Learn how to make authentic hummus—creamy, flavorful, and ultra-smooth. Serve with veggies or pita chips for an easy, healthy 15-minute appetizer! Vegan video.
Growing up with an Egyptian father, hummus was like water—part of our everyday lives. When we started our vegetarian restaurant, it was on the menu from the start and later became a staple in our catering business. Over time, perhaps I’ve developed some strong opinions of how it should taste. Here is my easy, authentic hummus recipe that, once you try it, I think you’ll love!
But First, What is Hummus?
Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern dip made from cooked and mashed chickpeas blended with tahini paste (a paste made from ground sesame seeds), salt, lemon juice, and garlic. It’s often served with pita bread, or pita chips, raw vegetables, or part as a mezze platter.
Why make hummus from Scratch?
- Control of ingredients. Store-bought hummus, even organic brands, often contain highly refined seed oils (canola, soy, sunflower, safflower, etc.). These, when overly consumed can be highly inflammatory to the body.
- Fresh is best! Fresh hummus has no preservatives (like citric acid) and tastes wonderfully fresh.
- It’s too easy not to. It only takes a few minutes to make homemade hummus that will taste way better than store-bought.
Basic Hummus Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Use organic canned chickpeas for fasted preparation, or if you have more time, use dried and cooked chickpeas for optimal flavor and texture. You can also sub any bean, like your favorite white bean!
- Tahini Paste: For creamy texture. Opt for fresh tahini paste to really bring out its earthy, toasty nutty flavor. Quality and freshness do matter here—tahini paste can go rancid quickly, so store it in the fridge!
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice, adding bright, tangy flavor!
- Fresh Garlic Clove: For punchy, pungent, garlicky flavor in the hummus dip.
- Spices: Ground cumin adds a delicious savory, nutty flavor (or sub coriander). You will also need salt and pepper (white pepper is delicious here!).
- Extra virgin olive oil: A drizzle of high-quality olive oil really elevates this hummus!
How to Make the BEST Hummus from Scratch
Step 1: Blend. Add lemon juice, garlic cloves, tahini paste, olive oil, and water to a food processor and whip until creamy. Then add salt, pepper, cumin, and chickpeas. Blend until very smooth. Add more cold water, a tablespoon at a time until achieving your desired consistency. Blend for a few minutes! Taste and adjust for salt and lemon. Add any additions you’d like. Chill.
Step 2: Platter. Spoon chilled hummus into a wide shallow bowl, plate, or platter, creating a “well” for the olive oil (or other sauces) with the back of a spoon.
Step 3: Add toppings. If using garden veggies, peel the carrots. Prep the other veggies by cutting into bite-sized “crudites.”
Tuck veggies into the hummus, getting creative with your display!
Step 4: Garnish. Add a drizzle of olive oil, scatter with fresh herbs, and sprinkle with spices like sumac, zaatar, or dukkah!
This dip tastes amazing with these crispy pita chips!
Here is my “basic” hummus garnish. Extra-virgin olive oil, sumac, za’atar, and herbs, simply served with crispy pita chips or pita bread.
Storage
Hummus will keep up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Hummus Recipe Variations and Additions
Here are some fun ideas and ingredients to get creative with hummus and make it spectacular!
- Preserved lemons (1-2 tablespoons blended in)
- Smoked Paprika (1/2 teaspoon for smoky flavor)
- Za’atar, sumac, or dukkah, sprinkled over top or blended in
- Zhoug, as a garnish or blended in (1-2 tablespoons)
- Gremolata, as a garnish or blended in ( 1-2 tablespoons)
- Harissa paste, as a garnish or blended in (1-2 tablespoons)
- Roasted garlic for creamy garlic hummus, blended in, or whole cloves on top.
- Red Pepper Hummus– use jarred roasted red bell peppers, blended in!
- Roasted Beet Hummus– blended in for bright pink hummus!
- Yogurt or labneh (1-2 tablespoons blended in) for extra creamy hummus!
- Tender herbs: fresh parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, cilantro (sprinkled over top or blended in)
- Toasted pinenuts, as a garnish on top
- Sun-dried tomatoes, blended in to make sundried tomato humus.
- Spicy Jalapeno, Cilantro and Lime Hummus– add fresh cilantro and jalapeno with lime instead of lemon.
Hummus Serving Suggestions
- Serve with toasted pita chips or pita bread to create a simple appetizer.
- Serve with veggies, such as carrots, cucumbers, radishes, snap peas, jicama, celery, and tomatoes.
- Create a Mezze Platter, along with Baba Ganoush, veggies, Muhammara, Tabouli, Tzatziki, olives and pita
- Top with Olives- create a well in the hummus and pile olives in the middle.
- Use as a sandwich spread or as a base to a salad.
- Serve as a side dish with Cauliflower Shawarma or Chicken Shawarma
Chef’s Tips
- Soak chickpeas in baking soda: This is a neat trick for softening the skin, making it easy to peel them off for creamier texture. Baking soda also helps reduce bloating, which is an added benefit!
- Add ice cubes to the food processor: In lieu of water, try adding ice cubes. The cold temperature forgoes the need to chill the hummus and gives the hummus an incredible texture!
- Blend for longer: Blend for 4-5 minutes for the best texture!
FAQs
Soak chickpeas for 12 hours then drain and rinse. Add to a pot, cover with a few inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook at a simmer for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until tender.
Instant Pot (no soak): Rinse and drain chickpeas, add to pot and cover with 1 inch of water, and add salt. Pressure cook on high pressure for 50 minutes, followed by a 15 minute natural pressure release.
No, this is not necessary. However, for exceptionally silky texture, you can peel chickpeas in just 10 minutes. Simply place the chickpeas in a bowl of water and rub them with your fingers. The skins should float to the top.
If you don’t have a food processor, a high speed blender works okay too. Just make sure to blend for 4-5 minutes to get that ultra creamy consistency.
Hummus is packed with plant-based protein, making it an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans looking to boost their protein intake. It’s also rich in fiber, which promotes digestive health and can help regulate blood sugar levels. Additionally, the main ingredients in hummus, such as chickpeas, tahini, and olive oil, provide essential nutrients including iron, copper, calcium, and heart-healthy fats.
Serve with warm pita bread, pita chips, or rainbow veggies! You can also spread on wraps and sandwiches, thin it out to make a hummus salad dressing to toss with salads, or add a spoonful to grain bowls!
You can store leftover hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
Yes, you can freeze hummus in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Leave extra room, as it will expand.
And there you have it. Creamy authentic hummus, made in about 10 minutes. So easy, so much fun. Such a beautiful way to serve up the bounty of veggies we have during the summer months! A delicious, healthy, high-protein snack to have on hand.
I hope you enjoy this easy healthy, authentic hummus recipe! Please let us know in the comments below!
xoxo
More Favorite Dip Recipes
- French Onion Dip
- Authentic Baba Ganoush
- Smokey Harissa Red Pepper Dip
- Muhammara Dip
- Epic Tzatziki
- Killer Guac
The BEST Hummus Recipe | 60-sec Video
Easy Hummus Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: appetizers, vegan, dip
- Method: blended
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Learn how to make the best authentic hummus—creamy, flavorful, and ultra-smooth. Serve with pita bread & veggies for an easy, healthy 15-minute appetizer! Vegan.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 –3/4 cup tahini paste (See notes. Make sure it tastes fresh, not bitter or rancid.)
- 2–3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup ice cold water, more to the desired consistency
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I love white pepper here, up to you)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned: rinse and drain)
Instructions
- Place lemon juice, garlic cloves, tahini paste,olive oil and water in a food processor, and whip this up until creamy.
- Add the salt, pepper, cumin, chickpeas and blend until really smooth. Add more cold water, a tablespoon at a time, until it is the consistency you like, and blend for 3 more minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt and lemon. Add any optional additions you like.
- To serve, spoon the hummus into a wide, shallow bowl or onto a plate or platter, using the back of your spoon to create a “well” for the olive oil (or other sauces). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Za’atar.
Notes
If using dried chickpeas, soak 1/2 cup chickpeas in cold water (for 8-24 hours), then cook them in salted water until extra tender. Cool, then follow instructions. I always make a double batch if going with dried chickpeas and cook these ahead.
Tahini Paste. In winter I use 3/4 cup tahini for a richer, creamier version. In summer, I use a 1/2 cup. Most recipes out there call for a 1/4 cup- do as you like. I prefer hummus that is “heavier” on the tahini, because I love the taste of it and this is how I grew up eating it. Truly authentic. If you go with a 1/4 cup tahini- you will most likely need less garlic and less water. Taste as you go. 🙂
A TIP on Sauces: Sometimes like in the photos above, I’ll “loosen up” a sauce (like harissa paste, gremolata, or zhoug, etc) by adding extra olive oil to it. Then I’ll put it in a squeezy bottle and drizzle it around the hummus. An extra burst of flavor!
Optional Additions: See post body for creative ideas.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 198
- Sugar: 1.6 g
- Sodium: 376.4 mg
- Fat: 15.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.5 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This is so good! Perfect taste and consistency. I will never buy hummus again!
Yay Amy, so happy you gave it a try!
THIS. THIS is the hummus I want to eat. Thank you, the heavy on the tahini had eluded me till now. Heavenly.
So glad you tried and enjoyed Barbara!
First time making hummus- this is delicious! No more shop bought for me
Great to hear Sarah!
Out of this world hummus! Thanks for sharing yet another wonderful recipe!
Wonderful to hear!
So good and so easy to make! Your recipe is perfect 🤩 thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Your photos still blow my mind! I love your site and tell everyone who will listen about it. I haven’t made this yet, but it is saved in my stuff. I find it hard to see photos on any site as pleasing as yours and I have not made a recipe of yours that has not been a favorite. Top of mind is your Harrira, https://www.feastingathome.com/harira-soup/
But everything you do is beautiful and tastes amazing! I wish everyone in the world cooked this way!
So nice to hear this Chirl! We love knowing you are enjoying the recipes!!
First of all, there are only four recipe sites that we follow and You are by far our most favorite. The creations that you bring us with food, exude how much you love and respect the fine art of cooking and how to enjoy real food. Your recipe for this delightful Hummus has become a stable in our household along with many of your recipes. Thank you so much for loving food and knowing what to do with it! We love playing around with different toppings and additions. Store bought has become a thing of the past!
Stephan this is so heart warming! Thanks for being here, so happy you are enjoying!