This homemade Hummus recipe is packed with so much flavor and takes just 5 minutes to make! Use it any way you want: as a snack, a dip or sandwich spread! If you love hummus, you won’t want to miss this Beet Hummus or Hummus Stuffed Veggie Tray!
Hummus is one of those classic dishes that sounds plain and boring, but trust me. It’s incredible. Classic homemade hummus may be a lot of things (like a delicious dip, grab-and-go snack, or spread!), but it’s definitely not boring!
A good hummus needs to be a couple of things: creamy and flavorful. This hummus recipe has both qualities in spades. Plus, it’s got a bonus quality that’s worth major brownie points: it’s super quick and easy to make!
Make sure to try it with my Veggie Crescent Bites and Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels.
What Is Hummus?
Hummus is a Middle Eastern sauce (or is a dip? Or both? 😉) made from chickpeas, lemon, tahini, and seasonings. It’s commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. But it can also be used as a dip for your favorite veggies, chips, or crackers!
Homemade Hummus
Maybe you’ve seen the shelves full of different flavors of hummus in the grocery store. It’s such a popular item these days that you can find flavors ranging from classic to roasted red pepper to dessert hummus and just about everything in between.
I’ve even tried Kale Pesto hummus (which was scrumptious!).
But classic hummus is SO easy to make, that I highly recommend making your own rather than buying it. Trust me, it takes about the same amount of time – it’s THAT fast to make yourself!
If you’ve never tried hummus yourself, start with this recipe. It’ll taste better than anything you can buy, and is so worth it!
Try using this hummus in a Hummus Veggie Tray or adding it to a BLT Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap.
Is Hummus Healthy?
Absolutely! It’s plant-based and filled with healthy vitamins and nutrients including iron, B vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. It’s a filling, low-calorie food!
Hummus Ingredients Needed
You’ll only need a handful of ingredients to make this homemade hummus recipe. You can find the printable recipe card at the end of this post but let’s take a quick look at what hummus is made of:
- Tahini – this paste is made from ground sesame seeds and is the ingredient that really gives hummus it’s well-known flavor.
- Water – the key to a really good hummus is achieving that perfect creamy texture. A little bit of water will go a long way toward helping you do that.
- Lemon juice – I’m a huge fan of the taste that fresh-squeezed lemon juice lends to this recipe. However, if you’re in a pinch, bottled lemon juice will work well!
- Garlic – just like with the lemon juice, fresh garlic cloves taste best in this recipe. Don’t have fresh garlic? Use garlic powder.
- Chickpeas – The base of this recipe. Use canned chickpeas to make this recipe super time-friendly as the softened beans blend into a smooth paste. If you prefer to use dried beans, you’ll want to soak and cook them first.
- Olive oil – Adds that perfect silky smooth texture you crave. Use it to thin out this hummus until it’s not too thick or too thin, but just right. The consistency is completely a matter of personal preference.
- Salt and pepper – simple flavor enhancers that make all the difference.
How To Make Hummus
If you have a food processor, you’ll want to pull it out for this recipe. A blender will work too, but not quite as well since hummus has a thick texture. Once you have your food processor ready to go, this recipe is super simple to make.
- Blend – Combine the tahini, water, and lemon juice in your food processor and pulse until smooth. Add chickpeas and garlic and pulse until the chickpeas are broken down into tiny pieces.
- Add Oil – While the food processor is running, drizzle the olive oil into the hummus and keep running the food processor until it achieves a smooth and creamy texture.
- Season – Add salt and pepper and blend everything one last time.
I like to have a little bit of texture to my hummus but if you want super smooth hummus, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time while continuously blending until your desired consistency is achieved.
Trish’s Tips
- This dish tastes amazing as soon as it’s ready. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- If you don’t have tahini on hand, skip step one and add the water, lemon juice, garlic, and chickpeas at the same time.
Use the food processor longer for a smoother consistency.
Variation Ideas
Hummus is super easy to change up when you want to add a little variety. All you need to do is keep the rest of the recipe the same and add whatever flavor you’re craving. Try these ideas:
- Chocolate – omit garlic and lemon juice. Then add cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Roasted Red Pepper – simply add ½ cup of roasted red pepper in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Avocado – add one medium avocado.
- Sweet Potato – add a small roasted sweet potato to the other ingredients.
- Black Bean – replace the garbanzo beans with black beans.
Hummus FAQs
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Absolutely! You can freeze it right away, and it will be good for up to 3 months. Just remember that it will expand as it freezes, so make sure to leave a little room in your freezer-safe container for expansion.
When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply move it to the fridge to thaw.
The options are truly endless (see variations to try above) but we especially love this beet hummus.
More Favorite Bean Recipes
- Baked Beans
- Nana’s Famous Green Bean Recipe
- Crockpot Refried Beans
- Crock Pot Pinto Beans
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans
- Slow Cooker Green Beans with Bacon
How To Make Hummus
Classic Hummus
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 15 ounces chickpeas 1 can
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the tahini, water, and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until light and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the garlic and chickpeas. Pulse until the chickpeas are broken into small pieces, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue processing for another minute or so.
- With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the hummus is smooth and creamy. If the hummus is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Enjoy the hummus right away or transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To serve: drizzle the hummus with olive oil and sprinkle some paprika over the top.
Lyndsey Witt says
Absolutely LOVED this! Thank you so much! I like a little kick, so I added cilantro and diced jalapeno, and it was a big hit!