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.
Delicious, as always. This is my go-to hummus recipe and everyone just exclaims that I’m a genius when I serve it, but we know the real genius here is you. Thanks so much!
Made this hummus today. It is “Smooth as Silk”, and Delicious.
We appreciate all the research and care, you put into this recipe.
Thank you for sharing
Great recipe. I roasted the garlic first for a milder flavor and left out the olive oil. The great advantage of boiling is that a lot of the skins float to the top and can be skimmed off. My family loved the original and the roast red pepper version. Definitely a keeper
Great to hear! Thank you for your review.
I’m all in on the tip to cook canned chick peas- thanks! Because I was short on time I just stuck them in the microwave for 5 min which worked great. I like cooking from dry but it doesn’t always happen- plus I like having canned food in case of emergencies and eventually one has to use them. I’m also sold on whipping a few ingredients before adding the beans.
Adjustments: I used 1 can white beans and 1 can garbanzo, I like the mix. I went a bit less tahini b/c it’s pricey – 2/3 cups for 2 cans. I garnished w/ grated lemon peel. Yum.
Followed the recipe to the letter. Though some skins separated I still had to separate the skins from several chickpeas. Am I missing something? I did it but I wasted a ridiculous amount of time on this step. Fortunately, your hummus came out amazing but any tips on how to spend less time on that step would be so appreciated. Thanks!
No need to separate the skins as she has stated in the recipe. Just dump all of it in the food processor.
I tried this recipe twice and just couldn’t get the creamy texture of the pictures. The first time I thought maybe I didn’t cook the chickpeas enough, so I tried again but still ended up with just normal looking hummus. Tastes good, so it’s not a total loss, but I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong.
My daughter loves hummus and has been raving about hummus she ate in Israel. When I made this with tahini from my local grocery store, she said it was close, really close, to the hummus in Israel. Next I tried soom in my next batch – she said it was dead on accurate and is delighted. I will never buy hummus again.
This was my first attempt at making hummus…and I have to say it turned out absolutely delicious. Best hummus I have ever eaten without question. Thank you so much for all your recipes…
Absolutely fabulous. Light and fluffy and subtle flavors. Winner for me!
That’s great to hear N! Thank you for your review.
Sounds wonderful!! Can I cook chickpeas in a crockpot?
I don’t have a recipe for it, sorry!
Just a crazy question, but how do you do this without dealing with the skins? They fell off, yes, but they’re still all over the chickpeas. Do you have a tip on how to do this quickly? I simply gathered all the skins that collected in piles in the collander, but they are still all throughout the chickpeas.
Best hummus I have ever made! Your tips were spot on. Follow Kate’s directions exactly. You won’t be disappointed.
This is my GO TO hummus recipe! Thanks for the research, tips and tricks that really do result in the most deliciously smooth and creamy hummus!
This is my go-to hummus recipe! There are a couple more steps than other recipes, but it is worth it. This is very easy to make. I agree that good quality tahini is key – I also love Soom! This hummus tastes fantastic and is very smooth and creamy. Sometimes I garnish with a little sesame oil. So good!
The velvety texture of this hummus is amazing! I am going to order the tahini on Amazon bc it’s unavailable in my town, but honestly I can’t imagine this recipe getting much better than it already is. I want to slather it all over all my food.
Wow, this is delicious! I have never cooked the chickpeas first nor added cumin or ice water! So delish and creamy! I’ve been making this for years but never thought to do these things. I also appreciate the info re: tahini and will try Trader Joe’s next. Thank you Cookie and Kate!
You’re welcome, Susan! Thank you for your review.
Hello. What brand of food processor do you use? Mine is old & needs replacing as doesn’t do the trick.
Hi Sheri! I have a link on my shop page.
My very first attempt at making Hummus and it turned out great! Perfect! I was always intimidated by stories I heard about it being tricky. This recipe explained or so well and plainly. Thanks so much!
Is there any way for you to stop the videos from playing? I would like to keep your page open to make later today, but the music is driving me crazy!!! (Throws monitor across room.)
Hi Chris! You can mute your computer, or you can click the x button in the corner.
Turned out great! Creamy and flavorful, I actually forgot my roasted peppers were in the oven so I just crumbled them up as a topping afterwards with ground cumin and olive oil. Cut up some cucumbers with it set next to our rosemary and spice blended grilled chicken thighs for dinner.
You explicitly said, “Instant Pot? I don’t recommend it—you’ll end up with a mess…” I never had a problem making chickpea dishes in the Instant Pot, so I ignored your sage advice. Well I guess those dishes had different ingredients with different food chemistry, because I wound up with a big mess! LOL! My eventual hummus actually following your directions was delicious.
The best! I had been making the same hummus recipe for years & decided to try Kate’s as I have always rated her recipes . Amazingly smooth! I used canned chickpeas, sprinkled hot paprika atop, with a splash of EVOO. The Hummus, served with slices of carrots & celery, was a hit with friends. Will try a variation next time.
Thanks, Kate, for another winning recipe!
You’re welcome, Maggie!
This is SO good and very easy to make! I make it often! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Suzi! I appreciate your review.
I made it!!! Just like it said even bought the tahini on Amazon. It was perfect! I have never made it before and always wanted to! I love your cook book … made blueberry loaf it was great also! I don’t do social media but I wanted to comment!
This was the first time I ever made my own hummus and I was not sure if I could pull it off. It was delicious! I made it exactly as instructed and it came out awesome. And, it was not hard to do. I will be making this again, for sure. It is nice to know that I can do this myself, that I know exactly what is in it, and that it tastes delicious! Thank you! Your recipe and your instructions are both great!
You’re welcome, Jessica! I’m happy it was a hit.
Great recipe! We loved it.
Wonderful, Susan! Thank you for your review.
Flavor was good, but texture was not smooth & creamy. While this method added 20 min.plus to boil and cool, next I will take less time than that to squeeze the skins off.
I made this, and the taste is fantastic, but it came out super runny. I’m not sure if it’s the tahini I used? Hoping a little fridge time will set it a bit. If need be, I’ll add some extra chickpeas!
Flavor was fine but consistency was terrible. It was very light and airy but that is not what hummus is supposed to be, very disappointing.
Hi, I’m sorry you didn’t like my version of classic hummus. I appreciate your feedback.
I tried preparing fry garbanzo beans according to your method, but I had already soaked them overnight, and after 40 minutes of cooking, the individual beans broke up into a big mess . So don’t soak them first!
This recipe is amazing, I boiled the canned Chickpeas as suggested and it was so smooth. Will be making on a regular basis! Thank-you!
You’re welcome, Angela! I appreciate your review.
Do you have a recipe or recommendation for homemade pita chips to serve with the hummus?
Hi! I don’t sorry.
The best hummus I ever made!
That’s great, Claudia! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I’ve never made hummus before and this made me seem like an expert!
looking forward to trying this but why the baking soda for canned peas?
Hi Kate! See the post for more information. It helps bring all the chickpeas to a similar cooked level to gain the smooth texture.
My search for the perfect hummus recipe is finally over! Thank you so much for your meticulous research. This came out perfect and the texture – the hardest part – is just right! It will be my go to recipe forever.
You’re welcome, Sarah!
Fabulous recipe! Every time I’ve made hummus it’s been grainy, tasty, but grainy. This was so silky smooth and delicious, definitely gonna be my go to recipe now. Thanks Kate!
This is the BEST batch I’ve ever made. Boiling the chickpeas ahead of time works!! I’ve also learned that you have to really mix the tahini/sesame seed as best as you can and dig into the hard stuff at the bottom of the jar and add those chunks to make up your 1/2 cup. Doesn’t matter if it’s lumpy. That’s what the ice cold water is for. I did add the cumin, and a little paprika to the mix and paprika on top for colour.
Hooray! I’m glad you loved it, Suzanne.
Hello! Oh my goodness! I just made this recipe and it is spectacular. I ordered the tahini from Soom through Amazon. Followed all the instructions and it turned out so so good. Thank you for all your hard work getting this recipe together!
You’re welcome, Cynthia! I appreciate your review.
Hey Kate, so excited to try this recipe! One thing though, I have cup of dried chick peas that I soaked over night- I’m hoping there is a way I can use them for this recipe. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks
Hi Lyndon! See the note below the recipe on how to use dried chickpeas.
Made this recipe. Turned out great.Used it in
Insanely Delicious Veggie Wraps by It’s a Zesty Life. It elevated the recipe,thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Laurie!
Fantastic recipe. I don’t know if my lemons or chickpeas were the issue, it came out bitter, but found a solution online that said to add 1/2 cup more chickpeas, 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp of sugar, plus more water (a tbsp at a time) until I thought it came out right. Did it twice. It was so good. Served it with a little drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of some sweet paprika. It’s hard to stop eating it. Thank you!!!
Wow! I’m am not a cook but this turned out so fabulous. I can’t wait to get my guests reaction at tonights dinner party
Best hummus recipe ever! Love the creamy texture and delicious taste. Thank you for all your excellent recipes.
I’m glad you loved it, Patty!
This was excellent hummus! I was worried there may be too much tahini, but made it as written and will certainly make this again. Thanks!
I’m glad you loved it!
I have tried to make houmous before but the result was only ever average. Then I found this recipe and it is hands down the best! My houmous was silky smooth and tasty. I’m booking this to make sure I never lose it! Thank you!
BEST. HUMMUS. RECIPE. I topped mine with Aleppo pepper and flaky salt. Yum!
I don’t see how anyone got runny or mushy hummus from this recipe. I followed it to a “T” and it comes out so creamy like it should be. This is by far the best recipe I’ve found and I’ve been making hummus for years. I did add a touch more garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt only because I used a 19 ounce can of chickpeas.
I stopped trying to make hummus from scratch because the results weren’t worth the effort. I came to your recipe skeptical, but eager to master a dish I loved with such a simple ingredient list. Since many of your “tricks” seemed to address what went wrong in my hummus attempts, I was hopeful. I am so glad I gave it another shot. I’ve used this recipe three times and each result seems better than the last. I follow the recipe to the letter and while I’d love to fiddle with new spices for fun, I will never deviate! Love your site and the “tricks” you share!
This hummus recipe came out just as described, deliciously creamy. Your hints on using baking soda with the chickpeas and resting the garlic and lemon juice made all the difference. I’ve tried many hummus recipes and I won’t need to try any others after making this. Thank you so much and I look forward to future recipes!