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.
I have been making this recipe for a few years now. Hands down the best hummus. Everyone can’t believe I made it and didn’t order from a restaurant. Thank you for this gift. Now on to the rest of your recipes as I’m newly WFPB.
If using canned chick peas do you drain them before cooking?
Hi! Yes, see the ingredients. I hope you love it.
This was my first time ever making hummus and knocked it out the park. This is by far the best hummus I’ve had. The silky, creamy texture is unmatched by any store brand. Even the hummus I’ve had from restaurants and the farmer’s market can’t compare. Absolutely delicious! I’m probably going to make this every week. I followed the recipe exactly and added a sprinkle of harissa at the end. *Chef’s kiss* I can’t wait to do some variations like roasted garlic and roasted red pepper.
Love to hear that, Picante! I appreciate you sharing.
This recipe is brilliant! The overcooking makes all the difference. So glad I found this recipe!
Amazing lifechanger! Never looking back! Threw in a smidgen of dill and topped with tiny diced roasted red pepper and capers.
Kate, this hummus has been such a hit. I frequent only the best food blogs, and your recipes and food point of view are wonderful. My version of your hummus has been “perfected”, that is using this recipe exactly, except following your advice to adjust salt and lemon to taste. It’s really perfect! Thank you so much! Oh, tonight we tried a variation based on freezing outdoor weather. Warmed the hummus in a 400 deg. oven for 10 – 12 mins. with pine nuts on top and a drizzle of EVO. Garnished with Zahtar and a touch of lemon zest. Was delicious and our company swooned. Cheers!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Sounds like something I may need to try. I appreciate you sharing, Mark.
This is, by far, the BEST hummus recipe I have tried. I’ve made it several times over the last few years. I had searched and searched for something amazing, and each recipe I tried was good, but not a stand out version. Once I saw I didn’t have to peel my chickpeas any longer, I gave it a go immediately. This is THE creamiest, lightest hummus ever. And I’m not even using the best tahini…just whatever I can get at Kroger. With that in mind, I do need to half the tahini, or it results in bitter hummus. Still, it is dreamy, and though I dip my veggies in it, I could easily eat it by the spoonful. My almost 1 year old does. I have done simple garlic as in this recipe, I’ve used everything bagel seasoning, and I’ve done smoked paprika. This recipe is so versatile and amazing. That quick step of cooking the chick peas with baking soda is absolutely a game changer. I realized today, looking at a fresh batch, after making this multiple times over a few years, that I’ve never reviewed it! And I just had to come and say how delightful it is. It deserves ALL the stars. Truly the best and silkiest hummus I have ever had.
Have been meaning to make homemade hummus for years, but just seemed easier to pick up a pound at the middle eastern market and honestly it was pretty darn good…homemade just not homemade by me! In early January I finally, (so many years beyond when I planned to try making it myself) gave it a go, and found a recipe for a rosemary lemon hummus online. Finding the best tahini and setting aside the extra few minutes to attempt this on my own for the first time, the results were…meh. I’d already invested in the best tahini, and the day after making homemade hummus I was back at the grocery store buing another can of chick peas in anticipation of givinug it another go. This time I googled, “best hummus recipe” and decided to try this one based upon the stellar reviews. Yes, yes yes! This is the recipe I will print and share. I followed every single tip aside from the extra boil of chick peas in baking soda because I am one of possibly few people who loves the less smooth, more gritty texture of homemade hummus! My daugher and daugher-in-law also agree that the somewhat more raw texture is a plus. Not all recipes are delicious, but this is a keeper. Love how fast it is, and possibly I’ll try it once with the extra boil and make a decision on whether to continue that or not. Regardless, a fabulous recipe, great proportions, and a delicious hummus. Thank you for sharing and for also sharing all the extra tips you discovered along your journey to making a premium hummus.All hummus recipes are fast, but this is fast and delicious. I’ve already been asked for the recipe and it’s the first time I made it…
Hooray! I’m so glad you tried my recipe. I appreciate your review.
This was perfection – thank you!
Great recipe, easy and delicious.
One quibble: you mention that paprika is basically tasteless.
If this is so, you are using the wrong paprika.
Absolutely correct! I use to think the same way but quality Paprika is always in my cabinet, especially the rich smoked paprika!
I ate hummus for the first time a few weeks ago and thought it would be fun to make it. After researching recipes I learned how gritty it can be. However, this recipe was so easy and it was deliciously creamy. Can’t wait to try other flavors. Do I add the lemon juice every time but just add different spices, etc?
Sure! You can add what you like.
I’ve tried this recipe 3 times now (with canned chick peas) and am starting to make it bespoke to my taste and its great. However, I cannot get it “ultra” smooth as they make it my local restaurant. Even passing the mixture through a sauce strainer still leaves very tiny grains, albeit a vast improvement on shop purchased Hummus. Any further ideas to remove this fine grain?
Hi Noel, I’m sorry to hear that. What are you using to blend it?
Use a Vitamix.
Use Goya chickpeas. Always perfect
Many thanks, I’ll give it a go and let you know :-)
Thanks for “cracking the code” to making smooth, creamy hummus!!! Your recipe is amazing!!
Your tip on the baking soda makes all the difference. Everyone loves my hummus usually. I love this tip. Thank you
I’m glad you found it helpful, Donna!
Holy cow, this is the Holy Grail of hummus! I followed the recipe exactly the first time I made it and WOW it was great. Next time I used half the tahini, everything else the same… it fell short. I will not ever skimp on the tahini again. (Also, I can’t help myself – I peel the skin off all the chickpeas… it’s fun! lol). The result is the lightest, fluffiest, creamiest, yummiest hummus I have ever tasted. Thank you for the recipe!
Oh, also to note – I have much better results using my Vitamix over my Cuisinart food processor. Not sure why that is, but I’ll stick with using the Vitamix.
So, so, so delicious!
I have wanted to make my own hummus for so long. But, every recipe I tried was bitter. Not this one!
Thank you for all the tips provided prior to the recipe. So worth reading and following.
My local, family owned Mediterranean restaurant is going to miss me!
way too much lemon come on its not edible
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this as written, Joh.
I’ve cheated myself for years buying premade hummus, but no more. This is so delicious that I stopped eating to print the recipe and make it a permanent thing. also the entire blog is worth the read, lots of goood tricks and tips.
Great to hear!
Hands down the best homemade hummus I have made. Kudos from one Kansas City gal to another.
Thank you, Lara!
Best hummus recipe I’ve tried and so easy. Never buy prepackaged hummus again!
Best hummus recipe I’ve tried and so easy. Never buy prepackaged hummus again! Thank you- great recipe!
OMG!! Just made this as written as well as your extra lemon juice and salt!! AMAZING and thank you so much!
Kathy
how much is half a cup of tahini in grams? thank you
I don’t provide metric measurements, sorry! I know others have found this conversion chart.
Fantastic hummus. The extra steps of boiling the canned chickpeas and then letting the garlic mixture hang out before proceeding, really makes a difference. So creamy and yummy.
I’m glad you love it, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
My first self made hummus and it was so delicious! I’m looking forward to making this to share with family and friends. No more store bought! Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome, Andrea!
Omg Andrea! I can’t believe your first time making it and you got the desired result you were hoping for? I thought making it gritty and a little off was a right of passage most home cooks were supposed to play out for a decade or two! You got so lucky!
The Best Hummus is not an overstatement. It was delicious! I did add 2 additional cloves of garlic and found that refrigerating for a few hours before serving delivered a more balanced flavor. My family and I agree, it was the best hummus I’ve ever made.
Sooo good! (Left out second Tbs bec I like it thick) Love that it doesn’t require peeling, threw this together in my tiny food processor and enjoyed it spread on sourdough and then drizzle some garlic confit over it. I haven’t not loved every recipe I tried from your website!
I discovered this recipe during March of 2020 and it has been my go-to ever since! I usually keep lots of chickpeas on hand, but I find myself without any!!! However, I do have some White Northern Beans. Would these be okay to substitute? We’re having an ice storm here and I don’t want to go out to get chickpeas! Please advise!
I find this best as is. You can try white beans. Let me know what you think!
I went ahead and made the recipe with the Great Northern Beans, as that wss what I had on hand and we were delighted without the results! The hummus was VERY creamy and delicious! So, while love the original, I was pleased with the new option. ( I always use canned beans. When I first made this recipe years ago, I did cook the chickpeas but now that lockdown days are gone and time being less flexible, I always use canned chickpeas.)
Thank you for sharing, Georga!
Stunning recipe. Never going back to tasteless store bought rubbish.
I tend to need quite small amounts at a time….so I was thinking of freezing it.
Do you think this will be work?
Hi, I haven’t tired to freeze this recipe, but I believe others have and didn’t mind the results.
Awesome!! Very easy to make and delicious.
Thank you, Paula!
That was fabulous! Thank you again for another great recipe :)
You’re welcome, Debra!
Oh my…this is absolutely the best hummus. Better than my favorite restaurant’s hummus! I’m hooked for sure. It was smooth, creamy, and the tahini I use simply blended into pure goodness. Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Vicki!
Oh my gosh. This hummus is amazing. Hands down best hummus I’ve ever tasted. Can’t believe I made it so worth the time it takes.
Really enjoying your site. This is the BEST hummus. Very good proportions of flavors. it’s not as easy as just dumping everything in food processor but it’s worth it. my husband really thought it was delicious.
Hi, this looks delicious and I’m planning on making it for the Super Bowl party. I will be doubling the recipe and using dried chickpeas. Should I also double the baking soda?
Sorry for my delay! Yes, I would. What did you end up doing?
I always cook my chickpeas from dry in the IP. You said NOT to over cook them in the instapot, so then what is your recommended prep for them? Do you take them out and cook on stove with baking soda or with the saute function? Skip the baking soda? I would love the secret, thanks
Hi Summer, I don’t recommend an pressure cooker for chickpeas(see post) I have a recipe note at the bottom of the instructions for stovetop.
My little boy loves humus and so do I do we decided to try your recipe. So delicious, we absolutely loved it and we couldn’t stop eating it! Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Sarah!
I’ve made this recipe several times now, and I’m always asked to make it by my friends. It’s absolutely delicious. The only thing I do a little differently to help get rid of the skins is after I finish boiling the beans and rinsing, I fill the pot they are in with water and let the skins float to the surface and then pour off the skins. I do this several times to get rid of most of the skins. I like to add parsley and sometimes a sprinkle of sesame seeds as a topping along with a drizzle of good olive oil. I’m making some right now!
Again — thanks so much for sharing your wonderful hummus recipe.
That’s great, Iris!
Thanks so much for the tips!! Cooking the beans with baking soda made a huuuuge difference. Also, the order of tasks was a bug aha!! Best humus I’ve made, and I’ve made tons…squeezed some orange juice in there too, spectacular.
Best recipe I’ve tried. SO good. I will always take the extra step of boiling the chickpes.
Recipe is great!! We loved topping with paprika!!
Side note: there are tons of ads so the web page is not very accessible on a mobile phone.
Really good. Made this for the first time and took to a gathering. Everyone LOVED! Definitely added more salt to mine as well. I also didn’t have fresh garlic so I used garlic powder and it turned out great! Thank you!!!
Had just finished this and sat down with a warmed pita and small bowl of your hummus when my wife walked in. She’s tried all my previous hummus recipes and has had the same reaction I’ve had, namely ‘keep looking’. As spouses are wont to do, she just tore a piece off my pita and dipped in. She looked at me and asked what I thought. I just raised my eyebrows and smiled. She said, ‘yup…this is the real thing’ as she walked away to get her own helping and a fresh pita! I followed the recipe except couldn’t get the exotic tahini so used Joyva, which worked great.
My favorite hummus recipe of all time! I make this at least once a week. I usually add the extra lemon juice, some extra salt and cumin. Thank you for this recipe! I’m set for life!
I’m glad you love it, Savannah! I appreciate your review.
I have been on a quest for the past, prolly 10 years now, to find “that” Hummus recipe. I attempted my own version and then quickly conceded to my own defeat. I followed your instructions to the letter and OMG it is phenomenal!!! Many thanks for sharing your journey, experience, tricks/tips, and most notably your recipe! Now I can carry a dish of Hummus to a gathering, or just the couch and feel confident AND excited. Cheers!
Seriously, am I the last to know about boiling the chickpeas to make a smooth hummus? Brilliant! I’ve always thought the only way to get it smooth was to take the skins off–and what a pain that was! I avoided making hummus for that reason alone. You’ve provided a game changer, Kate. I made this tonight and was bowled over when it came out just as good as our local hummus place; I always wondered if they had an army of folks in the back taking off chickpea skins and now I know! I’ve yet to be disappointed by anything I’ve found on your site. Thanks!
I’m glad you are excited about it, Tammy! Thank you for sharing.
Holy moly, is this EVER good!! Here in Ann Arbor, we have many authentic hummus-making eateries, this recipe is so wonderful and flavorful – I just love it. I used dried chickpeas, boiled in baking soda water and used the techniques for processing described and it turned out just perfect! So much better than store-bought – fresh and savory!
Thank you for your review, Cynthia!
So delicious and creamy, so different from the grainy hommus I’ve made in the past! I added about 1/4 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce for extra lift. It didn’t make it hot but just added a bit of zing.
I am middle eastern and this is the best hummus ever.
It is a little heavy on the cumin, I would do 1/4 teaspoon instead of 1/2. Otherwise, I find this recipe much simpler than the traditional route of soaking the garbanzo beans overnight etc. ( the recipe my mother taught me).
This recipe is appropriately named!!! This is not only the best hummus I’ve made; it might be the best hummus I’ve ever tasted. I had to stop myself from devouring spoonfuls before I was able to serve it for dinner. Amazing!!!!
I’m glad you agree, Emily! Thank you for your review.
This is the best hummus I’ve ever made. I’ve also made too many of your other recipes to count and slowly converted my food snob boyfriend into an ardent fan of your cooking as well. Thank you for sharing your cooking genius, Kate!!
I know hummus is easy to make. However, this is the first recipe for hummus I have made. And it diminished in a flash. I used the hummus in a salad dressing recipe. Now I will make it again as a dip for fresh vegetables. Buen provecho.
Absolutely the best hummus I’ve ever made. Deeeelish
Thank you, Judith! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
This really is the best recipe. I made it to take to a house party “game night”. Everyone loved it. I too added a little more salt and lemon juice for flavor and garnished with chopped black olives and a drizzle of olive oil.
Thank you for sharing, Bonnie!
Phenomenal! I make it exactly as written, and I can’t stop making it!