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Learn how to make the best homemade Garlic Hummus Recipe ever! This recipe produces a creamy, smooth, and light homemade hummus!

homemade hummus in a black bowl topped with seeds and olive oil.
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Have you ever opened a $6 tub of grocery store hummus, and thought “I wish I could make this”?

Friends, I’m here today with a simple recipe for the tastiest homemade hummus you can make yourself. This is better than storebought. This is YOUR homemade hummus!

If you love spicy flavors and hummus, you should check out our Buffalo Hummus recipe.

Ingredients & Variations

chickpeas, a lemon, garlic, and other ingredients on a marble board.

This recipe has:

  • Garbanzo beans/chickpeas – canned or homemade
  • Tahini
  • Garlic, and lots of it. No vampires here!
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • Spicessmoked paprika and sumac
  • Garnishes {optional} – sesame seeds and parsley

If you found yourself saying “what is sumac” when looking at the ingredients list, you’re not alone. I said that the first time someone recommended this spice to me for hummus.  

It’s available at well-appointed grocery stores or on Amazon. If you can’t find it, dial up the smoked paprika a bit, and sub in cumin for the sumac. It’s not exactly the same but it will still be delicious!

What Can I Use Instead of Tahini in Hummus?

You can leave out the tahini if you’d like but it will change the texture and taste of the finished product. I would recommend substituting unsweetened almond or cashew butter.

Or, if you have a tree nut allergy, try sunseed butter, which is made from ground sunflower seeds.

How Do You Make Hummus Smooth?

There are three tricks to making homemade hummus smooth.

Trick one: the order in which you blend things matters. I first create a “paste” of lemon juice, tahini, garlic, olive oil, and salt, before adding the chickpeas. This gives you an incredibly smooth base in which to blend everything else together.

Trick two: use a power blender or food processor. Hummus is simple to make but you will be blending it for up to 10 minutes. You don’t want to motor of your blender/processor to burn out.

Trick three: if you don’t have a powerful blender or food processor, boil the cooked chickpeas for at least 10-15 minutes before blending them.

This will make them much softer when you start the blending process, and you’ll get a smoother finished product. You will need to cool the boiled chickpeas a bit before making hummus with them.

You can also remove the skins from the cooked chickpeas for a smoother finish but expect to add 10-20 minutes of work to achieve this.

3 photos showing the process of making chickpea dip.

How to Store Homemade Hummus

Homemade garlic hummus can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Can You Freeze Hummus?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze hummus! I prefer to freeze it in smaller portions because it defrosts more quickly, and you don’t have to thaw out a bunch when you just need a small amount. Check out these step-by-step instructions in our post on can you freeze hummus?

If your family eats individual hummus cups, consider freezing your homemade hummus in 4 oz canning jars. I also love to freeze it in 2 tbsp Souper Cubes and 1-cup portion Souper Cubes. Transfer the frozen hummus to freezer-safe storage.

Hummus will keep in the freezer for 3-6 months. Sometimes the thawed texture can be a little grainy, but stir it with a fork and it will smooth out again.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes:

  • Tahini can usually be found near the peanut butter in the grocery store. Use extras to make this Lemon Tahini Salad dressing.
  • If the hummus seems too thick, drizzle in reserved chickpea liquid (called aquafaba) instead of adding more olive oil. The aquafaba makes the hummus smooth and light.
  • I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice, as it makes the hummus bitter/acidic.
  • If raw garlic is a bit much for you, roasted garlic might be right up your alley. Check out my Air Fryer Roasted Garlic and Instant Pot Roasted Garlic for various techniques. I would roast 1-2 heads of garlic in lieu of the 5 fresh cloves that this recipe recommends.
  • Instead of canned garbanzo beans, try making chickpeas in the Instant Pot.
  • Add in roasted red peppers, or some muhammara sauce.
  • The recipe below is mine, but it was inspired by The Homemade Pantry.  

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS

One serving has 1 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.

a hand with a pita chip dipping into a bowl of garlic hummus.
5 from 27 ratings

Garlic Hummus Recipe

Servings: 34 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
homemade hummus in a black bowl topped with seeds and olive oil.
Learn how to make the best homemade garlic hummus recipe ever! This recipe produces a creamy, smooth, and light homemade hummus!

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Drain chickpeas, setting aside the liquid (this is called aquafaba).
    2 14 oz cans garbanzo beans
  • In a blender or food processor, blend the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt on high for 2-3 minutes.  Add a bit of the reserved liquid from the beans if the mixture is too thick.
    1/4 cup tahini, 5 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt
  • Add the chickpeas and blend on high, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
    2 14 oz cans garbanzo beans
  • Once the hummus is super smooth (3-6 minutes), stop the machine and add the smoked paprika and sumac. Pulse a few times.
    1/8 tsp smoked paprika, 1/8 tsp sumac
  • Optional: garnish with sesame seeds, a pinch of smoked paprika, parsley, and additional olive oil.
    sesame seeds, dried parsley, 1/8 tsp smoked paprika

Notes

  1. If the hummus seems too thick, drizzle in reserved chickpea liquid (called aquafaba) instead of adding more olive oil. The aquafaba makes the hummus smooth and light.
  2. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice, as it makes the hummus bitter/acidic.
  3. If raw garlic is a bit much for you, try roasted garlic instead.
  • Nutrition values are an estimate only.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tbspCalories: 22kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 26mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 0gSugar: 0gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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About Sarah

Helping you serve up budget-friendly sustainable recipes with a side of balanced living.
Come for the food. Stay for the snark.

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54 Comments

  1. I must thank you for my newest obsession… The homemade pantry book. I downloaded the sample after reading this then had my husband read the sample and then told him “I MUST HAVE THIS BOOK”… I got the book yesterday and can not put it down. I find I want to make everything in it …. Like now…lol…
    Anyway, thank you! 🙂

    1. OMG, isn’t it awesome? I’ve only made a few things from the book, but it’s already safe to say that it’s my favorite cookbook EVER.

      Have you been able to find Lyle’s Golden Syrup? I had to get some from a fancy pants store about an hour away (I was there for other things anyway) and damn that stuff is expensive! Same with the brown rice syrup! If you live in Azure Standard territory, they carry brown rice syrup for $2.50 less per jar.

  2. Sarah,
    I went to the library to check out the book Homemade Pantry, but my library did not have it. They are ordering because the media specialist wanted to read it too. Anyway, while I was there I found a book titled “100 Meals for $5 or Less.” it is not an organic cookbook, but the recipes can be made with organic ingredients and still be cost effective.

    Jennifer5 stars

    1. Ohhh that sounds like something I’d love to read. I’ll see if my library has it! I don’t care if a cookbook is designated “organic” or not, because obviously you can just use those organic ingredients and call it good!

      I hope your book comes in soon and that you and the media specialist love it as much as Stephanie (below) and I do!

  3. I tend to bastardize, er, adjust my recipes according to my preferences. Along with copious amounts of garlic, I add toasted onion powder and dried basil to my hummus. If I dress it up a little, my husband will eat it. I have been using canned, rinsed, garbanzo beans. However, I have ordered 5lbs of Palouse Brand garbanzo beans from Pullman, Wa. I like the idea of buying local. Well at least from my state. I live on the west side near Puyallup. I am getting ready to make some hummus and toppenade. My version of toppenade omits the anchovy but includes plenty of shredded Parmesan cheese, garlic and basil. Besides serving it with chips or crackers, I use about a 1/4 cup toppenade, a few tbl of olive oil and toss with hot pasta for a quick dinner entree.5 stars

    1. YUM!!!!!!!! I love tapenade, but hate the anchovies. sounds like your version is a great combo!

      I went to WSU, so thanks for supporting Pullman farmers!

    2. Sarah, I went to WSU!!! Back in the early 80’s. How fun to find that connection!! Thanks for the hummus recipe. Planning to try it soon!5 stars

  4. I have been reading for a while but never commented… I live in the south sound and if you are headed to Puyallup Saturday the Fife Costco is a business center. It carries things regular Costco does not, like giant jars of tahini for CHEAP! I am also wondering if you are willing to share your CSA resource for bulk fruit? I can all summer and would love to check that out!5 stars

    1. We’ll be at the fair all day on Saturday, but it sounds like a field trip is in my future some day soon to fife!

      Shoot me an email with your city and how far you’d be willing to travel for the fruit. Remember it’s 5 pick ups during the season.

    2. Would you please, please expound on the CSA fruit box thingy you mention???
      I live in Texas and I’m unaware of any such program here.

    3. A local company organizes the whole thing, and I pay them a flat fee at the beginning of the season for 100 pounds of fruit. It comes in 5 segements over the growing season and I get 20 lbs each time.

      It works out to like $1.69 a lb or something for organic local fruit. Cherries, peaches, apples, pears, and apples again. Our area is known for our cherries, and still they’re easily $4 a lb for non-organic. It’s a heck of a deal!

  5. I make lousy hummus. Thanks for sharing your recipe! Also, I’m new here, so I didn’t realize you live near Seattle. My sister and her family live in Lynnwood. Yesterday I booked our tickets to see her next month? I squealed in delight…not for seeing my sister but for the produce I’ll have while there. I’m in Texas. It’s hot, dry and the avocados suck. Pike place, here I come.5 stars

  6. I live out in the boonies in rural Alberta, no chance of finding tahini within 100 miles, so I make my own:

    TAHINI

    1/2 cup sesame seeds
    3 tablespoons sesame oil (or olive oil)

    Toast the seeds in a nonstick frying pan, stirring/shaking constantly so you get them just starting to turn golden, not black. Blend with sesame oil – I used my trusty Braun hand-blender. Stir before adding to any recipe.5 stars

  7. My sister in law makes a good hummus. I will definitely have to compare the recipes. She lives in Chicago where they have all the awesome ethnic stores. My po-dunk town sucks! Even though, there is a big University down the street from my house. We don’t have Costco or Fred Meyer. We have Kroger and there isn’t a bulk spice section. We also have Meijer, Martins and Walmart…..not a good selection at all. They all blow!5 stars

    1. Oh I’m so sad for you! It sounds like your grocery set up is less than ideal. Have you looked at Amazon Marketplace? They have some good deals on groceries (fresh and staples) and some of them if you set up a “subscribe and save” you get discounts.

  8. If you have a Mediterranean store you can get to…get the tahini there. Seems positively CHEAP. And, they tend to have super cheap spices too…5 stars

  9. Oh my gosh, I have to try this! I keep trying to make hummus at home and it is pretty grody sometimes. – I also didn’t know that Costco had smoked paprika. How could I have missed this in all of my Costco trips???

    Thank you!5 stars

    1. Oh honey, you need an entire afternoon at Costco just to explore! Too often we race in there and race out and miss some awesome steals. To Costco with you – post haste!