This hummus recipe is a mouthwatering spread from the Middle East. It’s made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and other simple ingredients.

You can use dry or canned chickpeas, and we show you the difference between making a hummus recipe in a blender vs. a food processor.

Hummus on a plate with chickpeas in the middle and a hand holding a spoon

Our hummus recipe is nutritious and packed with healthy fats, fiber, and plant-based protein. It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, and everyone loves it thanks to its creamy texture and mild nutty taste.

You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can spread it in a sandwich or a wrap, dip with falafel, veggie sticks, or in a Mediterranean bowl.

And why not make a delicious hummus pasta or a beautiful mezze platter with other Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern dishes?

You’ll need a light-colored, runny tahini to make the best hummus recipe, with a creamy, dreamy texture, a nutty taste, and a silky smooth mouth feel. We share tips below on how to pick the best tahini.

We didn’t like homemade hummus until we learned to pick the “right” tahini. But now, it has become a staple in our kitchen, and we haven’t had store-bought hummus in years.

Read more to learn all the secrets to making the best homemade hummus recipe.

hummus with falafel and tahini sauce

Ingredients & Substitutions

ingredients for homemade hummus

Find the complete recipe with ingredients and instructions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Tahini

Tahini is the most crucial ingredient in hummus; therefore, you should try to pick the right one.

Choose a runny, light-colored tahini made with 100% hulled sesame seeds, ideally imported from Lebanon or Palestine.

Avoid thick, pasty, and dark-colored tahini.

Chickpeas

You can use canned chickpeas or dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans).

If you use dry chickpeas, you’ve got to soak them overnight in water and baking soda, then rinse them and boil them in fresh water until tender. Instructions below.

Cumin

Ground cumin is best so that it gets evenly distributed in the hummus.

Whole cumin seeds are hard to blend for the blender/food processor, so I would advise crushing them beforehand.

Hummus shouldn’t have a strong cumin flavor but a hint of cumin aroma in the background.

Fresh Lemon Juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice without the seeds.

Garlic

Hummus should be with too much garlic. In most cases, half to one clove of fresh garlic is enough.

You can use roasted garlic if you like a mellow and sweeter garlic flavor.

Water & Ice

To get the blender going and thin up the hummus. We recommend using ice-cold water to get a lighter hummus texture.

Adding a few ice cubes to the blender help get the hummus light and fluffy. It’s optional but recommended.

Salt

We like to use sea salt or kosher salt.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

There’s no need to add oil IN the hummus; however, we recommend adding a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil ON the hummus once it’s on the plate.

If you don’t have good quality extra-virgin olive oil, then I would skip the oil as low-quality oil can ruin your hummus recipe.

Optional Toppings

Garnish with optional spices and herbs such as fresh flat-leaf parsley, mint, sumac, za’atar, dukkah, toasted pine nuts, cayenne pepper, paprika, or sesame seeds.

You can also garnish with a drizzle of tahini sauce or add olives and whole chickpeas in the center of the plate.

Hummus on a plate with chickpeas in the middle and lemon on the side

How to make hummus

Find the complete recipe with ingredients and instructions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Hummus from Canned Chickpeas

Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas, then boil them in a small pot with water and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin for 15 minutes.

Note: you can skip the boiling if you are in a hurry, but in this case, rinse the chickpeas well.

boiling canned chickpeas with cumin

Save a cup of boiling water, drain the chickpeas, and put them in a bowl with cold water.

Rub the chickpeas between your hands and discard the skins that come off quickly.

discarding the skins of chickpeas

To a blender or food processor, add chickpeas, chopped garlic, tahini, ground cumin, lemon juice, salt, ice cubes, and some reserved water where you boiled the chickpeas.

hummus recipe ingredients in a blender

Blend until you reach your desired consistency and texture, adding more water if necessary.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. You might want to add more tahini, lemon juice, salt, garlic, or cumin, based on your preference.

Note: A high-speed blender makes perfectly smooth hummus. A food processor makes a grainier one. Both are delicious.

hummus in a food processor and in a blender side by side

Transfer into a serving bowl, swirl with the back of a spoon, and drizzle with good quality extra virgin olive oil and optionally tahini sauce.

You can garnish with parsley, chickpeas, olives, sumac, za’atar, or sesame seeds.

Hummus on a plate with chickpeas

Hummus from Dry Chickpeas

Soak the chickpeas for 8 to 24 hours in a large bowl or pot with plenty of water and a teaspoon of baking soda to soften their skin.

You can leave them at room temperature on your kitchen counter. They should almost double in volume.

chickpeas before and after soaking

Drain them, transfer them into a large pot with plenty of water, bring to a boil, season with salt, then lower the heat and gently simmer for about 1 – 2 hours.

Cooking time varies greatly depending on the chickpea. Taste them at the 1-hour mark.

The chickpea will foam while cooking. You can skim off the foam if it bothers you.

cooked chickpeas in a large pot

Reserve two cups of chickpea cooking water, drain the chickpeas, and transfer them onto a clean kitchen towel.

Place another kitchen towel on top and rub them to remove some of the skin.

Note: Removing the skins of home-cooked dry chickpeas is more challenging, so don’t beat yourself up if they don’t all separate easily.

remove chickpea skins

Transfer the chickpeas to the blender or food processor with chopped garlic, tahini, ground cumin, salt, lemon juice, and some reserved chickpea cooking water.

Blend until you reach your desired texture and consistency, taste, and adjust seasonings. Serve and garnish as before.

Hummus served on a plate with a silver spoon and lemon wedge on the side

Serving Suggestions

Hummus is much more than a dip for crackers, cucumbers, and veggie sticks.

If you are wondering what to eat with hummus, we’ve made a list of 25+ ways to eat hummus. Check it out! Some Ideas are:

On a mezze platter

Mezze platter with eggplant and falafel

Traditionally, hummus is served as a dip with warm pita bread as part of a meze, a selection of small dishes served as an appetizer in the Middle East.

To make your appetizer platter, serve it next to our falafel, fattoush salad, tabbouleh, Zaalouk (Moroccan eggplant), avocado spread, tofu cream cheese, confit tomatoes, caramelized onions, tzatziki, vegan basil pesto, grilled asparagus or zucchini, and some homemade focaccia, flatbread, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, pita chips, and raw veggies (carrots, celery, and red peppers)

With falafel

Falafel on a plate of hummus

If you like Middle-eastern food, you’ve got to try homemade falafel! They are fragrant, herby, and aromatic, made with wholesome and simple ingredients.

They are divine with hummus, tahini sauce, and warm pita bread.

Check out our homemade falafel recipe.

As pasta sauce

Hummus Pasta and fork

Creamy hummus lends itself perfectly to becoming a delicious pasta sauce. You’ll love it tossed with rigatoni al dente and sautéed mushrooms.

Check out our hummus pasta.

As a base for roasted veggies

Roasted bell peppers on a bed of hummus

Creamy hummus is a perfect flavor and texture match to roasted or air-fried vegetables.

For example, try serving it on a platter with roasted peppers in the center, a drizzle of yogurt, and warm pita bread.

Check out our roasted peppers recipe.

In a pita sandwich

Falafel in a pita bread with hummus

Warm up some pita bread and spread a generous amount of hummus on the bottom. Fill it with grilled or roasted vegetables, falafel, salad leaves, tomatoes, and more.

Drizzle with tahini sauce and add a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Of course, this is a suggestion, but you get the idea, right?

In a falafel bowl (or grain bowl)

hummus in a falafel bowl

You’ll love this Mediterranean bowl with homemade falafel. A couple of spoonfuls of hummus fit right in!

We serve it with warm pita bread, roasted red peppers, pickled beets, tabbouleh, kalamata olives, jalapeños, lemon wedges, crumbled feta cheese, sesame seeds, fresh parsley, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and tahini sauce.

Check out our Mediterranean bowl recipe.

In a wrap with falafel

hummus as a spread in a wrap

This is how we eat hummus and falafel when we are in Berlin, Germany, where many Lebanese restaurants serve falafel this way.

Warm up a large wrap, spread a generous amount of hummus on the base, then top with smashed falafel, Shirazi salad, jalapeños, pickled beets, fresh parsley, fresh mint, squeezed lemon, and a good drizzle of tahini sauce. Enjoy!

Loaded hummus platter (fatteh)

Fatteh with hand and red nails

This is our interpretation of Fatteh, a delicious Lebanese dish with crunchy pita bread, chickpeas, yogurt tahini sauce, and more.

Check out our fatteh recipe.

Variations

Roasted Eggplant Hummus

eggplant dip with chickpea

Add the flesh of one roasted or air-fried eggplant to the hummus to give it a mild roasted eggplant flavor.

Remember that eggplant is water-rich, so you’ll need less water in the hummus.

Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then wash, dry, and cut the eggplants in half lengthwise.

Score the flesh of the eggplant with a knife, then season with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

seasoning eggplant boats

Arrange the eggplant cut side down and bake at 430°F or 220°C for 50 minutes.

Let the eggplants cool down for 10 minutes, then scoop the flesh out of the peel with a spoon and transfer it into the food processor with the rest of the ingredients.

Tip: for an extra smokey flavor, turn the broiler on and broil for 5 to 10 minutes to slightly char the peel of the eggplant.

scooping out the flesh of roasted eggplants

Blend until you reach your desired texture and consistency, then serve in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, warm pita bread, and veggie sticks.

Lentil hummus

lentil hummus in a bowl with bread

Lentil hummus is the perfect last-minute appetizer or light meal.

It’s ready in 5 minutes, made with canned brown lentils, and the preparation is similar to chickpea hummus.

Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted bell peppers with a fork

Add roasted and peeled bell peppers to the hummus to give it the delicious sweet and smokey taste of the bell pepper.

You can roast the peppers on a gas burner, grill, oven, or air-fryer.

Check out our roasted pepper recipe to learn how.

Tips

How to pick the best tahini?

Tahini should be light in color. Imported if you can find it. Made with 100% hulled sesame seeds. Stone ground if you want to be picky.

Getting the correct tahini type was the biggest game-changer for hummus and diet because we now use it all the time (we even make crunchy oil-free granola with it).

Suddenly, recipes like this hummus, tahini sauce, baba ghanoush, mutabal, avocado spread, and anything tahini-drizzled made sense.

They went from bitter, gritty, and overpowering to silky smooth, rich, nutty, and I-want-to-eat-this-thing-with-a-spoon-like-Nutella kind of thing.

You can find good tahini in ethnic food stores; middle eastern or Asian grocery stores are your best bet. Some supermarkets also keep imported tahini.

Generally, I would be wary of Western brands unless you have tried them before or are ready for some try and error.

We cannot stress this enough: the right tahini is the most crucial ingredient in making a tasty, creamy, and delicious homemade hummus.

Blender vs. Food Processor

four types of hummus

Food processor vs. blender? Canned vs. dry chickpeas?

We tested them all for you; the winner is hummus with dry chickpeas in a blender.

The food processor is easier to handle, but a high-speed blender makes super smooth hummus that is just too good.

When it comes to dry vs. canned chickpeas, home-cooked dried chickpeas taste more natural and nutty and are probably healthier than canned ones.

We love dry chickpeas so much that you’ll often find a bowl soaking on our kitchen counter.

In conclusion, try to use a blender, and if you don’t have time to cook the chickpeas, be assured that hummus made from canned ones is still absolutely delicious!

homemade chickpea hummus with dry and canned chickpeas

Storage

Make ahead: hummus is an excellent recipe for meal prep and making ahead. It keeps well in the fridge; you can always give it a quick blend if it dries up too much after storing.

Refrigerator: keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Cover the top with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to prevent it from drying out. Stir it before serving.

Freezer: we don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

More Chickpea Recipes

Want to add more chickpeas to your diet? Here are some of our favorite chickpea recipes. If you want even more, check out our best chickpea recipe round-up.

More Dips and Spreads

Here are some of our favorite, most delicious dips:

For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.

Hummus spread on a plate with chickpeas and parsley in the center

Hummus

By: Nico Pallotta
4.96 from 25 votes
Hummus is a mouthwatering spread from the Middle East. It's made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and other simple ingredients.
You can use dry or canned chickpeas, and we show you the difference between making a hummus recipe in a blender vs. a food processor.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Soaking and Cooking (optional): 10 hours
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Dip, Spread
Cuisine: Middle-Eastern

Equipment

  • Blender food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
  • cup water add more if necessary
  • 4 tablespoons tahini use runny tahini with a light color
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 5 ice cubes optional

GARNISH AND SERVE WITH

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tahini sauce optional
  • whole chickpeas, olives, fresh parsley, and sumac optional
  • pita bread

Instructions 

  • Dry chickpeas: soak chickpeas in water with 1 teaspoon baking soda for 8 to 12 hours. Drain them, then boil in lightly salted water for 2 hours or until tender.
    Canned chickpeas: drain and rinse well, then boil them for 15 minutes in water with ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
    boiling canned chickpeas with cumin
  • Put chickpeas in a bowl with cold water and rub them between your hands to separate their skin.
    removing chickpeas skin
  • Discard the skins. You don't have to discard them all, just the ones that come off quickly.
    fishing the chickpea skin out of the bowl
  • To a blender or food processor, add chickpeas, ⅓ cup water, 4 tablespoons tahini, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 small clove garlic (chopped), ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 5 ice cubes.
    Blend until you reach your desired taste and texture, adding more water if necessary.
    hummus in a blender
  • Spread on a serving platter and garnish to taste. We like it with extra virgin olive oil and whole chickpeas in the middle.
    Hummus with a hand and a spoon
  • Nico's serving tip: add whole chickpeas in the center, drizzle with tahini sauce, then with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sumac, and serve with homemade pita bread.
    hummus swimming in tahini

Video

Easy and Delicious Hummus

Notes

Hummus taste is highly personal, so take our recipe as a guideline. You can add more or less of the ingredients listed in this recipe based on your personal preferences.
Nutrition information is an estimate for 1 portion of hummus out of 8 topped with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
STORAGE
Make ahead: hummus is an excellent recipe for meal prep and making ahead. It keeps well in the fridge; you can always give it a quick blend if it dries up too much after storing.
Refrigerator: keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Cover the top with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to prevent it from drying out. Stir it before serving.
Freezer: we don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
ALSO ON THIS PAGE

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 211mg, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 23IU, Vitamin B6: 0.1mg, Vitamin C: 3mg, Vitamin E: 0.5mg, Vitamin K: 3µg, Calcium: 42mg, Folate: 107µg, Iron: 2mg, Manganese: 1mg, Magnesium: 36mg, Zinc: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below or mention @theplantbasedschool on Instagram. We are also on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok.

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Nico and Louise in the kitchen

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with easy, tasty, and wholesome recipes.

Our aim is to help you and your family eat more veggies through delicious recipes with simple ingredients.

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14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Delicious! I made your roasted pepper recipe and added them to the hummus as suggested. With veggies and naan for dipping, and a Greek salad, it made a complete meal.

    1. Hi Pamela,

      this depends greatly on where you live. We use Al-Rabih – which is an imported brand from Lebanon. It is not organic though.
      We generally find that brands from the middle east (especially Lebanon) are the best. But they are not organic.

      What’s important with tahini is that is made from 100% sesame seeds (the only ingredient on the label), of a runny consistency, and light in color.
      Often western organic brands are thick and dark, and they taste bitter.

      Hope this helps, and if you find an organic brand that tastes good let us know 🙂
      Nico

  2. Greetings from Ont. Canada, Nico…I had to put more salt & lemon juice in mine and yet there’s something else that could be missing in this when I remember eating in Lebanese Restaurant, their hummus was so addictive, but nevertheless it’s still delicious, I guess everybody has their own version

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe is AMAZING ! My 1st time making Hummus 🙂
    I followed the recipe exactly ~ using canned chick peas & I used 1 huge clove of garlic
    I used a high speed pro Blender .
    Next time I will only use 3 ice cubes to start ~ I def didn’t need any additional liquid .
    Looking forward to trying a different Hummus Flavour next time

    1. Fantastic Cat, I’m super happy you had a good hummus experience. There’s nothing better than a creamy homemade hummus 🙂
      Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a comment here. All the best,
      Louise

  4. 5 stars
    Hi I love all your recipes and I follow you around. Just want to say that I love them.
    Im from a Aruba a small beautiful island in the Caribbean.
    Im not a garlic onion and salt eater so I skip all that in the recipes and all taste great.

    1. Hi Meredith,
      Thanks so much for your message, we’re so excited you liked our recipes (also without garlic)!
      So kind of you to say hi, many greetings from both of us here on the Italian countryside.
      Kindest, Nico & Louise

    1. Hi Kellie! I always look for hulled tahini, as it doesn’t taste bitter (and makes the hummus a lot smoother). We use Baron’s organic tahini or Trader Joe’s organic tahini 🙂 I hope that helps. Cheers, Nico

    2. 5 stars
      Hello guys! I absolutely love all your recipes, just wanted to say thank you so much! There isn’t anyone else’s food blog I like as much as yours! I live in Sicily with my husband who is Italian! I can’t tell you how much I’ve appreciated your Italian and English recipes.. the how to prepare and cook artichokes I found so helpful! As I never used them in England!!!!! Thank you grazie mille..Jaz (and Emilio!) Please write a cookbook!!!!
      .

      1. Hi Jazmine (and Emilio)! Oh, thank you so so much for your kind words – that means so much to both of us!
        That reminds me that we have to go back to beautiful Sicily soon, there is just no better place for fantastic granita, gelato, and amazing people 🙂
        Lots of love from both of us, e grazie ancora, Jazmine!
        All the best,
        Louise