Easy Hummus (Better Than Store-Bought) - Inspired Taste

This is my favorite hummus recipe! With a few simple tricks, you can make the best creamy, smooth homemade hummus that’s way better than store-bought.

Hummus is a delicious spread (or dip) made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and spices. It is a popular dish in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. You can find it in most grocery stores, but trust me, you’ll want to skip those and make your own. Homemade hummus is just so much better!

This hummus recipe is a keeper (our family’s been making it for years!). So many of our readers swear it’s their forever hummus recipe, too. I’ve also shared our recipe for roasted red pepper hummus, which I bet you’ll also love!

Key Ingredients

• Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans): These are the base for hummus, and they can be canned or cooked from scratch. I use both, but homemade chickpeas have a slightly better flavor. Here’s how to cook chickpeas.
• Tahini: This sesame seed paste makes it so delicious. You can buy it at the store or make your own. I prefer homemade because it allows me to make my hummus 100% from scratch. Here’s my homemade tahini recipe. To make hummus without tahini, see my tips below the recipe.
• Lemon juice: Skip the bottled stuff! Fresh lemon juice makes all the difference in this recipe.
• Garlic: I use one small clove for just the right amount of flavor, but you can add more for a stronger garlic flavor or use roasted garlic instead. Here’s how to roast garlic.
• Cumin and Salt: Both improve the flavor of our hummus, and the cumin adds a little extra richness and spice. In our video, I sprinkle Za’atar seasoning on top for serving, which I love!
• Olive Oil: This guarantees a luxuriously smooth texture. I also like to drizzle a little extra on top when serving. Fruity, light-flavored olive oils are my favorite for making hummus.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Hummus from Scratch

The secret to the best hummus is all about the order in which you blend your ingredients! Seriously, this simple trick makes a huge difference.

Tip 1: Whip the tahini and lemon juice first. Add the tahini and lemon juice to your food processor, then, before you add anything else, turn it on and let it run for a minute or two.

See the photos below. In the first photo, I’m pouring tahini into a clean food processor. After a minute of being whirled, whipped, and creamed in the food processor, it turns into the paste you see in the next photo. It’s lighter in color and much thicker.

Tip 2: Add the chickpeas in two batches. Once you have the whipped tahini and lemon, you can add the remaining hummus ingredients. I like adding the chickpeas in two batches, processing the first batch for a minute before adding the rest. Then, I stand back and let my food processor run.

Tip 3: Add a little liquid at the end. When it looks close to done, I add a splash of cold water while the processor is still running. After a few tablespoons of water, the mixture transforms into fluffy, creamy, whipped hummus.

I use cold water, but aquafaba (chickpea liquid) works incredibly well, too. If you want to learn more about it, here’s our ultimate guide to aquafaba. Some of our readers have also suggested using ice cubes instead of water.

Tip 4: Do you need to peel the chickpeas? I usually skip peeling my chickpeas when making hummus, but it’s totally up to you! If you have some extra time and want the absolute smoothest texture, go ahead and peel them. It takes about 10 minutes to peel a can of chickpeas, and it does make a subtle difference.

The photo below shows slightly smoother hummus made with peeled chickpeas on the left. Even though the peeled chickpeas make a slightly smoother hummus, the difference isn’t huge. So, if you’re short on time, skip peeling. Your hummus will still be delicious!

What to Serve with Hummus

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy hummus! I love dipping this easy fluffy flatbread, homemade pita bread, or fresh, crunchy veggies in it. It’s also delicious, next to other spreads and dips, like baba ganoush (roasted eggplant dip), tzatziki sauce, homemade labneh, and our incredible tahini sauce.

Hummus is also great on sandwiches and wraps, alongside homemade falafel, or as a healthy, flavorful filling for lettuce wraps. I’ve even got a recipe for hummus cups with cucumber and tomato if you want something quick and easy.

More Recipes with Chickpeas

• Hummus with Spiced Ground Beef
• Easy Chickpea Salad
• Smashed Chickpea Salad
• Curried Chickpea Bowls
• Or, see all of our chickpea recipes!

Easy Hummus (Better than Store-Bought)

4.9 (1891 reviews) 3045 comments Save Pin Email Print

• PREP 10 mins
• TOTAL 10 mins

How to make hummus with chickpeas, garlic, tahini and olive oil. This is the best hummus recipe, just read all the happy reviews. Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. Buy it or make it yourself. Here’s our tahini recipe, which I highly recommend for this recipe! To leave it out, add more olive oil.

6 Servings (Makes 1 1/2 cups)

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (250g)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon (60ml)

¼ cup well-stirred tahini, try our tahini recipe (60ml)

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving (30ml)

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons cold water or aquafaba (45ml)

Dash ground paprika, sumac, or Za’atar for serving

Directions

1Whip the tahini and lemon juice: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.

2Add olive oil and spices: Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then process for another 30 seconds or until well blended.

3Add the chickpeas: Drain the chickpeas. Then add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process them until thick and relatively smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

4Thin with water: The hummus will likely be too thick and still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water or aquafaba with the food processor turned on until you reach the perfect consistency.

5To finish: Taste and adjust as needed with more salt or lemon. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika, sumac, or Za’atar over the top.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

• Storing: Store hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze it, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to one month.
• Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas or home-cooked chickpeas for this recipe. Here is how we cook dried chickpeas.
• Hummus without tahini: For the best hummus, which rivals our favorite store brands, use tahini. However, a chickpea puree without it is still quite delicious. Just add more olive oil. Another option is to use natural, unsweetened, creamy peanut butter in its place.
• If you like garlicky hummus: Increase the garlic by a clove or use roasted garlic.
• Aquafaba for fluffy hummus: This is the thick, starchy liquid in a can of beans (or the bean cooking liquid). You can use this instead of water in the last step of the recipe. Instead of plain water, add a splash of aquafaba at the end. As it whips, it creates an incredibly light and airy texture. Taste your aquafaba first. If it’s too salty, use less salt when making the recipe above.
• Tahini and lemon juice are not creaming: Depending on your food processor, the blade might not come into contact with the tahini and lemon juice. You need to increase the amount of liquid in the food processor, so add the olive oil. If they still do not cream, add a tablespoon of cold water.
• Blender: A food processor is best for making hummus, but a high-powered blender will work. Be sure to scrape the sides down a few extra times as you make it.
• The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 cup / Calories 155 / Total Fat 11g / Saturated Fat 1.5g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 278.3mg / Carbohydrate 11.8g / Dietary Fiber 2.9g / Total Sugars 1.8g / Protein 4.5g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher