If youโ€™ve ever tasted velvety, restaurant-style hummus and wondered how to recreate it at home, youโ€™re in the right place. This is our go-to recipe for the creamiest homemade hummus. Itโ€™s simple, wholesome, and made with just a handful of real ingredients

For more dip recipes, try our baba ganoush, mutabal, fatteh and msabacha.

Hummus.

How a Tiny Deli in Berlin Taught Us the Secret to Perfect Hummus

This hummus recipe is the result of years of trials in our kitchen, pages of notes from cookbooks, and visits to incredible hummus restaurants.

Back when Louise and I were living in Berlin for work, we discovered a little deli in Prenzlauer Berg called Balabait, run by a kind Lebanese chef with a gift for making unforgettable hummus and masabacha.

It was the creamiest weโ€™d ever hadโ€”so smooth and flavorful, it almost felt whipped. Curious, we asked him his secret. โ€œUse the smallest chickpeas you can find,โ€ he said, โ€œboiled until they almost fall apart.โ€ Then he showed us his tahini: silky, pourable, made from hulled sesame seedsโ€”nothing like the thick, gritty stuff weโ€™d been using.

That moment shaped how we make hummus to this day. And every time we do, it brings us right back to that tiny deli on a quiet Berlin street.

We hope that this recipe brings as much joy to your table as it has to ours โค๏ธ.

Ingredients

Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients picture with hummus ingredients on a marble table
  • Dried chickpeas: Use the smallest ones you can find and soak them for 24 hours and boil until slightly overcooked and ultra-tender. Here’s our guide on how to cook chickpeas. Substitute canned chickpeas, but if they are hard it’s best to boil them for 15 – 20 minutes until tender.
  • Baking soda: Add to the cooking water to soften the chickpeas until they’re almost mushy.
  • Aquafaba (cooking water or water in a can of chickpeas): Reserve and chillโ€”it makes the hummus light and airy.
  • Tahini: Use 100% hulled sesame seed tahiniโ€”light in color and pourable, not gritty.
  • Extra virgin olive oil: Use a little in the blend and more for drizzling on top.
  • Lemon juice or citric acid: Lemon juice is great for homemade; citric acid keeps it fresh longer.
  • Garlic (optional): Start with half a clove.
  • Italian parsley: Use flat-leaf parsley to garnish the finished hummus.
Hummus recipe.

How to Make Hummus (Food Processor Method)

  1. Set aside 2 tablespoons of chickpeas for garnish.
  2. In a food processor, combine the cold cooked or canned chickpeas, cold aquafaba (cooking liquid), lemon juice, garlic (if using), and salt.
  3. Blend for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
  4. Add the tahini, ground cumin, and half of the cold water. Blend for another 2 minutes.
  5. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and the remaining water if needed. Blend for 2 more minutes, until smooth and creamy.
  6. Taste and adjust the salt and consistency by adding a little more water if needed.

๐Ÿฅ„ To Serve

  • Spread the hummus on a plate or in a bowl.
  • Use the back of a spoon to create a well in the center.
  • Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, top with the reserved cooked chickpeas, and sprinkle with fresh flat-leaf parsley.
  • Serve with warm pita bread, falafel, or fresh vegetables.
Smooth hummus topped with chickpeas and olive oil

Pro Tips

General tips

  • Chill your ingredients the day before, if possible.
  • Add ingredients step-by-step, as shown in the recipe.
  • Use small, overcooked chickpeas for the smoothest texture.

Equipment tips

  • A food processor is bestโ€”it keeps ingredients cool.
  • If using a blender, add 5 ice cubes and blend everything together for 2โ€“3 minutes.

Chickpea tips

  • Choose the smallest dry chickpeas for best texture.
  • Boil with baking soda and overcook slightly.
  • Chill chickpeas in their cooking liquid before using.
  • If using canned, refrigerate the can in advance.
  • Consider peeling larger chickpeas for extra smoothness.

Aquafaba tips

  • Use the chickpea cooking water or liquid from the can.
  • Must be cold for a light, fluffy hummus.
  • Adds flavor and creaminessโ€”donโ€™t skip it!

Tahini tips

  • Use light, pourable tahini made from hulled sesame seeds.
  • Avoid dark or gritty types.
  • Store in the fridge and stir before use.

Extra virgin olive oil

  • Use a mild, good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
  • A little goes in the hummus, the rest on top.

Cumin & Garlic

  • Optionalโ€”start small.
  • Their flavor grows stronger as the hummus rests.
  • Hummus should taste mainly of chickpeas and tahini.

Questions

Do I need to cook chickpeas with baking soda?

Yesโ€”absolutely! Baking soda helps break down the chickpea skins, making them extra tender and creamyโ€”perfect for silky-smooth hummus.

Do I need to peel the chickpeas to make creamy hummus?

If youโ€™re using larger chickpeas with thicker skins, you may want to remove some of the skins after cooking. Hereโ€™s how:
1. Place the cooked chickpeas in a bowl of cold water.
2. Gently rub them between your hands to loosen the skins.
3. Let the skins float to the surface and skim them off with a spoon. You donโ€™t need to remove every skinโ€”just enough to get a smoother texture.

discarding the skins of chickpeas

Should I use a food processor or a blender?

We recommend using a food processor to make hummus because itโ€™s gentler on the ingredients and keeps them cool, which helps preserve the flavor. Blenders tend to heat the mixture and reduce aeration, resulting in a denser, less vibrant spread.

If you donโ€™t have a food processor, you can make hummus directly in a blender. Just add five ice cubes along with all the ingredients, and blend for one to two minutes, keeping an eye on the temperature.

Should I use canned or dry chickpeas for hummus?

If you follow our tips, you’ll be able to make delicious hummus from both canned and dry chickpeas.

However, we prefer making hummus from dry chickpeas because you can:

– Control the quality of the chickpeas.
– Pick the smallest chickpeas as recommended.
– Cook the chickpeas with baking soda, making them ultra-tender.
– Slightly overcook the chickpeas to get the creamiest hummus.

More Dips, Spreads, and Salads

If you tried this Hummus recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a ๐ŸŒŸ star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!

Hummus recipe.

Hummus

4.98 from 35 votes
If youโ€™ve ever tasted velvety, restaurant-style hummus and wondered how to recreate it at home, youโ€™re in the right place. This is our go-to recipe for the creamiest homemade hummus. Itโ€™s simple, wholesome, and made with just a handful of real ingredients
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Breakfast, Dip, Main Course, Spread
Cuisine: Middle-Eastern

Ingredients 

  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas or 3 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 cup / 200 grams dry chickpeas + 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • โ…“ cup aquafaba the liquid in a can of chickpeas or the cooking liquid of chickpeas
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ยผ cup cold water add more if necessary to reach your desired consistency
  • โ…“ cup tahini from 100% hulled sesame seeds, light in color, and of pourable consistency
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
  • ยฝ clove garlic or more to taste
  • ยพ teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground cumin optional
  • 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley chopped

Instructions 

  • Set asideย 2 tablespoons of chickpeasย for garnish.
    In a food processor, combineย 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas (drained),ย โ…“ cup aquafaba,ย 2 tablespoons lemon juice,ย ยฝ clove garlic, andย ยพ teaspoon salt. Blend forย 3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
  • Add โ…“ cup tahini,ย ยฝ teaspoon ground cumin, andย ยผ cup cold water. Blend for anotherย 2 minutes.
  • Pour in 1 tablespoon olive oilย and some more water if needed.
    Blend forย 2 more minutes, until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust theย saltย andย consistencyย by adding a little more water if needed.
  • Spread the hummus on a plate or in a bowl. Use the back of a spoon to create a well in the center. Drizzle withย olive oil, top with the reserved chickpeas, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley.

Notes

HOW TO PREP CHICKPEAS FOR THE BEST HUMMUS
Using Canned Chickpeas: If your canned chickpeas are firm, transfer 2 cans (15 oz each) with their liquid to a saucepan. Boil for 15 minutes until tender. Cool both chickpeas and liquid in the fridge before using.
Using Dry Chickpeas: Soak 1 cup (200g) of dry chickpeas in water for 24 hours. Drain, rinse, and boil them in a large pot with 2 teaspoons of baking soda and plenty of water (about 4 inches/10 cm above the chickpeas). Cook until very softโ€”almost falling apartโ€”about 2 hours. Chill the chickpeas and their cooking water (aquafaba) in the fridge.
ย 
PRO TIPS
General tips
  • Chill your ingredients the day before, if possible.
  • Add ingredients step-by-step, as shown in the recipe.
  • Use small, overcooked chickpeas for the smoothest texture.
Equipment tips
  • Aย food processorย is bestโ€”it keeps ingredients cool.
  • If using aย blender, add 5 ice cubes and blend everything together for 2โ€“3 minutes.
Chickpea tips
  • Choose theย smallest dry chickpeasย for best texture.
  • Boil withย baking sodaย andย overcook slightly.
  • Chill chickpeas in theirย cooking liquidย before using.
  • If using canned, refrigerate the can in advance.
  • Consider peeling larger chickpeas for extra smoothness.
Aquafabaย tips
  • Use theย chickpea cooking waterย or liquid from the can.
  • Must beย coldย for a light, fluffy hummus.
  • Adds flavor and creaminessโ€”donโ€™t skip it!
Tahini tips
  • Useย light, pourable tahiniย made from hulled sesame seeds.
  • Avoid dark or gritty types.
  • Store in the fridge andย stir before use.
Extra virgin olive oil
  • Use aย mild, good-qualityย extra virgin olive oil.
  • A little goes in the hummus, the rest on top.
Cumin & Garlic
  • Optionalโ€”start small.
  • Their flavor grows stronger as the hummus rests.
  • Hummus should taste mainly ofย chickpeas and tahini.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 6, Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 519mg, Potassium: 186mg, Dietary Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 23IU, Vitamin B6: 0.4mg, Vitamin C: 3mg, Vitamin E: 0.3mg, Vitamin K: 1ยตg, Calcium: 50mg, Folate: 34ยตg, Iron: 2mg, Manganese: 1mg, Magnesium: 35mg, Zinc: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or mention @theplantbasedschool on Instagram. We love hearing from you โญ๏ธ ๐Ÿ’š.

Nico and Louise in front of the Consolazione church in Todi

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Weโ€™re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) ๐ŸŒฟโœจ.

Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.

4.98 from 35 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Really Really Yum! I made my Hummus in the NutriBullet ~ So easy !
    I added 1c of Roasted Red Peppers & Ice Cubes instead of water .
    Used all high quality ingredients as I found this makes a huge difference in taste .

  2. 5 stars
    I made this recipe today to take to a pot luck celebration of life. At first, my new Cuisinart would not work. Tried everything! Had to transfer to my Larger Vitamix bowl and wasnโ€™t able to get it creamy enough. I wasnโ€™t able to get to your site so I had to watch the video. Couldnโ€™t get the sound to work. I kept adding water and was afraid it would be too much. The taste was delicious but the consistency was too thick. When I got home tonight, I was able to hear your video and get on your website. All in all, it took me almost an hour to make it! However, I will try to make it again after my machine is replaced, (perhaps cutting the recipe in half). I had way too much. There was a lot of food there. Thanks for the great information!

  3. 5 stars
    I was invited to a party tonight and I made this, it was an instant hit. So far this is my favourite hummus recipe. I’m such a big fan, keep up the good work!

    1. Hi Guy,

      That sounds great, I’m very happy you (and your friends) enjoyed the hummus. YAY!

      Thank you for taking precious time to leave a comment here โ˜€๏ธ

  4. 5 stars
    Just found you!!!
    Wonderful HUMMUS!

    These recipes look absolutely fantastic๐Ÿฅฐ(Iโ€™m Italian/Norwegian/Swiss๐Ÿ˜‹)
    Please continue to tell us also WHY we have to cook this or that wayโ€ฆโ€ฆ that helps a lot!
    Love you โค๏ธ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿฅ•๐Ÿฅ’๐Ÿ‹

    1. What a wonderful mix of nationalities, Caroline!

      Thank you for your kind words, so happy that you enjoyed this hummus. YAY ๐ŸŽ‰

      All the best, Louise