Ditch the pre-packaged options and make this easy, crowd-pleasing, homemade hummus recipe. Creating hummus from scratch is a breeze and I promise the flavor is far superior to the store-bought deli selections. Pair it with your preferred crackers or assemble it as part of a fresh vegetable platter.
Homemade Hummus
Homemade hummus is all the things! It’s the real MVP of snack time, it’s absolutely the glue that holds my snack game together, it’s a creamy canvas for creativity and proof that good things come in small bowls.
Hummus also comes in countless variations, ranging from the classic, unadorned versions to the wildly inventive. However, this specific hummus recipe has been my go-to for quite some time. It has an irresistibly smooth and creamy texture, surpassing the quality of store-bought hummus by an enormous margin, and it features the precise blend of seasonings that perfectly suits my hummus cravings. I’m pretty sure you’ll love it too.
Related: Make this Deviled Egg-Hummus Spread with this homemade hummus recipe
My Three Secrets for Extra Smooth Hummus
These three simple secrets are going to give you the creamiest and smoothest hummus you could hope for and you’ll quite possibly never buy store-bought again.
- Peel the chickpeas before blending them. While this step might seem tedious, it makes a significant difference in the final texture. By removing the skins, you will eliminate any potential bitterness and create a hummus that is exceptionally creamy. The peeled chickpeas blend effortlessly, resulting in a silky-smooth dip that is perfect to spread on pita bread or use as a dip for veggies.
- The order in which you add your ingredients to the food processor matters. By whipping the tahini and lemon juice together first, you are rewarded with an extra smooth texture that makes a difference in the end product. Patience is also the key when blending hummus, let your flavors blend together seamlessly before adding the next.
- Utilizing the aquafaba (chickpea water) in the recipe. This helps achieve the desired consistency and enhances the overall flavor. Aquafaba, is rich in starches and proteins. When added to the food processor, it acts as a natural emulsifier, creating a light and fluffy hummus with a delicate mouthfeel. The aquafaba also adds a subtle nuttiness, which enhances the taste of the dip.
How to Make Smooth and Creamy Hummus From Scratch
There are a few reasons why you should consider making your own hummus rather than buying it from a store. Homemade hummus allows you to control the ingredients that go into it. You can choose high-quality tahini, use organic chickpeas, and adjust the seasonings to suit your taste preferences. Most importantly, you can avoid the preservatives and additives found in store-bought hummus, and ensure a healthier and fresher tasting dip for yourself and your family.
What Is Hummus Anyway?
Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern dip or spread made primarily from cooked and mashed chickpeas (garbanzo beans), blended with tahini (a paste made from sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and various seasonings. It has a creamy texture and can vary in flavor, with some variations including additional ingredients like herbs, spices, or roasted vegetables to create unique flavor profiles. There are even dessert hummus recipes.
Hummus Ingredients
My hummus starts with the classic ingredients, but I have personalized it over time to the taste I love with a few seasoning additions. I’ll have to warn you that it is addictive! Full recipe can be found at the end of the post.
- Canned Chickpeas (skins removed): Chickpeas are the base and make the creamy texture for the hummus. Removing the skins results in a smoother consistency and is worth the ten minutes of extra time.
- Aquafaba: The liquid from the canned chickpeas. It acts as a binding and thinning agent, and helps to achieve the desired creamy texture you expect with hummus.
- Tahini: Made from ground sesame seeds, it adds a rich and nutty flavor to the hummus, while contributing to its creamy consistency.
- Olive Oil: Not only does it enhance the hummus’s texture, making it smoother, but it also adds a pleasant, mild, and fruity flavor.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Adds the bright and tangy element to the hummus, balancing the flavors and adding a refreshing note. Hummus would be very dull without it.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning: This seasoning blend typically includes ingredients like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, and onion, which add a unique and savory flavor profile to the hummus. It’s the best addition in my opinion.
- Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper adds a subtle kick of heat and a bit of spice.
- Dried Rosemary: Dried rosemary adds an earthy and aromatic quality to the hummus, complementing the other seasonings.
- Dried Basil: Adds a hint of herbal freshness, further enhancing the hummus’s flavor complexity.
Effortless Everyday Hummus Made with Canned Chickpeas
Step One: Gather your ingredients and prepare your chickpeas for the smoothest possible hummus.
Step Two: Process your ingredients in the correct order and taste to make any adjustments you might prefer. Use extra aquafaba to thin if you find the hummus too thick.
Step Three: Serve your hummus with any extra garnishes you might prefer.
Making Hummus with Different Flavors
While I love this hummus recipe, it’s possible to easily change it up and other flavors while still utilizing the same base recipe with the chickpeas, tahini, aquafaba and lemon juice.
If you want to change things up, one option is roasted red pepper hummus. You can easily roast some red bell peppers until charred, remove the skin, and add them to this base hummus recipe. The smoky sweetness of the peppers is one of the best flavors when added to a hummus recipe.
If you like spicy food, try adding some chili paste or jalapenos. A drizzle of chili oil can also add a fiery kick Or, for a refreshing twist, consider making lemon herb hummus by adding extra freshly squeezed lemon juice and a combination of fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, and dill. The possibilities are endless, and there’s a lot of fun in experimenting.
A Few Notes About Tahini and Potential Substitutes
This is especially important if you have a sesame seed allergy or are not a fan of tahini. However, while substitutes can work, they will alter the traditional taste of hummus. Just remain open to exploring different options to find the one that suits your tastes best.
- Tahini Basics: Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds and is a key ingredient in traditional hummus. It contributes the nutty, creamy texture and a distinctive flavor to the dip.
- Tahini Varieties: Tahini does vary in flavor and consistency. You may come across light tahini (made from hulled sesame seeds) and dark tahini (made from unhulled sesame seeds). Light tahini (used in this recipe) tends to have a milder flavor, while dark tahini has a stronger, slightly bitter taste.
- Substitute Options: If you don’t have tahini on hand, are allergic or prefer an alternative, you can try the following substitutes:
- Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter can mimic the texture of tahini and gives a nutty flavor. However, it will impart a noticeable peanut taste to the hummus.
- Almond Butter: Almond butter can also be used as a tahini substitute. It has a milder, slightly sweet flavor compared to peanut butter.
- Greek Yogurt: Adding Greek yogurt can make your hummus creamier, while providing a tangy taste. Use it as only a partial replacement for tahini.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream can contribute creaminess and a slight tang to your hummus, but use it sparingly to avoid overwhelming the dip with its flavor.
- Experimentation: The choice of tahini or its substitute is a matter of personal preference. You can experiment with different options to achieve the flavor and texture you desire most.
- Adjustment: When using substitutes, you may need to adjust the quantities and other ingredients to maintain the right balance of flavors and textures in your hummus. It definitely requires some recipe testing.
Why Do We Add Aquafaba to Hummus?
Adding aquafaba to hummus is how you achieve a creamy, light, and stable consistency, while keeping your hummus vegan-friendly. Make sure to not accidently drain your can of chickpeas and throwing out the liquid when making your hummus. If you make your chickpeas from scratch, the cooking liquid can also be used as aquafaba. Make sure it’s well-strained and cooled before using it in your hummus recipe.
- Aquafaba helps improve the overall texture. It adds creaminess and lightness to the dip, making it smoother and fluffier.
- One of the advantages of using aquafaba in hummus is that it has a neutral flavor. This means it won’t significantly alter the taste of your hummus, allowing the other ingredients like tahini, lemon juice, and spices to shine.
- It helps stabilize the hummus, preventing it from separating or becoming too dense.
- Adding aquafaba to your hummus is a vegan-friendly option for achieving a creamy consistency without having to use dairy or eggs.
What to Serve This Hummus With?
The possibilities are endless, but here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this hummus to its fullest!
- Add these Crispy Chickpeas to the top of your hummus for the ultimate scoop of deliciousness.
- This hummus would be the perfect accompaniment to my Buffalo Sauced Falafel Balls for game day!
- Add this hummus to a beautiful Fall Appetizer Board everyone will love.
- Spread this hummus on a juicy Mediterranean Burger for the ultimate flavor!
Spread the Hummus, Spread the Love
It’s no secret that hummus is the heart of every mezze platter, so when you decide to make this delicious Mediterranean spread, don’t forget to capture a photo and mention @NOBLEPIG and #noblepig on INSTAGRAM. Seeing you remake or reinvent my recipes is one of my favorite things!
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How to Make Hummus
Ingredients
Hummus Ingredients:
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drain but save the liquid
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsps., well-stirred tahini
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) aquafaba (chickpea water)
- 3 tbsps. olive oil, plus more to garnish
- 1-1/2 tsps. Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- Optional garnishes: cilantro, parsley, paprika, additional Everything But the Bagel seasoning
Instructions
How to Make Homemade Hummus:
- Drain the chickpeas, but save the liquid for later. (While it's optional, peeling the skins off the chickpeas results in the smoothest and creamiest hummus. It is time consuming, (maybe 10 minutes) but worth the effort.)1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drain but save the liquid
- Add tahini and lemon juice to the food processor and process for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again for another minute. (This is going to make the tahini extra creamy.) Add aquafaba, olive oil, everything bagel seasoning, cayenne pepper, rosemary, and dried basil and process again for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. Add chickpeas and process for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. (If you have any extra chunks of chickpeas, scape down the bowl and with the food processor on, slowly add some extra aquafaba or water and process again until completely smooth.)1/4 cup + 2 tbsps., well-stirred tahini, 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup (60 ml) aquafaba (chickpea water), 3 tbsps. olive oil, plus more to garnish, 1-1/2 tsps. Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
- Garnish the top of your hummus with olive oil and more seasonings if you like.Optional garnishes: cilantro, parsley, paprika, additional Everything But the Bagel seasoning
Notes
Nutrition
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