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.
I had discovered this method of making hummus a few months ago but didn’t like the recipe that came with it. I hadn’t gotten around to finding another recipe to use but my procrastination paid off since your recipe, through no effort on my part, popped up in my inbox! I think I added a touch too much water (my fault I’ll try not to be so heavy handed next time) but it set up well in the fridge overnight. I thought the tahini overpowered the chickpeas but my husband said this was the best hummus and in our household he is the hummus lover! So this is definitely a keeper (although next time I might cut back just a pinch on the tahini, however I’m using a different brand of tahini so maybe that makes a difference). Thank you again for another wonderful recipe and thank goodness it doesn’t involve peeling the chickpeas!
I’m glad it won your husband over! The brand could make the difference, depending if there are any add-ins. Thanks for sharing, Deidre.
OMG- I have been making (what I thought was) hummus for awhile now… THIS recipe is the best – the hummus turned out smooth, silky, and oh so delicious! I will never use another recipe again!
Thanks Cookie & Kate!
Wonderful! I’m glad you made it. If you would want to leave a star review since you liked it so much, that would be great!
This was FABULOUS!!!! Made it as is and divided it into 3 bowls. One as is, one with some homemade salsa drizzled over the top, one with some leftover basil vinaigrette that I had made. Wow! Will be my go to from now on. Thanks for sharing!
That sounds delicious, Mary! Thanks for sharing and for your review.
This turned out really nicely – very flavorful, fluffy, and smooth. It is so much better than store-bought and nearly as good as the light, fluffy hummus served at my favorite middle eastern restaurants. I will probably add more lemon next time and I added quite a bit more garlic than the recipe. Overall, the best hummus recipe I have tried. Thanks for the detailed tips!
You’re welcome, Sarah!
I thought my hummus was pretty good – that is until I tried this one, starting with the garlic in lemon juice, followed by the tahini, ice water, etc. This is the best I have made (and I tried a number of recipes, including the no recipe kind). Thank you!
Thank you!! I appreciate the review.
BOOKMARKED for life. Just the visual of how creamy this is tells me that its going to be a star in my dip-making repertoire. Proper hummus making is serious business.
Love that! Let me know what you think, Meredith.
Excellent! Like my favorite middle east restaurant and much better than the grocery store. Also easy and quick.
Thank you! I’m happy it compares to your favorite! :)
This hummus absolutely lives up to its name! Hands down the best hummus I’ve ever had and I can’t believe I made it! I have yet to try a recipe from you that hasn’t turned out delicious.
I’m happy to hear that! Thank you, Lillian. Thanks so much for the review.
This recept looks GOOD!…..
Thanks!
Kate! This is the hummus of my dreams. An extra step or two (which really didn’t take that long) made such a difference. My hummus came out luxurious, silky smooth, and with perfectly balanced flavour. I have to admit that I knew I would love it and made a double batch on my first go – I’m happy I did! Looking forward to dipping homemade tortilla chips, spreading on sandwiches, sharing with friends, and maybe just eating with a spoon! Thanks for this awesome recipe that I’m sure I’ll be making for a lifetime!
Ha, that’s wonderful Sarah! I’m glad you thought the extra steps were worth it. I appreciate your star review.
This was so good! The overcooking technique is one that a Palestinian friend used, years ago, but I had forgotten. All other hummus pales by comparison.
Thanks!
You never miss Kate – this hummus is amazing!! Here in Toronto, the tahini I was able to find was made by Nuts to You Nut Butter Inc.
Great! I appreciate the review, Jennifer.
What is this thing you call ‘leftover hummus?’
Hahahahahaaaaaa!!!!! :)
Love that! Ha. I know, right!
Kate as an israeli i can tell you: BRAVO!!! Excellent humus
Thanks ❣️
Wonderful it has your stamp of approval, Estee! THanks so much for the review.
Perfection!! My hummus always came out clumpy too. This is incredibly smooth and delicious. I followed your directions to the letter. Thanks!
Hooray! I’m happy this worked for you, Andrea. Thanks so much for the review!
Tried it today and it is very good!! Creamy as advertised. I usually buy Hope flavored hummus but like the pure flavor of this one. Used Trader Joe’s tahini.
Wonderful! Thank you, Lee for your review.
This recipe is awesome! As good as any restaurant hummus that I have ever had! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Maureen! I’m glad you like it so much.
I have labored over the Michael Solomonov recipe because I love the hummus he sells in his restaurant Dizengoff, but I think yours might be almost as good and a whole lot quicker! The soom tahini is the best, but probably don’t need two tablespoons of water with that brand because mine came out with a thin texture, but very good taste! Love your recipes.
Now, that’s a compliment! Thank you!
Ohmygosh this was so good! I basically ate an entire (large) bag of chips and all the carrots in my fridge snacking on this. I used dry chickpeas soaked overnight then boiled for an hour with salt and baking soda. So much cheaper than the canned stuff, and so easy! Thanks for this recipe, we’ll be making it again!
Yes! I can’t stop when I get this in front of me either. Thank you, Cynthia for sharing.
So very obsessed with this recipe! I have made it at least 3 times in the last week. My kids and I devour it. Thank you for the boiling tip. Makes it so creamy.
Yes! I love that, Kate. Thanks so much for you comment and review.
Did you try using the “aquafaba” from the can of beans mixed with the additional water when you cook them? Or does that have a funny reaction with the baking soda? Can’t wait to try this one!
No, it didn’t occur to me to try including the aquafaba! However, you’re going to drain the chickpeas well so I don’t think including it in the water would offer any added benefit.
The title says it all…this truly is the best hummus! I made a double batch right from the start and kept half plain and to the other half I added some cilantro and a couple of spoonfuls of trader joes Zhoug sauce (I can’t wait to try yours by the way) So delicious. Thank you for doing all the hard work on the front end. Your talent is so appreciated.
Thank you! I’m happy you agree. I appreciate the review.
This recipe is delicious! I tweaked it a little omitting the cumin and adding 1 medium beet
Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
Wow! I can make great hummus now!! After years of unspectacular attempts. Why has this been such a secret? This is what I did. I put that delicious hummus in a pita with some pickled onions, French carrot salad, and a bunch of spring mix. Then I drizzled the tahini sauce on top. IT…WAS…EPIC!
I will take one of those! Sounds delicious, Mark. Thanks so much.
Thanks for all the great tips! I made this tonight to go with your roasted veggies over hummus and pita recipe. Best hummus I’ve ever made.
I’m so happy to hear that, Ashley! Thanks so much for your review.
Cooking the chickpeas with baking soda is a great tip ! My hummus IS smoother than ever ! Thanks :-)
Wonderful, Friedl! I appreciate the review.
I LOVE hummus and I make a lot of it. I have to say that this is the best I’ve ever had. I could just sit and eat it with a spoon (actually, I did…). I did use canned chickpeas because I had them on hand. Okay, also because I might be a bit lazy. I’m anxious to try it with some roasted red bell peppers. I’m about to do that right now. Thanks for the recipe!
Love to hear that, Pam! Thanks so much for your review.
Incredible! Making it for the third time this week- but doubling the recipe!
That’s awesome! Way to go, Heather. I love that you have made it so much already.
I love every recipe you post, Kate. This was delicious but mine turned out too I would probably try skipping the water next time (I use Soom tahini which isn’t very thick. Also the canned chickpeas pretty much disintegrated in 10 minutes. Otherwise it’s perfect. ❤️
You’re sweet, Lynn. Thanks so much!
Hi Anne, I’m truly sorry that I’ve offended you. Your tone is so accusatory that my cheeks are burning. If you would re-read my post from a less biased perspective, I don’t think you would find any claim that hummus is Israeli. I would also argue that traveling to Israel out of genuine curiosity about the Middle East and Israel’s historical significance does not implicate me in their settler colonial project or imply endorsement. All my best to you.
Yep, definitely the best hummus ever. You are officially the only blog I look to for recipes anymore! I have never been disappointed in a single one. :)
I’m happy to hear that, Emily! Such a compliment for sure.
OMG….this TOTALLY works! Just now made a batch..no more grainy, heavy hummus! THANK YOU! I’d given up! Now I’ll let other know too!
Hooray!! You’re very welcome, Val. Thanks so much for your comment. If you would want to leave a star review, I would really appreciate it. :)
This method tastes SO much better than my previous ‘chuck it all in and blend’ method of making hummus! And definitely better than store-bought. Even managed to get delicious results using a humble pull cord food processor :) Thank you!
I’m glad you like it, Izzy! If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it.
Made this recipe today and it was absolutely FABULOUS! No other hummous recipe will do for me now. Also no store bought hummous. Easy, creamy, delicious and price is good too Thank you! (For sure 5 stars)
You’re welcome! Thanks for the 5 star review, Fran.
I finally made it! Followed the directions exactly except I added a bit of roasted red pepper. It was so light and creamy and yummy …very different than my usual hummus which is heavier and less smooth. I’ll definitely make it again.
I’m glad you made it! Roasted pepper sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing, Linda.
This recipe is amazing. The men in my family love spicy hummus, could I add a couple of chili’s to this recipe?
Sure! Add any variations you would like, Dawn.
Just made this hummus. Took a little extra time than I had planned but man oh man was it worth it! letting it chill right now but after licking the bowl and the rubber spatula I give this recipe five stars! Thank you!
I’m glad you thought it was worth is, Seany! Thanks so much for the review.
I made this tonight for a “snackable” dinner (it’s way too hot to cook) and it was delicious!! I love hummus but I’ve never been super happy with what I’ve made in the past, so I almost always settle for store bought. This is my new favorite! Thanks, as always, for your fantastic vegetarian recipes.
I love that! Snackable dinner. Thanks for sharing and for your review, Rebecca!
I really do rarely comment, but I have been using your recipes for the past few months, and have attempted many versions of hummus, and this was easily the best I have ever made.
Thank you!
I’m so glad you did! :) Thank you!
This came out really well! Very creamy and tasty. I have been enjoying my hummus with carrots and pita chips for the last week, so satisfying.
Would this freeze well? I don’t think I’ll finish it in the next few days.
I don’t freeze all my recipes, but you could search through the comments and see if other readers have had luck!
Best hummus I’ve ever made
Wonderful! Thank you, Tina.
Made it, pinned it, loved it. Guessing because the chickpeas are boiled and bloat it makes a lot more hummus than if they are not boiled, straight out of the can. I used canned chickpeas and boiled for 25 mins. Was skeptical about processing the skins but they really blend right into the hummus and are undetectable.
Thanks for sharing!
This hummus turned out amazing! I made the ‘plain’ recipe, took half out, and threw in some sundried tomatoes in the remaining half. Both were great. My kids (3,5,7) are hummus snobs and they literally devoured this for dinner. You’ve gained a follower; thanks for the awesome recipe!
Thanks for sharing and for your review!
I’m so glad you made this modified recipe based off Solomonov’s! I had previously made his original recipe twice, and how he calls for making the Tahini sauce first with the strained garlic lemon juice just was too labor intensive for me when I wanted hummus quickly! Your recipe is just so much simpler and cuts out what I feel are unnecessary steps without sacrificing any of the flavor or great texture.
The second time I made it, I added an extra clove of garlic because I felt it needed more zing, and like you, I liked it with extra lemon juice and salt. I left out the olive oil and it was still great. Thanks!!
Oh my goodness! After hours of research on how to make the best hummus, I decided to use your recipe. It came out PERFECT, and even though i had never made it before, everyone who tried it said it was exvellent!
I will never waste my time with a different recipe..your suggested variations will allow me to experiment without risking the end product…thank you!
Lovely! Thank you, Laura.
This was amazing (easily the best hummus I have ever made). I have tried several versions before (usually from dried chickpeas) but they were not as creamy as this one. Also, loved your post on zhoug sauce… any chance you would try recreating the Trader Joe’s eggplant hummus?
Hooray!! That’s great to hear, Terri. Thanks for your review.
I made it without using the baking soda in the water! It was still creamy and delicious! I doubled recipe for a bigger crowd! Empty bowls scare me! Sprinkled olive oil, sesame seeds and paprika on top for appeal!! Might want to intensify flavor next time a bit… It’s a win!! Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing, Christina!
I made this today. Upped the garlic, lemon juice and cumin. Crazy amazing lovely silky hummus!
That’s great, Pam! Thanks for your review.
Hi Kate As a hummus devotee as your goodself, I thought I would share my variation with you.
To Add to your great recipe
1 med red onion peeled chopped and sauteed with 2 large cloves of garlic AND 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger.Saute these until tender. Cool for a few minutes before adding blender. I also add 1 heaped teasp. Cumin and two heaped teaspoon ground coriander. For extra creamy texture 4 tablespoons coconut milk instead of ice water. I think you will LOVE. Greetings from Australia Christine
I appreciate it, Christine! Thanks for your review.
I almost never comment on recipe posts, but this one is just too good! By far the best hummus I have ever made- I will never use another recipe, or buy hummus from the store again! Thank you!!
Thanks for your review!
Best, most authentic hummus I’ve had! It is unbelievably light and has the smooth texture that I’ve only ever found in Egyptian restaurants. Also very budget-friendly – a can of chickpeas is less than $1 in most places.Thank you for sharing the recipe and doing all the research!
Another delicious additionfarnish (that isn’t middle eastern at all) is adding Trader Joe’s Chili Lime seasoning to taste, or just sprinkling generously on top.
You’re welcome, Elspeth! Thanks for your review.