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.
Great recipe. End result is 3 jars of hummus. I used dried chick peas and boiled them for 1 1/2 hours. I had to keep adding water as it boils down fairly quickly. Used juice of 2 lemons instead of 1. My tahini was quite thick so had to add about 8 TBSP of cold water. Added 2 garlic cloves instead of 1. Turned out great — absolutely delicious. Great recipe — thanks
You’re welcome, Sharon!
This was a hit! One of the consumers is half Lebanese too. The only change I made is cutting the cumin in half because I find it overpowering (I routinely reduce cumin recommended measurement).
I’m happy to hear that, Shari! Thanks so much for your review.
This hummus is everything it promises to be. I don’t usually like hummus as it tends to be pasty and heavy. This is the opposite and is the best hummus I’ve ever had. Bonus it’s super easy to make.
I’m glad it lived up, Karen! I appreciate your review.
Sorry did not like this recipe at all.
Kate this the best hummus recipe ever! I’ve made it several times and it is so versatile; I love your original recipe best, but I’ve also tried it with roasted red peppers, toasted pine nuts, extra garlic and cilantro. I’ve even branched out and made a black bean hummus and a green chili and pinto bean hummus. I’m so glad to have found your site, after recently being diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic, your recipes have given me a new outlook on food.
I’ve made hummus before but have never found a recipe I love…until now! This was super easy to make and my entire family loved it. My daughter and I visited the Greek Islands last summer and this recipe was spot on! Boiling the chickpeas was key. Thank you for our new family favorite!
This is now my go to hummus thx very much!
I’ve made this several times now – we love it. Thanks Kate.
One comment – I was a little short on tahini today, but I did have sesame seeds, so I toasted and ground them with a mortar and pestle. Seems to have blended in just fine.
And a question – does anyone know if this freezes well? Would love to make a big batch and freeze in smaller containers (~1 week size).
Hi Kathy, Unfortunately I haven’t had much luck with recipes like this freezing well.
Just made your hummus and I’m in love! It was such a simple recipe that tastes like a hard recipe!! This will definitely come along with me to parties!
Agitate the cooked chickpeas in a big bowl of cool water. The skins will float to the top and can be poured off. Repeat as needed until you are left with peas and no skins.
Thank you Rebecca. I spend so much time grabbing each chick pea to sqeeze the skin off☹️ while thinking (there has to be an easier/ quicker way to do this). Next time, I will use this technique. and to Kate, this hummus is so delicious, thank you for the recipe!
Paprika is certainly not flavorless lol
I was thinking the same thing, apparently though most people can’t taste paprika. It’s an earthy taste with a slight kick
I can’t wait to make this, but I’d love to use dried chick peas. Are there differences? Organic, conventional, any brand that’s better and you would recommend? Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and always being such an inspiration!
Hi! Buy organic when you can and make sure they are fresher as there can be so much variance in chickpeas.
Hi Kate!
I was wondering – If I soak dried chickpeas over night, should I boil them for only 20 minutes the next day with the baking soda?
Thanks so much!
Hi Meredith, see my notes under the recipe for my suggestion on dried.
Do you know if I can make this in a blender? I don’t have a food processor.
Hi! It could still work just fine. :) Let me know how it goes for you, Elishea.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with everyone.Easy to make,creamy and above all yummmmiiii:)Hugs from Bosnia and Herzegovina❤
Wonderful. First time making hummus, and this recipe, along with your advice made it so easy. Turned out amazing. Thank you so much!
This hummus recipe by far is the most scrumptious, & delicious recipe I have tried. I have made several different recipes and have been very disappointed. This is smooth and so glad the chick peas do not have to be shelled. This recipe is a keeper. Your tips are wonderful too. Thanks so much:)
I’m so happy this one hasn’t disappointed!
This is the best hummus recipe have come across. The hummus is smooth, creamy, velvety, and simply delicious. Well balanced flavours, and the amount of lemon is just perfect. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing this detailed recipe and the great pictures :-)
My go-to…thank you for sharing! I used kalamata olives today!
WOW! This is no doubt, the best hummus (like) EVER! Thank you, C+K, a keeper for sure!
I’ve looked for years for a good recipe. Just about every time I try a different one. NEVER AGAIN. I can stop looking because I’ve now found the BEST one. Thanks!!
WOW, this is so creamy and delicious! Boiling those chick peas makes all the difference. I used the Simple Truth organic tahini and both my husband and myself thought the hummus was excellent using that product. I did add a little extra lemon juice and a tad bit more salt to make it suit our tastes. YUMMY!!!
This was a super yummy recipe!! I did change a few things though. I used the pre-crushed jar of garlic, Meyer lemon olive oil and regular olive oil, added dried oregano, and regular tabasco.
Okay, planning to try this recipe tomorrow. I do have a question. I have dried chickpeas that I allowed to soak overnight. DO I follow this after I bring the overnight soak out of the fridge?:
“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.”
2nd Q: I soak a little too many chickpeas at once… Can I freeze the overnight soaked chickpeas? Or do I have to boil them then freeze them?
Thanks!
Hi Melissa! I’m sorry for the delay. You could cook the chickpeas per the directions for “in a hurry,” but since the chickpeas were pre-soaked, they would likely cook faster than the timing suggests. Cook them “until the chickpeas are very mushy and falling apart.” I haven’t tried freezing pre-soaked chickpeas. I’d probably suggest cooking them separately until tender and then freezing them for future use.
I think I didn’t soak the garlic long enough and now my hummus has a very strong garlic taste. Any way to fix this?
Hi! I’m not sure you are going to be able to overcome it since it is already mixed it. It may mellow out some as it sits. Sorry!
I’ve made this almost every week lately. It is easy and really delicious! It’s my go to snack throughout the day. I’m in love! I really like the idea of letting the garlic mellow in the lemon juice. Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely delicious! I too added some more lemon and salt and it adds that extra zing I like! I am going to add toppings such as roasted red peppers and olive tapenade for a little extra something!
Delicious, delicious, delicious! My husband once said he’d never eat humming. After the first time I made it (for our grandson), he now brings home cans of chick peas!
I add sun-dried tomatoes, and that’s the only thing I change
Best Hummus ever! My Husband and I couldn’t eat it fast enough. I tried with and without Kalamata olives and preferred with, but without was a closer second. Thank you for the education as well!
Perfection!
This is AMAZING!!!!!! I’ve tried making hummus several times and always decide it’s a waste of time and ingredients bc it’s never the creamy dreamy goodness I’m looking for—today was all different!!!! This is perfect and exactly what I’ve been looking for—thank you!!!
This is the BEST hummus I’ve ever made! Perfect creamy consistancy. I kicked it up with more garlic this last time (my second – just in case the first was a fluke – it wasn’t!). And kalamata olives on top!!!! To die for….
Vegan, made this for my omnivore family, they devoured it and asked for it again as soon as possible. Cooking canned chickpeas with baking soda is a fantastic trick and genuinely makes the final hummus silky smooth. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Hannah! Thank you for sharing.
THE BEST! My new go-to recipe for hummus! :)
I wanted to try a different recipe and this was fantastic! A bit more time involved but it is worth it. Excellent taste and I made it more creamy as I like it. Thank you
Made this today and it is fantastic! So creamy and it’s the perfect mixture of garlic, lemon, cumin and tahini. Very easy to make – will definitely be making this instead of buying it. Thank you for the great recipe!
This is the perfect hummus recipe Kate. Thanks for sharing. It will be my go to recipe from now on. So delicious and creamy. I think cooking the chickpeas (I used canned) makes such a difference.
I’ve made this recipe three times now and each time the hummus has come out super creamy and delicious! Honestly it’s so easy and quick I doubt I’ll get store bought again.
I just made this hummus, and it is amazing!! I added a little chili olive oil for spice. I will never buy hummus again.
This recipe is on point! So good I can’t wait to share with others !
So good. I used 2 garlic cloves, since i love garlic, and didnt let it sit long in the lemon juice. This was so good and easy for a first timer. I don’t know why i haven’t made my own hummus before. Thank you!
The BEST hummus outside Jerusalem Cafe in KC. I have made this recipe multiple times and it is perfection! I have shared this recipe many times. When shared, a regular question that comes up, is what is the purpose of the water being iced and why baking soda in he water. Like myself, just curious if there is any info on that. If not, don’t care… best hummus, but wanted to ask!
That is quite the compliment, Ashley! 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.
Hi,
For this recipe do we have to use 1, 1/2 cup of dry chickpeas to get the same quantity of cooked chickpeas? I am a bit confused with the quantity of dry chickpeas to use.
Thank you
Hi Sarah! If using dried, you will want 5 ounces or ¾ cup dried chickpeas. See my note under the recipe instructions for more detail. I hope this helps!
I’ve used this recipe 3 times. The results were excellent. On the third try, I did something different that I’d like to tell you about. The first two times, the thick tahini resisted the food processor, and I added one after another TBS of ice water. Finally… But this time I put 4 ice cubes in with the tahini. They broke up easily, and the tahini mixture came out smoother, faster. Later, when the chickpeas were in, I needed more water, so I put in another ice cube. Seems to have worked in a grand fashion. Maybe a one-off, but I’m going to try it the same way next time. If anything goes wrong, I’ll come back and accept my punishment.
Best hummus recipe! The last recipe I made started with dried chickpeas soaked overnight in water with baking soda and was a 24 hour endeavor for what ended up as grainy hummus. I used canned chickpeas with this recipe, and 25 minutes later had the best hummus I’ve ever had!
Made this for the first time today – it did not disappoint. Better than store bought and we loved how lemony it was.
I wasn’t able to get the super smooth consistency of Palestinian/Israeli hummus, even though I followed the recipe very closely. The final result was a thinnish, sour and a bit grainy. Any suggestions for improvement are welcome!
Made this today as an appetizer. It is so creamy and delicious! I’ll be making this regularly.
This. Is. Amazing. I used to live in Houston and this place on Rice Village had Amazing hummus. They must of used this recipe. I mixed some with some leftover tapenade.
LOVE the creaminess and flavor! I prefer it @ room temp, not cold, can I make it early in the morning to serve in the evening without refrigerating?
Hi Holly, I don’t recommend keeping perishable food out that long, sorry!