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.
Although I never cared for hummus because I have texture issues. Your hummus recipe fixed that! My son loves hummus and that’s why I decided to make your recipe for his Thanksgiving dinner party. He loved it and told me that it’s restaurant quality! I was very happy with his compliment since it has been about 4 decades since I last ate some. I just want to thank you for sharing your excellent hummus recipe and I surely will visit your website again and also make this hummus again!
I volunteered to make hummus for 28 people for Thanksgiving. I’ve made it before, but this was is a bold move considering not only how many people it was for, but mostly because my mom was born and raised in Lebanon. She knows her hummus, but she was already on grape leaf duty. She is old school so there is no recipe of hers to follow; just a little of this and a little of that, which doesn’t help when you need to follow an exact recipe. I found this specific recipe on google and decided to give it a try because of all the high ratings. I just wanted to come on here and add my rave reviews as well; it really is legit hummus! This tastes just like my moms! There are so many good hummus recipes out there, but if you want one that will for sure knock it out of the park, this is it. Thank you!
Simply said…..best hummus ever. Smooth, fluffy and tasty.
Followed recipe exactly. Great instructions and easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome, Carole! I appreciate your review.
Wow, I cannot believe it took me so long to make this hummus recipe! It is by far the BEST hummus I have ever made… and I’ve made several attempts at hummus in the past. Thanks for doing your homework on this one, it really paid off!
I’m glad you finally made it, Krystal! Thank you for your review.
Yummiest hummus ever! I served it with the cherry tomato confit that I made last night b
Hi Kate, this is my go to recipe for Hummus and I have shared it lots in respect of the ice cold water, this allows the oil in the tahini to solidify which then allows it to blend back into the sesame. I had a particularly oily tahini this time and it would not get smooth as the oil just sat around the edge of the bowl , but as soon as I added the cold water it’s went smooth and creamy as the oil solidified. Warm regards . Faye
Dear Kathrine, I tried your hummus recipe this afternoon and it worked out brilliantly. Not only did it come out smooth, creamy with a deep undertone (cumin perhaps), but light, tangy and not too garlicky. Although I’ve made hummus before, your version/ technique is inspired! I’d been hesitant to add so much tahini, but it works. I served it with some olive oil and zatar.
I don’t like a lot of tahini, it overpowers the hummus. A couple tablespoons is more than enough.
I hope you try this version!
Hi, I have white beans . Can I do the same recipe with the white beans? Do I boil them too? Thank you.
Hi! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure.
This is the best hummus I’ve ever made.. and I have tried to make a version of Solomonov’s recipe before. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Mark! Thank you for your review.
Amazing hummus!!! I added a tad more garlic, but it was amazing!!!
Love this hummus! I put a spoonful of marmite in too which gives it a mega umami kick.
Perfect! Easy quick. No reason to buy that stuff that starts with an S!
Delicious and so much easier than the Cook’s Illustrated recipe/method. I tried theirs, even using their tahini preference and wasn’t impressed. Ending up throwing it out. Tried this method and recipe instead – used half tahini, half almond butter just because I’m not big on the flavor of tahini. Came out perfect.. tasty, creamy, and a great value compared to anything store bought. Plus, I know what’s in it. I’ve tried several of your recipes and they’ve all been spot-on. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed this version and my other recipes, Laurie! I appreciate your review.
I’ve tried multiple hummus recipes (even Ina Garten’s) and this one is the best! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, your hummus recipe worked well for me, but I have the wrong type of food processor for this job. It took a very long time to get it all blended smoothly, approx 3 hrs.
I am now looking at a different type of blender.
Best regards
Alex
Best and easiest hummus I have made so far, and its gone before the night is over!
I’m glad you love it, Michelle!
Love this recipe for hummus, store bought doesn’t hold a candle to it. This does take time to make and I did add more salt, cumin, and lemon juice to it when I made the roasted red pepper recipe. Even then, it still needed something else, so a dash of ground white pepper did the trick. Cut up celery, carrots and cucumbers to dip with, voila! Thanks for the tips regarding the chickpeas, yes must rinse and drain. Yummy.
I’m delighted you loved it, Val! Thank you for your review.
Absolutely perfect! I’ve tried many recipes I started with your basic hummus now I am making a second batch with sundried tomatoes. Smooth, creamy and fluffy.. Boiling the chickpeas makes all the difference!
Laura, Oceanside CA
I’ve tried several hummus recipes. This is by far the best. I follow the directions exactly. No substitutions. I make a double batch each time.
Thank you, Julie!
Amazing recipe! First time making hummus, and it turned out excellent! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Sable!
Add me to the long list of five-star reviews! I made hummus years ago and vowed to never do it again because it was grainy and disgusting.
This hummus can 100% go toe-to-toe with restaurant hummus (with a little EVOO and paprika on top and some warm pita on the side) and I am excited to finally be able to add this to my repertoire without it being an epic disappointment.
Thank you!!
That is quite the compliment! Thank you for your review.
I’ve been vegetarian/vegan for *cough* 40 years or so and this is the first recipe for hummus I’ve found an thought “Yes! That’s the one!”. Nothing unique about the ingredients in the recipe (I used organic tinned chickpeas, organic lemons, organic Extra Virgin olive oil from Crete and organic Tahini), but the preparation guide and ratios are perfect and obviously make the difference. Maybe more garlic for me next time. No more shop bought hummus for me – thanks Kate & good boy Cookie.
I’m so glad it passed your test, Mike!
Passed it with flying colours. I tried the recipe again substituting the cumin with a tsp of Baharat spice mix for a Lebanese flavour & it was fantastic.
Best hummus recipe ever. Creamy, perfect flavor. Outstanding with roasted red peppers. Yum.
Turned out great! Might have to make a double batch next time. I skipped the raw garlic and used a whole bulb of roasted garlic instead. The texture is perfect without a ton of oil like other recipes I’ve tried.
Best recipe ever!!!! Super creamy love it
Thank you
I made the hummus and it was great. I had a bit of beans and broth left over and got rave reviews about the soup I made with it. Now I can’t duplicate it. I wonder why.
Hi! I’m making this now and realize I bought raw tahini. Will that work?
Hi! How did it turn out? It will work.
I just made your hummus, and it was AmAzInG! Wow…. The flavor is nutty and tangy and the texture is smooth and creamy. The tip with the canned chickpeas worked well. Even though I used Joyva tahini that was canned in NY, it was perfect! I will make this next with some of the recommended variations, but honestly just plain is absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Top tip: to ensure your water is JUST THAT COLD use a cocktail shaker (also how I make iced coffee!)
Delicious
Turned out perfect, smooth and creamy just how I like it! Other recipes I’ve made didn’t turn out as smooth as id prefer, but this one will now be my go-to recipe for hummus. Thank you!
Really great recipe, the boiling really makes a difference. I tried it with and without because I wasn’t convinced I wanted a super smooth hummus. I am converted.
I did adjust the tahini though, I love tahini but I don’t think it should be that strong a flavour in hummus. I tried it with 1/3 and 1/4 cup and preferred it with 1/4 cup. It still tastes amazing with more tahini, just tastes less like hummus to me.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Kali.
As close to a Greek restaurant as you can get. The only thing I added was a little orange juice and plain yogurt.
Second time making this recipe. So fresh and light and yummy.
That’s great, April!
I’m Lebanese and this hummus is on point!
I have been trying to make the perfect hummus for years and finally with your recipe and detailed instructions I’ve done it! Thank you so much!! It’s perfect as is and I can’t wat to make additions to this wonderful basic hummus!
Replace your ice water with ICE. It will change your life.
This is the best hummus recipe that I’ve ever tried and I’ve tried a lot! I think the key was in boiling the beans and using the ice water. Mine tastes a little bitter but I think that’s because I didn’t have a high quality tahini. I love this as a dip for raw veggies. Thanks Kate!
I’m happy you loved it, Mary! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made this hummus several times and every time I’m blown away by how delicious it is. I’m amused that the last sentence in the recipe is “Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.” I just made a double batch and I will be lucky to get any of this hummus before my boyfriend inhales it. It probably won’t last 24 hours let alone a week. Thank you for your effort in providing a hummus recipe that will forever make me look at grocery store hummus in complete disgust.
I happened to have some sprouted garbanzo beans in the freezer and made this recipe (although I did not cook them in baking soda water as they were already cooked).
Fantastic! Thank you for sharing.
Delish. I never liked Hummus and would never consider buying the ready made. Recently had food from an Israeli restaurant in miami. Tasted the hummus which is presented with like yours except with a dollop of tahini sauce in the middle. I thought it was expensive so looked for a recipe came across yours and have become addicted. Have Only used the Trader’s Tahini.
I am your number one fan and constantly referring others to your site.
Have also made your eggplant baba
Browning the eggplant in oven is brilliant
Grateful and thankful to you.
The only negative comment. because Everything is so good and you are so informative my kitchen is a constant mess and putting on weight .
I’m glad you loved it, Sandra! Thank you for your review.
DEEEEELICIOUS!!! DEEEEELICIOUS!!!
DEEEEELICIOUS!!!
First time making hummus, will not be my last! Your recipe was quick and simple to prepare. Had I known it was going to be so good I would have at least doubled the batch! I started out with the least amount of lemon juice but after tasting, I added the maximum amount suggested which takes it over the top! This is not the first recipe of yours I have tried, you never disappoint! Thank you for sharing your recipes and your love of food!
I’m delighted you enjoyed it, Lynn! Thank you for your review.
Is the recipe supposed to read “ baking soda if you’re using dried chick peas” ? If using canned chick peas I presume we Don’t need baking soda?
Hi Camilla, you need the baking soda with the canned as well. More information the body of the post. I hope you try it!
This is seriously so good. Best hummus recipe ever and I will never do store-bought again.
Hummus so smooth and creamy we devoured it straight from the Cuisinart. I’ve tried many a lumpy homemade hummus. Boiling canned chickpeas was well worth the effort.
No more plastic tubs of store bought hummus for me!
Hooray! I’m glad you loved it, Kristen.
I’ve always wanted to make smooth delicious hummus. And now I have with this great recipe! Thank you so much! And the baking soda tip with the canned chickpeas makes such a difference. I loved this so much, I just ordered your cookbook! Can’t wait to get it!
You’re welcome, Krista! I appreciate your review.
Followed it to the letter and it turned out perfectly! The most delicious hummus I’ve ever made! Thank you:)
The best I have ever made at home, insanely good. Every tip is a true game changer
I’m glad you loved it, Fernanda!
Very wonderful and creamy. I worked at a very special music venue in NY and I loved the hummus there. The old rocker who owned it was Israeli and brought a lot of bonafide items to the menu, I have never loved a hummus as much as the one served there. It closed in a blaze of glory 4 years ago and I never thought I’d get to have it again. THIS has achieved the exact right texture and thickness on the first try. Now I know I can have this for the rest of my life and still have those warm memories. Thank you for all of the tips, they are exactly what made this hummus right to me. Especially the tahini brand recommendations. I never could find the right one before, and I truly, truly did not want to try and make one lol.
So thank you again! It means a lot to me.