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! I love the flavor of boiled mashed chickpeas, I don’t believe I will buy store bought again. I almost wrote chickpeas off because the taste right out of the can wasn’t my favorite.
Thank you, Lala! I’m excited you tried it.
By far the best hummus recipe I’ve tried. Absolutely perfect.
Glad you think so, Katie! Thank you for your review.
This really is the BEST hummus recipe! I actually double the garlic, but I do let it rest in the lemon to mellow. Additionally, I love the bright, lemoney flavor! I still peel my chickpeas, but don’t mind it. Super creamy! Thanks for the ice water tip!
I’m glad you think so, Amanda! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made this recipe soooo many times – in fact I’m making it again right now – and it’s always a hit. My husband used to claim he made “the best hummus” but time and again people have said that this takes the cake. Absolute perfection!
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Meda. Glad this one is a favorite.
I hate garlic, hate the taste and how my body reacts to it. Garlic, as everyone knows, is a main ingredient in hummus. I had tried just about brand on the market and all had garlic. So, I thought I’d make my own and just skip the garlic. I’ve been through a lot of recipes and by omitting the garlic the flavor wasn’t objectionable anymore but it wasn’t good either. That is until this recipe. The method of cooking the chick-peas wasn’t new to me (Alton Brown has a version), but the spices of cumin and sumac and the amount of lemon juice were new. I’m hooked! The hummus is light and creamy and the traditional “tang,” that those of you whom are garlic fans get, I now get. My husband says it would taste good on cardboard!! We use it as a dip but also on sandwiches and honestly right off the spoon. I even share it with Lucy, our Boston who also loves it. So Kate, once again, thanks for broadening my culinary repertoire.
That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing, Theresa!
Very easy and delish recipe
I used my Bamix (immersion blender)to blend everything together. I like that I can control the ingredients, adding more garlic/less salt as needed.
thank you for doing all the hard research work for me. Your recipe is pure perfection…. I made three different versions over the weekend and they became the culinary hit and talking point of the family gathering.
I made Classic, Green Goddess and Olive. All three were hits and all the grandkids absolutely loved the olive version.
Thank you so much, I don’t think my life will be the same again!!!!!
You’re welcome, Andrew! Happy to hear you loved this one.
I’ve made this recipe several times with reliable tasty and smooth results. I just discovered that different brands of garbanzo beans can affect the creaminess of the final result. Stick with the traditional brands to avoid smaller tougher beans is my advice.
Your hummus recipe is the best! My family loves it. It is so easy and tastes much better than store bought.
I’m glad you loved it, Dale!
Sorry, but way too salty, and I didn’t even add as much as you suggested. Kind of unidimensional. But the tip abou boiling with baking soda, was a good reminder. A tiny pinch keeps meatballs tender, too. Chemistry.
Hi Mary, I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe.
I have made hummus before and I was left in “wanting” of flavor or texture. I looked over a few recipes and chose yours, and this time I was completely and utterly satisfied! The synergy of ingredients was worth the time! The texture was light, and smooth that made our meal 4 star quality.
I did add a bit of paprika, hot sauce & a touch of sugar.
I will be making this recipe man, many more times!
Thank you, thank you for putting this out there:)
I’m excited this one left you satisfied! Thank you for your review.
I was looking online for a new hummus recipe, and came across your recipe here. WOW!!! You have a new fan in me! This hummus recipe and tips have made us the BEST hummus we have ever had. Thank you for posting it, and for all of your research. My husband was making very good hummus in the past, but this is ridiculously creamy and delicious. I can’t believe what a difference the cooking of the chickpeas makes. I look forward to seeing other recipes you post! THANK YOU!!
I love some of your other recipes. Trying this recipe for the first time…what do you do with the chickpea skins that separate? Do you pick through and discard?
Hi Liz, no need to discard them! Blend with the rest.
Terrific recipe. I have been making my own hummus for quite awhile and this recipe offered a few notable improvements – boiling the chickpeas in baking soda, ice water to thin the tahini, and a lot less oil. Wonderful result. I made one change – roasted a full bulb of garlic. I find the flavor of roasted garlic to be a more pleasant flavor. Thanks for a brilliant recipe.
Susanne, Did you use the whole bulb in the hummus? Thx!
Yes, I use the full bulb of roasted garlic. It does not overwhelm… roasting mellows the garlic
So sorry for the question but if I soak and cook my chickpeas do I need the baking soda?
Hi! See the note below the instructions for how to make this with soaked beans.
We love this recipe. I chop up Kalmata “greek” olives and mix in for wraps. Takes it to another level with feta, cucumber,lettuce and mint.
Wow! Amazing hummus recipe! I have made all kinds of variations over the years because my family loves it. However, after serving this hummus today, the hubby ands kids agreed… THIS was the hummus they wanted from here on in! Thank you for sharing… this is going in my family recipe box!
This is the absolute BEST hummus l have made or tasted; better than Bammi’s Mommy’s, which l used to relish in San Francisco. l like the idea of alkalinizing the water to ease the breakdown. lt just makes sense. And the ice water, which l will choose to let be a mystery. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Mark!
Can i make in advance please
Hi! Yes, this is a great one to make in advance.
I am impressed! I made it because my daughter like hummus and I have NEVER liked it. but I tried this and I am now hooked! thanks I followed it exactly but I can see where a little more lemon would give it a little more zest. but played it safe and followed the recipe. next time I will play a little
I’m glad you are hooked! Thank you for sharing, Nancy.
This is the best hummus recipe! I “had” to share with two other households when I told them I made homemade hummus and everyone went crazy for it! :) Thank you for the recipe!
I love this hummus. My sons favorite too. Thank you Kate for this recipe. I use it all the time now. I make the chickpeas from scratch. Last time I added a cup I’d beets one too and it was delicious!
Hi Kate, this is my first attempt making hummus and I used dried chickpeas.
The result was delish! And the tips were appreciated :)
Thank you for your hard work!
Since I found this recipe haven’t bought any from the store for the past few years. It has never failed. Thank you so much!!
Thank you for this recipe. I tried it and a LOVED it. I’ll buy hummus again. It was fluffy, creamy and delicious. So easy too. I’m thinking of adding roasted beetroot next time. Thanks again.
Followed the recipe exactly and it was amazing! I usually peel my chickpeas but I did not this time and this was the smoothest and creamiest I ever had-I will never buy store bought again! Thank you for sharing a wonderful delicious healthy preservative free hummus!
I’m excited you liked it, Mary! Appreciate you taking the time to review.
I was on the hunt for a creamy homemade hummus and this recipe did not disappoint! It was definitely worth the extra work of boiling the chickpeas. The only thing I did differently was that I left out the garlic and added about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. The only problem was that my husband, who usually isn’t big on hummus, loved this, and it was gone in no time! I think I will make a double batch next time around. Thank you so much Kate!
Amazing hummus, really taste so much different when you boil the chickpeas. Thanks for the recipe
You’re welcome, Zoe! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
This actually is the best hummus recipe! It’s everything it claims to be and more. You won’t be disappointed.
Thank you for your rave review, Antonia! We appreciate it.
This is awesome! I added a little extra garlic and lemon juice as well. Soooo creamy and smooth. Rivals my Lebanese friend’s (who is a chef) recipe. No more store bought hummus for me!
Wonderful to hear, thanks Lane!
I made hummus tonight for the first time using your recipe. It is delicious! I followed your recipe exactly and concur w/adding an additional tbsp. of lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. salt. Definitely a keeper. Thanks!
Carol, thank you! I’m so glad to hear it.
This hummus is AMAZING! I CRAVE IT when we run out! I also get compliments on it everytime I bring it somewhere. I do have a question, my food processor bowl recently broke and I was wondering if a blender would work? Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
-Lauren
Lauren, that’s awesome to hear! That kind of depends on the blender. You may need to scrape down the sides pretty often as it gains traction. It may work great, though! Definitely worth trying.
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it at least 3 times and it has never failed to please me! I definitely recommend it!!
Thank you so much, Rohini!
Once again, an outstanding hummus!! Soaked the dried chickpeas and then followed each step. Thank you so much for adding delights to my kitchen and me. For more fun, sometimes I add tons of lime juice and chilli powder and let go of the garlic and lemon.
Love all your recipes!
I’m so glad! Thank you, Fran. :)
I just bought a new food processor and this was the first recipe I tried. It is the best hummus ever–I can’t believe how good it is. I followed the recipe exactly. After years of chunky homemade hummus I feel like a master! Thank you!
I’m glad you loved it, Amy!
Delish! Added more lemon juice & garlic ,saved half for myself and gave my neighbor a crock adding a paprika ❤️ On top and fresh parsley and expensive evoo around the edges. She loved it !
Thank you so much for this recipe – by far the best I’ve ever made! My 15month old daughter just eats it from the spoon :)
Soooo creamy!
Turned out far too runny for me. I had to add another whole can of chick peas!
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one. Are you sure you added the correct amount of liquid?
I just tried it as well and the result was also way too thin, not thick at all like the photos suggest. I followed the recipe exactly, not sure what went wrong. Flavor is good though!
Love this recipe! I will never buy store bought hummus again. I’m excited to try various modifications like roasted red pepper and beet.
Chick pea flour is available. Is there a way of using that for hummus?
Hi Mareina, this is designed to be used with chickpeas, not flour.
Delicious and sooooo smooth! I have a hard time buying hummus because this is soo much better and not too hard to make!
Ok Kate, I’ll bite.
This is the best hummus ever. You were more kidding. I have had two cans of chickpeas in my cabinet for the better part of a year but was let down by an “easy hummus recipe” recently. It has only ONE tablespoon of tahini and way less lemon juice.
I also can’t believe how recently this recipe has gotten great comments, I made it and figured it’s been on the web for ages. I’m not sure when you first posted this but hats off to Cookie and Kate!
I absolutely love hummus and I had been buying hummus for years.
Then I found this recipe and I have to say it is absolutely divine.
Made it now the third time and every time it just keeps getting better.
Thank you so much for sharing it.
You’re welcome, Michaela! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I made this recipe and it’s delicious. I doubled it so I could give some to my neighbors and added a bunch of cilantro making it cilantro hummus which is fantastic served with pita chips multi bell pepper slices and cucumbers.
Thanks for all the great tips everything turned out perfect!
We made the hummus last week – and it was FANTASTIC!! The tip to boil the chick peas in baking soda and then process, was a really good one – totally made the hummus silky-smooth. My daughter and I ate the whole batch in one day!!!! I look forward to trying more of your recipes – today is Zhoug!!
Hello,
Thanks for sharing. I tired my best, it’s eatable but far from resturant or grocery store grade. Will retry next week.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it.
Cant wait to serve this at an homemade Mediterranean happy hour!! How far in advance car I prepare it? How long does it keep in the fridge?
Hi KC! This is great to make in advance. See the final step for how long it lasts.
I seldom leave comments but this time I will. This is far and away the best hummus recipe out there. I have made it several times now and it is so good, so creamy, so rich. I sprinkle smoked paprika on top for an extra layer of richness. Whole foods tahini came through for me.
5 stars. I would give it 6 stars if I could. Jan from Saint Paul, MN
In a pinch, can I use garlic powder instead of fresh? Thank you for your time!!
Have made this 2 times now … so YUM – smooth and creamy and so tasty! Thank you – Fam Fav now!
That’s great, Jaime! Thank you for your review.