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 purĂ©e.”
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
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups (8 servings) 1x
- Category: Dip
- Method: Food processor
- Cuisine: Israeli
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:Â 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.Â
How to cook dry chickpeas in a hurry for this recipe:Â 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.
Jeannine
delish! Perfect proportions. Thanks, Kate!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jeannine!
Randi
I love this recipe! Perfectly smooth and delicious- made this exactly as written. I was hoping to make beet hummus tonight; do you think I could add the roasted beets to the blender at the chickpea step? Thanks!
Kate
Great to hear, Randi! I appreciate your review.
Lori
The BEST hummus I’ve ever had, and I think the secret is a quality tahini. I used Pepperwood Organic Ethiopian Sesame Tahini. Your recipes are always a hit!
Sol Barket
Where did you find your tahini.? I used a tahini from Beirut and it was the best I ever made.
Lori
I bought it off Amazon and I’ll buy it again.
Cynthia L
Love this recipe. I tried so many store bought hummus with their not so good ingredients, canola oil, soy etc and they all didn’t agree with me. Was about to give up then I found this recipe. I eat this one with no ill affects. Thank you!
Lynn
Thank you for a great recipe! While the method for prepping canned garbanzos is helpful, I’ve completely switched over to cooking the beans myself – much deeper flavor! As mentioned by another fan, I have been making this at LEAST once a week.
Jenny Kempson
Can you freeze the hummus?
Kate
Sure, it should turn out.
Stella R.
I’ve been wanting to make my own hummus for a long time, and decided today was the day. I am so grateful yours is the one I hit upon. I followed your recipe to the “T”. I am one hard to please chick and let me tell you, this hummus was A-MAZ-ING. I will treasure it forever – Thank you! Goodbye, store bought hummus…….
Penny M
Best Hummus Recipe ever!!!
This is the only one I make
Absolutely DELICIOUS!
Thank you
Christina
Another perfect delicious recipe! I already can’t wait to make it again!
Shannon
So smooth!! Love it!! I opted for your suggestion of a 1/4tsp extra salt – perfect! – and accidentally let the garbanzos boil for nearly 40min. Eep. Definitely did the job though – no regrets! Also, being a garlic lover I put in two roasted cloves, but I’d risk putting in a third clove next time.
Thanks for sharing!
Sandy
Does anyone know what the 1.5cups is in grams (trying this in the UK) and getting confused!
Pat
A cup is 250 ml
Tina Marie
Hi Sandy. My can of beans 439 grams. Any standard size tin will be fine. You can also wing it as close as you can by amount. Just be conservative with the seasonings at 1st to be on the safe side and you’ll do great! Enjoy
Leslie G.
I made this today to add to the feast for my Super Bowl, this recipe is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing!
Chris
I just made this today for Superbowl Sunday!!!
Absolutely delicious!!!!!!!
Kate
Great to hear, Chris! Thank you for your review.
Bart Miller
Go Chiefs!
Made a batch for my vegetarian kids coming over to watch the big game. Great recipe.
Original Cyndy
Well, maybe I misinterpreted what I’m supposed to do with those skins after they fall off the chickpeas. They somewhat separated in the mush when I drained it after cooking; after I picked/shoved them out of the rest, I seemed to only have about 2/3 of the chickpeas left. Is that correct? I worried that perhaps I should just add another can to balance the now-mellowing remaining ingredients in the blender. I left it alone; it turned out tasting okay but somewhat thin.
Kate
No need to remove. They will blend well with the rest of it!
Chris
I made this for Superbowl Sunday.
It was absolutely delicious!!!!!!!
Kate Huthnance
I have made many different recipes for this dip. Today, I made this version for the first time and believe me when I say it really is the best one I have made! The creamy texture is the defining aspect. I added a little more cumin for my taste buds otherwise I would suggest to stick to the perfect amounts of ingredients as recommended. I also used tinned chick peas for convenience. Kate.
Deni
I keep telling people that the best hummus I ever had was in Israel. Time to try this again, thank you!
Lisa
Can’t wait to try this. I’m a little confused. Do you boil the canned chick peas or is that just for the dry ones?
Kate
You will boil the canned ones, too! I hope you love this hummus, Lisa.
CA
Your recipe is missing a step:where to add the lemon juice and garlic. I added it with the chickpeas.
Amanda Klain
Hello! Thank you for doing so much research on making the best hummus…I recently bought some tahini that isn’t that great, so I especially liked the 2 resources for best tahini.
I am confused though, about how you say no need to peel the chickpeas for this recipe. In the pictures of the comparison between non-boiled and boiled chick peas the skins are clearly falling off (in both pictures). Are you saying whirl the skins up with the whole chick peas in the food processor? The boiling loosens the skins even more. I would love clarity on this! thank you!
Kate
Yes, just process in the food processor! I hope you love this recipe.
Debbie
Thanks so much for not only sharing the recipe but the key tips. The first time I made it I did not have Soom brand tahini and while the hummus was fluffy it was a bit too bitter. I just bought Soom and I made the recipe using the dried chic peas with the baking soda and it turned out so fluffy, smooth, and delicious!!!! Thank you!!
Patty S.
Sooooo good and creamy!! I made the “plain” hummus twice and am anxious to make the sun-dried tomato and roasted red pepper versions. This truly is the BEST!
Helmi Wiebe
can you freeze this hummus successfully?
Kate
I believe others have and didn’t mind the results.
Jamie
This is the best hummus recipe! Lately in a pinch I have been using jarred garlic. The taste has been off and not as good. I’m thinking that is the reason. Just wondering if you’ve heard of anyone else using jarred garlic and having trouble. I’ve also used a not fresh lemon and that will also throw the taste off. Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jamie!
Christina Szapary
Excellent suggestion to cook the canned chickpeas with baking soda. Super smooth and fluffy result. I added a little more salt and cumin and quite a bit of lemon juice. Thank you, will make this again!
Kate
Great to hear, Christina! Thank you for your review.
LORI S
This is my go to hummus recipe. So creamy
Sue
This hummus is amazing! I added a little Za’atar to it in the end. Love the creaminess. I will be cooking my chickpeas from now on! Thank you.
Kate
You’re welcome, Sue!
Eleanor
This is the best humus, and I have made numerous recipe, I give it 5 stars. I make it for my daughter and she said it is better than store bought. Thank you!
Donna
I absolutely love this recipe!!! I have made a few changes by increasing the tahini to 3/4c and adding roasted red peppers—personal preference. What I’ve found to make this even creamier is to eliminate the ice water and use the juice from the can of chick peas. Try it you’ll be amazed
sheryl
Easiest recipe and best tasting hummus! So creamy!
Kate
Great to hear, Sheryl!
Liesl
Excellent recipe. It turned out so well. Thank you.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Liesl!
Surinder Juneja
i have now made two batches of hummus – one with garlic only and the second one with Roasted peppers (i got lazy – buying a jar of roasted peppers from Trader Joes). added dry parley flakes also (what I had lying around). what a difference from store bought hummus. Next batch sun dried tomatoes… and then I am going to make Baba Ganoush from eggplant (another mediterranean) dish.
Thanks for sharing
Denis
My kids (and grandkids) love this recipe. I spring for the Ethiopian tahini and use dry chickpeas from Costco. It’s sooo creamy. I like Julie’s sundried tomato idea. I might have to try that. The zhoug is awesome as well
Kristy
Have been trying to perfect homemade hummous for years – thank you! This is it! May take a little longer but it’s so worth it.
Kate
Great to hear, Kristy! I appreciate your review.
Marcy
I’m honestly new to making hummus and I was looking for something quick and I almost skipped this recipe and I’m so happy I didn’t. It is delicious and so smooth and creamy. I didn’t let the garlic soak because I’m a garlic person and I love it, but I think next time I’m actually going to add a little bit more garlic cause I couldn’t even taste it.
Smitha
Thank you so much for the detailed recipe… I followed the instructions to cook the garbanzo beans and the proportions too.. perfect hummus, smooth , tasty and delicious! This recipe is a keeper!!
Kate
Great to hear, Smitha!
Zuzana
Perfection! Like a fluffy, decadent mousse. Will definitely be making again. Thank you for a great recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome, Zuzana!
Catherine
Hands down, we have a winner! Absolutely delicious, thankyou!
Kate
You’re welcome, Catherine!
Ellen
This was excellent. I live in Ecuador so there is only one type of Tahini in grocery stores so I wasn’t sure how it would be, so I made my own Tahini (which was actually pretty easy). Lemons here are super strong so although I added the extra Tablespoon of lemon juice, for me, I will leave that out next time. American lemons are sweeter and milder so I would have kept it in if I had those. Tonight I’m having Hummus with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions and lettuce in pita bread. Thank you!! Will make this again!!
Eva
This produced the most light and fluffy and creamy hummus. It was so luscious, an almost sexual experience! Will only be making this from now on. Definitely worth the extra effort of boiling the chickpeas!
Kate
Great to hear, Eva! Thank you for sharing.
Samuel Bardon
Been doing mine kinda like this for years….. this is a great method! My only comment would be to not use olive oil IN the hummus – it disrupts the subtle flavours and adds more bitterness as it ages (enough bitterness in the tahini) Use a neutral oil instead like grape seed oil. (Drizzle all you want with olive when plating!) Love the proportions here..
Mike W.
Great recipe — added an extra clove of garlic to suit my preference. And, you need to buy better paprika… tasteless? :-)
Colleen
This has been my go to hummus for three years! It is delicious, smooth, and fantastic! Thank you so much. I love putting sumac on top of it. It just adds that extra fresh fruity flavor.
Gil
Really good!
Elizabeth L Dillon
Never buying store hummus again! Velvety and tweaked to personal preference.. this recipe is a keeper. Ty!!
Kate
Great to hear, Elizabeth!
Jane
This really is the best hummus!!!!!! Thanks, can’t wait to try the variations
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Jane!
Melanie
The best hummus ever tasted! Thank you sooo much!
Kate
You’re welcome, Melanie!
Sandie
The only hummus recipe I make. So delicious and creamy. I cook dry chickpeas usually, but always add the baking soda whether I use dry or canned chickpeas. This time I added smoked paprika and some dried hatch red and green chiles on top along with the olive oil. Pitas from Ottolenghi’s recipe are great with this recipe.
Kate
That’s great to hear, Sandie!
Angela
Very good recipe. Love the light & creamy texture. Next time, I’m going to bump up the garlic a little – personal preference. Great work! .
Kate
Thank you, Angela!
Ruth
This is delicious! It’s the best hummus I’ve ever had, and with all fresh ingredients, nothing artificial added!
Daisy
Thanks for sharing! Delicious! I added too many red peppers so it’s a bit thin. Oh well, still tasted so good!
Little Bold Lady
My husband and I had a hummus “throw down”. I won. Thanks to this recipe of course.
Debra
I have made hummus many times, but always look for a better recipe. I think you are right ~ the secret is the baking soda in the water, as well as letting the garlic sit in the lemon juice before blending the rest of the ingredients. I just made the hummus with the ice water in the end, and it does taste more fluffy. Can’t wait to serve it for dinner tonight.
Kate
Great to hear, Debra! I appreciate your review.
Dawn
You nailed this!!!! I have been trying different recipes for years to make the perfect hummus……this one is it! Thank you so much for the recipe. It’s always in my fridge now!
Robin Williams
I made this a few months ago and now I have to make it weekly. My husband eats this every day during his lunch break. I make my chickpeas from scratch and have varied my spices but it’s always amazing. I’ve tried to tell him it’s a labor of love because it’s a bit of work, especially cleaning the food processor. I add some chipotle spice but otherwise follow the recipe. I’ve caught him eating it with a spoon right out of the bowl. Will also add that it’s a great source of fiber!! And, the tahini from Amazon is definitely the best!!
Natalie
This recipe turned out amazing despite me using minced garlic from a jar and lemon juice from concentrate (I didn’t have fresh ingredients!). Good call on boiling the canned chickpeas – the hummus turned out silky smooth.
Leslie Franklin
I’m a hummus snob and this recipe is hands down the best ever! Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Leslie!
Sarah
hi Kate! Could I swap the chickpeas for black beans?
Kate
I’m not sure if the process would be the same, sorry!
Annon
Very good dish. I made in a regular blender and it was difficult and labor intensive. Would not recommend unless you have a food processor or high power blender. The end product is delicious
Wendy Youmans
Kate, I LOVE this recipe, and have made it probably 20 times over the past year. It is my go-to for any sort of pot-luck event, having people over, or if I just want darn good food for myself!
Thank you!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Wendy! Thank you for your review.
Mary OHern
It really is the best hummus of my life. Thank you. Been making this for over a year, and finally getting around to adding my 5 star rating to the thousands.
Geri L.
I made this and literally wanted to cry… tears of joy of course. When I think of the time wasted peeling the skin off of each chickpea… I thought it was the only way to smooth humus. Life changing thanks a million
Sarah
I used to keep my food processor in the pantry. I have now found a spot for it on the counter so it is always out and ready to make this fabulous hummus. Thank you so much for doing all the research and trial and error so we don’t have to. It is perfect!
Pete
For cooking dried chickpeas into mush, or really for cooking any type of dried bean to perfection without any soaking time: an Instant Pot. The smallest size will do nicely.
Maaria
Lovely recipe.
A howe
Love your hummus. You are a go to spot for recipes. Thank you