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.
Best hummus I’ve eaten. An I made it! Thanks to your excellent recipe and description! Now it’s just to play around with different seasonings.
Thanks!
Hi Kate, I made your hummus last night, with scaled down amounts of just the ingredients in the main recipe. This is most definitely a keeper and I’ll be making it again. It was liked by all. It went very well with celery sticks and I’m sure that’ll be the case with grissini or tortillas. Thank you.
I have been searching for the best hummus recipe and FINALLY found it! First attempt and it came out perfect. This is definitely my go to recipe from now on.
Wonderful, Deana! Thank you for your review.
I have been so disappointed with every store bought hummus. I have never tried to make it myself, and I am so glad I found this recipe.
This is genius!! So decadently creamy. I used canned organic chickpeas, and followed the recipe exactly. Divine!
I’m glad you enjoyed this one, Rita! Thank you for your review.
Great recipe. I love how the hummus turns white, fluffy and so creamy with the ice water added to the tahini. Remarkable hummus, mix with Katie’s zhoog recipe and enjoy!
Amazing recipe! I gave up on hummous years ago but when I read your tips I could tell it looked like it might work, and it did! I tried your chilli as well. Brilliant!
I’ve never made my own hummus. But lately, cooking has become a great outlet for me. I am so glad I chose to try your recipe! This hummus is just amazing!…So creamy, so perfect, very addictive! This is going into ALL my files for appetizers, feeding a crowd & company’s coming.. I’ve made it a few times and I’ve done one batch with the addition of 6 slices of jalapeno and, as usual, it was gone in no time!
I just made this today and the family loved it! I followed the recipe exactly and was pleased to see how fluffy and tasty it turned out.
Followed this recipe to the letter with some skepticism. But I am now a believer. Absolutely the best hummus I have ever eaten. Worth the extra trouble. Thank you!
I was so excited when it turned out perfectly creamy and smooth! This is my new go to hummus recipe. I shared the recipe immediately with my sisters! Thank you
This recipe made the most fantastic hummus. Thank you so much. It is definitely a keeper.
FINALLY!!!
I’m in love with this recipe. I never would have thought to boil the chickpeas, and I didn’t even know there was tahini in hummus. Debating whether to share it with family, or make them think I’m the Hummus Queen!
Love love love!
Love this recipe ! Thanks so much for all your research and tips ! I followed all the directions and am so happy with the results! It is so much cheaper and healthier than store bought. Even purchased a food processor to make it easier.
Finally, a hummus recipe that makes me feel like I’m getting takeout from my favorite Lebanese restaurant! I’ve tried everything ranging from peeling each chickpea (ugh) to incorporating aquafaba—even mixing in whipped greek yogurt or obscure, toasted spices. None of those strategies made the difference I was looking for. From this point forward I will always boil my chickpeas with baking soda and keep the lemon juice/ tahini proportions to Kate’s specifications.
I did add a bit more garlic at the beginning and salt at the end, maybe only a tsp of olive oil, otherwise kept everything true to the recipe. Only 2 tbsp of ice water were necessary. My boyfriend and I spread the hummus on grilled tortillas, topped with crudités, and added more dollops of hummus on top. A perfect June dinner.
I don’t think I’ll buy store hummus again!
It reminded me of our trip to Egypt.
Oh em gee. This is the hummus recipe I’ve been searching for! You saved the day today because I was tasked with picking up my brother in law’s favorite hummus from a local Greek restaurant, but they’re closed. My homemade hummus can never seem to attain that super creamy consistency, but the result I got from using this recipe is spot on! He is going to LOVE this hummus. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Shannon! Thank you for your review.
Amazing hummus! Mellow but soooh tasty. Like others, the best I ever made. I followed all your instructions with actually very cheap canned chickpeas but whole organic tahini. Thank you!
I just made this hummus and Oh.My. God. Is it good!!!!! I added paprika, toasted sesame seeds and pine nuts to mine and it Is so good. We did try the initial recipe before our add ons and it was already wonderful – we’ve just been buying with pine nuts added and now we don’t have to any longer!!!! Thank you for this reciie!!!! Quick and easy to make!!!
I love paprika! Thank you or sharing, Kim.
Honestly, this is the best hummus recipe. I’ve made it twice in a week!
This looks so yummy! I cannot stand tahini.
What could I substitute instead or will leaving it out not matter? Thanks!
You really need tahini to make this the best hummus. I don’t have a great recommendation, sorry!
Allie – I’ve made hummus with natural style peanut butter a couple times, and while it’s not traditional, it is still tasty in my opinion.
Kate – I made this recipe as written today, and it’s awesome. I’ve never gotten the texture this smooth before. Also, very zippy with the lemon (I didn’t measure, just went with juice of 2 whole lemons).
Have had some terrible outcomes making hummus – could never understand it as so few ingredients. Admittedly, I am a complete disaster in the kitchen….
You have revealed the magic!
Thank you
Hey thanks for the recipe! I made some adjustments for taste, such as using only one lemon (still too much), 4 tablespoons tahini, and two cloves of garlic. I don’t really like lemon, especially when it takes over as is the case here. I really apprecieated the tip to cook the canned beans first as that totally changed the texture of the hummus.
Hi! Excited to try this! Do you mean to boiled the canned chickpeas? I thought they were already boiled? So much to learn!!
Hi Ida! It helps make sure everything is cooked to a similar consistency and helps you get that ultra creamy result. I hope this helps!
Fabulous recipe..a big hit in our house!
Absolutely delicious! I can never eat store bought again! Thank you for sharing!
Perfect – I was out of store bought Hummus and made this, I’ll never buy store bought again!
Your tips made a huge quality improvement over other recipes I have tried. I followed the original recipe and both the flavor and texture were perfect!
YEEESSS!!! This right here! So good! I only had one question: if I should use the ‘solid’ or ‘liquid’ measuring cups when measuring out the tahini. The tahini batch I got from Soom was pourable so I used the liquid measuring cup. But this came out SO good!! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi! You would use a ‘solid’ cup as you indicated. I’m happy you loved it!
Another winner! I’ve made this 3 times in 2 weeks and making another batch now as a gift. So glad I finally found the perfect recipe – easy and delicious.
the best, just like the hummus we had in Israel! I make this often for our family
Delicious. Definitely the best recipe I’ve tried. I did add a little Cayenne pepper for “zing”. I may roast some red bell peppers to go on top of my leftover hummus.
This just didn’t turn out for me, but I’m 99% sure it’s because of my blender. We have a Ninja, and I haven’t yet found a single thing it’s good at- it just fails at even the easiest blender tasks. I think it was like $350? Totally not worth it. But we’ve just ordered a Vitamix, and I’m sure it will do much better. Can’t wait to try this again when it arrives!
I’m sorry to hear that, Kal! I love my Vitamix so I hope you do too. Let me know when you try it again!
I just made this today and it is FABULOUS!! I am not a big fan of the grainy texture… but this! Wow! Thank you for sharing!
This. Was. So. Good.
Great recipe! I made a double batch for a coming camping trip. Can the hummus be frozen?
I haven’t tried it, sorry!
I will forever make hummus this way! I always wondered what my brother in laws secret was to making such creamy hummus and I think I finally know! I am also so grateful for this recipe because it was really hard to find dried garbanzo beans for a while, which I thought was a requirement for great hummus! Now I have a recipe that is easier to source, easier to make and tastes even better!
I’m excited you are hooked! Thanks for your review, Allison.
The BEST I have ever had, inexpensive and super easy to make. Only downside is that I can’t stop eating it
Will this recipe work in a nutra bullit?
Hi Cynthia! You could try it. Since I don’t have one, I can’t say for sure.
Perfection❣️ So creamy and FLUFFY even with my handheld blender. I topped it with Burlap & Barrel sumac and Wow! So simple but wonderful. Thank you, Kate!
That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing. I appreciate the review!
Thank you for the tips on making this creamy. Adding cold water was a new step for me. I was too lazy to cook the chickpeas before adding them to the tahini mixture.It was still amazing. I sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Yumbo !
This hummus was amazing. New staple in our house! Made mine in a Ninja Pro blender with extra cumin, ground coriander and mustard seed. So delicious!
Made this for a late night snack. I added some paprika and extra garlic. Next time I think I might try blackened garlic for a more mellow garlic flavour. I did have to add A LOT more water because it was very thick for some reason. Thanks.
Thank you so much for this amazing and easy recipe, Kate! It was my first time making hummus after many years of eating it only in Middle Eastern restaurants. I was very pleased with the outcome as it tasted quite authentic.
Awesome really delicious and easy to make found the Soom Tahini at Whole Foods. Used Goya chickpeas cooked as you require in the recipe, so simple so good! Want to try the jalapeños topping mentioned the next time. Yum! This is way above any store bought I’ve tried.
My son is a Hommus addict and he thought this was the creamiest he had ever had. We added some chopped Jalapenos peppers as a topping.
thank you
This is AMAZING LIFE-CHANGING Hummus!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for posting this and for including all the secrets!! It was incredibly creamy and smooth. Pure heaven. I added a little lemon and salt at the end like you suggested. Delish!
Thanks again!
Nailed it!!! Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe!!! Just as good as legit Oren’s Hummus, Mountain View xoxo
Wonderful hummus recipe. My entire family loved it! The kids think it is better than the one we get at the Middle Eastern restaurant – and I agree. I have made it twice this week and it is such a great addition to our meals.
Thank you!
I’m happy to hear it! Thank you for sharing.
I really love this recipe! My Husband is from Palestine and he said this was so Delicious that he does not have to go buy it at a restaurant now. Mine is better! Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️
I love this humus also made my own tahini
All homemade, I love it! Thank you for sharing, Hans.
Definitely the best. Thank you!
Hey Michael, I hear your point. However, I don’t think that me calling this recipe “the best”—when clearly “the best” is a relative term in regard to food, as you said—makes me the root of all evil. I’m just a hardworking recipe developer offering reliable, well-tested recipes. For free. Have a nice day.
Hey Kate, I never implied you were a politician or the police, those were simply examples. Aren’t we getting a little dramatic with the “root of all evil” phrase? Thanks for the ‘free’ recipes, and you have a nice day as well.
Aren’t you the one being dramatic? I actually do believe that my recipes make the world a better place by bringing people together around the table for real and important conversations. That’s what we need right now, and always. Please keep in mind that you never know what someone’s going through on the other side of the internet.
Love it. Store-bought hummus will no longer exist in my fridge. I was looking for a healthy side dish to make as I was having some friends over for happy hour and this was a nice addition. So light and fluffy!
I added three Thai chili peppers (medium size. added to the food processor while adding garlic and lemon juice) for some spice. This was my first time using Trader Joe’s tahini and definitely a solid recommendation, better than other brands that I’ve tasted.