This homemade hummus recipe beats anything you’ll ever buy in the store. Rich in flavor, luxuriously creamy and super easy to make, you’re going to love it!
A widely popular dip, hummus is not only delicious, it’s super healthy. This homemade hummus recipe is made using homemade tahini paste, which is easy to make, cheaper than store-bought, and tastes so much better!
Hummus is the Arabic word for “chickpeas”, the central ingredient in this Middle Eastern dip. Its complete name is hummus bi tahina, meaning “chickpeas with tahini.” Made with chickpeas, tahini (a paste made out of sesame seeds), garlic, lemon and olive oil, hummus is very nutritious. It’s high in iron, vitamin C, folate and vitamin B6. It’s also an excellent source of amino acids, fiber and protein. In fact, when eaten with bread, hummus is a complete protein. And of course the generous amount of olive oil in the hummus comes with its own wide range of health benefits.
And how often is it that something so healthy also tastes so doggone delicious?
Most commonly served as an appetizer or dip, scooped up with flatbread such as pita, hummus is also a common accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish, falafel, and eggplant.
Interestingly, “according to a 2010 market research, hummus consumption in the United States has increased by 35 percent over a period of 21 months, with sales reaching nearly $300 million” (Wikipedia). See, the masses are catching on to this delicious treat. But rather than buy it, make it yourself. It’s cheaper, fresher, healthier, and tastes SO much better!
And I know what you’re thinking. “Yeah, but it calls for tahini paste and I never have that on hand when I need it.” Fear not! Here’s a super quick, super easy recipe for it!
Now, if you’re a hummus fan, imagine how amazing this tastes having made everything, including your very own tahini, from scratch!
And if you’re not already a hummus fan, prepare to be converted!
Let’s get started!
Soak the garbanzo beans in water overnight. Drain and thoroughly rinse. Bring them to a boil in a pot of water (you can add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water if you’re prone to…ahem…gas). Reduce the temperature to medium, cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until very soft.
Drain the garbanzo beans.
Place the cooked garbanzo beans in a food processor.
I’m using my full-size Cuisinart in the photos but usually I prefer my smaller Cuisinart 3-cup Food Processor which we’ve had for 10 years and it’s still going strong.
Process the garbanzo beans and add some of the reserved bean water.
Add the olive oil, tahini paste, garlic, lemon juice, cumin (if using) and salt. Process until smooth.
Add some more of the reserved cooking water from the beans until you reach the desired consistency. Add more tahini paste and salt to taste.
Transfer to a serving bowl, make some swirly divets on the top and pour a little olive oil over it. Sprinkle with some paprika and garnish with some chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve with toasted pita wedges, vegetables or crackers.
Enjoy!
Be sure to also try our Roasted Pumpkin Hummus!
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PERFECT Homemade Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried garbanzo beans/chickpeas ,rinsed then soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup Homemade Tahini Paste
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 cloves garlic , roughly chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
- Reserved cooking water from the garbanzo beans
- Extra olive oil for garnish
- Paprika for garnish
- Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Place in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a teaspoon of baking soda if you're prone to gas. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the beans are very soft. Drain and let cool.
- Place the garbanzo beans in a food processor until no large chunks remain. Add the tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt and process until smooth. Add some of the reserved cooking water, a little at a time, as needed until the desired consistency is reached. Add salt to taste.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and make some swirly divets on the top. Drizzle some olive oil over it, sprinkle with some paprika and chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve with toasted pita wedges, vegetables or crackers.
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ely says
Is it okay to use chickpeas sold in can from grocery stores? I think they’re cooked but not yet totally soft. And its juice could be use as alternative from your above excess liquid?? Hope you respond. Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Absolutely, Ely, you can use canned chickpeas and the liquid from the can. Using dried chickpeas and cooking them yourself will result in a creamier, smoother texture but canned chickpeas are a perfectly good substitute.
Dr. Kishori Khirwadkar says
Where is the recipe of tahini?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi, I link to it in the recipe, here it is: https://www.daringgourmet.com/how-to-make-homemade-tahini-paste/
Anonymous says
Your tahini and hummus recipes are excellent,..thanks.
Bernadette Doyle says
This is a fantastic recipe, thank you. I tried making houmous in the past and just couldn’t get the texture or flavour right and this is perfect in every way. I will be making this recipe for years to come!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Bernadette, thank you!
Robert says
You absolutely can not beat Lebanese houmous, all other houmous is just an imitation. Most of what you buy in the supermarkets is cannibalised horribleness, too creamy, flavoured or made with all sorts of cheap oils. Chickpeas, Garlic, Lemon, Water, Tahini, Salt and that is IT. Nothing else at all. Oil (quality olive oil that is) is ONLY used to dress it before serving.
Nisa says
Thank you, Kim! I just made it tonight and it was amazing!
It was my first time making homemade hummus and I love it! And yes, it was no comparison to the store-bought one, it was fresher (and cheaper, lol) and I have control over everything I put in (I made it minus cumin and less olive oil).
I made the tahini yesterday, at first it came out really bitter and just horrible, yes I said that. But, turns out after I left it overnight in my fridge, the bitter taste is, well, not gone, but somewhat lessen a lot and it actually taste great (or maybe it was just my imagination, haha)
Anyway, thank you very much for your recipe! Love you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Nisa, I’m so glad, thank you! Oh, I agree – tahini on it’s own does not taste good :) It’s a condiment that has to be mixed into other foods and THEN it tastes amazing! :)
Kim says
Why both tahini and cumin? Isn’t that redundant?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kim, tahini and cumin are two entirely different things – tahini paste is made out of sesame seeds and cumin is a spice.
Sherry Pace says
Excellent recipes. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to browse the rest of your site. I have been making hummus for years, but never my own tahini. Now I have to ask myself – why not? Especially since I have both a food processor and a vitmix :-) As for the comments about the cumin. I always add it, it gives better depth of flavor. You don’t have to add a lot. Smoked paprika on top is nice too, or Za’atar which is a Middle Eastern seasoning with sumac, sesame, and thyme (also good sprinkled on grilled pita breads).
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Sherry! For sure, all of those seasonings add a wonderful touch of flavor.
Divya Kothari says
Thank you so much for your post on home made tahini as I do t want to have to go to the grocery store to get some and I tend to keep a lot of toasted sesame seeds at home for Japanese cooking.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’re welcome, Divya, and happy cooking! :)
N says
Wow thank you so much! I came here thru ur tahini recipe and I’m gonna make both of them right now. Just bought a kilo of organic sesame seeds coz I want the calcium & was wondering what to do. Here I get my answer :) Thanks :) <3
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic! Tahini paste is pretty versatile and you can’t go wrong making a lot of it to have on hand :)
Baba Bare says
Thank you. I just did hummus for second time and it is far better with tahini ftom scratch.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Baba! I agree, the flavor is bolder and better, no comparison to the store-bought stuff.
meepo says
awesome recipe, thank you! i love garlic so i added more minced cloves to the final product until it was garlicky enough for my taste. i think it came to a total of 5 cloves in the whole dish.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Meepo, I’m so glad you enjoyed it – and hooray for garlic!
QueenAfrodite says
Hello Kimberly, Thank you for posting this recipe. I was researching how to make your own Tahini when I thought “If I’m going to make my own hummus, why not find out how to make the Tahini.” So I’ve read both of your post since I found them on Google. I had recently emailed myself another recipe for hummus but I like the thought of yours better. I will be making my own Tahini and Hummus soon and will let you all know how it turned out. Again thank you for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, thank you and yes, please let us know what you think!
Sherry Vaughn says
I love this recipe so much. My picky eater daughter loves it, as well. I linked this page to a post on my blog, so others can come to your page for it. Thank you for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Sherry, I really appreciate that!
Sumedha says
Hi!
I just made hummus with the tahini paste and it left a chalky dry aftertaste. I stuck to your recipe and I can’t figure out what went wrong. Any suggestions for improving the taste? I’ll really appreciate the help.
Thank you! :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sumedha, it sounds like undercooked chickpeas – they’re terribly chalky if not fully cooked in the center. Depending on the age of the dried chickpeas they can take much longer than usual to cook.
gypsybaker says
Great looking recipes…Can’t wait to make the tahini, and I’ve never made hummus using chickpeas I cooked myself so I’ll give that a go as well! I was wondering though, if it’s still ok to use the cooking liquid if I put the teaspoon of baking soda in it – to eliminate gas(?)…Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you! And yes, it’s no problem at all to use the liquid with some baking soda in it.