Homemade Creamy Hummus Recipe
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This Creamy Hummus Recipe is the best way to create dreamy homemade hummus. Follow our DIY hummus recipe to go from a can of chickpeas to a luxuriously smooth hummus with the perfect balance of lemon, garlic and sesame.
We love hummus around here. But like the song says, “There ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby.”
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Hummus may be a perfect food. It can be a party side dish, an appetizer, or used as a condiment to spread on your favorite sandwich or wrap. Plus, you can dip almost anything into hummus! It’s great on bread, veggies, meat or pita chips.
And it can contain a rainbow of different flavors, ingredients or seasonings. Look no further than the Sabra hummus shelf or that multi-flavored hummus wheel found in most grocery stores to prove my point. No matter whether it’s spicy, savory, herby or sweet, hummus is awesome…
That is… unless it’s not.
Make the Best Hummus Recipe at Home
Store-bought hummus is notoriously hit-or-miss, so do me a favor: reserve your final judgment about hummus until you’ve gone to a restaurant with Middle Eastern cuisine and tasted a fresh, genuine version of this magical dip.
Once you’ve experienced the subtle dance of flavor and texture that a real authentic hummus recipe can offer, it’s like seeing in color for the first time. You’ll never go back to those flat homogenized tubs of beige paste again.
Our goal with this Creamy Hummus Recipe is to bring that authentic experience home into your kitchen so you can make your own hummus whenever you like.
And while I wouldn’t exactly call this a quick and easy hummus recipe, it uses just a few simple ingredients and with a little time and effort, you can turn canned chickpeas into the best homemade hummus recipe you’ve ever tasted.
Ingredients for Our Creamy Hummus Recipe
- Canned Chickpeas – The foundational ingredient in hummus is chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans). They give hummus it’s color, texture, and subtle nutty flavor. Dried chickpeas usually have to be soaked overnight and then slowly sauteed. If you’re using dry chickpeas, follow this recipe. That all takes way too long for us, so we’re using canned chickpeas. (They’re more widely available in grocery stores anyways.) This is one shortcut that is totally allowed in this recipe.
- Tahini paste – Pureed and fermented sesame seeds doesn’t sound like something we have time to master, so we’re going with store-bought brand Soom tahini paste. If it’s good enough for Chef Michael Solomonov (his hummus wins awards), then it’s good enough for us. For nuanced authentic flavor, this sesame paste is a key ingredient to up your hummus game.
- Lemon juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a bright citrus to this hummus and can easily be adjusted to your preference. We start with the juice of 1/2 lemon.
- Garlic cloves – Use fresh garlic cloves that aren’t green in the middle. They compliment the savory flavors in this hummus.
- Olive oil – This ingredient can make or break your hummus. We have a lot to say about oils, but our general advice for this recipe is:
- Firstly, don’t use old oil. While olive oil has a shelf life from 1-2 years, that’s in a sealed bottle. Once you open the seal, you want to use it within 2-4 weeks for best flavor.
- Second, store your olive oil in an airtight container in a dark dry place. I know those tall clear glass bottles with the flippy metal pour spouts and all the colorful herbs inside look nice, but there’s a reason olive oil is bottled in sealed dark green glass or opaque corked jars. Sunlight, heat, and contamination from other strong smells/ingredients and humidity in the air cause olive oil to degrade, and eventually go rancid. If it smells bad, or tastes sour or bitter, get rid of it.
- Third, taste test it first. Bolder oils will have a robust earthiness on your tongue, a “behind your teeth” acidity, or a peppery sharpness that you’ll either love or hate. Make sure the flavor of your oil will go with the other ingredients of this creamy hummus recipe by smelling them close together before you start. The olive oil you choose is a crucial component of this hummus since you’ll be drizzling it on top to serve and it will be the first thing that hits your taster, so pick an olive oil that you love. (If you have a local oil shop near you, go there and try samples. It’s fun, informative, and you’ll leave with some high quality ingredients.)
- Salt – Regular old table salt works fine for in the hummus (and is easier on your blender/food processor), but feel free to garnish yours with some larger fancier flakes or coarser sea salts for serving.
- Fresh parsley and paprika – Mostly for a finishing touch of color, and adding just a hint of flavor at the end.
Tips for the BEST Creamy Hummus
Homemade hummus is a labor of love and it pays to mind the details. To achieve the best results here’s some tips to follow:
Use high quality ingredients.
You don’t need to press your own olive oil, but other than the canned chickpeas and tahini, using fresh, quality ingredients makes a huge difference in this creamy hummus recipe.
Use the right equipment.
Unless you have the top performing high-powered blender on the market, we’d recommend using a food processor to make this creamy hummus recipe.
You might have no problem with a smoothie or an Orange Julius, but as shown in this blender review video, not all blenders have the motor power, blade speed, and jar design to handle the difficult task of producing nut butters with a smooth texture.
So, to avoid a hummus with a gritty texture (and possibly damaging your blender) make sure to use the right tool for the job.
Take your time.
Because this creamy hummus recipe only has about 7-8 simple ingredients, make sure to take your time measuring properly, scraping the blender bowl down frequently as you mix to ensure a uniformly smooth texture, and tasting samples as you go.
Also, I know you’ll hate me for recommending it, but Peel the Chickpea Skins.
How to Peel Chickpeas
Yes, it’s tedious, awkward, and time consuming, but trust me, IT WORKS, and it is worth it.
It took me about 20 minutes to remove the chickpea skins from the drained chickpeas.
There are two methods you could use for skinning the beans.
- Once you have rinsed and drained the canned chickpeas, pick up a bean and hold it between your thumb and pointer finger. Gently squeeze at one end until the skin slides off the bean. Repeat with the rest of the beans. Or…
- Warm the beans in the microwave or in a skillet for 2-3 minutes. Place them in a large bowl and fill it with cold ice water. Rub the beans between your hands, and the skins will fall off and float to the surface. You may have to repeat this 2-3 times to get all of them.
No other single variable in this creamy hummus recipe has such a profound effect on the final result than prepping your chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) by removing the chickpea skins.
How to Make Creamy Hummus
- Peel your chickpeas. (See above) Be sure to save some of the water from the can.
- Blitz the chickpeas in your food processor until they’re the consistency of sandy crumbles.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Blend and scrape the bowl frequently, slowly adding the canned chickpea water until the hummus is completely smooth.
- Top with a drizzle of olive oil, parsley, salt and paprika to taste.
The result is a silky smooth hummus with that authentic made from scratch smooth texture, and delicate balanced flavor that will run circles around the store-bought varieties.
Cover any leftover hummus with plastic wrap or seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
What to Serve with a Bowl of Hummus
Warm pita bread, fresh cut carrot sticks, melba toast, and cucumber coins are some of our favorites. But you can enjoy this healthy homemade hummus as the centerpiece of just about any pretzel assortment, cracker tray, charcuterie or vegetable platter.
If you want to hit an Eastern Mediterranean appetizer trifecta, serve this creamy hummus alongside our Spicy Turkish Ezme Salad, our classic Lebanese Tabbouleh or this fresh Israeli Salad. The colors and flavors go perfectly together!
We always have this creamy homemade hummus with our Ground Beef Kafta Kebabs, and if you like it with savory spiced meats, it would go great with our 30 minute Ground Beef Gyros, Gyro Bowls, or these Grilled Steak Kabobs as well.
Homemade Creamy Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 oz canned chickpeas
- 1/2 cup tahini paste
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- Reserved chickpea water from the can
- Olive oil, parsley, paprika for serving
Instructions
- Drain the chickpeas, reserving the juice in a small cup.
- Remove the skins from the chickpeas. I find the easiest way to do this is to pinch the chickpeas between your thumb and forefinger, with the pointy side facing your hand. Squeeze the chickpea and the skin should pop right off. Place the skinned chickpea in the blender, and the skins in the trash.
- Once all the chickpeas are skinned and in the blender (or food processor), pulse until the chickpeas are in sandy looking crumbles. You may need to stop and shake the blender and/or scrape down the sides a few time.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, and blend until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Slowly add the chickpea water to the mix until the mixture can blend without catching and is completely smooth. I usually use nearly all of the reserved water.
- I like to chill the hummus for an hour or so. To serve, top with olive oil, parsley, and sprinkle with paprika.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Hi 🙂
just tried your recipe, and thank you sooooo much! Just by adding the aquafaba (water of the chickpeas) made such a huuuuge difference! the hummus is so creamy I have to stop myself eating all of it!
This was probably the most amazing hummus I’ve ever made. I’ve tried SO many times – even peeled the skins before on each chickpea on a previous recipe, but this was 100000x better. It was extremely tedious, but definitely worth it. Better than store bought. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
I absolutely love to hear that. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. I wish you many more delicious batches of hummus in the future!
I just made this in my Vitamix, and it was AH-MAZE-ING! I took the time to peel them individually, and it definitely made a difference from other recipes I’ve tried. Next time, I think Ill try out the towel method, and see if it saves some time. I guess it doesn’t help that I doubled the recipe. I don’t think it would have done well in the blender with just 1 can of chickpeas. I also love that it’s oil-free. I didn’t have any lemon juice, either, so I used a lemon and herb club house spice mix, and it worked out. Thanks so much for the recipe, it’s simple, but effective. I’m not a fan of buying 6$ containers of hummus that last one sitting. <3
This hummus was spectacular! We ran the chick peas under cold water and the skin came right off. I would maybe use a little less tahini paste next time but the texture was silky smooth. Thank you!
I actually made homemade Hummus yesterday. I removed all the skins from the beans and even roasted the garlic in the oven so it would be soft…. I uses a small food processor but, it still came out grainy. I believe after speaking to a few friends that using an actual blender (with peeled beans) is the way to go.
The food processor isn’t able to get all the small pieces blended into a smooth paste. I’ll try again but unlike you, I’m not gonna wait years to find my smoothness… lols
I agree that removing the skins definitely improves hummus but I’m just so lazy that most of the time I get halfway through and quit hahaha.
We were doing that it got it 90% there. Then I got on of the “lower price ” vitamix blenders it did it 99% WITH then skin! Any restaurant quality one would probably do.
Holy Moly! It did take a little time, but hot diggitty!!!!! This is hands down the best hummus I’ve ever made. The creamy texture is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Thanks for the tip. Even my husband is impressed.
For creamy hummus minus the insanity of peeling beans, use chicken broth in blender/food processor, until you have the desired viscosity. Use vegetable broth if you’re a vegetarian.
Sorry, I posted my previous comment in the wrong section 😛
Dear,
Also, you do not use canned chick peas. Take dried chick peas, soak them overnight and cook them until soft. Humus is actually served best when still a little warm, garnished with whole peas form the same batch that were set aside before putting the rest into the blender.
This post should be named “How to make houmous like a Pro” !
I ended here like many others searching for a perfect houmous recipe. I tried many many times to do it at home but never came as the one you buy in supermarkets. The main problem was that my houmous tasted “nutty”. I’m grateful that I found the solution to this problem reading the comments on this post.
Never ever I’ve read anything about removing the “skin” ! What a change! Can’t tell you how excited I am about the new finding…the texture comes incredibly smooth and the taste is sooo good.
Thank you so much for sharing this tip with us.
Many greetings from United Kingdom xx
I am so glad this tip worked out so well for you. It really is a game changer. Thank you for coming back to let me know! It always makes my day!
Dear,
Humus is indeed one of the greatest foods if it is done right.
Yet, humus is not made of beans. It is made of chick peas (garbanzas indeed in Spanish). But peas. Not beans!
Best,
Heike
Yay! So creamy, thank u! I doubled the garlic, a bit more salt and added 1/4 tsp cumin & 2 tbsp olive oil to the mix… then doubled the entire recipe bc I didn’t think I’d have enough…I was wrong! lol makes a TON! Perfect, creamy hummos. *joy*
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
BTW: Commercially prepared garbanzos are made for a variety of recipes, most of which call for the stiffer product, which is not hummus ready. If you boil them, not only will you need to add significant water, you’ll also be concentrating whatever additives are in that jar (ewwww); hence my suggestion to boil from scratch.
First off, do you realize how annoying it is to try to read your blog with share buttons sitting atop the left margin? EXTREMELY annoying.
Second of all, you don’t have to peel the hummus. You don’t have to peel any of it—it that were the secret, there’d be an appliance or a machine for it. And don’t use garbanzo flour either—it’ll be smooth, but it will also have a gelatinous character hummus doesn’t have.
The secret to smooth, creamy hummus is in the boiling. I start from scratch with 8oz of dried garbanzos (Which when soaked/cooked equals the 15oz jar called for in most recipes) soaked in a 32oz yogurt container or equivalent, filled with water, over night (It shortens the boiling time). The beans AND soaking water go into a 4qt/1gallon sauce pan (or equivalent) and I fill that to 1/2″ from the brim. I then bring the pot to a boil with or without a lid—be careful as this happens as garbanzos create a very thick, very STRONG white foam which will push the lid off and climb out of the pan and make a mess on your stove. Spoon this out of the pan as it forms, a five minute task and then you’re done. Once it boils lower to a vigorous simmer for at least two, often close to 3 hours. (if you keep the lid on and lower the heat to compensate, you’ll save more of the bean liquor).
What you want is the beans cooked to the point where some are falling apart, and those that haven’t are so soft you almost smash them trying to pick them up off the spoon. THIS is your smooth hummus.
So Much Time, you wail. No. Guess when you think you’ll want to make hummus. Set the beans to soak the night before. Too tired? Gotta handsome date? Put the soaked beans in the fridge for a day or two, or three. Then buil them. Ok, so handsome guy calls mid-boil, as you fly out the door, turn the pan off but leave on the stove. If they’re still not soft when you get back, boil them some more. Once they’re done—Another guy? Ok, once they’re done, put them in the fridge for a day, or two, or three… then roast some garlic, and make that hummus. It’s easy, it’s flexible. I can’t say this will work for you if you live in a bungalow in Florida or Texas, without air conditioning—-I live in SF where it almost never gets hot.
OH, I almost forgot: Save about 1/2 cup liquid to add to the hummus as you make it, as necessary. Save ALL of the left over liquor for soup or stock as it has a most delicious flavor that makes a much better starting point for almost everything, than using the same amount of water—-and you can freeze it, for when you need it.
There. Don’t be wasting so much time shucking garbanzos, Such a waste!
So you go to all the trouble of removing the skin… but you use CANNED chickpeas? People! If you’re really looking for the best hummus ever, start by cooking your own garbanzos. Now this cooking liquid is where it’s at!
A big thank you! Its the best and velvet smooth. Did curse shelling but it went fast. Added the grated zest of the 1/2 lemon, then the juice as the zest was too nice to loose. Also added 2 tbls of middle eastern yogurt after the chickpea liquid.
Thanks Chris! The shelling feels so futile when you’re in the midst of it, but I’m glad it was wroth it in the end!
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. This is the best hummus recipe ever. It taste just like the hummus at the restaurant i go to. Im so glad now i can make my own. Thanks so much
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! It’s always wonderful to be able to recreate a restaurant favorite!
Yes it is, and it was spot on. I will be making this often. You are a genius. Thanks
I have to be honest.. I was cursing this recipe while I was shelling all those chickpeas, however it honestly is the best hummus ever. Thank you for this recipe!
Haha! I know exactly how you feel. I’m glad it was worth the work. Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Try draining the chickpeas then heating them in a pan with a tsp of baking soda. You only leave them over the heat until heated though. Then agitate well between your hands in a bowl of warm water. most of the skins will come right off and float to the top. it’s much easier than doing it by hand. Also, if you use dried (my preference) add baking soda to the soaking liquid and the skins dissolve while cooking.
Thanks for the recipe!