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.
Valerie Anderson
Oh man. I just found this website and though I’m trying to cut and paste a few recipes to my meal plan document, I just finally said forget it and pasted the link to your whole website – there’s way too many awesome recipes and fantastic tip & anecdotes to quickly peruse – I want this website and your clear & concise guidance to be a daily staple in my kitchen.
Thank you for being passionate in what you do, in a more humane and natural way.
Kind regards,
Valerie Anderson
Anna
BEST HUMMUS I’VE EVER HAD!!!
Beats all the restaurants I currently love.
Thank you for sharing this esp at this time of lockdown with the NCov19. It is timely to get back to nutritious food.. which helps our internal defense always
God bless & I look forward to your continued good work!
Debbie
Hi Kate, I would love to try this recipe. Could I trouble you to give me the name of the tahini you use (the privacy browser I use won’t take me to Amazon.com to see it)? I would like to try to find it on Amazon.ca or elsewhere. I live in Canada and from time to time order an organic hummus (they offer both raw and roasted) online that I like really well but would like to try this one if I can find it, to compare. Thanks very much!
Kate
Soom Foods has a great tahini! I hope you can try it.
Debbie
Great. Thanks so much for getting back to me. I’m going to try to find it.
Lula
Super creamy and delicious! Made it in my Ninja Blender. can’t wait to try variations
Laurel Kent
Just made this. It is very creamy and I love how there is not so much olive oil. Love it
Carey Morrison
Thank you so much for all your work in developing this recipe! I have tried lots of recipes (even to the point of wasting half an hour peeling chickpeas!). This one actually tastes amazing!! Your attention to detail is really appreciated! It is really the details that make the difference! Take care!
Diane B
Wow!!! This is really, really good hummus! Trader Joe’s was out of tahini, so I had to use what was available at grocery store; still turned out excellent. My pantry will never be without garbanzo beans and tahini again. Thank you for another “keeper”!
Victoria J Chapman
Jarred store brand lemon juice, Ziyad tahini, cheapest canned garbanzo beans, and this is STILL the BEST hummus I’ve made. I love your obsessive attention to detail and relentless research. Shared it with my neighbor in isolation and he loves it too.
Julie Madison
Love this hummus!!! So smooth & creamy as promised and easy to prepare.
I separated half of it and added sun-dried tomato & pine nuts and kept 1/2 plain.
I’m also a garlic fan so i added an extra clove.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!!
Carol
Unbelievably delicious!! As good as our Gourmet Middle Eastern organic market for a fraction of the price! Thank you !!
Natalie Hegarty
I have made this recipe twice. It is my family favourite. I will be making it often.
knitski
Great recipe! Works like a charm and another well-done treat from Cookie and Kate! I like the smoothness that this recipe makes due to the extra cooking of the canned chickpeas. I spice our hummus up with a variety of spices but it is great to have a nice place to start!
sharon
I had been so disappointed with my previous Hummus Recipe. I just received my Soom tahini from Amazon and whipped up a batch of your hummus – BUT with NO added olive oil and it was truly delicious. I did need to transfer all back to the Vitamix to achieve the creamy smoothness but it was worth it. Thank you for this method and all of your wonderful creations.
Shantaa
This is an awesome recipe! the best one I have tried. I can’t believe my hummus turned out so creamy, smooth and delicious!! I added sundried tomatoes to half and the other half was plain. Thanks for all your tips in making this recipe. I found your site by chance last year and made a few of your recipes – they all came out wonderful. Thank you Kate and keep up the wonderful work.
Elissa Brannan
This was delicious! Never heard of cooking the chickpeas! I added a little a tar to bump it up! Thanks for sharing.
Claudia
Hi Cookie and Kate.
I have had my fair share of “authentic” hummus having spent my childhood as an ex-pat in the Middle East. And I’ve been making a version of it for the best of 30 years using the same ingredients as listed in your recipe. But the flavor of my hummus has never melded into the unique flavor or texture that your recipe produces. Somewhere between the simmering chickpea/baking soda mixture and the resting of the salt, garlic and fresh lemon juice, a small miracle occurred. I’ll never make another version. Thank you!
Kate
I’m happy this meet your expectation, Claudia!
Wendy
Wish I had remembered I had this recipe open in my browser before I tried a different recipe which is OK but too salty. Definitely trying this one next time.
Kate
Let me know what you think when you do, Wendy!
lauren Hendrickson
Thank you so much for this recipe! We all love it, and it really is so creamy and smoothe. I double it and add about 6 garlic cloves as opposed to two but hey, keeping those immune systems strong whilst enjoying deliciousness.
I am also in the KC area, so thats cool ‍♀️
Kate
Hello, Lauren! Thanks for sharing how you make this hummus. I hope you are enjoying the KC weather today!
Laurey
I made this today and it’s so delicious and creamy. I was a little confused about boiling the canned chickpeas but it works. This will be my go to recipe. I’m going to check out your other recipes. Thanks
Jaymie
I wanted to thank you so much for all of the time and effort you put into researching and experimenting to make such a delicious hummus and then sharing your fruits of your labours with all of us! It is absolutely wonderfully creamy and delicious!!
Thank you for your time and generosity!!
Nick
Whilst in lockdown here in the UK, to quell the boredom I thought I’d have another go at making hummus. Finally I made one that’s more than edible, thank you very much for sharing the secrets! I split the final batch and added roast pepper, red onion, coriander & chilli flakes to one, and sun dried tomatoes to the other (need to add more lemon juice, water & oil to keep it smooth).
Can you freeze hummus or is it best refrigerated only?
Kate
Hi Nick, I don’t think freezing would work well. Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. I like that you made different versions with one batch!
Liz Keogh
Just made absolutley beautiful and creamy. Made from dried chickpeas, followed instructions in notes worked out great
Stephanie
I make this about once a week and absolutely love it! I actually leave out the oil and it’s still creamy, tangy, and delicious. Thank you!!
DEW4523
Delish. Thanks for doing so much research on this.
Allison
Very good! Tahini costs the earth where I live, so I buy bulk sesame seeds at a local restaurant supply (relatively inexpensive)- hulled and, then, toast them myself. And, if I can find them, I use Meyers lemons. A little more lemon juice and a little more olive oil than the recipe calls for. Yummy!
Christine
Fantastic recipe and tips. I simmered my cooked chick peas for 20 minutes with baking soda. Works like a charm. Skins float to the top. I tried several different flavours. Would recommend caramelizing one large sweer onion to add to this recipe. Thank you Kate. I love your recipes.
Nic Sedivec
So, this has become my GO TO recipe. We almost always have fresh hummus in the house. It’s gotten to the point between roasted chick peas and this – we’re buying cans in bulk at Costco! One thing I’ve found that takes it to another level is I use a cilantro & onion infused olive oil. I’ve also used a pepper version – but it was too hot for my fiancĂ©! I would highly recommend giving an infused olive oil a try in the future. I’m excited to read more of your blog.
Nikky
Made this last week and amazing!!! My 1yr old is addicted :). I’ve run out of lemons – any suggested substitutes in lockdown? Thanks!!
Kate
I love that that it’s a hit even with your little one! You could try another citrus if you have on hand? Here is a great resource for substitutes: https://cookieandkate.com/food-storage-tips/
Sweta Sriram
Hi Kate,
Thanks for this recipe, I will make it today.
I have observed so many recipes that call for either canned peas or beans or that recommend soaking and boiling in a pan. I am from India and we use a pressure cooker that does all this in a fraction of time. Just a suggestion, it’ll make it so much easier for all of you.
Cheers!
Vivian Burbage
Love the recipe was quite a bit at my brunch meeting. I added some slices of avacodo on the side.everyone enjoyed.
Jennifer LeRoy
This recipe has some GREAT ideas! Cooking the chick peas with baking soda did help to make the creamiest hummus I have ever made but I thought this recipe had too much tahini in it – I will adjust to my own taste in the future!
Anji J
This is, literally, the best hummus I’ve ever put in my mouth. Topped with Za’atar seasoning, eating with Terra Chips as I type this. We routinely spend $10 / week on hummus. Yes, really–between a teenage boy and a pescatarian in the house, we gravitate to this easy, healthy snack. We are definitely hanging onto this one! Thank you, Kate!!
Kate
I love to hear that! Yes, Za’atar is a great topping. Thanks for your review, Anji.
Amber
Am I supposed to separate the peels from the chickpeas?
Kate
No, no need! They’ll get super soft when you boil the chickpeas, and will blend right in.
Sue W
I love this recipe. I followed it exactly and it was the best hummus I have ever made. I did mine from dried beans but them still simmered then with baking soda for 20 minutes to have the skins fall off. This recipe is a winner!!!
I am now without a food processor at a friends house. Has anyone made it with a blender or Magic Bullet? We are in Mexico right now so getting a food processor is not easy on the island.
Kate
Happy to hear it, Sue! I’ve made this hummus in a full-sized blender and it worked well. I think it’s worth trying!
Robynne Stanford
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! WOW – this is the BEST hummus I have ever tasted, and I made it myself (I am not usually the greatest chef!)
We are on lockdown in a nature reserve in South Africa – miles away from civilization. It is wonderful to still be able to enjoy my favorite foods during this time! Thank you and much love xxx
Anne Vrana
My family and I have been buying our humus at an Arabic grocery store in Montreal for many years. It is by far the best and creamiest humus ever. Because of all the restrictions I am unable to go to the store to pick some up so I decided to try your recipe.I just made it and it is amazing! Totally compares to the one we always buy and dare I say even better! The tips were very helpful. Now that I have the humus, I am going to try making some homemade naan bread to go with it. Thanks, Anne
Susanna z
Wowzers was this recipe good! I used to live in Israel and love the hummus there. It’s not easy to find a close match in the US. Thanks for providing thorough tips and tricks!!!
Jessica
We lived in Israel for 3 years. This is the best hummus Recipe I’ve used since leaving. It’s amazing! Thank you for sharing!
Danielle
Hi Kate! I can’t have garlic but I am able to have garlic oil. I’m wondering if I’d be able to sub the garlic clove and tablespoon of olive oil for a tablespoon of garlic oil and get similar results? Also, at what point would I add it to get the strongest garlic flavor?
Thank you!
Kate
I’m really not sure you will get the same taste, sorry! You could try it, but I can’t guarantee without trying it.
Cheri Johnson
I should have posted earlier. I have been making this recipe for months and absolutely LOVE it.
Cynthia in CA
I was looking for hummus that I could make without going to the store for any ingredients (time constraints plus the hassle of shopping right now). Your recipe, despite changes I had to make due to ingredients I had on hand, was AMAZING. I had a can of garbanzo beans and saw on the web that good hummus meant starting with dry chick peas. I had to look for an alternative. I saw the tip of boiling soaked (formerly dried) garbanzos with baking soda, but your recipe was the one that offered that same suggestion with canned beans! That is what saved me! I only had store-bought prepared tahini on hand (already diluted and combined with lemon juice, ready to eat), so I used that but left out the additional water. I had also run out of fresh garlic. I only had jarred, crushed garlic available, so I used that, but pureed it with the lemon juice and let it sit as you had directed. I had fresh Meyer lemons on hand. So perhaps the mellower lemon flavor compensated for the fact that I used all of the lemon juice you had called for despite the fact that my tahini was already prepared with lemon juice. Not really sure. Everything else I followed exactly, and the resulting hummus was PERFECT. Everyone who tried it, many of us hummus snobs, raved! THANK YOU! You saved the day! I’m keeping your website on my go-to list of places to go for recipes!
Gail
This is exactly the hummus I have been trying to make for over a decade, and I live two blocks from Michael Solomonov’s flagship restaurant, Zahav! I had researched how they make their hummus and tried and tried, only to never get it quite right. Letting the garlic sit with the lemon, saturating the chickpeas in boiling water with baking soda and whipping up the tahini FIRST, before adding the other ingredients, really bring the hummus home. Thank you for sharing this! Hummus and I are back together. Forever.
Jennifer Diehl
This is so amazing! Thank you! It will forever be my go-to!
Elise
This is honestly so freaking good. I’ve attempted home made hummus before but the secret it to cook them as the recipe says. So smooth & creamy. Will be living on this stuff now. Thanks for the tip!
Benedicte
Hi from Norway!
Made this for my hummus-loving fiancee yesterday and it was such a success! It even worked in our Kitchen Aid blender (a food processor is top of my wishlist after this isolation period!). Terrific recipe! So happy with how this turned out.
Just a quick question: Since the batch was too big to be consumed in one meal- although we did try- I stored the rest in an air-thight container in the fridge- any guesses on how long it can stay there without going bad?
Thank you!
Lots of love,
Benedicte
Kate
Hi Benedicte! I’m happy you loved it. Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
Linda Lindsay
Hello from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Just whipped up your recipe for lunch with some fresh veggies and garlic Naan! So easy and so good. Thank You!
Dana
Ive made many hummuses in my day… this recipe is the best by far!! Thank you!! ( ps i really appreciate how often you post new recipes. It is something I look forward to! )
Suzanne Davidson
Making this for the 3rd time- the BEST! Thank you so much for doing all the testing!
Michele
Oh. My. Gosh. Yum!!
Can’t believe this. Thank you so much. Followed the recipe carefully.
Ended up need to scrape the bottom like you had mentioned because the tahini was super thick underneath the blades. Added about 3 Tbsp of the ice water.
Turned out like another happy dream. This paired with the Mujadara for dinner tonight.
Yes!
Kitty Yeung Downer
Lovely hummus. Won’t need to buy it from anywhere again. Thank you.
Margo
I made this yesterday. It’s great! I’ll be bringing half of what I made to my daughter (passed to her through the car window, of course). I’m wondering if I could use less tahini. I ended up putting in more garbanzo beans to balance the tahini. Thanks!
Erin
I used half the amount of tahini and turned out great. You don’t have to add anything in place.
ROMAN HARABURDA
i am from the UK and cups as units of measurement mean nothing to me. Can someone please translate the recipe into grams and/or mls.
Thanks
Colleen
Cups to grams weight converter
If you’re confused by US baking recipes, look no further…
https://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/food/cups-to-grams-converter-87833
Lindsey C
Amazing!
Kathleen
I did it! Yes, it seemed to take forever. I started with dried beans soaked overnight, but it was worth the time and trouble. Taste is delish and the preparation helped me get through another day of lock-down here in Panama. Thanks, the next time I make it I will try some variations hopefully to share with friends when we all emerge! Thanks again, Octavia
Kate
So glad to hear it turned out well, Kathleen! I hope we’re all able to eat hummus together soon. :) Stay well!
Jeanie B Wallenstein
Well, that worked! You have resolved my long struggle! Thank you sooo much!
Jenny Carmichael
FINALLY I can make hummus better than store bought! THANK YOU SO INCREDIBLY MUCH!!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jenny! I’m happy you love it.
Diane Tenney
I LOVE your hummus recipe and passed it on to two of my friends already this week. It is a big hit with my family. I am making another batch this afternoon. I toast and grind my own cumin seeds for this. YUM!
Thank you, Diane
Elizabeth
Seriously the best Hummus I’ve ever made, possibly ever tasted. It was awesome! Thanks.
Sharon RG
Awesome! Must be something to the garlic and lemon mix before adding anything else. I left my hummus recipe overseas in January and found yours today. Thank You!!
michele
We are trying to make this but the tehini etc in the food processor is not thickening. What can we do? What did we do wrong?
Kate
Hey Michele! Did you add the ice-cold water? That typically thickens up the tahini. Hope your hummus turned out well regardless.
Kayne
Hi, just made this hummus. Taste amazing!
How long would this last for in the fridge?
Kate
Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
Susan
I eat hummus as part of my meal plan. I’ve been buying organic from the grocery..but I’m obviously limiting my time in stores…and store bought is expensive. So when I knew a few weeks back that I might have to make my own, I bought garbanzo beans and tahini. I’ve never made hummus. The first recipe I tried tasted mainly of olive oil and was not creamy. A friend sent me your recipe. LOVE IT! Due to my previous dislike of the Olive Oil flavor, and reading that some people use no oil, I used a little more than 1/2 TBSP of my favorite flavorless oil: Organic Chosen Blend Avocado, Coconut, Safflower. No need to try any more recipes. This one is perfect. I didn’t have fresh organic lemons, so I used bottled organic lemon juice.
Anna
Agree this is the best ever.. trawled the internet after my first batch was NQR.. found your site and followed recipe to the letter .. almost swooned at the taste.. thank you
Marilyn Weindler
The creamiest hummus ever…and absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you so much for sharing
Best,
Marilyn
Val
OMG! This is by far THE best hummus I have ever tasted in years. I grew up in the Middle East and this hummus reminded me of my childhood. Real smooth and creamy. THANK YOU!
WJB
Best hummus I have ever made. Thank you for this recipe. It is so smooth and tasty.
Heidi
Best hummus ever! I’m already addicted, and I just finished making it 1/2 hour ago! I guess there are worse things to be addicted to. ;-)
Looking forward to more cooking with Cookie and Kate, since I don’t have much else to do right now. :-o
Kate
I hope you find more recipes you love! Thanks for sharing what you thought of this one, Heidi.
Bonnie B
I have been making hummus at home for quite a while, but decided I needed a better recipe. I am so glad I found this Best Hummus recipe because it really is the best. Smooth, creamy, light, and flavorful. I grind my own cumin seeds and buy sumac in bulk at a Middle Eastern market. I can’t wait to try the recipe again with some Ethiopian tahini!
Plus I am excited to try your other recipes since I am eating a lot of vegetarian meals these days.
Steven
The best
Steven
This is the best Hummus recipe I have ever tried. I also use dried chickpeas, which I soak overnight and then boil, along with the baking soda. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome, Steven!
Niamh
This is a perfect hummus recipe – thanks! If i were making jalapeno hummus, at what stage would i add the fresh jalapenos? Would it be after the tahini? Thanks again!
Kate
Thank you!! Yes, I think that sounds like a good time to add the jalapeños. Great idea!
Eliane
This was my first time making hummus and I’m never buying it from the store again! So delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Elaine!
Brenna
I have never been able to make good hummus and have been discouraged, but this one is AMAZING! I absolutely love the recipe and how the hummus cane out. The texture is exactly what I’ve been trying to find! Thank you for this recipe.
Ashley Long
I just made this but doubled the recipe. All I taste is tahini. Wish I would have started with less and added more.
Shelley
Hi there, Cookie and Kate.
I absolutely cherish this recipe. I have tried before and …. failed. gluggy thick mess. :-)
Thank you for sharing.
Kate
I’m so happy to hear that, Shelley!
Sue
Thank you so much as I am trying it tomorrow.
Caitlin
I always make my own hummus. Always from canned chickpeas. I’ve never boiled them with baking soda before (although I did read that somewhere along the way). Figured it was worth a shot. Wow was it delicious. That definitely made the difference. I made a double batch and used oregano in the hummus along with cumin. I’ll make it this way from here on out. Served it with mixed roasted veggies, cherry tomatoes and pita chips. One of my favorite dinners. Thanks for another great recipe!
Arthuer Steel
I have been making my own hummus and tahini for a long time ant have come up with numerous different variations. Hummus is an easily made dish.here in india canned items are hard to come by but fresh chickpeas and other all other ingredients make it better……my latest hummus is flavoured with sauteed capsicum.,curry leaf and tomato. in addition i always use cummin and green corrainder.
David
Love the recipe it’s the best the ice water is a great hack I add extra lemon juice and less salt and everyone loveslovesloves it with thinly sliced fresh baguette toasts. Adding the baking soda to the canned garbanzo during boiling also works since I’ve tested it both way. Follow the steps for the smoothest most delicious hummus you’ll ever eat.
Elizabeth
I am looking forward to trying this recipe! Could you advise on using the traditional method for soaking the beans overnight and cooking for this recipe? When should the baking soda be added for this technique? during soaking or just during cooking? Have you used a crock pot and how was that? Thank you for sharing your passion!
Kate
Hi Elizabeth! I’ve not tried cooking beans in a slow cooker, but it should be possible. If cooking on the stove, you could follow this method (note that this recipe yields more than mine, so the quantities don’t match up perfectly). Hope that helps!
kathy huston
Just finished making this hummus. Delicious .
My trick to getting the chickpeas very soft? Simmer them as described in the recipe, and then forget them while doing Saturday morning crossword puzzles. After 1hour take off heat ‍♀️ Luckily they did not cook dry! But I have the smoothest hummus!
Kerrie
I have been scouring the internet for a good hummus recipe and this is the best I’ve found to authentic tasing hummus!
When making it in the past, mine always came out to lumpy.
I use to dump everything in together but now see how the order of ingredients, the ice water and cooking those beans really makes a luscious smooth hummus.
what exactly does the baking soda do?
I added extra lemon juice and cumin. Next time I’m going to experiment with other spices. Everyone loves this thank you!
I also bought good tahini from a middle eastern store and leave it in the cabinet instead of refrigerator which makes it to hard. I think its good that way for a few months but now I will be going through it much quicker.
Sol
Amazing!!!!
Lindsey Fast
I love this recipe! I make it at least once a week. I wanted to make another batch this week but I only have great northern beans. Will those work? And if so, would you boil them in the water with baking soda like the chick peas? Thank you!
Kate
Hi Lindsey! You really need chickpeas/garbanzo beans to make this hummus. I haven’t tried with another variety, sorry!
Hannah
This recipe is amazing. I just tried it and had it for dinner along with some freshly baked bread and it was excellent, thanks a lot for sharing this. I can’t wait for the restrictions to be lifted, i’ll be making this when i have friends over. In the interim, i have shared the link to this page with friends.
Thérèse Nadeau
Hi Katherine!
Your hummus is worth for the Gods! I tried another recipe before yours and my family were not impressed, but they liked yours right away. It is absolutely deliciousssss. Thank you so much for your research. I am so happy I found you.
Thérèse, Toronto, Canada
Kate
You’re kind! Thank you for your rave review.
Nigel
I always have problems finding good tahini, so I made my own and added it to this hummus. Thanks for the great recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome! I like you used your own tahini.
Jesus
Recipes from *Occupied Palestine but hummus was great!
Sirie
Absolutely delicious! Question: can I freeze it?
Kate
Thanks Sirie! I think you can freeze the hummus. Let it defrost in the fridge and then whisk it back together well. Keep in mind that freezer burn and long freezer storage times (longer than a couple of months) can negatively impact flavor.
Regina Webster
I made this and it was perfect.
Exactly how you described and a world away from the grainy supermarket versions.
So much so we wondered if it was supposed to be that creamy! Luddites!!
Nandu
Hi Kate,
Could you please post the recipe for tahini to put in the hummus. It’s lockdown and there is no way to get store bought tahini. I have sesame seeds at home. I saw a tahini recipe in your blog. Since it isn’t kind to the hummus recipe, I assume that it cannot be used in the hummus recipe.
Thanks,
Nandu
Judy Tuwaletstiwa
thank you. this is a perfect tahini…subtle and rich.
Caroline
I subbed sumac for cumin (personal preference). Used 1tsp salt, 4 tbsps water and 1 enormous lemon (1/4 cup juice). Would definitely make again. Thanks for sharing this excellent recipe!!
Andrea
Was amazing. Will never buy store bought hummus again!!!!
mary p
I dehydrate my roma tomatoes so they aren’t in oil and soft but very yummy. How would you add them for a sundried tomato flavor?
Kate
Hi Mary, sounds delicious! If they’re soft and pliable, I think you could easily toss a few in while blending the chickpeas. If desired, add more to taste and blend again. *If* your tomatoes aren’t soft enough to blend, you’ll just need to soak them in warm water for a bit.
Me Mary
Thanks I may use the water I cooked my garbanzo beans in to soften up the tomatoes before I add it to the rest of the mix to thin things out a bit. Thank you we love this hummus and love the cumin touch made a big difference!
Kim Fowlkes
Hello, I just want say how much I enjoyed making the Best Hummus and the Best Tabbouleh recipes. I have enjoyed both at restaurants plenty but I have wanting to make my own. Now that we are staying in place I eat out 99% less. I was very pleased at the final results. Next time I will look for an Ethiopian Tahini though.. Thank you for sharing with us
Kate
You’re welcome, Kim! Thanks for sharing you have enjoyed my recipes.
Rachael Vogelzang
This is without a doubt the best hummus I have ever made!
It was a bit more labour intensive than I am used to and I burnt my first batch of chickpeas and only cooked for 10 mins the second time, but the extra effort definitely paid off for very smooth, creamy and fluffy hummus WITHOUT the preservatives! Thanks for your great recipe :-)
Kate
I love it! Thank you or sharing. I’m sorry to hear your first batch wasn’t as good. I appreciate your review, Rachael.
B
the BEST ever hummus I’ve made at home or have had anywhere! Like you said super light and fluffy. I did boil the chickpeas a little too long, but seemed fine. A lot of times the garlic is a little too much for me but I think soaking it in the lemon and salt was a great tip!! THANKS SO MUCH!!!!
Carol
Best hummus ever! I used cooked chick peas and loved the subtle change in flavor from using canned chick peas. The proportion of ingredients in the recipe is perfect!
G-dog
Looking forward to trying this. If you wanted to double the recipe would you need to double up the amount of baking soda? Or would 1/2 tsp still be good for 2 cans chickpeas. Thanks!
Kate
Hi! If you double this recipe, everything should be doubled. I hope that help! You want to make sure the baking soda has the proper impact on the chickpeas.