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.
1st time making hummus. Everybody loved it!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Wonderful!
This recipe worked out so well, will never use another recipe again! Overcooked chickpeas are a game changer. Thanks :D
You’re welcome, Izzy!
Best day ever! My two foodie daughters say this is better than the hummus from our local gourmet Greek deli! I followed the steps exactly and it did not disappoint. Sooo creamy. The only change I made was to use 4 cloves of garlic. But then we are all garlic lovers. Thank you for your amazing website!
I wanted a creamier hummus and this is perfect. Had tahini made from Ethiopian seeds (yay!) and half cup was perfect. I’ll not look at another recipe.
Best day and hummus, love it! Thank you for sharing, Monica.
I just made recipe to the T! It was the best hummus I’ve ever made and it rivaled my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant! I am so happy you put this recipe out, thank you! I’ve tried so so many hummus recipes and this is just perfect!
What I love to hear! Thank you, Katie.
Thanks for this recipe, Kate. Like you, I used to wonder why my hummus was never as smooth and creamy as I wanted it to be. Having tried your recipe I now have super smooth and creamy hummus. Great!
Happy to hear you agree, Rowena!
The search is over. I have found my forever hummus recipe. I’ve tried many recipes, i’ve tried winging it and have never been satisfied. At last I have found my one true hummus recipe. The first time I made hummus with this recipe I was in a hurry and I more or less used it as a guideline and it was the best I had ever made, and husband approved. Then, last weekend I decided to make it as it is written, just to get a baseline to see how I would tweak it going forward. I added a touch more lemon and garlic because it seemed so tahini forward. Also, I was also not accustomed to my own hummus being so smooth and thought I might have texture issues. Let me tell you, I got over all my hesitations. This. Is. Perfect. The texture, the combination of ingredients, and the method are the trifecta to making this the best hummus I have ever made. And, it the batch lasts long enough, it gets better with time. I made this on Saturday and took the last of it for lunch on Wednesday and I promise it tasted even better. I am so happy I stumbled across this recipe!
Hooray!! I’m so glad you love it, Susan. I appreciate your review.
Turned out fantastic! I added more garlic because I’m not sure even how to measure out one clove I also used a tahini from a local Turkish market and it was delicious! I’d share the name but it’s one of those things that doesn’t even have a label; the best kind in my opinion.
I used dried chickpeas and went through that whole process. I did not use baking soda, just cooked them a little while longer!
There’s a local Greek/Mediterranean restaurant near me that has a dish consisting of hummus, falafel, and a tomato and cucumber salad. Mix all that together with pita, yum yum yummy! So this hummus is step one for that gem!
Thank you for sharing, Bri!
I made the recipe, and I really like the texture – I was seeking something better than grocery store hummus. I also made it in a blender because I don’t think we have a food processor. Overall, I think I would like it better with less tahini -or I need another kind of tahini. The result was more bitter than I like it and I believe that’s due to too much tahini. That’s just my taste, I haven’t heard from my wife or family. Next time, I’ll cut back to 1/3 or a 1/4 cup. And boil the chickpeas longer. Thanks!
Thank you for your comment, Larry. I’m sorry you found this bitter. Sometimes, I find it can be the type of tahini and it’s important to have the right one. What brand did you use?
Thanks Kate (and cookie). I used Krinos Tahini. That was the only kind I found in our small “The Fresh Market.” I used fresh lemon, fresh garlic, sumac, good extra virgin olive
oil, and canned organic chickpeas from the fresh market and filtered ice cold water. I’m sure the bitterness came from the tahini. I tasted it by itself. I tasted the chickpeas.
Krinos is what our store carries too and I’m not a fan- it’s super bitter. Looking forward to trying this after scouting out some different tahini!
Ugh yeah, I bought Krinos not knowing anything about the brand and it is absolute garbage. Pretty boring and flavorless. The secret to good hummus is all in the tahini.
Made this Hummus recipe – used unsoaked organic Chana Dal- hulled chickpeas. Cooked 60 minutes in Instant pot with 2 bay leafs, garlic and onion powder. Blended in Food processor with some ice cubes and the other ingredients! It is so smooth and almost fluffy – delicious.
Luv this recipe. I’ve done it without cooking the chick peas before. Still great! I cooked the canned ones today and have the skins fall off. Is it your intention to remove most of the skins prior to blending? It is difficult to get them apart. Just wanted clarification.
Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Pamela!
What about the skins… do they go in the mix after the chic peas are boiled. Didn’t get to hear your answer…? Thanks ,
Pamela
I haven’t removed the skins when cooking this recipe and it hasn’t made a difference! Since the chickpeas are so softened by boiling it doesn’t seem to matter :)
Lovely hummus, my daughter and I have just had it for tea. You were right about leaving the garlic to marinate. Will certainly do again. Best wishes. Janet and Sophie x
Made it for the second time and it’s awesome! I admit that I don’t follow your recipe exactly since I don’t follow ANY recipe exactly…ever! I’m a lifelong culinary rebel. But even if you only follow it *mostly* it comes out awesome. Best hummus I’ve ever had. I make my own chickpeas in my Mealthy and overcook them a minute or two as you mentioned. I use a lot more lemon juice and garlic, too. But that’s what’s so great about your recipe. As long as you follow it and then adjust to your personal taste, you can’t go wrong. I’m reprinting because I’ve gotten too much schmutz on it already!
I’m happy using this recipes as a guide worked for you, Mary! Thank you for your review.
I have read that baking soda destroys some nutrients. Just interested to know your thoughts. Thank you!
Thanks a ton Kate! By far the best hummus recipie ever!♥️
Everybody – Extra boiling time and peal the peas!
You’re welcome! Did you not have luck with my steps?
nice recipe
Thank you!
Absolutely delicious and so creamy. I’ve made many other hummus recipes before but this one is by far the best!
Thank you, Sara!
I used a large lemon and felt it was a little strong. Bit this is my first time ever making it. Not displeased buy not pleased either. So with some pratice I may love it. However, it is the smoothest and creamiest I have ever had.thanks for your recipe.
I hope you love it next time! If you find it too much lemon, just scale back to your taste. Thanks for sharing, Terri!
Husband approved. I don’t eat humus and the store I go to only had 2 types. So figured I love my husband so I would find a recipe and make it for him. Well I should of printed the recipe first. We cooked the chickpeas and didn’t over cook, so I sat and peeled 1 n half cups by hand. As I said I love my husband. Lol I followed the rest of the recipe exactly and he said it came out perfect.
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Debra.
Very good receipe! I didn’t measured the ingredients as specified, I used my “eye” I added a teaspoon of peanut butter, the method is very good!
Thank you for sharing!
Question: After boiling the chickpeas should I take out the skins that have come off, before blending or blend them along with the chickpeas?
The best part about this, you don’t need to worry about peeling!
I just made this hummus for the 1st time and am in love! It was quick, easy and fun. Follow the exact instructions, it’s delicious.
Thanks for your review, Kayla!
Best hummus I’ve ever had. Well worth making homemade. Followed the recipe exactly as written and didn’t need to adjust seasonings at all.
Thank you for your review!
Amazing!!! The ingredients in this recipe don’t vary at all from my recipe but the process is different and it’s a totally different end result. Against my better judgement I stopped while I was ahead and didn’t add anything more. Everyone loved it.
I’m happy to hear it! Thank you, Jessica.
Finally got it made. It’s the best ever. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, A.J!
How funny!! Looking so delicious!! I can’t handle greed to start my favourite one. I will start the today. Thanks for excellent sharing.
You’re welcome, Rita!
Wow! Thank you for the great hummus tips. I especially loved and applied the lemon juice, garlic, rest. So appreciative!
You’re welcome, Jen!
Very tasty. It was my first time ever making hummus
Thank you for your review, Andrew!
This is perfection! It was SO good. One thing I’m confused about though is after cooking the chickpeas, am I supposed to throw away the loose skins?
Hi! Lisa, no need to discard the skins for this one. Just process per step 1 & 5. :)
Thank you!
The absolute best hummus!
Great to hear, Grace!
Wow! I just made this hummus recipe. Absolutely better than any I have had before. Thanks so much for sharing!
You’re welcome, Linda!
This was my first attempt at making homemade hummus and it turned out so good!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Kelly.
I made this “Best Hummus” today and it was delicious! It was light and creamy, and mild, which is exactly how I like it. And it’s a great basic hummus if you like yours more garlicky or lemony, or with different spices, etc.
Thank you for your review, Bonnie!
I know you’ve specifically mentioned the use of tahini but is there a way to do without it? If yes, what would be the recommended change in the recipe?
I don’t have tahini available near my area, need to travel a bit for it and I wanted to mae it today!
Unfortunately, tahini is a key ingredient. But, I believe some have tried sun butter who have an allergy.
Great recipe thanks !
Here is a link to homemade tahini for those who don’t have access locally to tahini.
#thereallesbianmafia
https://www.daringgourmet.com/how-to-make-homemade-tahini-paste/
I have found super sime Tahini recipes using tiasted sesame seeds and olive or avocado oil!
Love, love, love this recipe Made my own Tahini today for the first time & it made it even better!!! Been passing this amazing recipe to loads of friends. Love your work x
You’re welcome! I love that you made your own tahini!
Can u give me the recipe of homemade tahini
Sorry, I don’t have one.
This recipe fills me with hope for all the homemade hummus I will make. Texture is perfect, 6 out of 5 stars. Nailed it. Mine wasn’t flavorful enough for me and maybe a little bitter. Next time I’ll add more garlic. This time I added extra olive oil, salt, and cumin. Perhaps the extra salt is needed as I used dried and didn’t add any salt when cooking. Thanks so much, I gave up on homemade hummus years ago when I couldn’t get th e texture right.
Amazing!
The baking soda trick really worked!
I’ve tried for years, and this is by far the best hummus I’ve ever had.
Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Best hummus I ever made. Thanks for posting and explaining the important concepts. My family all loved it too. I did an experiment and used the Serious Eats method with hot chick peas and broth in the blender (rather than food processor) at the same time for comparison. It was a bit smoother but I could taste the baking soda from the broth. The food processor is easier since my blender is not a high performance Vitamix or equivalent but just the old fashioned milkshake type. Anyway, thanks again.
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Nicolle.
I saw the note about paprika, just for color because it’s flavorless. That is an indication of bad paprika. Real paprika from a variety of traditions has amazing sweetness, spice, earthiness and also smoke. Try hummus with a sweet smoked paprika from Spain (Pimenton de la Vera, Dulce), so delicious.
Thanks for sharing you’re insight, Carri.
I tried this recipe today (my first attempt at hummus) and it turned out better than I could have imagined. Great recipe. My chickpeas took longer than 20 minutes and I still removed the skins by hand (only a handful came off on their own). The tahini is slightly more bitter than I would have liked but with a little more lemon and salt it covered/blended the flavor nicely. It’s so smooth and creamy. Thank you for your insight. Very helpful!
Hi Nicole, thanks for sharing! I’m sorry it was a little bitter for you. I’m glad you were able to make it work.
Delicious! Made two varieties- plain and added zhoug. Everyone loved both!
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Samantha.
BestHummusEver!!!
I’ve made a few different recipes, this one was super easy and turned out amazing!!!
Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Robyn! Thanks for your review.
have not made this, but will be a project in the near future! Ido soak and cook my own chickpeas… way more economical and also better for your health…
appreciate your tips and all the research
Let me know what you think, Ginette!
This recipe was awesome. I have been wanting to try hummus but not wanting to buy store bought. I tried a previous recipe and it fell flat. While this recipe is “involved” it is definitely worth the process.
I’m happy you think it’s worth it!
The bomb! I’ve been making hummus for 20 years, and this recipe is the absolute best!
I made this the other day with canned chickpeas and it was the recipe I’ve been searching for for years!!! I’d like to cook dried chickpeas in the instant pot. Any recommendations on time? Liquid amounts?
This is the best hummus I have ever tried <3
Thank you for your recipes, my boyfriend and I always go to your website when we discuss what to eat for lunch or dinner!
This was FABULOUS! I garnished with olive oil, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, smoked paprika, and sumac. So darn good!
Best hummus recipe there is, in my humble opinion! :-) Thank you for sharing it!!
This is indeed the Best Hummus Recipe I ever came across. Thank you so much for sharing it. It came out with the right amount of acidity and is so smooth. I never would have thought of boiling the chickpeas myself :)
This is THE BEST hummus I have EVER made!!!! Thank you for the great tips
Simply delicious. Boiling the chickpeas first is a stroke of genius!
Fabulous recipe