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.
Legit! I made this just how you suggested (boiled chickpeas and baking soda!) and dang if you nailed it! Creamy! Can’t wait to (on the CHEAP) dip my veggies in this during work lunch tomorrow! I searched a home made recipe for beloved hummus after I gasped at the price at the grocery store, so this is fabulous alternative to overpriced store bought. Thanks for doing the legwork (aka research) that I NEVER would have done to make this so good the FIRST time I made it!
Amazing recipe! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Elisabeth!
Absolutely delicious. Smooth and creamy. Perfect!
I just made hummus for the first time using this recipe verbatim. The hummus was easy to made as well as delicious and creamy. Won’t be buying store brought hummus ever again!
Wow, after years, finally a recipe that’s better, lighter, creamier, and tastier than any other I’ve tried. Thank you! I boiled a can of chickpeas as per your instructions. What a a difference and sooo much easier than peeling them .
I can’t find any lemons during this season where I live – would your recipe work with limes? Any other modifications suggested?
I made the original recipe a few times already and love it!
Hi! Limes can work as a substitute for lemons typically. With this one though, it may be too much tang. But, if you try it let me know!
This is the best one I’ve made.boiling my chickpeas was the best way to do it to make the creaminess and I didn’t use olive oil because of that extra fat.
YES, without a doubt quite delicious – well done. Have tried many Hummus recipes and this takes the prize.
Thank you, Freya!
Oh my goodness that is the most delicious hummus recipe. I have tried many and this one was the most successful. I am particularly delighted at the softness of the garlic, I will use this method. Well Done!!
Wow….. has to be the best hummus recipe yet (have tried many), so smooth, creamy and just darn delicious!!! Bookmarked…., a real keeper
If I double or triple the chickpeas, should I increase the baking soda accordingly?
Hi, if you double the recipe you will want to double it all. Let me know what you think!
Amazing recipe and tips! It was the best hummus I’ve made so far and much better than any I’ve tasted in a restaurant!
This is my go-to hummus recipe. Hummus is most delicious with dried beans cooked from scratch, but the little shortcut of using canned chickpeas and boiling them prior to processing is genius. It makes the hummus taste just like made from scratch hummus. I often omit the garlic due to husband’s sensitivity – still good!
I had some generic cans ofgarbanzo beans and even with the baking soda they never softened. Since then I have found the brand, S&W, which I have had great success with. Plus, they were on sale for .78 cents a can last week and I stocked up. Use one can with all the juice and one can drained. I use lots of garlic which I simmered in a little oil first, 4 small lemons, 1tsp of ground cumin and 1 tsp of ground coriander, and the salt of course.
Lastly, and most important for those who like spicy, I make my own harissa and dollop of that goes in to each indivual serving. That way the people who like it plain can share in the bounty.
Thank you Kate for the recipe as it is the best I have found.
Kate – Oh my WORD!! I followed your recipe step by step even boiling those chickpeas and you are right – this produces the very very creamiest and most tasteful hummus I have ever made – why I didn’t just make yours to begin with is beyond me! Thank you for the inspiration. And don’t let anyone every tell you that you are not right – because this time? this time you were right! Happy New Year from Nicole invCape Town, South Africa
Great to hear, Nicole! Thank you for your review.
I am new to making hummus!
Since you asked about over-cooking chickpeas, I cooked mine to death and did not peel, and the texture came out fluffy.
I used a standard blemder but feel motivated to use a better device next time.
We made hummus, exactly following your recipe, and it turned out to be the tastiest hummus we’ve ever had!!! It’s better than Wegmans’, Whole Foods’, Trader Joe’s and any other hummus that I have had in a restaurant.
I’m your fan now :) :)
What if I already soaked my chickpeas overnight and use a pressure cooker to boil them? How can I use the baking soda in this instance?
Hi! I haven’t tried that variation. The post explains the why behind the baking soda, so you could try it still to help break them down more.
That didn’t really answer anything but ok, there are more straight forward recipes I can use. I wanted to try yours since it was highly rated.
Hi Adriana, I’m sorry I must misunderstood your question. Would you elaborate? If you are asking if you should use baking soda, I suggest it as it helps break down everything evenly for a smooth texture. Happy to provide what insight I can, but I don’t try all variations, although I do go through my fair share of testing.
Perfect texture! My first attempt at hummus was very successful, thank you!!
I’m happy you think so, Camille! I appreciate your review.
Can’t wait to try it! how long will this recipe keep in the fridge once prepared?
Hi Linsey! See the final step. I hope you love it!
My first attempt at hummus— thanks to this recipe, i churned out the creamiest best ever hummus !
Thank you so much !
I live in China so getting hummus is difficult, so decided to make tahini and hummus from scratch for NYE 2020. The recipe was super easy!!!!
Thank you, Everyone said it was delicious!!!
I’m happy you loved it, Alison!
Here’s what led me here — there’s a local restaurant where I live and the head chef makes an incredible creamy smooth hummus. It is, hands down, the best hummus I have ever tasted. I’ve had dreams about it. that hummus was easily accessible (it’s also a bit pricey if we’re being honest) I set out to make my own. I love hummus but don’t like the grainy texture of store-bought. THIS RECIPE IS INCREDIBLE. It’s pretty much foolproof, too. This was my first time making hummus and this recipe makes the most delicious smooth and creamy hummus. It’s *almost* exactly like the restaurant hummus I so love. I’ve made this recipe about six times now and it’s honestly the best. There are dozens of hummus recipes on the internet. Don’t waste your time searching. This one will not disappoint. I like to add some more olive oil on top and za’tar for extra flavor. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world!.
I have made this recipe several times and it is definitely a winner. So delicious and creamy. Friends and family love it too.
Great to hear, Deborah! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made this several times with soaked, pressure cooked beans – it’s decadent. I thought I wasn’t a huge fan of hummus but it turns out I’m just not a fan of less-than-amazingly-delicious hummus. Highly recommend.
This was my first attempt at hummus and it turned our delicious. I especially appreciated the tips and context on what you learned along the way. My family loved it, thanks!
Great recipe, so easy to make to. I’ve made it several times now and the wife loves it.
That is great! Thank you, Matt.
Excellently written and easy to follow recipe, just made it and turned out delicious, and so creamy!
This really is the perfect hummus recipe! I tried so many others and they are gritty and just not smooth. The tips are really important especially boiling the chickpeas! Look no further, this recipe is perfect!
Delicious, I love it! So smooth, I didn’t know it was possible to make hummus like this at home! Thank you for the recipe, and such useful and interesting preparation tips! Definitely becoming my go-to hummus recipe now!
Hi Charlotte! I’m happy you loved it.
Oh wow, I even impressed myself with this! I followed your instructions to the letter and will never buy hummus again. Scooping it up with apples slices, celery and carrots as I type :)
Great to hear, LeeAnn!
I’m allergic to citrus – can I use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in its place
Hi, I haven’t tired it with this one, but those can work as substitutes.
This is the BEST hummus recipe I have tried!! Absolutely loved it!
Yum. This is THE BEST ever. So creamy. Boiling made all the difference. Paired with sliced cucumbers and yellow peppers. Delish.
I made this hummus and it turned out exceptionally well. I don’t have food processor so I had to improvise, but it’s excellent. Smooth, creamy and delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.
Just made this and it was delicious! Thank you for the super easy and quick recipe! Came out very, very smooth with minimal effort. Whole family enjoyed it!
Ok
First time I have ever made Hummas at home. I kove it.
Best EVER!
I Added Chipoltle Powder to the water as the Chick Peas Boile. Just a nice hint of heat.
Thank you so very much, From a Isolating person in Canada. I do not have the disease, do not want it.
I rate thei recipe as a TEN.
Thank you, J! I’m happy you enjoyed it and added your own twist.
Delish! I added some hatch chilies that I had frozen when they were in season. YUM! Thank you!
This was the best tasting hummus I’ve had! It was also very creamy and light. The only issue I had is that I felt like that while it was very creamy, there were a lot of tiny lumps that didn’t seem to disappear when I blended it longer, or when I added extra water. I also didn’t want to add too much water and make the hummus too thin. Is this normal for this hummus to have some tiny lumps and not be completely seamless? I also cooked the chickpeas from dry according to the recipe notes, should I have soaked them beforehand? Thank you!
I’m delighted you think it’s the best too! This shouldn’t have lumps. Did you blend until smooth?
Thank you for the fantastic hummus recipe! It was so much better than both other recipes I’ve tried, as well as the store-bought kind. Great served with pita chips made from pita bread!
Super simple recipe but had covered all bases in avoiding any pitfalls, I appreciate that since I am a food nerd and managed to make one yummy perfect hummus with very little effort in my very first attempt ever. Thank you, this recipe is a keeper! The tips to overcook the chickpeas for a smooth texture of the final product, to let the garlic cook in lemon juice were very clever!
I LOVE this recipe! Thank you – I can’t enjoy “store bought” hummus any more because this is so much better! So smooth.
Thank you, Rebecca. I’m glad you loved it.
This is my new favourite hummus recipe! It might be a little more involved than “throw everything into a blender” but it’s so worth it. I forgot to add the olive oil at first but it really does add another layer of taste. No regrets!
This is a far cry from store-bought hummus, especially here in Germany, and I’ll continue to come back to this.
Made it and nailed it! It’s a keeper and definitely a go to for surprise company on the way. It will be a family party favorite! Thanks. Especially for the hint on the baking soda…
Wonderful, Rozanne!
BEST hummus recipe, hands down! So smooth and creamy – I can’t stop raving about it!
Sooooo good! I found this recipe over a year ago and have only and will only use this recipe from now until eternity! It’s so amazingly creamy, it is absolute perfection!
Thank you so much Kate!
Best humus I have tasted will only make it this way from now on
Yeah this is the best hummus! I also made my own tahini which made it even more special.
Fantastic. Thank you for sharing.
Peter
The creamiest, smoothest hummus recipe! Thanks for all the tips!!
Parts of this article are word for word the same as what’s over on thi blog page: https://www.lifewithoutmeat.com/recipes/vegan/sainsburys-hummus-make-a-better-tastier-version-at-home-secret-tips/
Whoever’s recipe it is – it’s amazing. Went easier on the tahini and kept some whole (unboiled) chickpeas from the tin to top the hummous with, along with strips of roasted red pepper. Intrigued by zhoug! Will try that next.
Hi SP, I can assure you this recipe and content are my own on the blog and noted where I have used inspiration by siting others. It is rather unfortunate when others cannot do that same. I will check it out. I’m happy you enjoyed it!