This is the best homemade hummus recipe EVER! It’s smooth, creamy, and better than any store-bought hummus on the shelf. You only need 3 simple ingredients and less than 10 minutes to make this delicious treat.
A couple of years ago I put out a recipe for Creamy Oil-Free Hummus and at the time I thought I’d hit on something incredible. And, it’s been one of the more popular recipes on my blog. But, I still felt as though something wasn’t quite right. So, back to the drawing board.
I wanted to make hummus as good as the one from my favorite middle-eastern restaurant. Smooth, creamy, and decadent. But, was that possible? So, I did a ton of research and what I found out blew my mind. When it comes to making authentic hummus, less is more. I can’t wait for you to try this recipe!
Once you make this hummus I feel pretty confident in saying you’ll never again want to buy it. Are you ready? Let’s do it!
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Authentic Hummus
The first thing you’re going to notice the list of ingredients is very short. Most hummus recipes use olive oil, cumin, garlic, and a few other things. But, not this one. And, I promise this hummus recipe will blow your mind!
All you need are a few pantry staples to make this incredible creamy dip and spread. And, because it’s so easy and fast it’s the perfect “throw together” food for any gathering, last-minute idea for a snack, or appetizer before dinner.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chickpeas: Use low-sodium or no salt added if they’re available. If not, just be sure to rinse whatever you have really well.
- Tahini: SoCo Tahini is my personal favorite.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is always best. But, if you use bottled, just make the only ingredients are “LEMON JUICE.” Yes, it makes a difference.
NOTE: Water and salt are listed in the instructions, but they are used “as needed” so I didn’t include them as ingredients. Because everyone usually has these on hand.
How Do You Make Authentic Hummus
To make the best hummus ever, all you have to do is:
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas then add them to your food processor. Start the food processor and add a little cold water to get everything moving. You might have to stop in order to scrape down the sides but that’s normal.
- With the food processor running pour in the tahini and blend for about 30 seconds. Now, pour in the lemon juice, with the food processor still running, and blend for another 30 seconds.
- Begin adding a little water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
- Stop, taste, and season with salt as needed. Then, start it back up and let the food processor run for about 2 minutes. This is just to make sure everything is well combined and it’s extra smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to a bowl and enjoy.
This hummus recipe is perfect as is, but feel free to get creative and garnish or top as you desire. I love sprinkling a little smoked paprika and thyme on top. And, then dipping veggies or these Wasa Crisp Breads into it.
How To Serve Hummus
Yes, we all know hummus is an amazing dip. But, in reality, it’s way more versatile. Let me show you!
- Use it as a condiment on a sandwich, veggie burger, or your favorite veggie wrap
- It’s delicious on toast
- Add it to a bowl with rice, spinach, and fresh veggies to make a delicious and healthy Mediterranean bowl
- Stuff it in a pita with these amazing Easy Vegan Baked Falafels
Top Tip
If you’re going to make this recipe, make sure to follow this top tip!
- Tahini, tahini, tahini! I can’t stress this enough. Good tahini is a must for good hummus. It’s that simple. I’ve recently started using Soco and absolutely LOVE them. Yes, good tahini can be one of the more expensive items in the pantry, but it’s not something that’s often used that frequently. So, we consider it our “splurge” item.
- Be sure and use cold water when thinning out your hummus
- Use real lemon juice! You can use bottled lemon juice but make sure the only ingredients are lemons. Don’t use that crap in the green plastic jug.
- Want it a little tangier, add a little more lemon juice.
- Wait until the hummus has been made before you add any salt. You can always add, but you can never subtract.
You are going to love this classic hummus recipe. It’s…
- Quick & Easy
- Oil Free
- Smooth & Creamy
- Rich
- Healthy
- Loaded with protein and fiber
- The perfect party food
- Absolutely delicious
More vegan dip recipes…
Try one of these amazing dips for your next gathering or get together.
- Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Best Vegan Queso
- Smoky Vegan Bacon Flavored Hummus
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert Hummus
Be sure and let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and rate it below. I want to know what you think. Peace and feast!
Authentic Hummus Recipe (3 Ingredients)
- Total Time10 minutes
- Yield1 bowl 1x
- DietVegan
This is the best homemade hummus recipe…EVER! It’s smooth, creamy, and better than any store-bought hummus on the shelf. You only need 3 simple ingredients and less than 10 minutes to make this delicious treat.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas and add to a food processor. Pulse the chickpeas a few times to get them started. Then, turn the food processor on and add a little water, if needed, to loosen the chickpeas up as they blend. But, not too much. Just enough to get things moving. You might have to stop and scrape down the sides, but that’s normal.
- While the food processor is running add the tahini and blend for 30 seconds. Then, add the lemon juice and blend for another 30 seconds. Begin adding a little water at a time until you get the consistency you want. I like mine not quite so thick so I can spread it easily. Make sure the water is cold.
- Once you have the texture, stop to taste, and then add salt to taste. Blend for a couple more minutes until everything is well combined and silky smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and enjoy. This hummus is perfect as is, but feel free to garnish as you desire.
Suggested Toppings
- Smoked Paprika
- Pine Nuts
- Roasted Garlic
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Red Pepper
- Thyme
- Pickled Jalapenos
Notes
Keep in mind that while this hummus is a whole food, plant-based snack it is higher in fat because of the tahini content. We usually make this for special occasions, gatherings, parties, and other social events. And, to be enjoyed as a snack OCCASIONALLY.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 1.4 g
- Sodium: 135.8 mg
- Fat: 7.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.7 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 4.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Prep Time: 5 mins.
- Cook Time: 5 mins.
- Category: Dips & Spread
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Vegan
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For such a simple recipe, this is a big hit. I’ve brought it to several potlucks with an assortment of veggies and people always ask for the recipe. If you want this to be super creamy, remove the garbanzo skins before blending. It seems like a daunting task, but I do it while I’m watching TV with a couple of bowls on my lap. If you drain and rinse the beans, them put the on a clean kitchen towel and gently rub and roll them with another towel on top, the skins loosen and it’s a simple task to pop them off.
This is so good and it’s fast to make. I always have the ingredients on hand so I can make it anytime I want (which is going to be frequently).
Less is more – I agree!
Best hummus.
Best homemade hummus yet! I added smoked paprika & garlic powder.
Hubby was impressed! He liked that it’s was not bitter like others I have made. I think it was the lack of cumin .
Sooooooo Good.
We have a sesame allergy and a nut allergy. What would you suggest we use instead of tahini? Thanks.
Hi, Shirley! I would suggest leaving it out and making the tahini without it. Check out this recipe by the Engine 2 diet. Here’s the link: https://community.plantstrong.com/posts/engine-2-hummus
I hope this helps!
shane
I’m dying to try this because I LOVE hummus., and would love to be able to whip it up myself. But, what if… I dont have a food processor? Would this work with some muscled mixing/mashing??
Hi, Barbara! Unfortunately, you do need a food processor to actually make hummus so the tahini will create a “cream” so to speak. You could mash the chickpeas then stir in the tahini and lemon juice and get a really nice and chunky spread for your toast:)
I’ve been looking for a good oil-free hummus recipe and have tried many. This one is not only the best, it is the easiest as well.
Thanks for another great recipe! I’ve made several of your recipes and they’ve all been fantastic. You’ve helped my recent transition to WFPB be so easy. Thanks again!
Thank you so much!
This IS the best hummus ever! I’ve made many hummus recipes but don’t think I’ve ever made any that was as fluffy as this one. Loved it but almost ate the entire recipe – not good when you’re trying to lose a few lbs.! I may join you in the “tired of cumin in hummus” camp, Shane. Although I could eat this several days per week, I’ll save it for special treats or parties. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Melanie! Yeah, we call it our “special times” hummus:)
How do I use pine nuts for a topping? Whole or chopped? Thx, love your recipes!
Mainly as a garnish. Just sprinkle them on top before serving. DEELISH!
Do you ever make hummus in your Vitamix instead of a food processor?
Thanks.
Karen
Always my food processor. It’s so much easier and a lot less scraping:)
Hi would like to clarify if 2 ounces can of checkpeas refer to the net weight with the liquid the chickpeas are in the ca.n? A bit confusing as the can stated net weight as 425gram and drained weight 226gram. Thank you.
Hi Shane
I made the hummus with this recipe (halve the quantity) this morning. Added about 1 tsp cumin and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. The hummus tasted a little bitter. Am trying to figure out what ingredient gives the bitter taste. Can it be the tahini or cumin? Also how long can they be kept for in the fridge? Thank you
It will keep up to 7 days in the fridge. My guess would be cumin. Just not a fan of it in hummus any more:)
Thanks, it’s updated. 2 15 ounce cans or 3 cups of cooked.
I made it with half the tahini as I’m trying to control my weight. We missed the garlic so we added a few cloves. My partner doesn’t like raw garlic, so he cooked it a little to mellow it. Great! No more expensive store-bought hummus!
Creamy, silky smooth, and delicious!
I don’t have a food processor. Can I use my Vitamix or would it be too powerful?
It should be fine. You may have to stop and scrap the sides but no biggie.
I just finished a batch of your creamy, fluffy hummus and loved it, with the added cumin, garlic and aquafaba, best I’ve made, even my old olive oil version! I’ll try this one if I’m in a hurry😊
This one is my favorite!