How to Make Hummus (+5 flavor variations)

Calling all HUMMUS LOVAHS. Remember that gorgeous beet hummus recipe we launched this week? Well, I now bring you the ultimate back to basics guide: how to make hummus from scratch that’s smooth, creamy, and absolutely delicious. You know I couldn’t leave you hanging with just one or two recipes, so we tested 5 incredible hummus recipes that you’re going to absolutely fall in love with.

I mean, just look at those gorgeous colors! In this guide to making perfect hummus, you’ll learn exactly what goes into a basic hummus recipe, tips for making it super creamy, and some of the best ways to use it. Don’t forget you’ll get 5 amazing hummus recipes as well, so read through, try them out and leave a comment with your favs!

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What is hummus?

If you’ve never had hummus before, get ready for a new snack that will rock your world. Hummus is a Middle Eastern spread made from tahini, chickpeas, lemon juice and garlic, plus tons of optional flavor varieties to make it extra delicious. It’s often used as a dip or spread for pita bread or naan, but the options are truly endless for ways to enjoy it!

Your new favorite healthy snack

Not only is hummus creamy, flavorful and super versatile, but it’s also such a great healthy snack option because it’s:

• Naturally vegan, gluten free, grain free and nut free, making it a great choice for sharing.
• Packed with plant-based protein from chickpeas and will keep you full and satisfied.
• Filled with fiber to aid in digestion and also fill you up!

Everything you’ll need to make homemade hummus

In this easy tutorial, you’ll just need 5 staple ingredients to make a basic hummus recipe that’s super creamy and full of flavor. We’ve included plenty of fun flavor options within the post as well, but here are the basics:

• Chickpeas: you’ll need one can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Be sure to save a little of the liquid that comes in the can.
• Garlic: a little garlic gives the hummus a lovely savory flavor.
• Tahini: the other ingredient that gives hummus its creaminess is tahini, which is a paste made from sesame seeds. We love Soom tahini — use the code ‘ambitiouskitchen’ for 10% off!
• Lemon juice: fresh lemon juice adds the perfect amount of acidity to the hummus. I highly recommend using fresh instead of bottled lemon juice.
• Salt: you’ll also need some salt to bring out all of the flavors.
• Optional: we’ll chat more about this below, but to get SUPER creamy hummus you’ll want to remove the skins from the chickpeas by using baking soda, water and your microwave.

Make this hummus your own

The best part about this easy hummus recipe is that it’s the perfect base for adding fun flavors and mix-ins. Pretty much anything you think would be delicious in a dip would be perfect for adding to this base recipe. To get you started, try out one of these amazing hummus recipes that use this exact base but add in some fun flavors:

The key to super creamy hummus

So, you’ve got all of your ingredients ready to make some delicious homemade hummus. Before diving right you have two options: keep the skins on for ease, or remove the skins for extra creamy hummus. The hummus will be delicious both ways, but removing the skins gives it an extra incredible texture.

Step 1: start by draining your can of chickpeas and reserving the liquid in a bowl. Rinse the drained chickpeas and dump them into a different, microwave safe bowl. It might sound strange, but you’ll then toss the drained, rinsed chickpeas with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda!

Step 2: once your chickpeas are coated with baking soda, microwave the whole bowl for 90 seconds.

Step 3: finally, pour the hot chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them with cool water. Gently rub the skins off of the chickpeas using your hands and drain off the water that has the skins in it. Repeat until all of the chickpeas have been skinned. This might take 4-5 changes of cool water. Then, follow the instructions as written!

How to make hummus from scratch

With the huge variety of hummus brands and flavors available in stores nowadays I know it’s tempting to just grab a tub or two while you’re shopping. BUT I promise this homemade hummus recipe is easy and 100% worth making.

1. Skins or no skins. First, decide whether you’d like to remove the skins from your chickpeas or leave them as-is. Once your chickpeas are ready, add them to the bowl of a food processor or a blender.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Next, add some chickpea liquid from the can, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and salt.
3. Blend it up. Pulse or blend the ingredients for about 60 seconds or until everything is completely smooth. If anything is getting stuck or appears too thick, simply add more chickpea liquid 2 tablespoons at a time.
4. Taste, adjust & serve. Once the hummus is nice and smooth and creamy, taste it and add more seasonings if you’d like. Then serve and enjoy!

Delicious ways to serve homemade hummus

The best part about hummus is how versatile it is! Here are some of our fav ways to serve it:

Store it for later

Store your creamy homemade hummus in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

More hummus flavors you’ll love

Reminder to use this basic hummus recipe and try out one (or all) of our favorite flavors:

Get all of our delicious dip recipes here, and check out our best tutorials & how-to guides here!

I hope you loved learning how to make hummus from scratch! If you try this recipe and method be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!