BEST Hummus

Learn how to make homemade hummus with this easy, 7-ingredient hummus recipe! It comes together in minutes, and it's SUPER creamy, smooth & fresh.

Hummus Recipe

Is there anything better than creamy, nutty, velvety homemade hummus?

While I’ve posted many hummus variations here on the blog and even more in my first cookbook, I’ve recently gotten requests for my go-to classic homemade hummus recipe. Even though I think it’s fun to mix veggies into all kinds of chickpea dips (see below for many of those options), this is the hummus recipe I make when I’m craving that classic tahini-forward, ultra-creamy, smooth dip, just like the kind I enjoy at a good Middle Eastern restaurant. It’s simple to make – with just 5 minutes of prep, 7 basic ingredients transform into delicious homemade hummus. It’s lusciously smooth, with a bright lemon flavor and a little kick from garlic. Whether you enjoy it with fresh veggies, slather it on a sandwich, or scoop it up with wedges of pita, I hope you love it as much as I do!

Hummus Recipe

Homemade Hummus Ingredients

You only need 7 basic ingredients to make this easy homemade hummus recipe!

  • Cooked chickpeas. Though I cook dried chickpeas on occasion, I typically use store bought canned chickpeas in my homemade hummus, and it always comes out great. If you cook your chickpeas yourself, make sure to soak them ahead of time, and let them boil for a bit longer than you normally would, until they become mushy, soft & creamy.
  • Tahini. A good amount of good-quality tahini is the key to smooth hummus. I use 1/3 cup in my recipe, and I choose a brand with a smooth texture and a mild, nutty flavor that’s not bitter. My favorites are Cedar’s (available at most grocery stores), Seed & Mill (the best ever), and Soom.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil. I blend 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the dip, and I love to serve it with an extra drizzle of oil on top!
  • Fresh lemon juice. Squeeze it yourself for the best bright, zingy flavor.
  • Garlic. I use one fresh garlic clove in my basic recipe, but you could also swap in 2 roasted garlic cloves for a caramelized taste.
  • Water. I start with 5 tablespoons and add more, as needed, to give it a delectable light, fluffy texture!
  • Sea salt. I use 1/2 teaspoon to heighten the bright, nutty flavors in this homemade hummus recipe.

How to make hummus

How to Make Hummus

Once you assemble your ingredients, you can make this recipe in one easy step! Just add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, garlic, and salt to a high-speed blender, and process until smooth. That’s it!

As you blend, add more water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency. If your blender has a baton, you may want to use it to help get things going.

How to make hummus

If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can use a food processor to make this recipe. However, a blender will make a smoother dip faster, so if you use a food processor, know that you may have to let it run for a few minutes to get super creamy hummus.

Homemade hummus recipe

Hummus Recipe Variations

If you go to the hummus section of a grocery store, you’ll find tons of ideas for seasoning it! Feel free to try experimenting with different flavors at home. I love it the traditional way, but if I’m in the mood for something different, I usually turn to one of these variations:

  • Spice it up! 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and/or coriander adds an extra layer of flavor.
  • Add roasted red peppers. For a nutty, romesco-style dip, blend in 1 roasted red pepper, 1/4 cup toasted almonds, and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.
  • Blend in pesto. Add spoonfuls of pesto, to taste, to make an extra-lemony, herbaceous dip.
  • Go green. Blend in 1/2 cup fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil, or up to 1 cup spinach.
  • Turn it pink! Find my beet hummus recipe here.
  • Make it sweet & smoky. Add 1/2 baked sweet potato, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, a big pinch of chili powder, and more water as needed, to the blender along with the other hummus ingredients.
  • Give it an autumn harvest twist. Add cumin, coriander, cayenne, and roasted butternut squash to the traditional dip for a delicious autumn variation! Find the full recipe here.

Let me know what variations you try!

Best hummus

Hummus Serving Suggestions

Once you have hummus on hand in the fridge, you’ll find a thousand ways to use it. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Enjoy it with veggies or crackers (or straight off a spoon) as a quick snack.
  • Slather it onto cute crostini to serve as an appetizer.
  • Put it at the center of your next crudité board, or serve it as part of a Mediterranean mezze platter with tzatziki, baba ganoush, Greek salad, and tabbouleh!
  • Add it to your next sandwich or wrap! I love it on these chickpea shawarma wraps, these veggie wraps, or this “club” sandwich.
  • Stir in water to thin it to a drizzle-able consistency. Then, use it as a salad dressing for your favorite fresh and roasted veggies!

Of course, it’s also good on its own with lots of pita. If I’m serving a big plate of hummus, I like to garnish it with a generous drizzle of olive oil, finely chopped parsley, sumac, and a simple Israeli salad. Sesame seeds, pine nuts, fresh mint leaves, smoked paprika, or even Everything Bagel Seasoning would be good too.

Homemade hummus

If you love this homemade hummus recipe…

Try another of my favorite dips like curried red lentil dip, guacamole, pico de gallochipotle sauce, cilantro lime dressing, tomatillo salsa, or spinach artichoke dip next!

For more appetizer ideas, check out this post with 50 easy appetizers.

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BEST Hummus

rate this recipe:
4.97 from 156 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves 8
Try this hummus recipe once, and you'll never go back to buying it at the store! Served with fresh veggies and pita, it's a delicious appetizer or snack.

Equipment

  • Blender (I've used my trusty Vitamix for years)

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a high-speed blender, place the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Use the blender baton to blend until very smooth, adding water as needed to blend, and/or to reach your desired consistency.
  • Transfer to a serving plate, top with desired garnishes and serve with warm pita and veggies, as desired.

Notes

*Tahini brands I prefer are: Cedar’s, Seed + Mill, and Soom

 

195 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Scott
    03.14.2024

    5 stars
    This recipe is easy and delicious! I added a bit more garlic, cumin, and garnished with smoked paprika. Thanks for the clear direction.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.15.2024

      Hi Scott, I’m so glad you loved the hummus!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.15.2024

      Hi Trish, so glad you loved the hummus!

  2. Barbara Whisonant
    03.03.2024

    5 stars
    The BEST hummus ever. Added roasted red peppers and made it even better.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.08.2024

      Hi Barbara, I’m so glad you loved it!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.01.2024

      So glad you loved it!

  3. Alice
    02.25.2024

    5 stars
    Best hummus I’ve made yet. Added 1 tsp Cumin.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.01.2024

      Hi Alice, so glad you loved it!

      • Vanessa
        03.17.2024

        Hi how many days can you keep this

  4. Ronald Ainsworth
    02.19.2024

    5 stars
    Full of flavour and very easy to make.Would like to know how long the finished hummus will last.Thanks

    • jane
      02.26.2024

      5 stars
      With garlic it’s about 3 days, if you leave out the garlic it’ll keep for about 5..

  5. Maria Kawulych
    02.11.2024

    5 stars
    Just made this with chickpeas I cooked. They were more firm than canned ones. I followed the recipe, except I had to add 4 extra tbsp of water to get it creamy and smooth. It tastes great. Easy to make. Thanks, I’ll be making this again.
    Question, I have extra chickpeas. Can they be frozen?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.13.2024

      Hi Maria, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, you can absolutely freeze your extra chickpeas.

  6. Lori Cobb
    02.06.2024

    5 stars
    SOOOO good! Easy to make, creamy, best hummus I’ve ever had. Have been making it for over a year. I use my food processor. I added 4 garlic cloves & it has a nice robust flavor.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.09.2024

      Hi Lori, Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad you love the hummus.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.