Learn how to make hummus at home, without any of the preservatives, oil or chemicals in the store-bought stuff. Once you try fresh hummus once, you’ll never want to go back.
Growing up, the only hummus I’d every tried was Sabra from Costco and I wasn’t a huge fan. Honestly, it just didn’t taste like anything to me and had a weird aftertaste. The first time I ever had freshly made, REAL hummus was much later in life at a Middle Eastern restaurant with freshly baked pita chips. It was life changing. The only way I can describe the texture is fluffy. And the taste – incredible!
What You Need to Make Hummus
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) : these beans are the base for traditional hummus and perfect for that super creamy texture of hummus.
- Tahini: a smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds that adds a unique, nutty flavor profile to hummus.
- Lemon Juice: this ingredient is best when it is freshly squeezed and adds acidity to the dish
- Ground Cumin : cumin is not always used in hummus, but in my opinion it’s essential!
- Ice Cubes : this is essential for that creamy texture we all love in our hummus
Secrets to Creamy Hummus
- Way overcook the chickpeas : Overcooking your chickpeas is the very important to get your hummus creamy. Most people cook their chickpeas to a more al dente, which results in more gritty hummus. You want the chickpeas to be basically falling apart and skins peeling off.
- Baking Soda : Boiling chickpeas in water with baking soda helps get them extra soft. The alkaline environment of the boiling water is ideal for softening and ridding the chickpeas of excess grit.
- The Order of Blending : the order that you add and blend the ingredients actually makes a big difference. You want to add the tahini first with lemon juice and spices, then blend that really well. This emulsifies the base. Adding the chickpeas in after creates a super fluffy texture.
- Remove the Chickpea Skins : I used to think this was super important but honestly, this can be skipped. Peeling it will make it a little extra creamier but not significantly more if you follow all the other instructions.
- A couple of ice cubes : I found this trick on a reddit thread and people swear that it makes the hummus much creamier & it worked for me!
How to Boil Chickpeas for Hummus
For those of you using dry chickpeas and boiling them yourselves. Soak them in a large pot with at least twice their volume in water and let them sit overnight. If you want to cook them stovetop, drain the chickpeas and place them in a pot with the baking soda. Pour in cold water at least 4 inches higher than the chickpeas. Bring to a boil over high heat and use a spoon to skim off any of the foam that comes up. Bring the heat down to medium, cover with a lid and simmer for an hour. This should result in overcooked chickpeas which is key to super creamy hummus. If you prefer to use an instant pot to cook the chickpeas, pressure cook on high for 20 minutes instead.
Shortcut Hummus with Canned Chickpeas
If you don’t have time to soak chickpeas you can use the shortcut method with canned chickpeas. Add the drained chickpeas to an instant pot with water with 1 tsp baking soda. Pressure cook on HIGH for 30-40 minutes to get my super soft. The rest of the recipe is the same as if you were using the soak and blend method.
Is tahini necessary?
I personally would never make hummus without tahini, because it is a very central component of the dish. Since hummus requires such few ingredients, taking even one away can make a big difference. If you don’t have access to tahini, you can easily make some using sesame seeds – there’s many recipes on the internet.
If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a rating below. To be featured, you can also tag me on my Instagram!
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Creamiest Oil-Free Hummus
- Total Time: 10
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
Learn how to make hummus at home, without any of the preservatives, oil or chemicals in the store-bought stuff. Once you try fresh hummus once, you’ll never want to go back.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (optional but recommended)
- 2/3 cup tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 6 ice cubes
Instructions
- Soak dry chickpeas overnight : To a bowl, add your chickpeas and 3 cups of water. Cover and leave overnight or at least 8 hours. If you are in a rush, you can add to an airtight container with really hot water and soak for 1-2 hours. If all you have is canned chickpeas, refer to the notes below.
- Over-cook the chickpeas : Drain the chickpeas and place them in a pot with the baking soda. Pour in cold water at least 4 inches higher than the chickpeas. Bring to a boil over high heat and use a spoon to skim off any of the foam that comes up. Bring the heat down to medium, cover with a lid and simmer for an hour. This should result in overcooked chickpeas which is key to super creamy hummus. If you prefer to use an instant pot to cook the chickpeas, check the notes section below.
- Process the Tahini : To a food processor, add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, cumin, red chili powder, paprika and ice cubes. Process for 1-2 minutes. It will get crumbly at first and then get creamy. Open the food processor and use a spoon to make sure it is completely broken down and creamy.
- If you have the time, use your fingers to get off the skins of the chickpeas. One way to do this quickly is to add really cold water and stir vigorously. The skins should float to the top. This stop will make the hummus extra creamy but you can totally leave it out & still get creamy hummus.
- Add the drained chickpeas to the food processor with the tahini mixture. turn the food processor on. It will take some time, put you will start to notice the mixture turning lighter. If it ever gets stuck, turn the food processor off use a spoon to stir. Continue to process until all the chickpeas get completely broken down and you end up with a creamy hummus.
- Plate it with some paprika, chopped cilantro and any leftover chickpeas. Enjoy with pita chips, on a sandwich or as a dipped sauce!
Notes
*Instant Pot : If you have an instant pot, drain the chickpeas and add to the instant pot with baking soda and water 4-5 inches above. Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes or until very soft.
*Canned Chickpeas : If you don’t have time to soak chickpeas you can use the shortcut method with canned chickpeas. Add the drained chickpeas to an instant pot with water with 1 tsp baking soda. Pressure cook on HIGH for 30-40 minutes to get my super soft. The rest of the recipe is the same as if you were using the soak and blend method.
If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a rating below. To be featured, you can also tag me on my Instagram!
- Cook Time: 10