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Walk through almost any grocery store these days and you’ll find an entire section dedicated to hummus. Roasted red pepper, garlic, dill pickle, spicy jalapeño… the options just keep growing. And while store-bought hummus can be convenient, those little containers add up fast and often include extra oils, preservatives, or ingredients you don’t really need.
The good news? Homemade hummus is surprisingly easy to make and tastes even better. With a handful of simple ingredients and about 10 minutes, you can create a creamy, fresh hummus that rivals anything at the store. Once you make it yourself, it’s hard to go back to the packaged version.
Looking for more healthy snack ideas? I’ve got plenty, like homemade granola bars, green goddess hummus, cashew coconut yogurt, vegan protein bars, tamari roasted almonds, and pumpkin chia pudding.
What's in this post
What is Homemade Hummus?
Hummus is a creamy dip made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, and olive oil. It’s packed with plant-based protein and fiber and is commonly used as a dip, spread, or snack with veggies, pita, and veggie wraps.
Recipe Ingredients
This homemade hummus recipe starts with a simple, creamy base you can customize in endless ways:
- Tahini: Look for a smooth, runny tahini with just sesame seeds as the ingredient.
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas make this super quick, but cooking dried chickpeas creates an extra creamy texture.
- Garlic: Buy fresh garlic bulbs instead of pre-minced garlic in a jar for the best flavor.
- Olive oil: Use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil since the flavor really comes through.
- Lemons: Fresh lemon juice gives hummus a brighter, cleaner flavor without the bitter or artificial taste bottled juice can sometimes have.
- Smoked paprika: This adds a subtle smoky flavor without heat, so don’t skip it if you can help it.
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How to Make Homemade Hummus
- Place the chickpeas into a food processor or blender, then pulse to chop.
- Add the remaining ingredients, process or blend until smooth.
- Stop and scrape down the sides as needed. If you choose one of the variations I suggest below, then add those ingredients in at this step as well.
- Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and sprinkle with a little more paprika.
What to Serve With Hummus
As good as this homemade hummus recipe is straight off the spoon (and trust me, I eat it like that all the time), it gets even better when you pair it with:
- Fresh veggies: carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and snap peas
- Bread + snacks: pita bread, pita chips, crackers, pretzels, naan, and crostini
- Meal add-ons: wraps, sandwiches, grain bowls, falafel bowls, olives, feta, and roasted chickpeas
Common Questions
Yes! Canned chickpeas are the quickest and easiest option. Just drain, rinse, and optionally peel the skins off for a smoother texture.
Peel the chickpeas, blend while still warm, and add ice-cold water or aquafaba (chickpea liquid) slowly while blending. These steps create a fluffier, creamier hummus. You can also make in a high-speed blender for smoothies on high speed for one minute.
You can skip it or substitute with a mild nut or seed butter like cashew or sunflower seed butter, though the flavor will be slightly different.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it keeps for about 4–5 days. Stir well before serving as it may thicken while chilled.
Yes, hummus freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir in a little olive oil or water to revive the texture.
Recipe Card
Classic Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 3 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoon lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, unrefined
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor or blender until chopped.
- Add the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, water, cumin and salt and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add a splash more water if needed to help it blend.
- Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with the smoked paprika.
Recipe Notes
- Storing: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in 1/4- or 1/2-cup portions and thaw in the fridge before serving.
- Tahini Swap: Use another nut or seed butter in place of the tahini. The flavor and texture will change slightly.
- Roasted Red Pepper: For a variation, blend in 1/2 roasted red pepper (jarred or fresh), 1 teaspoon chili powder and 1 teaspoon paprika.
- Sun-Dried Tomato: For another variation, blend in 1/2 cup softened sun-dried tomatoes and 1 teaspoon dried basil.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5 cup | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11 g | Sodium: 587 mg | Potassium: 237 mg | Sugar: 0.4 g | Vitamin A: 77 IU | Vitamin C: 10 mg | Calcium: 68 mg | Iron: 2 mg
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I am wondering why the herb hummus recipe is no longer available. My family and I thought it was AMAZING and I can’t find anything similar on the internet.
Love this hummus. Definitely making it again n again. It’s football weekend great healthy snack.
This sounds good, but I have 3 questions: First of all, except for end of summer in Denver, I never see fresh dill in the stores. Second, I REALLY don’t like cilantro. Could I use all parsley? How do you measure a cup of fresh herbs? Packed? Loose? Is there an equivalent weight?
Hey Marsha,
If you don’t have fresh dill you can use dried dill. Yes, if you do not like cilantro you can leave that part out completely. For the measurement we do not have a weight. We usually suggest a handful as a cup or loosely pack it into a measuring cup.
Hope that helps!
???? What recipe is this referring to???? As written above this hummus recipe does NOT have fresh dill or cilantro in it. ????? What am I missing ?????
Good catch, Carolyn! This recipe is an update from the original, which contained those ingredients. Hope you enjoy the new formula! 🙂
This recipe rocks! I had it as part of the Fresh Start – 21 Day Cleanse and it is really great for dipping healthy eats into – like cherry tomatoes, celery, baby carrots, you name it! Just yummy.