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.
Mine did not come out as smooth as yours looks in the pictures. My chick peas were definitely opened up.
How long did you boil them for and then blend in the food processor?
20 minutes boil, 2 minutes blend.
My first hummus! Everybody loved it, will be making again. Soda trick worked great. Thank you
You’re welcome, Olga!
Finally!! I swear I’ve tried every hummus recipe on the internet and am always somewhat disappointed. Not this time…this is the creamiest, most delicious hummus I’ve ever made! Now I can ditch all the other recipes and just use this one. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Camille!
This recipe is so fantastic and super easy. Store bought is so gross to me after making this recipe!
I am currently doubling this batch for a party and it’s sure to be a hit!
Love to hear that, Brooke! Thanks so much for your review. I hope the party was a blast!
Thank you for putting the effort into the ultimate hummus recipe/technique! I’ve made hummus many times from a recipe that never tasted very good to me compared to restaurant or even store-bought hummus. But your recipe is fabulous!! Will make again and again. :)
You’re welcome, Lisa! I’m glad it will be a new favorite for you.
As I’m in Canada (no Trader Joe’s), I looked for sources of Soom tahini, and discovered that several batches had been recalled for possible salmonella contamination (http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2018-11-29/eng/1543538084410/1543538086119).
Makes me a bit leery about buying it. Any other recommendations?
Hi Victoria! Thanks for sharing and I’m sorry to hear there is some contaminated. That’s a bummer. Although not my favorite currently(per post), Whole Foods brand would work here too.
Fantastic hummus …I wanted it to taste like authentic Israeli style hummus and it was perfect I made a huge tube so my family can enjoy this for the next few weeks…Delicious smooth creamy taste the best I’ve ever made. Try to follow each step exactly and you will be pleasantly surprised !! Phenomenal recipe
5 stars *****
Thank you, Angela! I’m so glad you loved it.
WOW Kate, you are serious about your hummus, girl!!!
It is an amazing recipe…Love it
Thank you for your commitment and research.
YUM
I’m glad you love it, Jenni! Thanks for your review.
Born and raised in the middle east, I am always looking out for good quality creamy hummus here in the US, and your recipe is really close to what I have eaten since I was a kid. Thanks for the amazing tips Kate! :)
I’m glad it meets your standards, Mansi! Thanks for your review.
Yum! Will make this again and again. No more soy for me! Made original recipe and will experiment next time with add ins. Thank you for ALL your great recipes! Making my life easier!
You’re welcome, Cindy!
There is no doubt in my mind, this recipe is light years more delicious than any hummus I’ve ever had. I read the article, then followed the recipe exactly. I used the Trader Joe’s organic tahini. Every single person that ate it, raved about it. I bought 4 jars of the Soom tahini, to make it even better. Easy, and sooo damn delicious. I’m done searching for a hummus recipe. Thanks for posting it. What a great find.
I’m so glad you think so, Beaver! I appreciate your review.
Made this this morning with my daughter, visiting from Chicago. OMG, bust hummus ever!! We doubled it, made a full quart container. We will be enjoying this this afternoon by the pool. Thank you!!!
I’m happy you agree, Dennis!
Excellent! Its light and fluffy. I made two batches — one for everyone else, and one for me! Serving w raw veg and grilled bread. Easy to follow/modify as necessary. I went heavier on the garlic, used a housemade garlic infused evoo, and juice of 2 meyer lemons.
Will make again for sure!
I love that! One for you is important. Thanks, Nic!
Love this recipe! Used line juice in mine, & 2 times the chick peas, & it is wonderful!
I’m happy to hear it, Maureen!
How nice it would be if ONE time a blogger could write ingredients and instructions first and their memoirs after so I don’t need to scroll 10 pages on my phone before finding the only thing that’s relevant here. The recipe.
Hi Sarah, I’m sorry you are frustrated with my blog and the layout of content. I do have a jump to recipe button right at the top that should help with this.
This absolutely worked. Best hummus I’ve ever made. Don’t forget the extra salt and lemon at tend – I think mine could have used it.
Wonderful, PJ! Thanks for the review.
Is the 15 ounces including the weight of the liquid or just the chickpeas?
The can will be 15 oz with the liquid. You will want to drain and rinse.
This was THE best hummus, I made tahini from scratch as I don’t have it available locally. Will never be able to buy store hummus. . .
Game changer! Thanks for sharing, Maximised.
Hi do you have a calorie count for this? I’m trying to be food but I adore hummus and really want to try your recipe. Xxx
Hi! The nutritional information is below the notes of the recipe. You need to make sure you allow cookies, as this is a plug-in feature.
The best hummus recipe ever! Thanks for putting in the work to figure it all out for us. Good job!
You’re welcome, Monica! Thanks for your review.
Hello! Can you use a garlic press for your garlic? Then add the lemon and salt and let sit? Or is it neither here nor there? Thank you!
Best Hummus! I decided to try making my own hummus, googled “hummus recipe” and was pleased to see my favorite website at the top of the list :-). I just made it, following the recipe to a tee, and it is wonderful. thank you Kate!
This was absolutely delicious! I’m so glad I found your recipe. I served it with na’an bread and a Greek salad and it was such a great meal. I will definitely be making this again very soon!
I just made this and it is delicious! Thank you for teaching me how to make homemade hummus. I will never buy store made again. Also, it was very easy just as you said.
I found it an issue to blend just the garlic and lemon juice, so I mixed it with the tahini. I made my tahini with just blending roasted unhulled sesame.seeds, pinch of salt and mild oil.
Thank you for sharing, Sara!
Very good! But I always use my instant pot and I have never had an issue.
That’s great, August!
Best hummus I have ever made, hands down.
Fantastic! Thanks for the feedback, Liz.
Hi Kate! Bravo to you & chef solomomov for this recipe. Best ever. The idea of boiling the chickpeas is brilliant & makes the end result super creamy. I ground a few sumac & coriander seeds with the cumin & finished with some fresh italian parsley & roasted garlic.
Thank you, Paul!
I made my chickpeas from scratch and I think that made wayyyy too much hummus. But I think the recipie was good nonetheless. I make a recipe from this website every week! I love it so much!
I’m so glad you loved it, Shy!
Hi, I tried this recipe and results were awesome… thanks for the delicious recipe with details
You’re welcome!
Delicious, thanks very much for all the trial and error! Boiling the canes chickpeas is a great tip! Yum yum yum you cracked it with this recipe
You’re welcome! It’s what I do to make sure things are just right for you. I appreciate your review.
Made this from the instructions and it was awesome out of the gate.
Have now made it with both canned chick peas and dried versions, which you have to cook longer, and both versions are tasty. I like garlic and find the tip to mix the garlic with the lemon and salt and blend first really works to take the bite out of the garlic. I use one head of garlic per can of chick peas. The cumin adds a nice complexity, too. I mix the garlic, lemon slices and a bit of salt in the blender into a paste first, then add tahini, then beans. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your variation, Richard!
Thank you for this perfect hummus recipe. I’ve made my own hummus for years but boiling the chickpeas makes ALL. THE. DIFFERENCE. I also like my hummus a little spicy so I add cayenne pepper. SO yummy!
You’re welcome, Tonya! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Have tried this recipe a few times now, switching and adding a few things. On its own this is amazingly smooth hummus! I usually add roasted garlic and more lemon juice. Today I ran out of tahini and so I used peanut butter! Ah, yum!
Thank you for your review, Kenny!
The best i’ve ever made thanks
Wonderful! Thanks for your comment, Richard.
We live in the Middle East where hoummous is a staple. My daughter, who has grown up eating the best you can get, declared that her mum ‘makes a mean hoummous’ :) Thank you so much for this recipe: we love it.
Here’s a tip for a slightly different recipe:
I kept half the batch as is, and added pesto to the other half as we had fresh pesto hoummous a couple of weeks ago and it tastes devine. Thanks again!
I’m glad you love it and that it passed your test! Thank you for sharing, Mel.
This hummus was a lovely consistency, my husband said it tasted delicious. I personally feel it could do with a little more garlic, a little extra salt (as the recipe suggests) and only 1/4 tsp cumin. I will try it and see if it makes it better for my personal taste, but it’s definitely delicious
Thanks for sharing your feedback! Let me know what you think next time you make it.
So easy but SO delicious!
I’m happy you loved it, Janie!
This was by FAR THW BEST HUMMUS I WVER MADE!!! Super creamy and lasted for weeks. I used locally available tahini but will be getting the one suggested.
Hooray! I’m so happy to hear that, Sally.
Hands down the best ever hummus!!!!!
I made your zhoug recipe as well but controlled the heat by adding less jalapeños and it was finger licking delicious!!!! I have even made a double batch: half plain, half with fresh basil and its just the 2 of us and it’s gone in less than 10 days. I had planned on freezing some bc Google said I could freeze hummus but it disappeared before I could. Thank you for sharing your recipe and your tips on product!!!!
BTW do you have a black bean hummus recipe?
Hooray!! I’m so glad you are loving my sauce/dip recipes. I don’t currently have a black bean hummus recipe.
I followed recipe as written. I loved it with the addition of a few olives. My daughter loved it plain. I think this is smoother and tastier than any I have bought. I didn’t use olive oil.
It will be the recipe I use from now on. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing, Lou!
Wow super easy and SUPER good!
Thank you for your review, Janet!
Hi kate, and cookie also. I made this again tonight for the 2nd time and it was even better than the 1st batch. I ground a few sumac and coriander seeds along with the cumin seeds. Also added some fresh flat leaf parsley & freshly cracked pepper. Truly wonderful! Molto grazia!
You’re welcome, Paul!
This is not only the best hummus I’ve ever made, it’s the best hummus I’ve ever tasted! Thanks Kate!
Love that, Stacy! Thanks!
Amazing! The best hummus recipe I have yet to attempt.
I’m glad you loved this version, Emily!
this is wonderful light i thought at first there was way too much lemon but id did exactly what you said x 4 perfect having it right now with some crispy pita and a few beers perfect, this will be one of those dishes that you bring to parties and just sit there and wollow in the compliments>
I’m glad you went with all the lemon, Michelle! I appreciate your review.
WOW! Savory, creamy, make you want to swoon good hummus. How long will it last in the fridge?
Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
I just tasted this out of the vitamix, BEST homemade hummus recipe I’ve ever tried!! My girlfriend loves Whole Foods lemon hummus, so I added extra lemon and lemon zest. She was blown away at how good it is. I used Trader Joe’s organic tahini and it is definitely a winner!
Hooray, Scott! Thanks for sharing and providing a review.
I had wonderful results on the first try thanks to your detailed recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
You’re welcome, Carol!
Fabulous! We can’t stop! It’s delicious and so fricking creamy
I’m glad you loved it!