Our homemade hummus recipe is simple, classic, super smooth, and creamy. The secret to a great and easy hummus is simply great quality tahini and chickpeas and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It only takes 5 minutes to make, once you've tried our homemade hummus you won't go back to store-bought.

If you’ve ever shopped for hummus at the grocery store you know how many different brands and varieties there are. There are so many flavor combinations and options it’s a little overwhelming! Wanna know a secret, though? Hummus is actually really simple to make at home. We’re talking 5 minutes, a couple of ingredients, and just like that, you have the creamiest, dreamiest hummus ready for serving with your favorite pita, tacos, veggies, or crackers!
Watch Our Homemade Hummus Recipe Video
What is Hummus?
Hummus is a creamy Mediterranean dip made from chickpeas (garbanzo beans) pureed with tahini (sesame paste), lemon ( Freshly squeezed), salt, garlic (optional). That's it! The word Hummus also means chickpeas in Hebrew as well as Arabic. Eat hummus as a delicious dip with pita bread, crackers, or raw veggies such as carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, etc. Add it to wraps, tacos, sandwiches, flatbread and even pizza.
Secrets the Best Homemade Hummus
Once you have a homemade hummus process down, it’s super simple! There are a few tips to keep in mind for the best-tasting version. Here’s what we’ve learned after years of making our own hummus!
- Use good quality chickpeas. The best hummus recipe is made from dry chickpeas that have been soaked overnight and cooked on the stop or Instant Pot. You can make an excellent hummus with canned chickpeas. Our favorite canned chickpea brand for hummus is GOYA. After trying other brands GOYA chickpeas always yield the best results. We are not getting paid to say that ( in case you were wondeding) 😉
- Use great quality Tahini. Our favorite brands are Soom, Al Arzi, Mighty Sesame and 365 Brand. Some people complain that their homemade hummus tastes bitter, that's probably because they are using a poor-quality tahini.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice: we can enphasize enjough how important it is to use freshly squeezed lemon juice when making hummus at home. Please, please forget about the bottled stuff!
- Aquafaba. Aquafaba is the water found in a can of chickpeas or the water remaining after cooking dried and soaked chickpeas. Add aquafaba or water to acheive the desired hummus consistency.
- Food Processor. If you are after a really smooth and creamy hummus then you must process all the hummus ingredients in the food processor for a few minutes until silky. Altenatively, you may use a mortar and pestle for a more rustic and chunkier hummus.
How to Plate Hummus
Place hummus on a plate Smooth hummus in a circular motion Spread hummus all over the plate Add olive oil and paprika Add fresh chopped parsley Garnish with chickpeas
Do You Need to Peel Chickpeas Before Making Hummus?
You may have noticed that some chefs and bloggers suggest peeling chickpeas before making hummus. We don't think it is necessary at all, plus who has time for that? I don't have a sous chef helping me in the kitchen, do you? You can make a really creamy and smooth hummus without having to remove the skins of the chickpeas. The secret to the creamiest hummus is simple, just process the chickpeas, tahini, and lemon for a few minutes in the food processor with a little aquafaba (water from the can of chickpeas) or water.
However, if you are inclined to peel or remove the skins of canned chickpeas, this is how to peel chickpeas:
- Rinse chickpeas
- Pat them dry
- Place chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and gently rub them
- Most of the skins should come off, but few may remain and you will need to remove them manually one by one. Chickpeas have thin skin that can be easily peeled off.
Other Middle Eastern Food Recipes
- Fattoush Salad
- Watermelon Feta salad
- Tabbouleh (Tabouli) Salad
- Deconstructed Hummus
- Cheese Sambusek
- Maamoul
- Semolina borekas
- Knafeh
Other Hummus Recipes
- 5-Minute Hummus
- Roasted Beet Hummus
- Chocolate Hummus
- Hummus and Grilled Vegetable Pizza
- Red Pepper and Harissa Hummus
- Chipotle Hummus and Roasted VegetableTacos
- Cauliflower Hummus
- Warm Deconstructed Hummus
- Shawarma Mushroom Hummus Recipe
The Story Behind this Hummus Recipe
A few year back our parents came to visit us and we went food shopping. Our dad was, as he usually likes to do, browsing the aisles, looking at every shelf and every product. As we get to the refrigerated section, he stops and stares at an entire wall of humus containers. He picks up a roasted red pepper one, looks at it, makes a face, puts it down. Picks up a black bean one, does the same. A couple of minutes later, he looks at me and says: “Why do they call this hummus? This isn’t hummus”. Shakes his head, turns around and walks away.
Most of you probably think he was overreacting, right? Well, not really.
See, when it comes to food (especially food he grew up eating), my dad is a purist. He’s been making humus himself, by hand, since he was a kid. No fancy ingredients. Just chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt and a mortar and pestle. That’s it. Anything other than that, as far as he’s concerned, is not called humus.
So to stay true to our roots, we are sharing the traditional hummus recipe we grew up with. Unadulterated... minus the mortar and pestle!
- Shawarma Spiced Chickpeas
- Cauliflower Bowl with Harissa Roasted Chickpeas
- Homemade Falafel with Lemony Tahini Sauce
- 20-Minute Shakshuka
- Creamiest Homemade Hummus
- Mashed Butternut Squash with Spiced Chickpeas
- Easy Hummus Recipe with Shawarma Mushrooms
- Shawarma Chickpea Rice Bowl
- Braised Curried Kale with Spiced Chickpeas
- Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Tempeh Bacon Bits
- Easy Pasta Salad with Chickpeas
- Fennel and Chickpea Stew
- Moroccan Harira Soup
- The Ultimate Grillable Veggie Burger
- Easy Tomato and Chickpea Salad
- Roasted Beet Hummus
- Chana Masala Over Celeriac Puree
- Cauliflower Chickpea Sheet Pan Dinner
- Wheat Berry and Chickpeas Soup
- Eggplant and Chickpea Curry
- Buddah Bowl
- Watermelon Steak Salad
- Cashew Ricotta Pizza
- Cauliflower Salad with Spiced Chickpeas
- Smashed Chickpea Salad
- Quinoa, Chickpea and Beet Burger
- Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas with Cheese Croutons
- Food Memories Salad
- Sweet and Savory Moroccan Couscous
Home Made Hummus
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 2 ¼ cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Our homemade hummus recipe is simple, classic, super smooth, and creamy. The secret to great and easy hummus is simply great quality tahini and chickpeas and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It only takes 5 minutes to make, once you've tried our homemade hummus you won't go back to store-bought.
Ingredients
- 1 - 15oz can of chickpeas, drained ( save the can water), and rinsed- Save the liquid of the can of chickpeas and set aside. You can save a few chickpeas to garnish the hummus.
- ½ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup of water or the water you saved from the can of chickpeas (also called Aquafaba)
- One small clove of garlic (optional) See Note 5.
- Optional garnishes: chopped parsley, good quality extra virgin olive oil, parpika, chickpeas, or shawarma mushrooms.
Instructions
- Combine the chickpeas, tahini, salt, lemon, and water or aquafaba in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy, at least 2 minutes. Add more water or aquafaba, one tablespoon at a time, for a thinner hummus.
- To serve the hummus spread in on a plate ( see images on the post) and garnish with olive oil. You may also add paprika, chickpeas, and chopped parsley.
Notes
- Make sure you process the hummus in the food processor for at least 2 minutes to get a really creamy hummus
- Taste the hummus and adjust salt and lemon to your taste
- Hummus without garlic will last in the fridge in a container with a tight lid for up to a week. Hummus made with garlic will last 3-4 days.
- Always use good quality tahini and chickpea and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- We choose not to use any garlic when we make hummus. If you don't like raw garlic you may use roasted garlic instead.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dip
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: .7
- Sodium: 64.6
- Fat: 3.9
- Saturated Fat: .5
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 5.1
- Fiber: 1.2
- Protein: 2.2
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: hummus, how to make hummus, homemade hummus, what is tahini, vegan, gluten-free
Did you like our hummus recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about this recipe or do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
This post was originally published on April 17, 2012. We have updated the post with new images and more useful information.
frugalfeeding says
Yummy! I don't think I've ever called hummus beautiful before, but that really is.
mayihavethatrecipe says
Hahaha!! Well, there is a first time for everything!! Thanks so much 🙂
Dina says
This is AMAZING!!! I made this for Friday night dinner and i was expecting to have leftovers for saturday lunch but it was such a sucess there was no more left! Thanks soo much for this recipe....i will NOT be buying store bought hummus anymore 🙂
anon says
I would really recommend adding a healthy dash of cumin as well.
mayihavethatrecipe says
We LOVE cumin!! We actually use it in a lot of our lebanese dishes, but I don't think we've ever add it to hummus. I bet it really enhances the flavor. Great suggestion... Thanks!!!
Kathy says
Cayenne pepper is also very delicious in hummus. Start out with a 1/4 tsp. or less depending on the heat rating of the cayenne.
Vicky and Ruth says
Yes! Thank you for the suggestion!
FCFO says
Thank you so much for this. I've been looking for a hummus recipe exactly like this. It's simple and perfect and I wish more people made their own hummus! I'm using your hummus recipe for an omelet I'm making -- will link back. Check back later today for the post. 😉 Thanks again!
mayihavethatrecipe says
Hummus in an omelet!! Now that sounds really cool! Can't wait to check it out!! Glad you liked our recipe 🙂
Cynthia says
I would like to make this by hand. What size mortar and pestle do you recommend i buy. I have tinnitus..... can''t stand the noise of kitchen machinery.
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Cynthia, since the recipe makes 2 cups of hummus, we would recommend at least a 4 cup mortar and pestle so you have enough room to mash all the ingredients together. We would recommend to start my mashing the chickpeas and then slowly adding the rest of the ingredients while continuing to work the hummus. We hope that helps. Please let us know if you have any more questions.
Elaine says
Greetings! Been looking for a good homemade hummus recipe, thank you! If I use fresh soaked chickpeas instead of canned, use the soaking water for aquafaba? Thank you!
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Elaine, thank you! We hope you enjoy it. As aquabafa, you should use the water leftover from cooking the chickpeas not the soaking water. Enjoy!
cindy says
I made this for a picnic today.... my secret is to use canned chick peas but cook them for five minutes, then drain. Somehow the hummus tastes like you used fresh chickpeas and the warm hummus is so outrageously delish!!
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Warm hummus is amazing! Thank you for the tip!
Lee says
Love your hummus, it is smooth, creamy, and very tasty. I like mine spicy so I add chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, or just hot sauce. Great on bread, crackers or in a wrap for an easy lunch on the go.
★★★★★
Vicky and Ruth says
Thank you! So glad you enjoy our hummus!
Vicky and Ruth says
Thank you! We are so happy your are enjoying our hummus!
Sol says
I love hummus!!!!! I have tried this recipe and it is excellent. Thank you.
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
We love hummus too and this hummus recipe is our favorite!
Rose Presley says
I’m going to make this, I love hummus. I’m going to use cooked dry beans first. Since your recipe states one can of beans, is that equal to two cups of drained cook beans or more?
Vicky and Ruth says
1-15 ounce can of chickpeas is approximately 1 1/2 -1 3/4 cups.
Alan Herman says
Hello, I use 1 cup dry beans soaked overnight, drained and then add more water and then cook until tender and then proceed with the food processor. Thanks Alan
Vicky and Ruth says
Yes! I love hummus with dried chickpeas and we have a recipe for it in our cookbook Tahini and Turmeric.