This authentic homemade hummus recipe is truly the only one you need. It's so easy to make and results in extra creamy and flavorful hummus that beats any store-bought hummus. It makes for the perfect high protein and vegan dip, snack, and spread. All you need is a handful of pantry ingredients and a blender or food processor!
If you ask anyone to name a Middle Eastern food, they will most likely say "hummus". Not surprisingly, hummus has gained popularity all over the world and for very good reasons. It's healthy, creamy, and delicious, plus it's protein packed and plant-based.
This authentic homemade hummus recipe is part two of my "Chickpeas Recipe Series" that I kicked off last week with my ultimate guide on how to cook chickpeas. If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to do so! I will be posting several more chickpea-based recipes so you'll want to have a batch of creamy, tender chickpeas ready.
If you already have some cooked chickpeas on hand, then you'll definitely want to make my Lebanese eggplant moussaka recipe!
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Ingredients
- Cooked chickpeas: For the best consistency and flavor, use dried chickpeas and cook them yourself. Check out my guide on how to cook chickpeas. If you want to use canned chickpeas, you'll have to boil them longer to make them softer.
- Aquafaba: Also known as chickpea broth, this is the liquid that the chickpeas cooked in. It is used to thin out the hummus. Although not as flavorful, you can use water if you forgot to save the aquafaba.
- Fresh garlic: A little goes a long way, but make sure to use fresh garlic and not the pre-minced kind.
- Ice cubes: This helps to make a creamy and fluffy consistency.
- Tahini: This sesame paste adds a delicious nutty flavor and creaminess to hummus.
- Fresh lemon juice: Use fresh lemons if possible instead of bottled lemon juice.
- Seasoning: Ground cumin and salt are used to enhance the flavor of this authentic hummus.
- Olive oil: This is only used to drizzle on top of the hummus, not blended in it. Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
Kitchen Equipment
- Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
- Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender
- Cuisinart Food Processor
- Ninja Compact Personal Blender
- GIR Silicone Spatula
Step by Step Instructions
Authentic homemade hummus is incredibly easy to make once you have all your ingredients ready. If you want to use canned chickpeas, for best results, place the canned chickpeas with their liquid in a small pot and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chickpeas are very soft and easy to mash between your fingers into a creamy consistency.
For extra creamy hummus, there is one additional step you could take before blending everything together. It may seem tedious but trust me, it is not!
Drain the chickpeas (but save the aquafaba!) and place them in a large bowl. Fill the bowl about two thirds of the way up with water. Submerge your hands and agitate the chickpeas under the water - this loosens the skins and they will literally shed off the chickpeas.
The skins will float to the top and you can easily skim them off and discard them. Don't obsess over removing the skins of every single chickpea. Even if you got a quarter of them off, it makes a huge difference in the creaminess of the hummus.
If you want to peel the skins of every single chickpea, I'm not stopping you. But I've never done it because ain't nobody got time for that. And trust me, my hummus is deliciously creamy without all that work.
If you don't want to go through this extra step, I don't blame you! Another great way to achieve a very creamy hummus without skinning any of the chickpeas is to blend the chickpeas while they are still hot. I've done this many times before with excellent results as well. So you choose what you want to do!
Place the drained chickpeas, aquafaba, garlic, and ice cubes in a high speed blender and blend until everything is creamy and combined.
If you don't have a high speed blender, you could use a food processor, though it will result in a less creamy hummus. If you have a high powered compact blender such as the Nutribullet, Ninja, or something similar, you will most likely have better results with that instead of a food processor.
You may need to stop blending and scrape the sides of the blender to make sure everything is incorporated. The mixture will look yellowish once blended.
Next, add in the fresh lemon juice, ground cumin, and salt. Blend it on high power until the hummus becomes a pale ivory color with a very creamy consistency.
The consistency of freshly blended hummus will be runnier than you expect, especially if you blended hot chickpeas. But don't panic! Hummus firms up quite a bit after it is chilled. So transfer it to an airtight container and into the fridge for a couple hours to allow it to firm up. But if you don't mind a thinner consistency, enjoy it right away!
To serve this authentic homemade hummus, spread it in a shallow bowl and create some swirls with the back of a spoon, and drizzle lots of good extra virgin olive oil on top. If you have extra chickpeas, you can place some on top and garnish with fresh chopped parsley for a pop of color.
Sahtein 🙂
Substitutions and Variations
This authentic homemade hummus recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Nowadays there are a million and one variations on hummus. I mean, just one look at this post from Bon Appetit and you'll see what I mean.
With all due respect, those variations are actually not even hummus at this point. Remember when I mentioned that the word "hummus" in arabic literally translates to "chickpeas"? So when people make "hummus" without even using chickpeas, it's like making guacamole without avocados.
However, if you have dietary restrictions, here are some options:
- Beans: If you are unable to consume chickpeas, you can experiment with any type of white bean that cooks into a creamy consistency, such as cannellini beans.
- Tahini: In a pinch, try using a smaller amount of a nut or seed butter such as cashew butter or sunflower seed butter, and a little bit of sesame oil.
- Garlic: Traditionally, we don't like our hummus to be overwhelmingly garlicky or sharp. However, if that's how you like it, feel free to add more to taste.
- Cumin: If you don't like the flavor of cumin, simply omit it. This will not impact the authenticity of the hummus, as some people in Lebanon don't make it with cumin.
Tips to make the best authentic homemade hummus
- The key to making a creamy hummus is to overcook your chickpeas. The softer the chickpeas, the more easily they will blend into a silky, creamy hummus.
- Cook your own chickpeas from scratch. Dried chickpeas will make a more flavorful hummus than canned. Check out this guide for full details.
- If using canned chickpeas, simmer them for 20 minutes before blending. This will help soften them more to achieve a creamier hummus.
- Blend the chickpeas while hot OR skim off chickpea skins using the bowl method in the instructions above. This will yield a very creamy hummus.
- Make it to your taste. Like most foods, hummus can be very subjective. If you like it more lemony, more garlicky, or if you don't like cumin, adjust the recipe to your preferences. Use my recipe as a guide to make a traditional and authentic hummus, but don't be afraid to adjust the ratios.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Since chickpeas are naturally high in plant-based protein and dietary fiber among other things, hummus makes for a nutrient dense food that can be enjoyed as a healthy snack or vegan meal.
Yes, you can. (Get it?) But for much better results, simmer the chickpeas in their liquid for 20 minutes before blending in order to achieve a creamy hummus.
Dried, all the way. When you cook dried chickpeas, it results in a much more flavorful and creamy hummus, all while controlling the amount of sodium and eliminating any weird additives or preservatives.
Tahini, which is sesame paste, can be bitter depending on the brand you buy. It should NOT be bitter, but some brands roast their sesame seeds too much which results in a nearly burnt and bitter flavor. Make sure to taste your tahini before using it. It should be smooth, creamy, and pleasantly nutty. A tiny bit of bitterness is okay and would not be detected in hummus.
My favorite brands of tahini are Al Kanater as well as Mid East. Both are made with 100% sesame seeds and do not contain any preservatives or additives. They are deliciously creamy, nutty, and not bitter.
A high speed blender is the best option as it results in a much creamier consistency. If you don't have one, a food processor will work just fine, but it will be a little more gritty in comparison.
Store the hummus in an airtight container in the fridge up to one week. If you make a big batch, you can actually store the hummus in the freezer for up to 4 months. Simply transfer it to the fridge to thaw the day before you plan on using it.
My favorite recipes to pair with this authentic homemade hummus
Recipe
Hummus with Spiced Meat and Pine Nuts
INGREDIENTS
Hummus:
- 1 ½ cups cooked and drained chickpeas, or one 15 oz can *see note*
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons aquafaba (chickpea broth), or water
- 2 ice cubes
- 6 tablespoons tahini
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Meat Topping:
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 8 ounces leg of lamb, cut into half inch cubes or strips (may sub with sirloin or ribeye)
- ½ teaspoon Lebanese seven spice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
- Ground cumin
- Aleppo pepper
- Cooked chickpeas
- Fresh chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the hot chickpeas, aquafaba, garlic, and ice cubes in a high speed blender or food processor, and blend on high power until everything is combined and creamy.
- Scrape the sides and add the tahini, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, and ground cumin. Blend again on high power until the mixture becomes a pale ivory color and very creamy.
- Spoon the hummus into a shallow bowl, spread it out with the back of a spoon, and place in the fridge while you make the meat topping.
- Place a fry pan or skillet over medium heat and add the ghee and pine nuts. Stir continuously until the pine nuts turn golden brown. Remove the pine nuts and set aside.
- Turn the heat to medium high then add the cubed meat, Lebanese seven spice, salt, and black pepper to the same fry pan with the remaining ghee. Toss together and let it cook, undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until it browns on one side.
- Stir the meat and continue cooking until the juices evaporate and the lamb is browned on all sides. Reduce the heat to low and add the toasted pine nuts back in and toss together for a minute.
- Transfer the sizzling hot lamb and pine nuts on top of the hummus. Garnish with cumin, aleppo pepper, cooked chickpeas, and fresh parsley if desired. You may also add extra virgin olive oil on top. Serve immediately with warm pita bread.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and may vary.
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