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A super simple, 6-ingredient recipe for hummus with canned chickpeas that’s smooth, ultra-creamy, and tastes much better than store-bought (no need to peel chickpeas!) Even better is that it’s ready in just 5 minutes!
If you’ve only ever relied on budget grocery store hummus to fulfill your cravings, get ready to have your mind blown. Not only is it ridiculously easy to make homemade hummus, but it’s inexpensive and tastes much better than anything in your local grocery store.
Even better, you can whip up a batch in as little as 5 minutes or take things further following our top tips for the smoothest, creamiest, fluffiest 30-minute classic hummus you’ve ever had (or will need) in your life!
Best of all, this simple hummus recipe with canned chickpeas requires just 6 ingredients, most of which are kitchen staples, AND it’s meal-prep and freezer friendly, too! You might also like our recipes for roasted red pepper hummus, yellow lentil hummus, or pistachio hummus.
What Is Hummus?
Hummus – also spelled houmous – is a delicious Middle Eastern/Mediterranean dip or spread named after the Arabic word for chickpeas. It is a blend of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, and often spices like cumin, all blended/mashed until smooth and creamy. The result is bright, creamy, garlicky, nutty, rich, and delicious.
In the Middle East, it is popularly served alongside pita bread and as part of a mezze (alongside baba ghanoush and falafel), but this creamy chickpea dip is now popular globally and enjoyed not only as a dip but spread in sandwiches, wraps, burgers, and more! Best of all, it’s really easy to make at home!
The Hummus Ingredients
There are just 6 inexpensive ingredients for this hummus (plus salt), including:
- Chickpeas: We use canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for this quick hummus.
- Garlic: Adjust the amount to taste. Using garlic powder in a pinch is possible, but fresh garlic is best. Roasted garlic also works and has a far mellower flavor.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice (or lime juice) for the best flavor. You could add some zest for a more pronounced citrus flavor.
- Tahini: This sesame seed paste adds a creamy, nutty flavor and richness to the homemade hummus. It’s important to use high-quality tahini for the best hummus recipe, as some can be overly bitter.
- Salt: Use Kosher salt/sea salt and season to taste.
- Cumin: The earthy flavor of cumin pairs wonderfully with chickpeas and tahini.
- Water: A little ice-cold water helps to make a super creamy, fluffy basic hummus recipe. Alternatively, you could use some chickpea can liquid (aquafaba).
You can garnish the homemade hummus with a sprinkle of cumin and a drizzle of olive oil. However, you could also garnish hummus with:
Toasted pine nuts or sesame seeds, fresh parsley/cilantro, smoked paprika, sumac, red chili powder, etc.
How to Make Hummus With Canned Chickpeas?
There are two ways you can prepare this homemade hummus recipe. The first is ready in just minutes with minimal effort and great results. The second requires a little more time and effort, but the results are super creamy, fluffy, and smooth.
5-Minute Hummus
- 1) First, drain and rinse the chickpeas, juice the lemon, and peel the garlic.
- 2) Then, transfer everything to the blender or food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
- 3) Taste and adjust the lemon, salt, or garlic amount to your liking.
30-Minute Hummus
- Transfer the entire contents of the can of chickpeas to a small saucepan along with ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Simmer the garbanzo beans for 15-20 minutes, until soft and mushy, then discard any floating peels and drain and rinse the mushy chickpeas.
- Meanwhile, juice the lemon, and peel the garlic.
- Add the tahini and lemon juice to the blender/food processor and whip into a fluffy paste.
- Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Pause the machine to scrape down the sides as needed.
If the hummus is too thick, add more ice water, a spoonful at a time, to your desired consistency. Just note that this can affect the shelf life of the chickpea dip.
FAQs
Peeling the chickpeas is a common trick for getting super smooth hummus, but it’s labor-intensive and fiddly. Instead, we prefer to use that time to simmer the chickpeas with baking soda (hands-off!). This softens the peels and chickpeas, so there’s no need to peel them for a super creamy, smooth hummus with the 30-minute canned chickpeas recipe.
It’s possible to substitute the tahini with sunflower seed butter or cashew butter (peanut butter may also work) to add richness and nutty flavor, though it obviously won’t taste identical.
To thicken the hummus, you can add more chickpeas or tahini. To thin it, add a little more water or some olive oil, a spoonful at a time.
For the 30-minute recipe, we recommend cooking them until slightly over-cooked/mushy (soak ½ cup chickpeas covered in at least 2 inches of water overnight, then cook until slightly mushy – between 1 1/2 -2 hours). Otherwise, the method remains exactly the same.
Top Tips For The Best Hummus
- Use mushy chickpeas: If you have the time, simmering the chickpeas with baking soda until mushy really helps remove any grittiness for a super smooth and creamy hummus without needing to peel the skins.
- Use high-quality tahini: Not all brands were created equally. To avoid overly bitter tahini, you may need to experiment. We love Soom tahini.
- Use ice-cold water: We’re not sure about its exact science, but it helps make super light and fluffy hummus.
- Enjoy it at room temperature: This yields the best flavor and texture. When enjoying it from the fridge, it’s best to let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Don’t rush it: Making super-smooth hummus can take a good few minutes. Give the machine breaks to scrape down the sides.
- Season to taste: After blending the hummus, give it a taste and adjust the lemon, salt, and garlic to your liking. Leaving it to sit and meld for a while can help create an even better developed flavor, too.
Storage Instructions
We highly recommend preparing the homemade hummus a day in advance to allow the flavors to meld overnight. Once blended, it will store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Pour a thin layer of oil over the top to keep it fresh for as long as possible.
This classic hummus also freezes well in freezer-safe containers, ice-cube trays, or Ziplock/Stasher bags for up to 3 months. It may be slightly grainy once you thaw it, but can be fixed with a good mix/ blend for a few seconds.
What To Dip In Hummus?
- Crudites like celery, cucumber, bell pepper, and carrot sticks
- Crackers
- Pita chips or tortilla chips
- Warm pita bread
- Sweet potato fries
- In a salad/buddha bowl for dipping veggies
You can also use the homemade hummus as a spread over pizza, burgers, wraps, and sandwiches, or thin it with a little plant-based milk as a pasta sauce.
More Vegan Dip Recipes
- Vegan bean dip
- Easy avocado spread
- Pinto bean dip
- Curry white bean dip
- Vegan French onion dip
- Vegan spinach dip
- Spicy lentil kalamata spread
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Easy Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup of tahini
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- Salt, to taste
- Garnish: 1 tsp of Olive oil and ½ tsp of cumin
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, blend all the ingredients on high until completely smooth.
- To garnish drizzle the olive and sprinkle cumin on top.
Video
Notes
- Use high-quality tahini: Not all brands were created equally. To avoid overly bitter tahini, you may need to experiment. We love Soom tahini.
- Use ice-cold water: We’re not sure about its exact science, but it helps make super light and fluffy hummus.
- Enjoy it at room temperature: This yields the best flavor and texture. When enjoying it from the fridge, it’s best to let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Don’t rush it: Making super-smooth hummus can take a good few minutes. Give the machine breaks to scrape down the sides.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This easy hummus recipe is so good! Just the right balance of flavors. Perfect with our falafel dinner tonight!
Oooo definitely a great combination!
Can’t get any easier than this! Once you make homemade hummus, you can never go back. This recipe rocks!
So true! You save tons of money too!
Love how simple and easy this hummus is to make!
Right?! It’s so simple and delicious!
So smooth and rich in flavor!