Easy Homemade Hummus Recipe
Posted: 07/06/2021
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Try this easy homemade hummus recipe to make your own creamy hummus! It’s much more economical and can be made in just five minutes!
Why you’ll love it: You can make creamy, easy, restaurant-style hummus in minutes at home! What’s not to love?
How long it takes: 5 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: food processor, rubber spatula
Servings: 16 two tablespoon servings
Table of Contents
open
Creamy and rich, homemade hummus is satisfying and healthy. Enjoy it as a guilt-free dip for vegetables or pita wedges, or spread it on sandwiches as a tasty alternative to mayonnaise. Hummus is surprisingly easy to make, with only five ingredients (not counting water, salt, and pepper).
This is a staple in our house. This recipe is made with tahini but because of my family’s severe sesame allergies, tahini is a no-no. I love that I can “make it my own” and leave the tahini out. Many people don’t realize that tahini is sesame seed paste which is deadly for my children. I would never consider buying pre-made hummus because it isn’t worth the risk. When you make homemade hummus, there are no worries.
And why eat hummus? Besides the fact that it’s so delicious, it’s super good for you. Hummus is packed with vitamins and minerals. Healthline informs us that eating hummus has impressive health benefits, including fighting inflammation, controlling blood sugar, aiding digestion and weight loss, and reducing heart disease.
Isn’t it great that you can eat a healthy snack full of protein without feeling guilty about it? That’s especially true if you choose veggies over pita triangles for dipping.
And hummus is really just so delicious! You’ll for sure want to try my beautiful sesame-free parsley hummus, it’s the most beautiful shade of green. Ooh, and green reminds me of my edamame dip, sort of a hummus but made with frozen, shelled edamame instead of chickpeas.
About this Recipe
For really smooth hummus, you’ll need a food processor. You can whip this hummus recipe up in just five minutes. Five minutes! Isn’t that kind of crazy? You’re just a few minutes away from all that deliciousness and healthy eating.
What you’ll need
- Canned chickpeas: aka, garbanzo beans. Full of plant protein and fiber, chickpeas are economical and flavorful. Some recipes call for removing the skins but I’ve found that the food processor pretty much takes care of any coarseness. If you feel strongly about it, check out this method by Cooks Illustrated.
- Tahini: This smooth sesame seed paste adds creaminess and flavor. Like I mention above, this hummus can be made without tahini but if allergies aren’t an issue in your household, I would definitely add it.
- Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for a nice tart flavor.
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil lends its fruity pungent flavor to the hummus, along with velvety smoothness. Try drizzling a bit more on the hummus before serving, particularly if you’re serving it as a dip.
- Fresh Garlic: Add a clove of garlic to the hummus for classic flavor. If you don’t care for garlic, go ahead and leave it out. It’s your hummus! I often omit the garlic because my husband isn’t a huge fan.
- Salt and Pepper: All the seasoning you need for classic hummus.
- Water: Use plain tap water or reserve some of the liquid from the canned chickpeas (called aquafaba) and use that instead of water.
How to make It
You’ll find the printable recipe card near the end of the post but this is a quick overview to show you how easy it is.
Add tahini, lemon juice, and water to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse for about thirty seconds until the mixture is light and whipped. If you’re making a tahini-free version, just skip this step and add the lemon juice and water to the chickpeas.
Next, add the drained chickpeas and garlic to the bowl and pulse a few more times. The chickpeas will be coarsely ground.
Okay, final step! With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil, processing until your hummus is smooth and creamy. If it seems too thick, add a bit more water or olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and your hummus is ready to enjoy.
Top it!
If you want, you can fancy it up. Don’t you love how store bought hummus always has a nice little garnish on top?
Toasted pine nuts are my favorite garnish. I could eat those by the handful! Roasted red pepper strips, a sprinkle of chopped paprika, parsley, olives, pickled red onions, or pickled sweet peppadew peppers make nice toppers, too.
FAQs
Why is my hummus not creamy?
Perhaps you’re not processing it long enough. Try adding a minute or two to the processing time. Adding a bit more tahini, or substituting the liquid from the canned chickpeas for water, will increase the creaminess as well. You can also peel the chickpeas, but I’ve found that extra tahini makes the most difference in increasing creaminess.
What can I substitute for tahini in hummus?
You can simply omit the tahini if you like. Good substitutes are sunflower seed butter or a nut butter, such as cashew or almond butter. Another alternative is Greek yogurt. The flavor of your hummus will be affected, but not in a bad way.
How long does homemade hummus last?
Hummus will keep well in the refrigerator for five days or in the freezer for up to six months.
Make It Your Own
- One of the best aspects of homemade hummus is that you can make it exactly how you like. There’s no need to add garlic if you don’t want garlic breath the rest of the day. Or maybe you love garlic so much that you want to add two or three cloves, instead of one. Totally fine! Try roasting the garlic before adding it to the hummus.
- Like I mentioned before, hummus can be made without tahini. All out of olive oil? Replace it with grapeseed oil. No lemons? Use lime juice instead.
- Ground cumin is commonly added to hummus. Start with a half teaspoon, unless you really love cumin. Experiment with other spices, if you like. Add a dash of cayenne to give it a little heat. Add a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary.
- Add roasted red peppers (about 3/4 cup chopped peppers) to the food processor for roasted red pepper hummus.
- Have you heard of chocolate hummus? It’s really good with pretzels, graham crackers, or fruit dippers.
- Love chickpeas but not crazy about hummus? Try roasting the chickpeas for a crispy snack. Here’s a few recipes: roasted chickpeas (in the oven), air fryer chickpeas, or cinnamon roasted chickpeas.
Storage Suggestions
Hummus is a great make-ahead dip. It keeps well in the fridge for up to five days. You can even freeze hummus! It makes a healthy lunchbox treat. Simply put hummus into individual size storage containers and freeze. It will keep for up to six months in the freezer. It may separate slightly when thawed but just give it a little stir and it will be fine. If you freeze a larger sized container, for best results, thaw it overnight in your fridge.
More healthy dips
Dips don’t have to be a splurge or guilty pleasure. I already mentioned my edamame dip and parsley hummus but here’s a few more better-for-you dips:
- Dill Vegetable Dip Recipe
- Healthy Southwestern Black Bean Dip (secret ingredient)
- Spinach Dip (from scratch or with seasoning mix)
- Black Bean and Avocado Dip — chunky dip or delicious salad, you decide!
- 7 Layer Dip Recipe — always a hit at parties!
- Homemade Tzatziki Recipe — with yogurt, cucumber and dill
- Mango Avocado Salsa with Pineapple
- Homemade French Onion Dip (a healthier take on deli dip)
- Herbed Feta Dip Recipe
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Try this easy homemade hummus recipe to make your own creamy hummus! It's much more economical and can be made in just five minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounce) chickpeas rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ground black pepper more to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pulse until combined — about 1 minute.
- With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue processing until the hummus is smooth and creamy. The longer you process, the smoother it will be.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Makes about 2 cups of hummus.
- If you prefer, omit the tahini. Just skip step 1, directly adding the water and lemon juice to the chickpeas and garlic, and processing. Consistency of hummus won’t be quite as smooth and rich without tahini. Or substitute cashew, almond or sunflower butter, or Greek yogurt.
- Hummus can be frozen for up to 6 months.
- For extra creamy hummus, remove the peels from the chickpeas prior to adding to food processor.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 53kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 38mg, Potassium: 20mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 3IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
denise says
easy-peasy and delicious!
Rachel Gurk says
Yup! So good!
Bob Koure says
” I still can’t get it as smooth as it comes to the table at our favorite restaurants though. How do they do that?”
I had a conversation with a packaged hummus provider at a San Jose farmers’ Market. I asked hi the same thing. He told me they use a homogenizer (as in dairy).
Personally, I get nearly as smooth by using chana dal (a very small variety of chick pea that comes split and hulled) and boil it (low flame sealed pot – the way you would for brown rice) for 3 to 4 hours – and yes, run in the food processor for a good few minutes.
Rachel Gurk says
Great tips Bob!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says
I’m going to have to try this hummus recipe because I have yet to find one that turns out right for me. (Sad, right?!) This one looks delicious!
Food, Faith, and Other Fabulous Finds says
According to the fabulous Deb from Smitten Kitchen, the key to ethereally smooth hummus (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/01/ethereally-smooth-hummus/) is to take the skins off the chickpeas. It feels a little weird and takes a couple minutes, but it does seem to make a difference. (By the way, who knew that they have skins on? Not me, that’s for sure.)
Rachel Gurk says
I have heard that! I might be too lazy. ;)
carrian says
Ok, how can we help the hubby to love garlic? Seriously. This is an emergency
Rachel Gurk says
I know! It’s hopeless.
Erika @ The Hopeless Housewife says
Love the pine nuts and with or without the garlic, it looks wonderful!
Megan {CountryCleaver} says
This is fantastic – I love hummus!
Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama says
We make so much hummus in our house. I love the toasted pine nuts added to yours. I need do that next time!
Ari @ Ari's Menu says
The one time I tried to make my own hummus at home, I just didn’t love the way it came out. I kept trying to not add a bunch of oil, and it was thick, and just….not right. This, however, looks so perfect, smooth and fantastic!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
Love making my own hummus, and I love pine nuts!