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.
Can I make this is my little nutribullet?? Dying to make my own hummus and try this recipe!
Hi! I believe others have tried it. Let me know how it turns out, Ina!
As a newbie to to hummus and all the different kinds out there, this is by far the best plain (starter) hummus. I actually used ice cold can liquid instead of water and added a little honey. Perfect!
Thanks Kathryn for taking the time to write this up.
I’ve made hummus for over 50 years and have never “mellowed” the garlic, however with advancing age my tolerance for raw garlic has ebbed and although I read of the technique, I hadn’t tried before today.
I am not familiar with the zhoug sauce, but I’ll be trying that soon enough.
Finally, I’ve made, creamy hummus which I’ll be sharing with friends tomorrow along with muhammara and lettuce leaves and celery sticks.
(now to use up all those quart jars of tahini and dry chickpeas we bought with the pandemic relief checks…) Thanks again.
I made a small change to my recipe. I have been using roasted tahini and I bought Raw Tahini by Artisana. It was even better. My friends liked it with roasted tahini but they raved over this one made with raw tahini
Thank you for sharing, Leo! I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate,
Hope you are well. Have done this a dozen times and it only gets better…thats what my husband Carl has to say and I do agree.
It’s lighter than air.
have tried many more of your recipes and every one of them were
just so satisfying.
thank you so much,
Lee
This is hands down the best hummus recipe I have ever tried. I’ve been using this recipe for over a year now and only thought to comment today.
I add some black garlic salt towards the end and it’s an absolute game changer!!
Thank you!!
I’m glad you loved it, Laura!
This hummus was truly amazing. I used the juice of a whole lemon and added an additional clove of garlic. The consistency and flavor was perfection.Thank you.
Absolutely LOVE this hummus recipe!!! I usually don`t write reviews very often but I`m a huuuuge fan of your blog, keep up the good work & greetings from Denver!
Thank you for commenting! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Anja.
Excellent! I can’t stop eating it and my extremely picky self proclaimed vegetarian 7 yr old daughter also loves it! It is such a relief to have this healthy option for her. She won’t eat the store bought hummus! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Christina! I’m excited you all enjoyed it
I would like to ask what is happening with the skin of the peases ? Do you throw them out and when ?
Hi! No need to remove the skins. The baking soda helps break it down so it gets creamy when you blend it.
This was such an amazing recipe. By far the best homemade recipe I’ve tried! So creamy and packed with flavor!
That’s great to hear, Serria!
Excellent instruction! I never thought to cook my beans before using this method. It made a huge difference and my whole family loved it.
Great recipe!! So smooth and tasty!! My husband loves it so much he is taking it to work for lunch!!
This is by far and away the best hummus recipe and my continual go to
Thank you so much for sharing your (Zahav’s) amazing hummus recipe.
It’s my new go to hummus recipe and the best I’ve ever made!
Best hummus I have made yet! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jacque! I’m excited you enjoyed it.
Hi…I’ve made this twice now…realized the first time I accidentally used half the tahini, we loved it!!…second time followed the recipe exact and its bitter:( I think that someone was right when they said use good quality tahini! Lesson learned…still edible but not as good as the first time!
Oh no! I’m glad you still enjoyed it, Steph. I appreciate your review.
The best! Thank you very much for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I just made it and am about to bring it to a party. It came out so silky, I can’t believe it. It’s easily worth the extra step of boiling since I can prep other ingredients while that’s happening.
I used your roasted garlic suggestion. I just roasted them on a skillet for a few minutes while the beans boiled.
Also, I made some preserved cultured lemons recently, so I minced some of that into it before blending. It adds some extra lemon flavor and umami without making it more sour.
I’ll be sure to check out your other recipes. This one is a winner.
I’m glad it was a hit and you enjoyed it, Mike! Thanks for sharing.
This is litteraly the best hummus ever !!! The only problem is now my friend always want me to make some for them…..
Was wondering, is it possible to freeze it ? And if yes how long can it be kept in the freezer ?
Hi Marion, I haven’t tried it. But, let me know if you do!
OMG are you for real!? This is the best hummus EVER! I had an old recipe that I kept using and wasn’t really impressed but it was still better than store bought hummus. I decided to try this recipe and WOW WOW WOW. How is this even possible? It’s amazing! I used a small Black&Decker food processor ($15 at Walmart), canned chickpeas, lemon juice from the bottle.
I’m so glad you loved it, Steve! Thank you for your comment & review.
I eat hummus all the time and finally got around to making it myself. This recipe is perfect. Smooth and creamy no grit at all and I used a cheap Cuisinart 3 cup chopper. At first I halved the lemon based on another review that said it was too much, but no it needed the full 1/4 cup. I may even add a bit more next time. Looks like I’ll get 6 servings out of the 2 jars of Soom so cost is cheaper than store bought depending on brand, but so much better flavor. Can’t wait to experiment with mix-ins. Thanks so much for this recipe, no more store bought hummus for me!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Billy!
This is my absolute favorite recipe for hummus. It is fail-proof.
I couldn’t find this recipe once and attempted another highly rated recipe. It was so disappointing. I made sure to bookmark AND screenshot this recipe after that. Thus is always raved about. Thank you!
I tried many hummus recipes before I found this one and now it’s my go to recipe! I’ve made it countless times and i always get asked for the recipe.
I love that, Kelly! Thank you for your review.
It is the very best Hummus you can make. I tried different recipes, even from Egyptian cooks (not chefs). This one is the real deal. Just today I made some, had quite dry Tahini in the blender (last scratches from the bottom of the cup) so I added a little sesame oil to get it smooth. I also add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Chili with the Cumin, for the zing. Really love it!
I didnt get the creamy texture like i remember it from Jerusalem. :-( What did I do wrong?
Hi Casey! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you use the baking soda in the cooking process? What type of food processor did you use? You may have either needed to cook longer and/or blend longer. I hope you try it again!
Followed to the letter and the hummus was perfect. Tastes like the authentic kind you get in restaurants with warm pita. I made mine with canned chick peas and Haddar by Baracke tahini. Thank you!
My new go to hummus recipe!
This is the best hummus I’ve tried – so creamy.
At the beginning I was like : “Really.. do I have to boil the chickpeas for that long?” but it is definately worth it to put the extra time in with that step. Using ice water is a really good trick too.
Thank you for trying it, Tina!
Still making this recipe after years. I refuse to buy store hummus. I just upped my hummus game in two ways!
I started making my chickpeas from dried by soaking and cooking before the overboil step. I cook them with a bay leaf and garlic and notice a little extra flavor.
I added 1/4 tsp of my favorite smoked paprika with cumin and salt. Yum. It is subtle and blends well with flavor.
BTW I made this for a super bowl party and the guests really liked it. Thank you!
This is the BEST hummus recipe I have found. I use Wil Yeung’s homemade chili garlic oil in place of the olive oil and add some gochugaru. My mother in law couldn’t believe it tasted better than any store bought hummus. I’m very happy I found this recipe.
Thank you for sharing, Breanne!
First time making Hummus after reading an article about the high salt content in most store made brands. I used a blender, so I cooked the chickpeas an extra 5 minutes. I also added just a little sesame oil and a few drops of hot sauce. Very tasty …. 5 Stars! I will definitely make this again. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Not sure what went wrong – I followed recipe exactly and it was soupy. Tastes good but the texture is not like hummus.
Hi Erin, I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like the chickpeas weren’t drained all the way after boiling. I hope you try it again!
So I don’t understand what to do with the chickpea skins. I know they come off in the boiling water but do you pick them out? Throw them in with the chickpeas?
Hi Leah, no need to peel and discard! The baking soda helps to break them down so you still have a creamy result.
This recipe literally saved me from buying a new food processor, because I always thought mine just didn’t have enough power to make my hummus smooth. Saved some money and made fabulous hummus! Thank you!!
I made it, I added a little more salt and lemon juice. I only added 1/4 tsp cumin, as.the last time I made it, I realized it was to much cumin for me. This time it came out perfect. Thank You
You’re welcome, Violet! I appreciate your review.
You’re so right! This is the BEST hummus. Unbelievably smooth and so yummy. Thanks for the method that makes it so smooth. You’re the best Kate! Tell Cookie hello!!
I’m happy you think so, Lisa! Thank you for sharing.
This is so, so good! Super creamy and very easy to make. I’m making a second batch today.
Thanks to you, I now can’t stand my former favorite store-bought hummus. This is so much better!! I do make mine from soaking dry chickpeas overnight (critical for unlocking the nutrients in grains and beans).
This is absolutely the creamiest hummus I have ever had. Cooking the chickpeas made a HUGE difference. I also added roasted red bell peppers which gave it a great taste and wonderful color.
Thank you for the recipe! The first hummus recipe that turned out delicious, I am delighted. Still not creamy enough but the chickpeas seemed quite hard even after cooking out of the can; that might be the reason. Overall, I am happy and proudly presented the new hummus to my family :-).
I have made this delicious hummus many times.
Everyone loves it, thank you for sharing. I’m improving each time I make it.
This was my second time making it.
Delicious result again!
Thank you!
You’re welcome, Luis!
This is the creamiest hummus! Boiling the beans made all the difference, along with softening the garlic in lemon juice. Just brilliant! I am so glad I found this site. Thanks Kate. Enjoying with lavash right now. Yum!
I’m happy to hear that, Cheryl!
OMG…the best hummus I ever ate. Thank you
I’m glad you loved it, Marg!
Thank you for your tips, I am going to try your Hummus recipe step by step next time. I find that sometimes the mixture is runny, and sometimes it has a thick viscosity. I boil the dry chicken peas from scratch which have been soaked overnight, and very patiently peel each chicken pea. Then I heat them up for a few seconds in the microwave to soften before pulsing them in the processor. I then place the tahini, garlic, salt, water and lemon in a liquidizer and beat it to a fluffy creamy consistency before gradually adding the chick peas from the processor – this gives a beautiful creamy hummus. My only problem is if I have added too much liquids how to thicken the consistency again.
I want to mention that in my research for hummus recipes I learned why one should use ice cold water or ice blocks – the motor from the liquidizer or processor can become very hot and apparently can “burn” and discolour the tahini.
Thank you for sharing you lovely recipes and tips with us
Love this humus. Made it twice. First time I cooked my own chick peas since I had them on hand. Second time I used canned. Both were excellent. My niece who doesn’t usually like humus, said she really liked and thought it was the best ever. I used this humus as a dip with veggie tray. Also used it in wraps with avocado slices. Delicious.
Thank you for sharing, Vel!
Eating it right now and oh my word it’s delicious. Even my vegan husband who dislikes hummus (I know!!) said it was good. Thanks for sharing xXx
You’re welcome, Jenny!
Honestly, the best hummus ever! I love it and it is perfect. Not sure what the trick is, but I am a fan!
I’ve made this hummus multiple times and love it! I’m especially happy that my daughter enjoys it on naan for her school lunchbox. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
Great to hear, Sarah! Thank you for your review.
This recipe is a game changer for me. I’ve been making grainy hummus for many years not knowing I could have boiled the chic peas in baking soda for a softer pea. Well, now I know. I didn’t have the suggested tahini on hand so I was worried it might not taste good. I really like this recipe. The only thing I’d do differently (and it’s personal preference) use 1/2 as much cumin. This is the first time I’ve used cumin in hummus and I like cumin but it seemed to over power the hummus a bit, for my taste. I’ll also get the suggested tahini and use it next time. My coworkers all loved it so it got a high rating and the “ you can make this again” pass.
I just made this, and the taste and texture are superb! The consistency is a bit runny, so when I make it again I probably won’t add any water. It firmed up a bit in the fridge, so it’s closer to what I want hummus to be. Great recipe overall, and the tip on boiling the chickpeas is great.
That’s great to hear! I’m glad you enjoyed this hummus recipe.