The very BEST Classic Hummus Recipe is creamy, smooth, flavorful, and a million times better than even your very favorite store-bought version. Made using a handful of simple pantry ingredients including chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon, and cumin, learn how to make hummus and enjoy with all your favorite Mediterranean dishes or as a healthy snack.
What is Hummus?
Hummus is a smooth, luscious, and creamy dip made from cooked chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and ground cumin. Popular throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean, hummus has seen a recent rise in popularity throughout Europe and the United States as premade store-bought versions have become readily available in an assortment of flavors from garlic to pesto, classic to sun-dried tomato. Best served with pita or warm flatbread, no matter which hummus you choose to make, homemade is always best. Keep reading to learn how easy it is to make this classic, homemade hummus right at home.
What is Hummus Made of?
- Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)
- Tahini – I love this brand
- Olive oil
- Lemon Juice
- Cold water
- Ground cumin
- Salt
For the full list and amounts of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Can you make hummus without tahini? A thick and creamy paste made from sesame seeds, tahini adds flavor and helps make your hummus lusciously smooth and creamy. Although hummus can be made without tahini, I wouldn’t recommend it – unless, of course, it is an ingredient you need to avoid for dietary reasons.
Fresh Chickpeas vs. Canned Chickpeas
My secret to delicious, creamy hummus? Skip the canned chickpeas and cook your own. After making homemade hummus countless times, I can tell you that this is the most important thing you can do to set your hummus apart from all those store-bought versions. Learn how to cook chickpeas in the Instant Pot in less than 1 hour by reading this post, no soaking required!
Helpful conversions:
- 1 (15-oz) can of chickpeas equals approx. 1.5 cups (drained)
- This recipe calls for approximately 4 cups of cooked chickpeas. If you’re using canned, you will need between 2-3 cans (but closer to 3). Don’t forget to drain and rinse your chickpeas before using.
How to Make Hummus
Make this delicious hummus recipe just once and it will be hard to go back to store-bought. It’s easy! Just follow these simple, step-by-step instructions.
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Add the tahini, olive oil, cold water, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and smashed garlic cloves to a large food processor (or high-speed blender). Process until smooth and the garlic is blended (approximately 1-2 minutes).
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Add the cooked chickpeas and process until smooth and creamy – at least 3-4 minutes.
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If your hummus is too thick or dry, add additional water or tahini – or a combination of both – until the desired consistency is reached. I typically start with an additional 2-3 tablespoons of water, then taste. If it needs more tahini flavor, I’ll add a couple of tablespoons of tahini plus a couple more tablespoons of water.
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Season with additional salt, to taste. For best results, enjoy within 4-5 days and always keep leftovers stored in the refrigerator.
Popular hummus garnishes:
- Olive oil
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Paprika, cumin, or chili powder
- Pine nuts
- Roasted chickpeas
Can you make hummus in a blender? Yes. Although I’ve never made this hummus recipe using a blender, it will work just great if you don’t have a food processor available. Keep in mind that all blenders are a little different from each other, with some brands working better than others. I have owned and used the Vitamix 780 for years and years and love it!
Is Hummus Healthy?
Hummus has been linked to a number of nutritional health benefits including (source),
- It is nutrient-dense – Studies have shown that consumers of hummus take in higher volumes of dietary fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
- Weight management – Some studies have shown that chickpeas and hummus may help in weight management as well as glucose and insulin regulation given its low glycemic index (GI), or ability to raise blood sugar (source).
- One of the best sources of plant-based protein with 8 grams per serving.
- Hummus is naturally vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free.
What to Eat with Hummus?
- Veggies! Some of the most popular hummus-dipping veggies include grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber, carrot sticks, sugar snap peas (my personal favorite!), bell peppers and radish.
- Create your own mezze platter and serve it with warm pita, olives, fresh vegetables, and this tabouli salad.
- Use in place of mayonnaise or mustard for a healthier, less fattening, sandwich or wrap.
- Getting tired of plain avocado toast? Add a little hummus to your favorite avo toast recipe like this avocado toast with beet hummus.
- Make a vibrant veggie bowl filled with roasted vegetables, quinoa, nuts, greens, and dried fruit!
More Delicious Dip Recipes,
Muhammara Recipe (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
Baba Ganoush Recipe (How to Make Baba Ganoush)
Tzatziki Sauce Recipe (How to Make Tzatziki)
Homemade White Bean Hummus with Za’atar and Sweet Paprika
If you try making this Classic Hummus Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
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The BEST Hummus Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup tahini
- ¼ cup good-quality olive oil
- 6 tablespoon cold water (plus more as needed)
- 1 large lemon (juiced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
- 4 cups cooked chickpeas ((see notes))
Optional Garnishes
- extra virgin olive oil
- dash of paprika
- fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- Add the tahini, olive oil, cold water, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and smashed garlic cloves to a large food processor or high-speed blender. Process until smooth and the garlic is blended.
- Add the chickpeas and process until smooth and creamy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- If your hummus is too thick or dry, add additional water or tahini- or a combination of both (although I highly recommend you start with 2-3 tablespoons of water and go from there).
- Season with additional salt, to taste, and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, paprika, or fresh parsley, if desired.
- For best results enjoy within 4-5 days. Keep leftovers stored in the refrigerator.
Jessica's Notes
- 1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas equals approx. 1.5 cups.
- You will need at least 2-3 cans of chickpeas to make this recipe if you did not cook your own dried chickpeas - make sure you have an extra can just in case.
- Learn how to cook dried chickpeas in in the Instant Pot in this post (it takes less than 1 hour, start to finish!)
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
It turned out delicious! I don’t have an InstaPot, but I cooked my beans according to the package directions in a pot along with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, bay leaf, fresh cracked pepper, and salt. We ate half and froze half.
Thank you for the 5 star review Anna, I appreciate the delicious feedback 😀
I found it tasted great with canned chickpeas, as I don’t have an Instant Pot… is it realistic to expect EVERYONE to have an instant pot?
I agree. I don’t have an InstaPot.
What to do if ,if I put too much salt in the water when cooking the beans.just made it and it is salty tasting.
If you think it’s too salty after cooking the beans, you can always lightly rinse the beans with fresh water and thoroughly dry them. Then add less salt to the food processor when blending the hummus 🙂
How many cups does it make?
4.5 to 5 cups 🙂