The Best Hummus
Learn how to make the best homemade hummus! It's ultra creamy, dreamy and light. This hummus recipe is easy to make, too—no need to peel your chickpeas!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
The best hummus is lusciously creamy, yet somehow light and fluffy. It’s beautifully smooth and swirled, and begging to be scooped up onto a wedge of pita bread. It’s nutty and tangy, thanks to the tahini, with notes of bright, fresh lemon and mellow garlic.
I encountered the most delicious hummus at Aladdin Cafe, a local Mediterranean restaurant. That hummus met all of the above characteristics, and I was hoping the owner might enlighten me with his techniques. When I asked, though, he replied, “It’s a secret,” with a sly smile and walked away.
I went home determined to learn how to make magnificently creamy hummus. First, I took the fancy flavorings out of my other hummus recipes to make plain hummus. It was dense, a little gritty, and harshly garlicky. I was so disappointed.
Next, I went to Google and opened up a million tabs to learn everything about hummus. You know me. Ten hummus attempts later, I’m ready to share all of my hummus tips and tricks with you. Get ready to make the best hummus of your life!
The internet at large raves that an Israeli chef named Michael Solomonov makes the very best hummus. It’s so good that Bon Appetit named his hummus their 2015 Dish of the Year. That’s some serious hummus.
Solomonov’s secret? He uses chickpeas that have been cooked until they’re so tender, they’re mushy.
He cooks his chickpeas with some baking soda, too. According to Bon Appetit, baking soda “raises the pH of the water and helps the little guys break down to a soft, pulpy mass… perfect for an ultra-smooth purée.”
Overcooked chickpeas seemed like a promising idea to me. You see, I once tried to make hummus with canned chickpeas that were oddly undercooked, and they made terrible hummus. No matter how long I blended the hummus, those undercooked chickpeas never blended into creamy oblivion.
Plus, baking soda helps break down the chickpea skins, which means you do not need to peel off the skins individually. Who has time for that?! I bet you don’t have time to soak your chickpeas overnight and cook them from scratch like Solomonov, either.
Here’s my time-saving solution: Just boil canned or leftover cooked chickpeas with baking soda for twenty minutes.
You can see the difference that baking soda makes in the photo below. See how the chickpeas on the right are popping open more? They are significantly softer in texture as well.
The chickpeas are ready to go after a quick rinse under cool running water, which rinses off the baking soda flavor and cools the chickpeas so your hummus doesn’t develop a weird outer film.
Are you as excited about this as I am? You can have this incredible hummus now-ish, not tomorrow! No chickpea peeling required.
I have a few more tips and techniques to making great hummus, so read on or scroll down for the full recipe and variations.
How to Make the Best Hummus
1) Mushy chickpeas
Cook canned or leftover cooked chickpeas according to step 1 below. This only adds 20 minutes to your hummus-making time, and it’s my number one tip for making perfect hummus at home.
Want to cook your chickpeas from scratch? You sure can—see the recipe notes.
Can you over-cook your chickpeas in an Instant Pot? I don’t recommend it—you’ll end up with a mess of chickpea mash clogging your vent and a puddle of chickpea cooking water surrounding your Instant Pot. I speak from experience.
2) Great tahini
All tahini is not created equally. When I was in Israel, Israelis’s spoke of tahini, or “t’hina,” with reverence. I learned that the best tahini comes from Ethiopia. Store-bought tahini in the U.S. varies widely in flavor, with some of them so bad that they’ve ruined my hummus.
My favorite brands of tahini? I had to try Solomonov’s favorite, Soom. I found it on Amazon (affiliate link) and I have to say that it is worth it. Second favorite? Trader Joe’s organic tahini, which is made from Ethiopian sesame seeds like Soom’s. Whole Foods 365 used to be my go-to, but I encountered a few bad jars that tasted so bad, I’m afraid to try again.
Don’t skimp on the tahini, either—you need to use 1/2 cup tahini per can of chickpeas for rich and irresistible hummus. I once toured an enormous hummus production facility and learned that they often reduce the cost of producing store-bought hummus by using less tahini. Sneaky!
3) Ice-cold water
Why do you always want to mix ice-cold water with tahini? This is another trick that I learned on my trip. I can’t find a scientific explanation, but it seems to help make the hummus light and fluffy, and lightens the color of the tahini to a pale ivory color.
4) Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Store-bought lemon juice always tastes stale and sad, and it will make your hummus taste stale and sad. Buy lemons and your humus will taste fresh and delicious. I almost always add another tablespoon of lemon juice to my hummus for extra flavor before I plate it, but I’ll leave the tang factor up to you.
5) Garlic, mellowed in lemon juice
This is another trick from Solomonov—if you mince the garlic in the food processor or blender with the lemon juice and let that mixture rest for a few minutes, the garlic will lose its harsh, raw bite and mellow out. I tried it before and after, and he’s right! Here’s Serious Eats’ scientific explanation for why this works.
6) Olive oil, blended into the hummus and drizzled on top
Solomonov doesn’t blend any olive oil into his hummus, but I think that one tablespoon makes the hummus taste even more luxurious and creamy. I recommend it!
7) Ground cumin
The cumin is subtle and offers some “Je ne sais quoi,” if you will. It’s a common ingredient in plain hummus recipes, and makes the hummus taste a little more special.
Hummus Variations
This hummus recipe is plain (and by plain, I mean delicious), but you can blend any of the following in with the chickpeas to make variations.
- Green goddess hummus: 3/4 cup loosely packed fresh, leafy herbs
- Kalamata olive hummus: 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- Roasted garlic hummus: Cloves from 1 to 2 heads of roasted garlic
- Roasted red pepper hummus: 3/4 cup roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into strips
- Sun-dried tomato hummus: 3/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and drained (from one 6.7-ounce jar)
- Toasted sesame hummus: 1/2 teaspoon in the hummus, plus 1 teaspoon drizzled on top
Hummus Garnishes
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Sprinkle of ground sumac, which is gloriously sour and deep pink, or paprika, which is basically flavorless but offers a splash of color
- Sesame seeds or seeded spice blend, such as dukkah
- Middle Eastern hot sauce, such as zhoug or shatta
- Chopped fresh parsley
Ok, let’s make some hummus! I’m dying to hear how this hummus turns out for you. Please let me know in the comments and tell me if overcooking your chickpeas makes all the difference!
You can also share a photo of your results on Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate so we can all see your results.
Watch How to Make Hummus
Best Hummus
Learn how to make the best homemade hummus! It’s creamy, dreamy and light. This hummus recipe is easy to make—no peeling chickpeas or overnight soak required. Recipe yields about 2 cups.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (if you’re using canned chickpeas)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 ½ to 2 lemons), more to taste
- 1 medium-to-large clove garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water, more as needed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Any of the following garnishes: drizzle of olive oil or zhoug sauce, sprinkle of ground sumac or paprika, chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place the chickpeas in a medium saucepan and add the baking soda. Cover the chickpeas by several inches of water, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, reducing heat if necessary to prevent overflow, for about 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas look bloated, their skins are falling off, and they’re quite soft. In a fine-mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them for about 30 seconds. Set aside (no need to peel the chickpeas for this recipe!).
- Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the lemon juice, garlic and salt. Process until the garlic is very finely chopped, then let the mixture rest so the garlic flavor can mellow, ideally 10 minutes or longer.
- Add the tahini to the food processor and blend until the mixture is thick and creamy, stopping to scrape down any tahini stuck to the sides and bottom of the processor as necessary.
- While running the food processor, drizzle in 2 tablespoons ice water. Scrape down the food processor, and blend until the mixture is ultra smooth, pale and creamy. (If your tahini was extra-thick to begin with, you might need to add 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water.)
- Add the cumin and the drained, over-cooked chickpeas to the food processor. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil. Blend until the mixture is super smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as necessary, about 2 minutes. Add more ice water by the tablespoon if necessary to achieve a super creamy texture.
- Taste, and adjust as necessary—I almost always add another ¼ teaspoon salt for more overall flavor and another tablespoon of lemon juice for extra zing.
- Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl or platter, and use a spoon to create nice swooshes on top. Top with garnishes of your choice, and serve. Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Michael Solomonov, via The New York Times and Bon Appetit, and Yotam Ottolenghi.
How to cook dry chickpeas in a hurry for this recipe: In a large saucepan, combine 5 ounces (¾ cup) dried chickpeas and ½ teaspoon baking soda, and fill the pot with water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and skim off the surface foam as needed. Continue boiling over medium-high, adding more water if you start running out, until the chickpeas are very mushy and falling apart, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh colander, rinse under cool running water, and drain well before using. Start the recipe at step 2.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This is the only way I make hummus anymore. I have the Zahav cookbook and I live in Philadelphia so I can vouch for how great it is. I’ve used an instant pot to make chick peas and that works well too. Just make sure they’re overcooked and you’re set!
Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Kate it surprises me everyone does mention the pressure cooker or instant pot. Total time under pressure if soaked is 4 minutes! Add a few to get it up to pressure and release the pressure and your in for maybe 20 min. Who doesn’t have 20 ? Just enough time to prepare the rest of the ingredients squeeze the lemons and get out the processor.
Wow, thank you for doing this extensive amount of research on the perfect hummus! I can’t wait to give it a try. Love how smooth it looks.
You’re welcome! I would love to hear what you think when you try it, Michelle.
I was expecting you to say, “remove the skins!” – happy to hear all you need is a little baking soda. Can’t wait to try out this recipe!!
Let me know what you think!
This is totally AWESOME!
You win the Best Hummus Ever Award, Kate!
I love the no-skins-removed too.
Thank you!
Hooray! I’m glad you are just as excited as I am about it, Barbara. Thanks for the review.
I didn’t even have to read your post…your picture sold me instantly. The texture looks INSANE.
Win! :)
I too used canned chick peas when I make my hummus. My solution to the grainy texture is to run the blended hummus through a ricer. That removes the hulls and I get a smooth, creamy hummus. It doesn’t take all that much time and my family raves over my hummus.
Love your blog, by the way. Even bought your cookbook for my daughter. And going to get another copy for myself.
Thanks for sharing, Tori! Enjoy the cookbook! Hope your daughter does as well.
This is some of THE creamiest hummus I’ve ever seen! It literally looks as smooth as lotion. I bet it tastes wondrous too! I’d add a TON of spices and maybe even some curry powder into mine!
That would be a nice add-in, Cassie!
Kate, I enjoy your blog, as much as I love your recipes..You are a hoot to read! I wish I had your youth, talent, and enthusiasm..You are an inspiration..I haven’t made this recipe, but I will..I’m glad you found the smoothness secret, ‘cause I always was disappointed that I couldn’t get my hummus as smooth as store bought.I started working on becoming a vegetarian about 3 1/2 yrs ago after eating meat for 70+ yrs..Yuck!..I wish I had learned of cruel factory farming earlier..It has been a process,but smart people like you help to make it easier, and healthier..I’m rating your recipe 5 stars..I know I’ll love it!
I’m glad you are a fan of my writing. Thanks for sharing your experience!
This is the best hummus tutorial I have ever read! I can make good hummus but I usually peel my chickpeas and it is annoying. Excited to try this! Thank you Kate!
I’m glad you think so, Michelle. Thanks for the review even before you have tired it. :) Love that!
This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to make it!! How long do you think it will keep in the fridge (if there’s any left over!)?
I know! It’s so hard to not eat in one sitting. It should keep well in the fridge, covered for 3-4 days.
Hello Kate. Thanks for your great article. Hummus is much loved in our household, so I enjoyed your tips. Just for your backround information, I recall being told in Home Economic classes at high school that the use of Bicarbonate of Soda ( commonly added to beans and peas in the 1950s and earlier no doubt, when boiling vegetables, – to retain the fresh green colour) reduced nutritional content. We weren’t told the specifics, so I just googled the topic to find out details.
You’re welcome, Kristine! Thanks so much for sharing. I appreciate the review.
Nicely Explained
Thank you, Rita!
Kate, so funny that you should use Michael Solomonov’s recipe. I have his book and use that recipe as well. FYI, Israelis don’t call it “trina” but “tehina.” It’s just that the “h” in the letter “chet” is subtle, in the back of the throat like a French “r”.
Thanks again, Judy
Thanks, Judy!
Yay! We just made fresh hummus at our house, which I haven’t made in a long time due to the abundance of varieties now available at the store. I have to say though, there is nothing like fresh homemade – for hummus and other things! I do like a bit of olive oil and /or sesame oil, a splash of soy sauce or tamari is good too. Definitely fresh lemons, and garlic – I will have to try the garlic-in-lemon juice thing. I usually mellow my garlic a bit by warming it in a bit of olive oil first. Now I have to try your tips and make another batch…
Homemade is the best! Let me know what you think when you try it, Naomi.
I am literally in awe of how creamy and luscious this looks!! Love the science behind it too…I’ve been disappointed one too many times by homemade hummus. You can bet this will become a staple in our house!
Well, thank you Brittany. :)
Oh I’ve made this hummus from based on Bon Appetit’s recipe: it’s the best hummus ever!!! I also add some ice cubes sometimes when I feel that it needs extra hydration:) Agree about the tahini, though, it’s quality is essential!! Thanks!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Looks so smooth and creamy! So, to clarify, you don’t need to discard the skins? I always thought those would prevent smoothness even with overcooking. Thanks!
Not for this one! :)
I must be missing something here. So you use the baking soda to loosen the skins but not remove them?? How is that any different than leaving them on the peas? I don’t get it.
I’ve been using the baking soda method and always remove them by rubbing the cooked peas in a clean towel or between my hands under running water but I would love to eliminate that step.
Tahini is hard to get where I live in Mexico so I make my own and it’s pretty good . . . I think. LOL.
Thanks for all your recipes! I have made several of them and they’re always great.
This looks amazing! How long can this stay in the fridge?
It should keep well, covered for 3-4 days.
Do you remove the skins from the chickpeas before or after boiling (if using canned) or leave them on?
Just leave them on. :)
Hi,
This is exactly the way I make my hummus! The only difference is that I soak the dry chickpeas overnight and the next day I boil them with the baking soda. Its less “gassy”
Thanks for all your recipes!
Thanks for sharing! I appreciate the review.
Another great recipe Kate; thanks for sharing. I do however have one question. I understand why canned beans should be rinsed prior to use but should I be rinsing my own cooked-from-scratch chick peas? Thanks!
Hi Lillian, I’m not sure that rinsing is necessary if your cooking liquid isn’t very thick (like it is for canned beans). Hope that helps!
So interesting! Thanks for testing out all of these tips, Kate, I can’t wait to try it out!
Update: It’s TRUE! This *is* the best hummus recipe! I’m amazed at how light, fluffy, and smooth it is! Thanks again, Kate, this one’s a keeper for sure.
You’re welcome! Let me know what you think, Sarah.
I absolutely can’t WAIT to try this!
Love to hear what you think, Dani!
Hi, can’t wait to try this! Question – do you ‘peel’ the chick peas (remove the skin) before processing?
No need to peel the chickpeas for this recipe!
brilliant!!!! thank you
You’re welcome, Lindsay!
I’ve been using his recipe/method for about a year, i found it on food52, it truly is the best! People beg me to make hummus for every occasion now.
That’s great! Thank you, Brooke.
This recipe is so great!!! Even with my low-powered blender it was very creamy. I made one plain version and one with avocado and cilantro. Both are so good. Can’t wait to use this base recipe and try out more flavor combinations!
I’m glad it worked for you, Sophia!
The best hummus I’ve ever made was when I took off all the skins. It was delicious, but so much work I’ve never done it again. Thanks for finding a short cut!
Welcome!
I love how researched your recipes are these days and your willingness to share extra knowledge/how to. Love it! Thank you!
I can’t help myself! I’m glad you find it helpful. :)
Made the hummus tonite. Cooking the chick peas a brilliant move. Silky smooth but will have to work on rest of ingredients I might have devated from your recipe sorry.
Tks. Ken
Thanks for the review, Ken!
OMG, hummus is my absolute favorite! Yours looks great :)
Thank you, Gaby!
bonjour !
antigone xxi nous dit que le bicarbonate dissout la vitamine B1 ……
dommage !
super recette avec beaucoupd’astuces ! merci !
So grateful for all these specifications you so generously
give us; YES INDEED THE BEST EVER HUMMUS RECIPE!
THANKS
Daphne
Athens Greece
Well, thanks Daphne! I’m glad you appreciate it and like it so much.
Absolutely lives up to it’s name – THE Best Hummus Ever!! Love, Love, Love this!!!
Thank you!
Ninja IQ will poulvorise the chickpeas to a smooth paste, without boiling them… fun to make.
I love your recipes. They amazing! Thank you.
Thank you!
I just made this wonderful recipe and it turned out fabulously! I think I needed to add another half of lemon juice (which i didn’t have) and i did add more salt. I made it with the dried chick peas and soaked overnight and boiled for one hour. The color is fantastic and the flavors are superb, I did add 3 cloves of garlic compared to the 1 suggested in the recipe and next time I will add another 2 cloves I think. It was very easy to make as well!
Thanks for sharing your variation, Pam!
This is basically magic! We go through vats of hummus every week, and I’ve tried homemade recipes to save money… but I’ve never found a version I’ve loved, until yours. Thank you!
I will take that compliment! I’m glad it’s magic. :) I appreciate your review.
I’ve made my own hummus for years, and have always used cumin and a dash (or more!) of cayenne pepper for extra zing. Good tahini being scarce in my area, I substitute olive oil. But I never knew about putting the garlic in lemon juice, and I especially never knew that cooking the canned chickpeas would make a creamier result. Just made a batch now following your suggestions and wow! It’s totally different, and so much better. Very glad to have found your site a few months back, and really enjoy your take on good food. Thank you!!
I like it, Deborah! A little spice is great. Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the review.
This hummus is fantastic!! I had been making a recipe using chickpeas that had soaked overnight, then had to peel the skins off… wow, this is so much better and easier! Best hummus I’ve ever had. I actually forgot to rinse the chickpeas after they had boiled, and it turned out fine – no baking soda taste, no film. And I liked eating it while it was still warm. I used Trader Joe’s tahini. Thank you for this recipe — it will be my go-to from now on!
Wonderful! I’m glad this is just what you needed, Maddie. I appreciate the review.
I just love the care you put into your recipes. You really do your best to offer your readers a great, well-researched recipe instead of what some food blogs do, which is just slap up as many recipes as possible without really any testing. I know that I can trust your recipes to turn out. That said, I eat hummus weekly and am always looking to improve my recipe. I can’t wait to try this one, and completely agree about quality tahini.
I’m glad you appreciate it, Danica! It does take time, but I think it is worth it. :) Thanks so much for your comment and kind words!
I just loved it. Made it yesterday and it turned out incredible. I added two small beetroots to mine and my family is drooling over it. It was served alongside lamb kofte’s and lavash.
Merci Kate
Wonderful! Thanks so much for your review.
I am very excited to try this hummus! I had a wonderful hummus in Lake Tahoe that was creamy and delicious, that was sprea on a plate, sprinkled with cumin and diced preserve lemon! I am going to try the preserves lemin in this recipe!
Let me know what you think!
Just made the hummus recipe and it is delicious. Thank you for sharing it.
You’re welcome!
Kate, I learned to make hummus from a Lebanese boyfriend about 50 years ago, back when we had to mash our chick peas with a fork, so it was always textured. Nothing fancy, including no cumin (I don’t think cumin adds anything positive to hummus, mostly because it’s about my least favorite spice flavor). I very much like the idea of marinating the garlic in the lemon juice to soften the harshness. I never learned “proper” proportions for the tahini and beans (that I remember), and haven’t made hummus in years. I have saved your recipe, for in case I get the urge to make it. :-)
Thank you! Let me know what you think when you do, Susan.
If you add a couple tablespoons of oil to the pressure cooker, the beans won’t foam and clog the vent.
Thanks for sharing, Kathy!
This hummus looks amazing!! What was the hummus plant you visited in Israel ? We’re planning a trip and that’s definitely the kind of activity we want to do! Thanks
Hi Emma! I was on a special food tour group, so I’m not sure it’s publicly available, but you could try. It was the same company as Sabra here in the U.S. but goes by a different name over there, which I can’t recall at the moment, sorry! The food is so amazing over there. I would definitely look for cooking classes or market tours!
I love your commitment to recipes! I was able to get Soom Tahini at Whole Foods. It is worlds beyond what I have in my pantry! I followed all the steps using canned chickpeas and was rewarded with the best hummus I’ve ever made! All the little extra steps are worth it and they don’t take that much extra time. I served with pita chips I made with whole wheat pitas and za’atar. Thanks for all your hard work!!!
Thank you, Heather! :)
The best hummus ever! I’ll never go back to store bought!! Thank you!!
Thank you, Alison!
I tried your hummus recipe and it was wonderful! Creamy like restaurant hummus, and full of fresh flavor. I followed your recipe precisely using a food processor and it was perfect. The only thing I did differently was double the recipe and it worked beautifully. This is the good stuff. Thank you!
Love that! Thank you, for your comment and review.
This is a great recipe. As for “I can’t find a scientific explanation, but it seems to help make the hummus light and fluffy, and lightens the color of the tahini to a pale ivory color.”
I assume what’s happening is we are formin an emulsion. Emulsions are pretty much necessarily ligh-colored because the the constituents have different refractive indices so light refracts at every tiny droplet, so smaller droplets means more scattering. Like milk and mayo. (Tiny things with different refractive indices is basically why anything is white, from paint to snow.)
As for the ice water, I was just watching a show called Carbivorous on Genius Kitchen talking about how sausages are made. In particular, for some, you add curing salts and then mix it to develop the myosin in the muscle tissue, which apparently is what gives things like hot dogs their unique texture. Apparently ice is added to keep the temperature down during this step because the myosin develops better below 40 °F and that ice melts and gets emulsified in with the fat. So I think the ice water here makes the hummus light-colored and smooth for the same reason it makes hot dogs light-colored and smooth.
Thanks for sharing, Ben! I really appreciate your scientific insight!