Learn how to make hummus the easy way with this 7-ingredient hummus recipe! It’s ultra-creamy and ready to enjoy with pita and vegetables in about 5 minutes.
Looking for more easy plant based dips? Check out my Spinach Artichoke Dip, Lemon Dill Hummus, and Vegan 7 Layer Dip.
One taste of this homemade hummus and you’ll never go back to store-bought again! Incredibly creamy and smooth, with an irresistible nutty flavor, this easy hummus recipe comes together in just 5 minutes thanks to 7 pantry staple ingredients.
Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern dip or spread made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. They’re blended until creamy, creating a nutty and savory dip that’s best paired with pita bread and veggies.
Personally, I think this is the best hummus recipe because it takes minutes to throw together and tastes way better than store-bought. But don’t just take my word for it… Anyone who’s tried this recipe seems to love it:
“The BEST hummus I have ever made, hands down!” – Nida
“I’ve made this hummus recipe for a few years now, it’s the best and everyone who I’ve made it for loves it!” – Veronica
“Great recipe, far superior to store-bought hummus at a fraction of the price. I’ve made this a few times now, and we love it!” – Tracey
Why this is the best hummus recipe
- Better than store-bought! This easy hummus recipe is ridiculously delicious; there’s just no comparing it to store-bought! The nutty and garlicky flavors are stronger, the texture is smoother and fluffier, and it’s just plain fresh and luxurious.
- A budget-friendly snack – The 7 ingredients in this classic hummus recipe are affordable and may even be in your kitchen already.
- Quick and easy – I recommend making this recipe with canned chickpeas to keep the process as quick and convenient as possible. Just dump them into a food processor with the rest of the ingredients, blend until smooth, and you’re ready to eat!
How to make this homemade hummus recipe
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Add the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, salt, fresh lemon juice, and some ice-cold water to a food processor. Puree until the hummus is smooth and creamy.
Be patient while blending: For the smoothest consistency, let the food processor run for at least 4 to 5 minutes.
If it’s not quite creamy enough, blend in a few more tablespoons of ice-cold water to help fluff it up.
Taste and season the hummus with more salt, garlic, cumin, or lemon juice, if needed.
Transfer the hummus to a bowl and garnish it with the toppings of your choice. Serve with pita bread and veggies, then enjoy!
Serving suggestions
For an irresistible presentation, dress up your batch of freshly made hummus with all kinds of fresh toppings, like:
- A sprinkle of paprika, sumac, or za’atar
- Chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or dill
- Lemon zest
- Roasted garlic
- A drizzle of olive oil
- Pine nuts
- Roasted red peppers
- A drizzle of hot sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes
Hummus is most commonly served as an incredible dip with pita bread, (or naan, not traditional but good!), and vegetables, like carrot sticks, cucumber, radishes, bell peppers, and celery. Put out a bowl at parties or for an after-school snack with a platter of dippables and watch them disappear!
You can also serve hummus in many other delicious ways. Try serving it as a:
- Spread – Use the hummus as a toast spread for a quick snack. You can also spread it on bread or tortillas for sandwiches or veggie wraps loaded with cucumbers, tomatoes, falafel, and lettuce.
- Sauce – Mix a generous spoonful into cooked pasta noodles for a quick and flavorful meal, use it as a creamy topping on a grain bowl, or drizzle it over a baked potato.
- Salad dressing – Stir a few spoonfuls of hummus with water for a quick and easy salad dressing.
Flavor variations
Once you master this classic hummus recipe, you can experiment with all kinds of other add-ins to find your new favorite flavor. Try:
- Roasted red pepper hummus: Add 3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers.
- Spicy hummus: Add 2 tablespoons of Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste.
- Cilantro jalapeño hummus: Add a handful or chopped cilantro and 1 to 2 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed.
- Sun dried tomato hummus: Add 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes and 1/4 cup fresh basil.
- Roasted garlic hummus: Instead of fresh garlic, add 3 to 4 cloves of roasted garlic.
- Chipotle hummus: Add 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, or just a few tablespoons of the sauce from the can.
- Beet hummus: Add 1 or 2 roasted beets.
- Lemon dill hummus: Check out the recipe!
Frequently asked questions
Tahini is an essential ingredient in authentic hummus recipes because it adds a rich and nutty flavor and helps smooth the texture. However, if you really can’t find it, you can make hummus without tahini. Try using extra virgin olive oil for a creamy and rich substitute, or try any of the optional flavors above instead. You’ll hardly notice it’s missing!
Absolutely. To make hummus from dried chickpeas, soak ¾ cup of dried chickpeas in water overnight. Drain and transfer the soaked chickpeas to a pot the next day, cover them with water, and boil until they’re tender (1 ½ to 2 hours).
Nope, peeling the chickpea skins isn’t necessary! In some cases, hummus made from peeled chickpeas was somewhat smoother, but the difference is usually hardly noticeable.
The leftover hummus will last for up to 4 days when it’s stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
The Best and Easiest Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 tablespoons tahini
- 1 clove garlic, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4-6 tablespoons ice cold water
Optional toppings
- sprinkle of paprika or sumac
- chopped fresh parsley, cilantro or dill
- drizzle of olive oil
- pine nuts
- hot sauce
Instructions
- To a food processor, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, salt, lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of ice cold water.
- Puree for about 4-5 minutes until smooth and creamy. If it's not quite creamy or too thick, add a few more tablespoons of cold water. This will help fluff it up and make it creamy and smooth.
- Taste and season with additional salt, garlic, cumin or lemon juice if needed.
- Add to a bowl and garnish with toppings of choice. Serve with pita bread and veggie sticks or spread on toast, sandwiches, mix into pasta or use anywhere else you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- How to make hummus without tahini? Simply sub with olive oil instead. It won’t be authentic but it will add creamy richness if you don’t have tahini.
- May use homemade chickpeas instead of canned. Use 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas.
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: Add 3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers.
- Spicy Hummus: Add 2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce, or to taste.
- Cilantro Jalapeño Hummus: Add a handful or chopped cilantro and 1-2 jalapeños, stems and seeds removed
- Sun Dried Tomato Hummus: Add 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes and 1/4 cup fresh basil.
- Roasted Garlic Hummus: Instead of fresh garlic, add in 3-4 cloves roasted garlic.
- Chipotle Hummus: Add 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, or just a few tablespoons of the sauce from the can.
Excellent recipe as usual! But next time i will keep chickpea ‘juice’ (aquafaba) instead of water. Why use water instead of aquafaba?
Perfect hummus recipe! So easy to throw together! Thank you Nora for another awesome recipe!
Quick and easy! My first try at making my own – used my roasted garlic! Will definitely be making this again!
I’m so glad it went well for you and you loved it! Thanks for your fabulous review and comments! Happy cooking!
Hi- I love this recipe. Easy and delicious. My husband said it was much better than store bought! Will make again and again!! Thx!!
You are welcome, Tracy! I’m thrilled you guys love the hummus! Thanks for your positive review and feedback!
So easy and so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
You are welcome, Susan! Thank you for your terrific review!
hi,
how long can this be stored for in an airtight container in the fridge?
Up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Homemade doesn’t last as long as store bought since there are no preservatives.
Perfect! Used roasted garlic
Thanks for your great review! Roasted garlic is a great addition!
I’ve found tahini is the silent wonder for hummus, the more, the better! And then throw every other herb you love in with it!
How long does it last for?
I’d say 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
I made this last night for company that’s coming today. I hadn’t made hummus from scratch in many years, as the store bought was so easy. I believe it’s also the first time that I peeled the shells for it…now I understand how restaurant hummus is so delectably creamy! I did the boiling method & didn’t have baking soda so I used a tiny bit of baking powder as I wasn’t sure what else to use. I’ve done multiple tastes of it and hope there’s some left by the time our guests get here, lol! I’m planning on sprinkling it with paprika and a drizzle of olive oil and serving it with cut up cucumber, red bell pepper and pita wedges.
The only change I made to the recipe is that I’d heard that using ice cubes instead of water works even better than cold water. Have you ever heard or tried that? Seemed to go well, but I haven’t made it enough, or recently enough to know how it compares, but thought I’d share. 🙂
Thank you for the awesome recipe…I will definitely be using this again!!
Hi Keri. Thank you for taking time to share your hummus recipe experience, and your fantastic review! I am thrilled you loved the hummus!
Finally found a great Hummus recipe. made it chipotle hummus. Thanks Nora
Super easy and yummy! I topped with a teaspoon of olive oil and some home roasted peppers (even though this was made without EVOO it looks great with the presentation).
Thank you for a great recipe! Few ingredients and first hummus I’ve made without oil!
It came out delicious!
Thank you (:
You’re so welcome, Marie! And thank you for your wonderful review!
This humus is so good! I’ve only had store bought before but this is so much better. Next time I’m going to try it with some of the flavors added. YUM!!!
Hi Tracey. It’s always fun to add flavors to hummus! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thank you for your terrific review and feedback!
The BEST hummus I have ever made, hands down! Not sure how you do it Nora, but please keep the recipes coming, you are a rockstar!
Thank you Nida! Your feedback is so encouraging and make my day! Thanks for your stellar review! I appreciate you using my recipes!
I’ve made this hummus recipe for a few years now, it’s the best and everyone who I’ve made it for loves it!
Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback! I’m so glad you and those in your life are loving the hummus!