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 a fantastic recipe. I have made it about 5 times now and am starting to play with more cumin, more garlic etc.
I get a ton of compliments on this hummas and more importantly – I love it! Your tricks of boiling the chickpeas in baking soda and using ice water clearly make a huge difference.
Thanks much for this great recipe!
I love that you are making this your own. Thanks for sharing, Jim!
AMAZING! It’s everything you said and more. I will never buy hummus again. Bye-bye Sabra. Thank you for this foodie delight.
Took my hummus to the next level. Thanks.
Hello Kate!
been going thru your recipes, as I have stopped eating meat M-F
It just works for me!
I made your hummus for football Sunday. It was a huge hit!
I followed your directions exactly, except 1 extra clove of garlic.
on top of the swirled high quality olive oil, I sprinkled zatar, and sumac.lightly. everyone said I was to bring this to all our gatherings!
thank you! will never buy store bought again!
Seriously this is the best Hummus Recipe I’ve ever made. People you are mad if you don’t try this. Light, super creamy, so full of flavour. I’m in heaven right at this moment.
Thank you so much CookieandKate.
I tried many hummus recipes over the years, but this is by far the best and I am religiously sticking with it. Easy, healthy and absolutely perfect :-)
I love hearing that! Thank you for sharing, Rita.
Do you squeeze the lemon garlic juice into the hummus or put it in entirely? I missed that. Solomonov squeezes just the juice in but I think his recipe lacks flavor although it is nice and creamy.
See step two :) You will let it sit some to let to flavor mellow.
OMG, this was so good I licked the food processor clean!!
This is truly the best hummus recipe I have ever made and I’ve made a lot of them! Cooking the chickpeas first made all the difference. Chickpeas can sometimes be bitter, but this technique took away the bitterness and made the hummus extra creamy.Thank you for the brilliant suggestion and great recipe :)
I’m so glad you loved it and think it’s the best! I appreciate your review, Lisa.
I’m sorry to say the baking soda totally ruined this recipe. I had to discard the whole batch. It was not edible. I followed the recipe. Added cumin because I like it in hummus.
Kate, I just wrote a bad review but realized it’s ME not you! I didn’t read the recipe, and added 1/2 tsp baking soda to the batch, which is why it tasted so bad! So sorry!
Heading to friend’s home for Thanksgiving tomorrow and my job is to bring a hummus platter. Everything they cook is over the top amazing. I followed this recipe exactly and am absolutely thrilled with the results!! Best hummus I’ve ever had! Pairing it up with olive tapenade and fresh veggies. I’m sure it will be a hit!!! Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe!! It will now always be my go to hummus recipe.
I loved it!!!!!
That is an amazing texture, tasting it now right off the food processor. I have always been quite heavy on the olive oil but using ice water really made the trick. Can’t wait for my wife go try it!
Girl! This is the best hummus recipe I have ever had. Gosh so good! Thank you so much ❤️
This recipe is amazing! I love it. I added more garlic but either way it is delicious and I love how creamy it is. I don’t think I will be able to eat store bought hummus again!
I’m excited you love it, Rhonda!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!..
Thank you so much for sharing these secrets, I have tried to make hummus several times and it never turns out right.
Your tips make ALL the difference…
I made this for Thanksgiving (thinking I would have leftovers)
Nope, it was GONE!..
Definitely should have went to the store and bought tahini instead of substituting it with a nut butter. Wasn’t bad, but I’m sure the recipe as written would have been fantastic.
Update: after sitting for a day in the fridge, it is delicious!! Hubby loves it!!
Great to hear! Thank you for your review.
This is seriously AMAZING!! Don’t skip adding baking soda when making your beans as that is a game changer!! I’ve made the recipe several times now and though all were delicious, the one I made tonight, using beans over cooked with baking soda, was phenomenal and I couldn’t stop eating it!! Thank you for sharing this taste of pure awesomeness!!
I’m glad it was so good for you, Jen! Yes, do not skip the baking soda, really works to make everything come out!
What a treat! I really appreciate the tips on how to make Creamy Hummus (I already knew how to make the unpleasantly gritty kind – LOL!). I only changed one thing: I didn’t risk putting a clove of garlic and lemon juice in the processor because I’ve had past experience of it just being flung around – not enough food in there. So I hand minced it on a cutting board, and then put it in the processor with the other stuff. Also, it seemed to thicken later. I think I could have made it a bit thinner than I wanted, since it thickened up after. This will be my new go-to recipe. I’m sitting here dipping cucumber slices, totally willing to reek of garlic tonight. Yum-EE!
Excellent! Made three batches. Thanks
thanks for your tips on making hummus creamy. Always eluded me. lemon and garlic blend and rest…fabulous. ice water … fabulous. boiling canned chickpeas to soften…everything came together perfectly. thank you. Marianne ~Sydney Australia
I just tries this recipe tonight. The blades in my ninja food processor aren’t close enough to the bottom to blend the garlic and lemon juice so I had to use a single serve cup and then transfer it to the food processor. My tahini got super thick when blending and I had to add 3 more table spoons of ice water to it. But my hummus came out ultra smooth and creamy! It just has a little too much garlic flavor for my taste and that could have been my fault, as I didn’t time how long it sat in the lemon juice after blending or maybe the clove was little too large. There is this middle eastern store here in my city that has the best hummus I ever tasted but it’s $7 for a container! So I decided to make mine at home. It has this delicious subtle smokey flavor to it and I have no clue what they use that gives it that taste but this hummus is dang close to being just as good as their hummus! Thank you for the time you spent researching hummus recipes so I didn’t have to!! :)
Thank you for your detailed feedback, Marie! I appreciate it.
Been looking for a smooth hummus recipe and this was amazing!!!! Taste were beautiful and texture was silky. Can’t wait to try adding a few flavours!
I’m glad you loved it, Emma! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Kate, I just made this recipe starting with dried chickpeas. It’s the first time I’ve made a completely smooth and creamy hummus that I’m proud of! Thanks very much. Alice
I’ve made tons of Hummus over the years, most with canned chick peas, some with dried and even some with homemade tahini. None of what I’ve created could be called “bad”. Indeed, all legions better than even the most upscale national brands (although no better than the store made hummus available throughout NYC, such as from Atlantic Avenue (Brooklyn) standouts like Sahadi’s or Damascus.
I will say, I made yours the other day and it was noticeably better than the best I’ve made before (and this was using dried garbanzo beans with a “best before” date of 2013, subbing TrueLemon crystallized lemon for fresh and garlic powder for garlic cloves).
Since hummus recipes aren’t that different, I tend to concur drizzling in the cold water makes a big difference. I also use a beast of a food processor, a 16 cup Breville Sous Chef, that really amps up lots of recipes where it’s predecessor (a Cuisinart whose lid/motor safety interface broke and couldn’t be fixed cost effectively) was merely competent.
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you know your hummus and I’m glad this one is a top for you, Paul.
this came out DELICIOUS!!! i might have over-garliced it, but it is yummy. i used Simple Truth organic tahini, and i love it. (my dogs loved the tahini spill- oops)
light and fluffy, great flavor, perfect with pita, cucumber, and baby carrots.
Thank you for sharing, Gillian!
True to the name … this is the best basic hummus. I have tried so many recipes and never really loved homemade hummus until this one. Every recipe Cookie & Kate offers is amazing. This is no exception. The recipe calls for more tahini and more lemon than recipes I have tried previously and it results in a wonderfully nutty / tangy balance that is delicious! Goodbye store bought hummus!
I enjoyed the flavor after asking Kalamata olives to the basic recipe. I reduced the amount of oil and tahini specified and increased the garlic. The creamy texture is perfect. I will definitely make this again. Soaking the garlic in the lemon juice really made a difference. Thank you!
Love how creamy and smooth this turns out. I tried another recipe using an instant pot but I’ve come back to this one.
I’m glad this one is a go-to for you, Carrie!
I don’t have a food processor. Do you think this recipe would work using a blender or electric mixer? Thanks.
A blender should work ok! Let me know how it turns out for you.
Could you please give me an idea how much garlic powder I’d use if you don’t have fresh garlic? Thanks so much.
For this, you really need the fresh garlic to infuse the flavor. Powder won’t provide the same flavor, sorry!
Excellent! Tried various recipes in the past and this one is the best by far! I thought soaking dry chickpeas was necessary but didn’t see it in the recipe so just cooked them dry and it turned out just as well, though it did add approx. additional 15 min cooking time and extra water until it got mushy. And yes it tasted a bit bitter at one point and I added extra lemon juice and sea salt toward the end and it balanced the flavors out nicely! I used organic tahini by kevala, which extra cold water was needed while blending during step 4.
Excellent! Tried various recipes in the past and this one is the best by far! I thought soaking dry chickpeas was necessary but didn’t see it in the recipe so just cooked them dry and it turned out just as well, though it did add approx. additional 15 min cooking time and extra water until it got mushy. And yes it tasted a bit bitter at one point and I added extra lemon juice and sea salt toward the end and that balanced the flavors out nicely! I used organic hulled tahini by kevala, which extra cold water was needed while blending during step 4.
Hooray! Thanks for sharing.
Hey. Just made a double batch of your hummus. Added the extra lemon and salt at the end as well. My son threw in an extra small garlic clove and an extra tablespoon of ice water. We split the batch in half and left half plain but blended some veggie pesto into the other half. Both are excellent! Followed your recipe to a T otherwise. Great recipe thank you! Will definitely make this one again.
Thanks for sharing, Patti! I’m glad you were able to customize it for you and your son’s tastes!
Creamiest hummus I’ve ever had
Literally the best hummus ever – thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Heather!
The most wonderful hummus I have ever made and even tasted. Tried other recipes but they were complete disappointment.
Thank you for the wonderful tips and tricks!
I used soaked chickpeas and boiled under pressure for 30 min, probably works better for less time, mine was super over cooked, but still a grate taste and creamy texture.
My first time making hummus. It was a huge hit! I can safely say, I will not look further for a hummus recipe. I can’t imagine any to be better. I appreciate your precise instructions and will definitely be trying the variations suggested.
I tried this recipe for 2019 Christmas Dinner. Everyone loved it. I will make this again and again, so easy. I did Kalamata olives in one bowl and pine nuts in the other. I can’t wait to alter this. Now that I’ve done it once, I want to back off the tahini, add more lemon….ooh and a friend suggested citrus, like Tangarine. Sooo Good!!!
Thank you for sharing, Staci!
I have been making hummus for years and this is by far the very best recipe I have used. Very creamy. I will always use your method, thank you for sharing…looking forward to trying your Zhong sauce!
I love this recipe! I have started pressure cooking my dried chickpeas (and adding some garlic and salt there too) and it make the hummus so much fluffier! Thanks for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Shannon!
Question- so I boiled the chickpeas as instructed but the chickpea peels were mostly half off. Do we need to remove these peels/skins or can they get processed with everything else? I removed them -which was a pain and added 15 min to prep time- but could I have just left them on and still have the smoothest hummus?
Not need to peel or remove the skins for this recipe! Does this make sense? The baking soda process helps to break it down for a creamier result.
The recipe looks really good and I plan to try it soon, but I really want to thank you for the directions about using dried chickpeas. I’ve never before found anything that specifies the amount to use in place of a can of the pre-cooked ones.
This recipe is my go-to for hummus!! Every time it is impeccable! I have made it before without boiling the chickpeas (these are not canned) and it turns out alright. I still can’t believe how good the hummus turned out! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I used canned chick peas with the 20 min baking soda boil. It was nutty and extra lemon gave it a nice zip. I had to use minced garlic as I forgot to pick up garlic cloves. One World in Peoria, Illinois makes the best hummas, but is 6 hours away from where I live. This recipe tastes just like theirs. I am in hummas heaven!
I’m glad this met your expectations, Crystal! I appreciate your review.
Thank you for a lovely recipe for a first timer. Followed the directions except for store bought lemon juice( I did not have fresh lemon). Smooth and very delicious!!
Thanks for sharing, Smitha!
I’m getting all the ingredients together to make your hummus recipe and was wondering if you have tried Organics brand Tahini? I bought it at Albertsons and an afraid to make the recipe with it now. Also, does it make a difference if the Tahini is room temperature or cold from the refrigerator?
You can try it! I recommend what’s in the post for best tastes, but if that is what you were able to use for this recipe it will work. You might need to adjust some seasonings.
This is hands down the best Hummus I’ve ever had! I’ve made it many times and I don’t think I can go back to store bought. The texture is so smooth and creamy. I used Soom tahini as suggested
The best?! I love it. I also agree with you :) Thank you for your comment and review, Abbie.
Delicious recipe. Thanks.