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.
Thank you! You made the hummus recipe I’ve been seeking all my life! This is just like my favorite restaurant’s hummus, which is unfortunately hundreds of miles away in Tucson. I am so happy I can finally have it again. I wish I could give a million stars for this excellent recipe. Thanks again!
You’re welcome, Jen!
This is a wonderful recipe. The only problem I am having now is finding tahini. I also added more salt and lemon juice.
I live in Tucson and am wondering what restaurant you are referring to?
Hi Karen, sorry I meant Tempe! (I lived in both cities.) It’s called Haji Baba. It’s amazing. Tempe is not that far from Tucson, though, and and it’s totally worth the drive! —Jen
I love all your hummus recipes, but I’m a little confused..Do I remove the skins after boiling or leave them in?
Hi Laura, no need to remove the skins. The boiling in baking soda does wonders. I hope you enjoy it!
Hi! The skins are separated from the chick peas, but are in the strainer with the chick peas. Do you need to manually separate the peas from the skins that are in the strainer? Or do you add it all to the food processor?
Thanks!
No need to separate! Just add to the food processor. Let me know what you think!
My bf was arguing with me about everything, he didn’t want tahini in it, why did I need to cook the chickpeas. But when it came to eat it it was just “it’s so good” thanks for this recipe.
I’m glad it won him over, Celeste! I appreciate your review.
I always peeled the canned chick peas to make it smoother. This method to just boil with baking soda was so easy!
I often like to add roasted peppercorn pesto for different flavors.
This is a great recipe.
Nice, thanks :) This is going to save me a fortune on hummus. Also gives me a use for my left over water + baking soda mix from when I make pretzels. Less waste, better taste.
This is so smooth and delicious. Best recipe I have found for hummus, and have been looking for years.
Question: What does the baking soda do? I forgot to get baking soda at the grocery store.
Hi Dawn, see the post. But it helps make everything smooth and so you don’t have to peel the chickpeas.
Thankyou so much for your response. I’m about to make some now, it’s a great and easy recipe, MUCH BETTER than store bought.
My dad loves it, my little brother loves it, I love it, and my bf from Jordan loves it, and his bars are really high with hummus. Never going back to store bought.
Great to hear, Christine! I appreciate your review.
This was delicious – creamy and smooth! I added a large jalapeño, seeds and all, and sun dried tomatoes. It would have been great without as well. This is now my favorite hummus recipe.
If any one is interested the reason ice-cold water works better than room temperature water is probably the same reason well chilled heavy cream and a frozen bowl make the best whipped cream. Cold fat holds air bubbles better than warm fat.
Truly THE BEST hummus. I’ve tried so many recipes and this one finally hits the mark. The texture and flavor are spot on. This will be by new go-to recipe.
I love to hear that, Lori! I appreciate your review.
This is absolutely the best hummus recipe I have ever used ,my wife just asked to make a double batch. I believe the baking soda makes all the difference. This is so much better than store bought . Also letting the freshly crushed garlic soak in the lemon juice for serval minutes mellows it .
This is fantastic! Almost exactly like our local restaurant chain Naf Naf’s hummus. Something I have never been able to quite create. A little extra work for a HUGE reward. Thanks so much!
This is the best Hummus I’ve ever had! My husband loves it too, I have to make a double batch every time I make it because we eat it all so fast! I drizzle with my best olive oil and some smoked paprika. Excellent! Thank you!
Good stuff! The only thing I changed was adding a lot more salt.
Does this hold up well in the freezer? It made so much, and I’m looking to freeze it for the week to bring back out for next weekend. Thanks
I do freeze some. I put wax paper on top of it before I put the lid. Linda
I’ve been using this recipe every so often for the past several months now. No other recipe I’ve tried has even compared to how balanced, luscious, and texturally refined this one is. Thank you for doing such thorough research!
I’m excited to hear you have been making this hummus often! Thank you for your review, Cecilia.
OMG! SO much better than ANY store bought. My husband and I went to a phenomenal Israeli restaurant in NOLA and I came home craving more hummus. This hummus has the same smooth consistency and amazing texture and taste. We are now all enjoying FRESH hummus daily!!
I agree! Thank you for making it and sharing your thoughts, Jennifer.
This is AMAZING. Absolutely perfect. The chickpeas are so creamy using this technique and the flavor is fantastic. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
You’re welcome, Allison! Thank you for your review.
This was for sure the best Hummus recipe ever! I don’t like raw garlic, but you really can’t taste it!
I made this today with chickpeas that I soaked overnight then overcooked. The hummus is VERY runny. I only added 1 tbsp of icewater and didnt even bother with the oil. What did I do wrong ?
Hi Charlotte, I’m sorry to hear that. I recommend making this as written. Did you drain the chickpeas before blending?
Hi Kate & Cookie!
I think it’s darling you and your forever friend Cookie have started a blog and wanted to say I have a cat named Cookie!! I am searching for a hummus recipe & started looking at Israeli hummus recipes and found a simple one to start with then found yours & Cookie’s!! So I am going to attempt at making my very first homemade hummus if I can find the Tahini on Amazon or the one at Trader Joe’s. I have just switched to a raw food plant based diet and have been searching the internet for recipes and am going to give your recipe a try! Hummus sounds intimidating but I’m going to give it a go & hopefully will have something edible when it’s finished! I do believe in using dried beans whenever possible because they do have a better taste & don’t like the idea of using anything in aluminum cans.
I will tell you the outcome just as soon as I make it
This is still my go-to recipe for hummus. I just made a fresh batch with 3/4 cup fresh basil added with the chickpeas. Garnished with zahtar and toasted pine nuts. I’m a good husband.
The hummus recipe I’ve been looking for!! Perfection!! I warm mine before drizzling with olive oil and it’s just outstanding!
Thank you for your review, Kathleen!
Insanely good, this is my go to. I’ve made it so many times and my hubs is just as obsessed. Why did I EVER buy store bought? I doubled the batch and was short lemon juice so I added a lime and it was still as delicious as the original. I usually like garnishing it with, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and thinly sliced lemons. Thank you for the bomb recipe!
You are absolutely correct, this is BEST Hummus ever! I will never again a make grainy, lumpy substitute.
Thank you
I’m glad you loved it, Marit!
Hello! I tried this recipe. I ran out of lemons so I used vinegar (lesser quantity). It still turned out great! It’s light, fluffy, tangy and flavorful! I could eat it by the spoonful!
Great to hear you loved it, Rizza! I appreciate your review.
Thank you so much for this recipe Kate! I really appreciate all the details you gave – my hummus is delicious thanks to you!
Made this today, followed exactly except a bit more garlic and it is the best hummus I’ve ever had. Had a few people over and everyone loved it, soooo creamy!! Thanks for doing all the investigating on the techniques!!
I’m glad you loved it, Cindy! I appreciate your review.
If I’m tripling the recipe, do I triple the amount of baking soda in the water as well?
Hi! Yes, everything will increase. I hope you love it. Let me know how it turns out, Becky!
OMG This is the best hummus I’ve ever had. I was a bit skeptical because it was so simple and I’ve never boiled canned chickpeas. But wow! This recipe deserves all stars. This will be my go-to hummus recipe from now on.
This IS the best hummus recipe. I’ve tried many and this one has the right balance. I make a double batch every week.
That’s great to hear, Denise! I appreciate your review.
This is the best hummus I’ve ever made. Thanks for the detailed explanation.
I’ve made hummus for years and thought it was pretty darn good. After reading your research, I tried yours and you’ve done it. Really the best!
Thank you, Linda! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
very easy! This was the first recipe I’ve tried for homemade hummus and thought it turned out well. I used a food processor, it wasn’t 100% smooth but still tasted very good. As personal preference, I may increase the amount of cumin and do some other add-in’s next time
Amazing food from scratch
I am going to attempt this recipe. I am wondering how much nutritional value is wasted in boiling canned chickpeas. I am thinking that microwaving in a small amount of water could have a similar result and keep more nutrients. What do you think?
Hi, I’m not a registered dietitian so I can’t speak to that. See the post for why using the baking soda and boiling.
Thank you! Love it and it is so creamy!! It was so simple to make and I will add black olives next time. I find tahini strong for my taste and I was thinking of reducing it to a 1/4 next time. Hopefully, it will still turn out.
Love your recipes!
Thank you, Liz! I’m delighted you enjoy this hummus.
Just finished making your hummus, for my first time I really thought it was fantastic. I have eaten alot from store bought to restaurants and feel this is definitely one of the best I’ve had. I added some sweet chili sauce to it for that sweet and spicy taste my family loves. Thanks for great directions and I probably won’t be able to back to store bought again.
Great to hear, Susan!
So fluffy, creamy and light! Loved the recipe
This is so much better than store bought hummus. Best recipe!
Great to hear, Lisa! Thank you for your review.
This was so creamy and delicious! I enjoyed it very much.
Great to hear, Rebecca!
Great recipe for super silky hummus We like it with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle or two of cayenne pepper served with homemade pita chips
Sooo good! The topping are limitless
There is too much tahini in this recipe. It should be 1/4 & not half cup. The resulting hummus was gross.
Hi Amber, I’m sorry you didn’t love it. I appreciate your review.
Love this receipe just what I was looking for. Never made Hummus before.
Great with cummin
Baking Powder is great tip, it works well when boiling eggs too, the shells come off so easily
Will try the Toasted Sesame one next :)
Thanks will recommend to friends
You’re welcome, Jo-Ann! Thank you for your review.
I had cooked chickpeas and added a teaspoon of baking soda to it while cooking to break down the sugar and reduce its gassy effect. Good to know that this is also helpful for making hummus.
fun fact: neither hummus nor tahini are “israeli” foods. They might use weapons to steal land, but not culture
If I’m making this recipe with dried chickpeas that soak in water overnight, do I start with 3/4 cup dried chickpeas to get to the 1.5 cup cooked chickpeas? I saw the note to make dried chickpeas in a hurry but wasn’t certain if anything changes for chickpea’s that soak in water overnight. Thanks in advance.
Hi! Follow the recipe for the dried in the notes below the instructions if using dried chickpeas. In a large saucepan, combine 5 ounces (¾ cup) dried chickpeas. How much did you soak?
Fantastic! Best ever. Thanks so much
This recipe had me at “you don’t have to peel the chickpeas”. This is delicious! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Andi! I appreciate your review.
I just made this hummus. It was beyond delicious. I followed your recipe and added baking soda. Perfect, creamy hummus. I added coco-amino and lime juice, it seemed to go well with the cumin. Just a very tiny edge of sweetness with the coco-amino. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’ve always struggled to get hummus just right but I think this is going to be my go to recipe! What are the flavours are spot on, I didn’t quite get the beautiful texture in the photo. How long do you blend the tahini, lemon mixture and ice water to get it smooth, pale and creamy?
Hi! The food processor helps give the creamy texture.
Perfect recipe. This turned out so smooth and creamy. I added sun dried tomatoes and it was a hit.
That’s great to hear, Laurie! I appreciate your review.