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.
Made it twice now. Love it – great recipe! Let us know if you make a roasted red pepper version. Thank you, Ron
Wow, this Is the best hummus recipe ever! So creamy and down have that raw garlic flavor, Thank you!
I love making hummus yet am disappointed the beans aren’t always well blended. I did a search and found your suggestions. I will definitely follow the next time I make hummus. thank you!
Some of my favorite things to add are green olives; dried tomatoes (great for when there are extra tomatoes in the garden, just dehydrate and then add to hummus); and of course extra garlic. My sister bought chocolate hummus. I found a chocolate recipe that I’ll try again using your suggestions for making better dessert hummus. :-)
Hi, I made this using Soom tahini and it was very bitter. I also made the tahini sauce using Soom and that too turned out very bitter. I’ve heard Soom is a really good brand, could it be a bad jar? Even just tasting it on it’s own it is quite bitter.
Hi AM, I’m sorry to hear that. It could have been a bad jar. Did you happen to look at the expiration? Or maybe it’s your specific taste.
Divine…absolutely delicious. I made this exactly as listed and it was perfect. I have tried several other versions and nothing beats this hands down. The baking soda trick really made a huge difference. Thank you very much.
Thank you for the references, and allusions to the great chefs…this gives your opinion so much credence, and it respects the different artists in your industry. Oooohhhh, your hummus is wonderful! Marry me!
This was my first hummus attempt and I don’t believe I’ll ever want to try another recipe!
I’ve made it 3 times now and each time it seems better and better as I get comfortable and more creative with your extra flavoring additions!
My favorite so far is adding in fire roasted peppers and extra garlic and lemon juice!
Absolutely EVERYONE who’s tried what I’ve made LOVE this recipe and say it’s wonderfully TASTY!
Thank you so much for doing all the grunt work into making this AWESOME hummus recipe!
You’re the BEST!
That’s great! I’m happy you keep making it and loving it, Sandee.
This is the CREAMIEST hummus I have ever made! Boiling the chickpeas was an absolute game changer! I did have to up the water a little bit–probably ended up with closer to 5-6 tablespoons–which made the hummus slightly bland at first. After adding a little more salt, garlic, and cumin, the hummus was PERFECTION. This is my new go-to recipe!
I tried this recipe after attempting hummus from dry garbanzos. This one turned out a lot creamier and smoother. It was also a lot easier! Thank you for such amazing recipes and useful tips!
I love this hummus! Turns out great every time. I use Trader Joe’s tahini and have been happy with the flavor. Have you happened to try freezing/defrosting this hummus? Just curious if it is freezer friendly before I make a big batch. Thanks as always Kate for another delicious recipe!
Hi Katey! I haven’t tried it yet. But, it would be worth considering. You would likely need to re mix/whisky really well once thawing. If you try it, let me know.
Freezes well and stays consistent on thawing. Or at least mine does. I always use half and freeze the other.
You know that hummus is Arabic in origin, right? Hummus means chickpea in Arabic.
Hi Randa, I do know that! I’ll update the post soon to provide more clarification on the origin of hummus.
This was great! Followed the chick pea cooking, and lemon garlic mixing, and incorporated it with my pampered chef blender recipe. Much smoother and mixed better than the first time I made the hummus. I will be making my hummus this way from now on.
I finally got myself a food processor and this is the first thing I made using it! Also, very first time making hummus EVER. Wow. This recipe is fool proof and the result is an amazingly smooth and delicious hummus.
As much as I don’t want to mess around with something that is so good I do want to try the different variations.
What about using pine nuts? How would one go about that?
I’m glad you made this and was the first thing you made in your food processor! I’m not sure about using pine nuts without trying it myself. Sorry! You will still want your chickpeas as your base.
Help, thanks so much for this recipe! I want to make sure I’m not missing a step, I guess I’m co fused about the boil and drain process. The hulls come off easily, is it not necessary to try to pull them out?
Hi Katy! No need to peel them. The baking soda helps to break them down enough so you will still get a creamy result. I hope that helps!
So I live in Portland, Or amd there’s this place called King Harvest that’s been around for the last 15 or so years, and they make THE MOST AMAZING hummus I have ever tasted. I made this recipe, never thinking it would ever be as good as theirs, and it is pretty much exactly the same (just a tad less “fluffy”)!
Yayyyy!
I love that it matches up to your favorite. Thanks for commenting, Julaine.
I’ve made this two times, and the recipe has circulated among my friends. Delicious!
I have made hummus from this recipe several times and love it! I add a lot more lemon juice and garlic, since I love those flavors.
HI I have made this a few times but for some reason I cannot get it smooth as your pics and as you state. Could it be that I am using Cold Tahini? Maybe I need more water I am really not sure but I know I am not happy with it. Any advice?
Thanks
Hi Anisha, You could just add a little more cold water to see if that helps. Let me know!
Is it possible to over cook the chickpeas? Mine look completely mushed not bloated?
Hi Megan! You will be processing the chickpeas to get them creamy so you want them to breakdown easily. How did the rest of it turn out for you? Did you like the end flavor result?
I almost boiled another can but decided to go with my mushed batch and I’m so glad I did! It turned out beyond delicious! This will be a staple for me. Thank you!!
OMG so good!!!! I’ve been using the same hummus recipe forever and I’ve always found it a little lacking. I think I’ve finally found the recipe to rule them all!
It’s so hot out right now, this hummus with some pita and veggies is all I ever want to eat!
Ok, I can’t argue. I’ll never buy store made hummus again.This is totally the best. I use excellent quality olive oil, ( Skipstone, from Sonoma County California) drizzled on top and fresh chopped parsley. ❤️THANK YOU!
Just made it…AMAZING. I will never buy store bought again!
It was excellent. Creamy and perfectly seasoned. I couldn’t help myself but I picked off as many of the skins as I could after I rinsed the chickpeas in cold water. I have a sensitive stomach and Hummus usually upsets my digestion but this trick along with the baking soda seemed to eliminate any digestive problems.
My family was very impressed with your fantastic smooth creamy tasty hummus recipe. I have made hummus lots before but have always been disappointed with the flavour and texture. I now don’t need to look any further for the best recipe ever. I also had lots of sesame seeds in, so made my own tahini which was very quick and easy. All in all a fab day in the kitchen and a happy family. Thank you Kate !
OMG I love this recepie! Totally different with the use of less oliven oil and more tahini. And different way of making it also. It turned out great! My family loved it. Thank you
First time making Hummus and I absolutely loved this recipe!! Used TJ’s organic Tahini and it turned out great!! I will definitely be making it again!
Truly the best hummus, it’s so cream. I love this recipe. Even better with zhoug!
Amazing. I can’t keep my hands off this… I have to make some every few days. It’s so much better than store bought.. and better than my favorite Lebanese restaurant. Thank you for sharing.
Has anyone tried to freeze the hummus? My husband devours it and so i’d like to make a big batch but I’m scared about freezing incase it ruins it!
Hi Angie! I haven’t froze this one personally, but from what I hear it can work. Just make sure to mix well once thawed. Let me know how it works for you!
Made it today and it’s so good, nice and smooth and not gritty like some. It’s a keeper!!
I’ve made this recipe twice. Boiling the canned chickpeas makes such a difference. This hummus reminded my husband of the hummus we had in Israel. Delicious!
This recipe is amazing. Everybody says so. I was even told that by someone from Syria. I have printed many of your fabulous recipes and none was disappointing.
I usually end up discarding the info about nutrition. Would it be possible to have an option without this info?
Many thanks. You’re the best!
Hi! I’m excited it was a hit for you, Régine. Thank you for sharing! You can always choose the pages you want to print in your printer settings. I hope this helps!
So divine! I made this recipe exactly as-is, except I used whole cumin seeds as opposed to ground. I did run them through the food processor, which ground some and left others whole. Anyway, we had guests over for dinner and everyone raved and wondered where I bought this hummus, it’s so good! I sprinkled some crushed red pepper on top and added some Indian chili powder. Winner!!
Sounds like great idea, Karen! I’m happy it was a hit. Thank you for your review.
2Tablespoons.
Paprika flavorless? You didn’t tested the Spanish paprika, isn’t it?
Beside that, fantastic recipe, thank you!
The very first time I’ve made hummus EVAR! OMG SUPER EASY ! I had one set back, and that was that I knocked a glass out of the cuppoard right next to where I was making this and shattered glass EVERYWHERE! The only thing that was saved was the tahini,lemon, garlic, salt mix that was locked into the food processor. had to dump everything else and start over cooking new beans.
A friend whose taste I trust shared this with me and the hummus I now make regularly with this recipe is mind-blowing. The Soom recommendation has changed my life, too. THANK YOU!!
Just finished making this hummus, and Wow! Definitely the best hummus I’ve ever made. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I haven’t attempted to make this recipe yet but the post alone is a winner for me. Lol. I research tons of recipes and by far yours is the best hands down. It is very detailed and humorous and just a joy to read. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and suggestions in a fun way. I will definitely share my experience when I make this.
Thank you, Teena! I’m delighted you loved my version.
Wow!! I wish I had this recipe years ago, it would have saved me from having to try all the other recipes I did throughout the years. It came out so creamy!! Yes, cooking them made a huge difference. I also used the Soom tahini, so good. I did have to add a tad more salt, which makes sense because I did start out with the low sodium chick peas, and an additional tbsp of water. I have found my new receipe for hummus. I made some homemade baked tortilla chips to go with them…yummm!! Thank you!
I followed the recipe exactly. It came out way too liquidy. Any suggestions on how to fix?
Hi Lois! I’m sorry to hear that. How much additional water did you add?
Delicious and easy! The first time I made this it was good but a little bitter. So ordered the Soom tahini and, believe it or not, it made a world of difference. Now I make this several times a month for my family to snack on. I add 1/2 tsp of cayenne because we like a little heat. But other than that I follow the recipe exactly (which is not typical for me because I like to tinker!) Be sure to soak the garlic in lemon juice as suggested. This recipe is so creamy and delicious. It’s the closest I’ve found to the creamy hummus I had in Israel, and my best friend, who grew up on a kibbutz in Israel, agrees. So I make it for her family, too. Thank you for the great tips and instructions. Highly recommend!
I made this recipe today. This is the creamiest/lightest hummus that I have made so far. Thank you!
I had refrigerated chickpeas that I had cooked a day before which I used with room temp water. Use roasted sesame seeds which I had on hand vs tahini. Also tried ur suggestion on garlic and lemon juice.
My family wants me to use less lemon.. it was a tad too tangy for us. But that is easily remedied.I also hope to try using red chillies and other Indian spices.
This is the creamiest hummus ever. I did sieve off the chick pea skins, or at least most of them and with the baking soda boil trick (I used canned) it was so easy they just floated right up. The Soom tahini is wonderful and I don’t think I’ll ever buy hummus again! I’ve got plans to make lots of different versions and can’t wait!
This puts store-bought hummus to shame! It’s like a hummus cloud, so light and fluffy. I almost left out the cumin because so many plant-based recipes rely on it and I’m tired of that flavor, but I trusted you and it really does add depth without being discernable as cumin. Thanks for this great recipe!!
Thank you, Alice! I’m happy you trusted me and loved it.
The title of this recipe is bang on. I followed the steps exactly as listed and ended up with Amazing results. A keeper for sure. Thank you!
This is seriously the best hummus I have ever had. I am songlad to have found this recipe
That’s what I love to hear! Thank you for taking the time to review, Fifi.
Sorry, thought it needed more of everything. More salt, lemon juice and garlic. Tasted like chickpeas and tahini. Would go for the original recipe though.
I’m never buying hummus again. Period. Made it twice; about to make it again. Thank you for your tips and research. Your photos are fab, too.
Have made a number of different hummus recipes, this is my favorite. Thanks!
The baking soda step made such a huge difference. The chickpeas never would blend well into a smooth, creamy mix but this step and the other tips made for a beautiful product.
Thank you!
I made the recipe and it was delicious. I did add more garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper. It was perfect! Thank you!
Amazing!!! Thank you
Thank you! This was my second attempt making homemade hummus, and it turned out much better than my first! Your recipe was flavorful, smooth, and creamy without the harsh bite of my first attempt. Delicious! Next time, I might reduce the tahini a little bit, since I don’t love the flavor of the brand I have. I’ll switch brands after I’ve used this one up and see if I can find one I like better. Thank you again for doing all that research and concentrating the best tips in one place for us!