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.
This is the best hummus recipe! It is tasty, smooth and easy to make! I will definitely make it again. Delicious!
Thank you for this incredible recipe, Kate! This hummus is so delicious. It is as good as – maybe better than! – the best hummus I’ve ever eaten. I love using Soom tahini in this recipe.
Thank you for sharing, Mary! I appreciate your review.
This recipe is a tahini bomb. Personally, I prefer my hummus to taste like chick peas. But I couldn’t get past the tahini, and neither could anyone else who tasted it. But it was plenty creamy, you had that part right.
Hi Mike, I’m sorry you didn’t love it. Tahini can vary. What brand did you use?
Hi
For European use – how much g (grams) is 1/2 cup tahini?
I want to use this receipe today for humus.
The satisfaction of throwing away the leftover of a bought hummus, because yours just came out so much better
Thank You¡
I’m happy you enjoyed it, JH. Thank you for your review!
I have tried so many hummus recipes to replicate the smooth, creamy hummus we get at a local Middle Eastern restaurant. This is the best by far! Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Perfect recipe. The secret is in the baking soda . Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome, David! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
This recipe is a game changer! Boiling the chickpeas makes all the difference in the world, hummus is so smooth and creamy. I make this every week now!
This was absolutely delicious. Will be my go to hummus recipe. So smooth and creamy. Agree boiling the chickpeas made a huge difference. Thank you.
I’m new to Greek and middle eastern foods. All I can say is, I really missed the boat all these years. My husband and I now frequent these restaurants more often than not. I love hummus and decided to find an easy recipe. After reading the Cookie+Kate recipe, I thought to myself, I don’t think I’m going to be able to make this. But, I challenged myself and made this recipe today. In the end, I am proud to say that I made it easily and it was perfect. I liked the initial prep of the chickpeas in baking soda. I also liked the blending of different ingredients in stages. I will definitely make this hummus again and again, and share it with family.
Way to go, Maria! I’m glad you tried it and loved it. I appreciate your review.
Wow, this is awesome! Thank you for sharing all your hard work to figure out all these tricks! This is the best hummus I have ever made. Can’t wait to tweak it with flavors.
I give it 5 smiley faces :)
Oh my goodness. This came out amazing. Did not change a thing. So easy. Baking some pita chips now and can’t wait to serve this to my guests.
OMG IT TURNED OUT DELICIOUS!! The texture is like a cloud… heaven!!!
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Ode. I appreciate your review.
What would this taste like if I omitted the tahini
I highly suggest the tahini for this to taste the best.
Have you ever tried using aqua fava instead of ice water? I always use this (but not cold) for extra flavour. I’ve tried this method but will the next time. Thanks for the tips.
Paul
I haven’t tried it, sorry!
wow this hummus was DIVINE!!! second time making this in a week– it disappears in a flash! such a great way to get my daily veggies in :)
That baking soda trick is amazing! I used it on pinto beans, too, and it makes all the difference. By the way, I have made numerous recipes from your blog, and every one has been terrific. I make the banana bread almost every week–healthy and so good!
Boiling the chick peas (even canned ones) in baking soda is brilliant. When I drained the canned chick peas I saw the shells just fall off. It never occurred to me that it was the shells that made my hummus have a rough texture. I am in love with this recipe!!
This is a great recipe! I also learned you can toast the garlic in its papery skin in a dry pan until it softens a little. Once its softened and a little browned, peel and use in your recipe. It really softens the garlic flavor. Thank you for sharing! made with TJ’s organic tahini and it was delish!
Too much lemon… too tangy
I’m sorry you didn’t love it.
You were right, it’s the best! First time I made hummus and it is so easy! I did add a bit more ice water for more creaminess and it was perfect!
Great to hear, Kandace! Thank you for your review.
Hi!
I am attempting to make the hummus, but have used two cans, so far, and after boiling, and draining, where a lot of skins drain, too, I still don’t have 1 1/2 cups! What am I doing wrong?
Thank you!
Sherry
Hi Sherry, how many ounces were the cans?
Hi!
They were 15 oz. cans. I still made it, using 3 cans!! But it’s ok, it came out great!!
This is the best hummus I have ever made!!! You are SPOT ON with every step!!! Thank you!!!!!!
Another delicious recipe, tasty and creamy. I love the consistency. Mind you, I do not recommend using a stick blender if you are alone and not have a helper to drizzle in oil or water. It got a bit messy but hey, no big deal. Smile and enjoy is my motto. I sprinkled a bit of Zatar spices on it. Thanks again Kate, pic posted on Instagram
This recipe is amazing. I’ve been looking for the right recipe to serve hummus in my coffee shop. I will be making it at home also!
Thank you!!
The Coffee Depot
Very similar to Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe.
The added cumin is fab!
I have a child with a sesame seed allergy. Are there any good substitutions for tahini?
The tahini truly makes this recipe delicious. Sorry to not have a great alternative!
Just wanted to say that whenever Aw made hummus, I’d say “not worth the effort. May as well get store bought. BUT NOT NOW! This is the best recipe I have ever tried. I added in a few teaspoons of white vinegar and a pinch of turbinado sugar and it is spectacular! Thank you! I will never need to buy hummus again!
Omg, what was I eating before? Simply amazing. I’ll have to try the Trader Joe’s tahini. I’m so glad I found your post. Best~ Mary
OK. Yes. This is the best. I have tried many recipes – including starting with dried garbanzo beans. It is easy, tasty, and the texture is the best.
Amazing! Kate, I have to say, you have never led me wrong – but you really hit it out of the park with this one. I’ve made this hummus three times now and it never fails to wow everyone. It is the creamiest and dreamiest hummus ever. Perfection, really.
–Anne
Thank you, Anne! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Absolutely delish!!
This is the second time I’ve made this. The first I used a blender and it didn’t turn out all that well. This time I used the food processor and it made a big difference. I did add a bit more garlic, lemon juice and salt. Made a big difference in the taste. Instead of using pita bread I like to use roasted tomato triscuits. I find this is the perfect snack to keep on hand. Also I use chicken peas that have less sodium and rinse them really well before put them on to boil
Thank you for sharing, Robert!
I followed your recipe and added a few dashes of cayenne. Really loved the recipe. I wondered what the baking soda did. It actually did it right. I used canned chickpeas and it all came out so good! Thank you. Can’t wait to try some of the add-ins.
I have been trying to make smooth hummus for years. I came across your recipe so decided to give it a try. Well all I can say is THANK YOU!!! It came out so smooth and delicious. The only negative was that I probably added too large a clove of garlic. Still tastes great but I feel bad breathing on anyone…lol.
Just made this and IT. IS. FANTASTIC! I used the Kroger brand Simple Truth Organic tahini and added a little turmeric to mine. It is so great. My 4 and 5 year old even love it!! Thank you for the stupendous recipe!
I would love to make the chickpeas in my instant pot. Do you have instructions for instant pot recipe…when to add the baking soda and for how long to pressure cook?
Hi, I don’t sorry!
Wow! So creamy and tasty. As suggested I added some extra salt and lemon, and even a little more cumin, but so good. Even my young children loved it. I can’t imagine I’ll ever buy hommus again! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Wonderful, SK! Thanks for sharing how you made it fit more of your tastes, too.
Awesome recipe as a base! I ended up using more lemon juice, garlic and olive oil adjusting to my taste since I’m a garlic junkie!! Overcooking the beans with baking soda is a game changer, I rinsed after cooking, put in the fridge overnight with water and made sure all my ingredients were fridge cold. Very easy and waaaaaaaay better than any bought hummus I’ve ever had!
HELP! I used the Trader Joe’s tahini as suggested and added the cold water to my food processor. Then it went from creamy ( it started out creamy) to clumpy. And won’t change. What’s happening? Should I just keep going? I’m worried that it won’t come out creamy.
Hi, what did you do? It may do that a little, but you just need to add a little more. See the notes.
This is truly the best hummus recipe, I have made it several times in the past year and I continue to enjoy its smooth consistency. It is like the delicious hummus I have out at nice Middle Eastern restaurants!
Absolutely excellent hummus. I detest peeling chickpeas so thought I would give this a go. Smooth as silk. Thank you.
Thank you, John!
This recipe was sooo good!! I’m super picky with hummus and literally on eat it from one Restaurant in Utica , NY.
Disregard my question about the tahini going from smooth to clumpy once adding the cold water. I decided p keep adding cold water and it went back to creamy and pale. Then I realized I forgot to put the lemon juice mixture in with the tahini (I mixed in my blended instead of the food processor and totally forgot it). Somehow it still worked when I added it in. Just good creamy hummus. Thank you!
I’m glad it still worked, Sparkle! I appreciate your review.
Just made your recipe. Fabulous, and I am never going back. My tahini was a little more liquid so the result is a bit softer, but so creamy and yummy.Time to experiment with other flavors.Thank you for the research and sharing your tips.
Wonderful! You’re welcome, Jane. I can assure you, I will keep bring tested and very delicious recipes.
My son lived in Israel and introduced me to hummus. I made yours, and he has asked me to make more. I added a touch of cayenne with the cumin, and it was tasty! Thanks again for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Jane!
I came here for the recipe and left being dazzled by your writing and the recipe of course. Greetings from Sweden.
Ohhhhhhh my gooooodnessss!!!!! My family thinks I’m the bomb!!!! I made 2 different batches of your hummus and they truly thought I bought it from one of our favorite restaurants!! You SO nailed it on how to make the smoothest, fluffiest hummus ever!! Thank you so much for your secrets!!
Wow! Boiling chick peas and soaking garlic was new to me. I LOVE THIS! I usually add cilantro and pickled jalapeños to mine but followed your recipe to a T! Now I can “sauce it up”! Amazing. Had the consistency of whipped cream.
Thank you, Melanie! I appreciate your review.
It turn out like a dream..
My first time making it, super simple and easy..
Love the recipe
This is amazing hummus recipe! I make a spicy version using harissa. Both were a big hit at a party.
That’s great, Kat! Thanks for sharing.
After 15 years in Israel, moved to Canada and I missed real hummus. Was making it for years at home, but never came to the authentic taste. FINALLY, real one, OMG, its soo good.
Boiling chickpeas with soda and “marinade” garlic with the lemon – its a game changer.
thank you so much for sharing!
You’re welcome, Juila!