The Best Homemade Hummus Recipes

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Hummus is a dip made from chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. It is commonly used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking and is often served with pita bread, vegetables, grain bowls, and wraps. Homemade hummus can be made in a food processor or blender and can be flavored in many different ways.

This collection includes a classic hummus recipe, flavored variations, and ideas for using hummus in different meals. These recipes use simple ingredients and follow the same basic method, so once you learn the base recipe, it is easy to make your own versions.

Hummus in a bowl topped with olive oil, a few pita chips, and spices.

A collage of hummus bowls with the text the best homemade hummus recipes.

What is hummus made of?

Traditional hummus is made from a small group of ingredients:

chickpeas
tahini
lemon juice
garlic
olive oil
salt

Chickpeas give hummus its texture and protein. Tahini, which is a paste made from sesame seeds, adds fat and flavor. Lemon juice adds acidity, and olive oil makes the hummus smooth. These ingredients are blended together until creamy.

Note about equipment: I use the Ninja Home System and find that the blender jar gives my hummus a much smoother texture than the food processor.

Some recipes also add cumin, paprika, roasted garlic, or herbs for extra flavor.

Classic Hummus Recipe

This recipe follows the classic hummus method, is easy to customize, and works with many different meals.

Ingredients

2 cups chickpeas
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
4-5 ice cubes

Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt to a blender jar.
Blend well for 3-4 minutes, scraping the sides down as needed, until quite smooth.
Add ice cubes one at a time, blending in between, until you achieve a lighter, smooth texture.
Blend for a further 3-5 minutes, until it’s very smooth with a whipped texture.
To serve, transfer to a bowl. I like to swirl a spoon through to make little valleys and then drizzle additional olive oil on top.

Classic hummus is often served with pita bread, crackers, or raw vegetables. It can also be used as a spread for sandwiches or wraps.

Hummus in a bowl topped with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, and spices.

Flavored hummus variations

Can you change the flavor of hummus? Yes. Once the base recipe is made, other ingredients can be blended in to create different variations.

Common additions include:

roasted red peppers
beets
fresh herbs
chili paste
everything bagel seasoning

Examples of flavored hummus recipes:

Flavored hummus is often used for snack plates, mezze platters, and party dips. I also like to use my butternut squash hummus as a pasta sauce for a 5 ingredient pasta dish.

How do you make hummus smooth?

Smooth hummus depends on texture, not just ingredients.

Use very soft chickpeas. I like to cook dried chickpeas in the Instant Pot for about 36 minutes.
Peel the chickpeas: This can be tedious, but it really makes a difference in the texture. To do this with cooked chickpeas, swish them around with your hands in a bowl of water; the skins should float to the top and be easy to scoop out.
Use good quality tahini: The fat in the tahini will react with the ice cubes and will first thicken the mixture up, and then lead to a super light whipped texture.
Add ice cubes while blending.
Blend the hummus long enough in a high-powered blender. I blend for 4-5 minutes after all of the ice cubes have been added.