to use the brand Tassos, the organic Greek Evoo from Costco😊
This hummus recipe is easy to follow and has converted me to making my own. I have made it 3 times now and we take it for lunch with veggies. I half the recipe when making it (prefer it for a few days and make a fresh batch the next week). We also prefer more lemon juice so added a bit more juice and less liquid from the beans. Comes out every time. Sprinkle a little feta on top of the serving in your lunch container and feels like a gourmet lunch at a restaurant.
This was excellent! I added a roasted red pepper to the mix and gave it a whirl. My husband loved it. Good either without the peppers or the traditional way!
Love how creamy this is. The addition of the liquid from the chickpeas means less oil too.
Made this for football party and it was a huge hit! Never thought I could make hummus like this!
I made this hummus over the holidays for a little gathering with family. It was delicious and one of the easiest recipes to make not to mention the few ingredients needed.
I’ve had different hummus from various stores, restaurants (in the past) but this takes the gold star.
My niece who is a professional baker and chef wanted the recipe. No better compliment than that.
Thanks Jenn.
Wow! I am making a sheet pan chicken shawarma and wanted to make a homemade hummus to go with it and this is fantastic! So much better than store bought and I got to break in my new food processor. I was a little concerned that at $12-$13 a batch (tahini was $6) for hummus that it was a little to pricy for everyday use, but I found a tip to freeze the tahini in 2 tbs cubes (size of a mini muffin tin) so that I could use the rest at a later time. I didn’t realize how long tahini lasts before taking that step! Anyways, it was delicious and my Labrador was trying to counter surf the entire time due to the smell of the tahini 🙂
Something to try – I buy hulled sesame seeds, toast them in the oven, then grind them in a food processor or a small coffee grinder. In a food processor, I mix 1 cup of the grounded sesame with 1 Tbs of grapeseed oil and 2 Tbs of cayenne pepper infused olive oil and let it mix for about 1 minute. I add 1/4 cup lemon or lime juice and mix for another minute or so. You can add additional oil or a couple of Tb of water if it is too thick for your taste. The consistency should be about like pancake batter. I use this as the base for my hummus recipe and it makes a base for hummus that is light years ahead of the store bought stuff. And it’s far cheaper per batch, even including the oils.
Hi Jenn- I would like to make these but have actual sesame seeds. Would they work as a Joyva replacement or do I need to do something else to them.
Hi Susan, I don’t think sesame seeds will work unless you want to use them to make your own tahini.
I find it a great “base” recipe, but light on the seasonings for me – double the tahini, cumin and garlic for sure, a tad more lemon juice and kosher salt (table salt is too salty!).
BEST HUMMUS EVER!
I just made this and it tastes amazing, I’m legit eating it out of the food processor now cos I can’t help myself.
I’ve made this easy hummus recipe many times before and it doesn’t disappoint.
Trust me, you’ll love it.
Phenomenal. Best hummus I ever had.
Hi Jenn,
I love this recipe! First time making hummus at home. Recently bought a food processor and think I will be using this recipe a lot.
If I don’t happen to have lemons on hand in the kitchen at any point in the future but still want this hummus can I use lemon juice from concentrate? If so, how much should I use?
Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes,
Scarlet
Hi Scarlet, so glad you like this! While fresh lemon juice is best, I think you could get away with using bottled here as well. I’d use the same amount (so a quarter cup). Hope that helps!
Amazing. Met approval of discerning 5year old hummus addict. Totally recommended! Super easy and quick too.
Hi Jenn,
I assume you are talking about including 1/3 (measured) cup of liquid from the drained chickpeas; hence you only need to save liquid from one can of chickpeas.
That’s correct – you need 1/3 cup total of the canning liquid. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I have made the hummus and it is delightful!
So now I “tweet” the recipe using what I have on hand and substituting; very minor. I have used lime juice, sweet Vidalia onions, sautéed celery, carrots and onions chopped. It just gets better every time.
Can you use lime instead of lemons when making tahini
It will have a slightly different flavor but, yes, it will work. 🙂
Made the hummus and absolutely loved it! I was wondering how long it is expected to last in the fridge?
Hi Mattison, I’d guesstimate about 2 days. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This hummus is incredible! Canned garbanzos make it so easy, minimal clean up. We are saving a lot of money skipping store bought brands.
If anyone else likes the pine nut topping on the store brands, you can make that easily too! I toasted the pine nuts in the toaster oven (watch them, they toast fast!) Put some olive oil in a ramekin or small bowl, add smoked paprika, garlic powder, a touch of Oregano and a pinch of salt. Toss the toasted pine nuts in the ramekin, mix, and top your hummus.
Try Jenn’s falafel and tahini sauce recipes too, equally amazing!
All wonderful things to serve if you have vegan, gluten allergy guests!
It really is as good as everyone says it is. Very easy to make. It’s especially wonderful at room temperature. Have already made it three times, from February through May.
I used my Instant Pot to pressure cook dried chickpeas and the hummus was next level YUM! I had some chickpeas leftover in the freezer, from the first time I made it, and used those this evening to make it and it turned out perfectly delish 🙂 The first batch was divided up and we put half in the freezer and it thawed well and tasted great! (I saw some folks asked about that and wanted to confirm my experience)
This was so delicious and easy! I can’t believe I’ve been buying hummus from the store all this time.
I made 1 other hummus recipe. My daughter said try this one. Ive made this several times. So good. I love the lemony taste. This is my go to hummus recipe
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes! They are so delicious and easy to follow. How should I prep the chickpeas if I am using dry chickpeas and do not have any reserved liquid from the canned chickpeas?
So glad you like the recipes! You can just use water in place of the liquid that comes from canned chickpeas. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn – Why can this hummus last only two days in the refrigerator after making it? Thanks, Mary Jean
Hi Mary Jean, it may last longer than two days, but I always like to err on the conservative side from a food safety perspective. (Also, this doesn’t contain any preservatives to extend shelf life as some store-bought hummus may.) Hope that clarifies!
Another awesome recipe from this site. I might never buy pre-made hummus again–this is quick, easy, and so much better. I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for another great recipe.
Question. Can I freeze unused hummus?
Hi Carol, I’ve never frozen hummus. I googled it and it appears that it can be frozen. Here are some tips that may help.
This is my first recipe review. Your hummus is leagues above store bought….and easy!
Thank u, Jenn. I have ur cookbook. Your recipes never disappoint😁
This recipe is so easy and so good.
Thanks.
I can’t believe I’ve never made this before! This recipe is so simple yet it’s absolutely delicious. I’m never buying store bought again. Every recipe I have tried from this site has been great!
I’ve tried several recipes, and could never get the right texture. This is the best. It has a nice, creamy texture. I do add extra lemon juice, cumin and cayenne to taste because we favor food on the spicy side. In a pinch I’ve used bottled lemon juice with no complaints. Still the best.
Hi
Would you have a video on how to make ur hummus?
Thanks
Pearl
I’m sorry Pearl, but I don’t. You can find the handful of recipe videos I have here. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
My niece loves hummus but is allergic to olives. She cannot tolerate olive oil. Do you know of an alternative to olive oil used in the recipe. Is there a better alternative to soy bean oil found in store brought hummus that would be available to home cooks? Is the oil stirred into the hummus or can it simply be eliminated?
Hi Anne, you can just use vegetable oil here (and I probably wouldn’t bother to drizzle any oil on top of the finished hummus). Hope you (and your niece) enjoy! 🙂
I am never looking for another hummus recipe again- this is perfect. Thank you Jenn!
wow this is great for a healthy child snack 🙂 +!+
What quantity of dried beans should I use, as I don’t like using canned beans? Loved this recipe.
Hi Sam, from what I read, it sounds like you’d need to start with about 2 cups of dried beans. That may leave you with a bit more than you need once they’re cooked. (If you do end up with some extra, they’ll last nicely in the fridge for up to two days.) Hope that helps!