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This easy homemade hummus has the BEST zesty flavor and creamy texture: and it’s much cheaper and tastier than store bought!
There are so many delicious store-bought brands of hummus out there. But why not make this healthy snack at home? It’s loads cheaper and WAY tastier. Alex and I do buy hummus, but when we have time, it’s homemade all the way.
This is our best homemade hummus recipe that we make on the regular. It takes just 5 minutes to make! For an updated version of this post, go to our classic hummus recipe.
Homemade hummus ingredients
What makes this homemade hummus the best one out there? This one is easy and flavorful, with just the right creamy texture. What is hummus made of? It’s got a simple list of ingredients:
- Chickpeas (& aquafaba)
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Tahini
- Salt
Canned chickpeas vs. dried
There are lots of hummus recipes that call for dried chickpeas. But this easy homemade hummus recipe calls for canned chickpeas because, let’s face it, cooking dried chickpeas takes time! It also uses some of the liquid in the chickpea can, called aquafaba.
Yep, aquafaba is just the liquid in a can of chickpeas! There are lots of creative uses for it in vegan cuisine; it’s used as a thickener or a binder. In fact, you can even whip it to make whipped cream! This hummus uses a few tablespoons of the aquafaba to make it super creamy. (Here are a few more tasty chickpea recipes while we’re at it.)
Tahini gives it just the right texture
The other ingredient of note in homemade hummus is tahini. What is tahini? It’s a paste made of sesame seeds, typically used in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean dishes. Tahini is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, Paleo, keto, and Whole 30 friendly, so it works for many diets. It’s purely sesame seeds and salt. Tahini is another way to make hummus extremely creamy. (Here’s how to use leftover tahini!)
Hummus without tahini
Actually…you can make hummus without tahini! We’ve got a special variation just for you. This Hummus without Tahini is weirdly delicious spin with a secret ingredient in place of tahini.
How to make hummus
This easy homemade hummus takes just minutes to whip up. Here are the basic steps for making this hummus recipe (see the recipe below for quantities):
- Drain: Drain the chickpeas into a liquid measuring cup, saving the aquafaba.
- Blend: Add peeled garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Then add chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, kosher salt, and a few tablespoons of the aquafaba. Puree until it becomes a creamy consistency.
- Garnish: Top the hummus with cilantro leaves, a sprinkle of paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, and toasted pine nuts. Serve with veggies, pita bread, homemade pita chips, or crackers!
How does hummus taste? It’s creamy, rich, savory, and salty all at once, with a little tang from the lemon and a garlicky aftertaste.
What to eat with hummus
The better question is, what can’t you eat with hummus? Here are a few ideas outside of the standard:
- Use it in place of mayo on a sandwich—spread hummus onto sandwiches for a more flavorful bite, like in this Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich.
- Dip pita chips—these homemade pita chips perfect for dipping.
- Enjoy it with falafel—the more chickpeas, the better! Shake things up a bit by dipping falafel into hummus, or slather it onto our falafel patties.
- Make hummus deviled eggs—instead of fussing around with mayo and mustard in deviled eggs, mix the egg yolks with hummus and dollop the mixture back into the egg whites. (And here’s how to hard boil eggs.)
- Make homemade salad dressing—blend hummus with a little hot water, olive oil, and lemon juice for a simple homemade salad dressing.
4 unique hummus flavors!
Lastly, looking for some more inventive hummus flavors? There are lots of ways to change up this hummus recipe into a new flavor and color: and it looks beautiful too! Here are 4 unique hummus flavors to make.
Creamy Beet Hummus
This shocking pink beet hummus is a colorful healthy snack recipe! Serve it with veggie sticks and pita bread for dipping.
Best Chocolate Hummus Recipe
As dip for fruit and pretzels, this dark chocolate hummus is a hit with everyone who tastes it. Perfect for entertaining!
Easy Pumpkin Hummus
This easy pumpkin hummus takes only 10 minutes to whip up! It's creamy and savory with just the right pumpkin undertone.
Glowing Green Hummus
This green hummus is bright and flavorful healthy snack, featuring spinach, cilantro and lime. Snacking just got more fun!
Dietary notes
This homemade hummus recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Homemade Hummus
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) 1x
Description
This easy homemade hummus recipe is delicious with warm pita bread or fresh vegetables. Here’s our best hummus recipe and how to make homemade hummus!
Ingredients
For the hummus
- 1 medium garlic clove
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (or 1 ½ cups cooked or Instant Pot chickpeas)
- 1 large lemon (¼ cup lemon juice)
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
For the garnish (optional)
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Paprika
- Olive oil
- Toasted pinenuts (see below)
Instructions
- Peel the garlic. Drain the chickpeas into a liquid measuring cup. Juice the lemon.
- Add the garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons water from the chickpea can (aquafaba). Puree for 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl. Taste. If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons aquafaba. Puree for 1 to 2 minutes to come to a creamy consistency. Store refrigerated for 7 to 10 days.
- If desired, make the garnish: toast the pinenuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown (or bake in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet for 6 to 8 minutes at 350F).
- Top the hummus with cilantro leaves, a sprinkle of paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, and toasted pinenuts. Serve with veggies, pita bread, or crackers (like these homemade crackers!)
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
I don’t own a food processor. Would a blender suffice ? Or just mashing chickpeas with a potato masher ?
Yes, you can also use a blender here! A high speed blender is best. If you can’t get it to blend, add a little more aquafaba. Let us know how it goes!
This was so quick to make and it’s delicious! Will be my go to from now on.
This is BY FAR…….and there are many ‘versions of recipes’ out there…. ‘THE BEST’ tasting hummus with the correct portion size of each ingredient!!! I LOVE this hummus and make it ALL THE TIME! Thank you so so much!!
Haha! I’m so glad you enjoy it!
Looks delicious! You can’t beat hummus with everything.
I worked in an Egyptian restaurant for years. This recipe is very close to what the owners used. (They were famous for their hummus) I would just substitute the water for white vinager. It’s an AMAZING differance!! I also use natural peanut butter instead of Tahini, cause it’s such a pain to work with once its seperated.
Thanks for the tips!
These are great tips! Thanks, Lindsay!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Question, is the garnish topping paprika and cilantro?
I’m going to try this today. But I think I’ll just use my blender instead of food processor; my processor is cheap and weak. Hummus is like kimchi in one important respect: make it yourself and you can have it for 1/8 the price of buying it ready-made. Thanks for the lovely recipe and photo!