Easy Favorite Hummus

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The BEST Hummus — Don’t waste your money buying hummus when you can make it at home in minutes! Fast, easy, foolproof, and tastes way better than store-bought!!

The BEST Hummus — Don't waste your money buying hummus when you can make it at home in minutes! Fast, easy, foolproof, and tastes way better than store-bought!!

The BEST Hummus Recipe

I’m a crazy, ridiculous, can’t-live-without-it hummus addict.

With sky high prices on small containers that I can devour in a day or sometimes a sitting, I’d go broke if I had to rely on store-bought hummus. Solution? Make it myself in five minutes.

It’s mindlessly easy and homemade tastes better. Find the exact ratios of ingredients and tiny tweaks that you like best by using my recipe as a jumping off place. Blend, taste, and tweak to your liking.

The hummus is packed with flavor, perfectly seasoned, it’s filling, healthy, naturally vegan and gluten-free, and I love it. I can eat it day or night, with crackers, chips, veggies, on salads, or just pass a spoon.

The BEST Hummus — Don't waste your money buying hummus when you can make it at home in minutes! Fast, easy, foolproof, and tastes way better than store-bought!!

What’s in This Simple Hummus Recipe? 

Key hummus ingredients include garabanzo beans (chickpeas), garlic, lemon juice, salt, and tahini (sesame seed paste).

Tahini is usually sold near peanut butter, cooking oils, or in the health food aisle of most mainstream grocery stores or readily available at any natural foods grocer. 

Cumin and paprika provide depth of flavor and I use smoked paprika. I add a pinch of cayenne and don’t think it makes the hummus spicy. Rather, it makes it not taste bland, but it’s optional.

How to Make Hummus From Scratch 

This is a super simple hummus recipe. Blend the tahini and lemon juice in a good processor, then add the garlic, followed by the remaining ingredients. 

I prefer blending the hummus in my food processor rather than in my Vita-Mix. I like some texture in my hummus and the Vita-Mix makes it almost too smooth and it becomes more like fluffy whipped cream than hummus.

I don’t want to sound like an appliance snob but I am a hummus snob and will stop at nothing to get it just right.

The BEST Hummus — Don't waste your money buying hummus when you can make it at home in minutes! Fast, easy, foolproof, and tastes way better than store-bought!!

Tips for Making the Best Hummus 

I use no-salt-added canned garbanzo beans because I’m very salt-sensitive. I prefer to control the overall salt level by adding it directly rather than starting with salted beans. The amount of salt used will depend on the saltiness level of your beans and how salty you prefer your hummus.

For the entire recipe, I keep my food processor running on high power and add ingredients through the feed chute. I don’t stop to scrape down the sides of the canister, but if you feel you should stop to scrape down, do so.

Process the garbanzo beans only as long as you need to. I prefer a chunkier hummus, so I process mine for a shorter period of time. 

The BEST Hummus — Don't waste your money buying hummus when you can make it at home in minutes! Fast, easy, foolproof, and tastes way better than store-bought!!

Can You Make Hummus Without Tahini? 

No, there isn’t a substitution for it and while you could omit it, your hummus won’t taste like hummus without it.

How Long Can Hummus Sit Out? 

Once prepared, this accidentally vegan hummus can sit out at room temperature for up to four hours. After that, it needs to be returned to the fridge. 

Does Hummus Need to Be Refrigerated? 

Yes! It needs to be refrigerated and stored in an airtight container. 

How Long Does Hummus Last?

Homemade hummus will last up to four days if refrigerated and stored in an airtight container. 

Can You Freeze Hummus? 

Yes! Hummus can be frozen for up to three months. This simple hummus freezes incredibly well since it contains no raw mix-ins (like roasted red peppers or garlic). 

The BEST Hummus — Don't waste your money buying hummus when you can make it at home in minutes! Fast, easy, foolproof, and tastes way better than store-bought!!

What to Eat With Hummus

Here are some ideas for what to serve with your homemade hummus. (Although no judgement if you decide to eat it with a spoon!)

  • Tortilla chips 
  • Crackers
  • Baked pita chips or pita bread
  • Pretzel chips or regular pretzels 
  • Veggie sticks (carrots, celery, bell pepper)
  • Cucumber slices
  • Veggie straws
  • Rice cakes 

Hummus Uses

I typically eat hummus as a dip, but it can be eaten many different ways. Here are some hummus uses to try: 

  • As a spread for sandwiches or wraps 
  • In a pasta sauce
  • In a salad dressing 
  • As a base for Greek-style pizza
  • Atop Mediterranean-inspired nachos 
  • As a base for more elaborate dips 

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5 from 3 votes

Easy Favorite Hummus

By Averie Sunshine
Don't waste your money buying hummus when you can make it at home in minutes! Fast, easy, foolproof, and way better than store-bought!!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients  

  • heaping 1/4 cup tahini, sesame seed paste
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced (or 2 smaller cloves)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika, plus more for serving
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
  • one 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, i.e. chickpeas; I use no-salt-added beans, rinsed and drained over a bowl with liquid reserved
  • about 2 to 4 tablespoons reserved bean liquid, added to taste for consistency
  • serve with crackers, pita chips, pita bread, chips, bell peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, carrots, or your favorite dippers

Instructions 

  • To the canister of a food processor fitted with the S-blade or to the canister of a blender, add the tahini, lemon juice, and blend on high-power for about 90 seconds until smooth and fluffy.
  • Add the garlic and process for about 1 minute.
  • Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper to taste, and optional cayenne (doesn’t make hummus spicy, makes it not taste bland).
  • Add the garbanzo beans and process only as long as necessary until desired texture is achieved. I prefer a small amount of texture retained so I process for less than 1 minute.
  • As necessary for desired consistency, drizzle in the reserved bean liquid.
  • Stop to taste hummus and make any tweaks necessary, to taste.
  • Place hummus in a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika, to taste.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite dippers or chill covered for about an hour before serving.

Notes

Note: For the entire recipe, I keep my food processor running on high power and add ingredients through the feed chute. I don’t stop to scrape down the sides of the canister but if you feel you should stop to scrape down, do so.
Storage: Hummus will keep airtight for up to 4 days in the fridge. Recipe doubles and triples easily.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 324kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Sodium: 407mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made it! Very easy and delicious. I added most of the can liquid back into the food processor to get a smooth consistency.

  2. 5 stars
    I made it! Very easy and delicious. I added most of the can liquid back into the food processor to get a smooth consistency.

  3. I also love homemade hummus!  I need to make it every week.  Yours looks fantastic!  Will definitely try adding some smoked paprika to mine..

  4. Averie I agree with you that making hummus is so simple yet still we pay a hefty price for a small container!! Making hummus at home wins!! Love your pics!

  5. We’re the BIGGEST fans of hummus in our home, and I totally feel you on the whole storebought vs. homemade thing… especially since the storebought portion can totally be taken down in one sitting and isn’t the cheapest. Definitely gonna have to try your rendition soon because we love all these ingredients! (And tahini! Such a lovely addition!)

  6. We go through quite a few containers of hummus too!  It is so easy to just grab a container at the store, but I agree the homemade tastes so much better!!!!  I am loving all your pictures of this hummus!  It makes me want to dive right in!

  7. i eat hummus every night while i am making dinner. I love the simplicity of this recipe and it looks delicious

  8. I love hummus also! I’ve tried to make it before but I couldn’t get it right. I will have to give this recipe a go. It sounds too easy to mess up!

  9. I usually prefer smooth hummus (although chunky hummus is way better than no hummus)  – so I take the time to peel the chickpeas.  All you have to do is pinch the chickpea between your fingers, and the outer casing slips off.

  10. I have such a hard time saving chickpeas for hummus and not snacking on them all! I’ll definitely have to fight my snacking urge so I can make this recipe :)