This hummus recipe is the best ever! It’s a slightly spicy take on a classic recipe and will soon become your go-to hummus recipe!
I love hummus. Like really truly love it. And it’s something we eat almost daily.
One of the best things about living in Dubai was that there was always freshly made hummus everywhere and it was really, really good.
The benefits of making your own hummus are numerous. First off, you get to be a person who makes their own hummus.
That’s some serious cred right there.
This is really a classic hummus recipe that we then added a small spicy kick to. The spicy kick is entirely optional but if you like spicy food then you’ll enjoy the addition of a little hotness to this classic dish.
And if you love all things hummus then also check out our roasted red pepper hummus, it’s totally divine.
How To Make Homemade Hummus
Full instructions and measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is just a summary of the process to go along with the photos.
- Soak crushed garlic in freshly squeezed lemon juice for 5 minutes.
- Then add chickpeas to the food processor along with the garlic and lemon juice, tahini and some cold water and process until chunky.
- Then add in some salt, cumin, olive oil and more cold water and process until smooth.
- Add a little cayenne pepper or cajun spice (optional) and process again until smooth.
Chef’s Tips
Fresh Garlic and Lemon Juice: It’s ideal to crush your own garlic for this hummus so that it’s really fresh. And then it’s also ideal if the lemon juice is freshly squeezed. You soak the crushed garlic in the fresh lemon juice for 5 minutes so that it takes some of the bite out of the raw garlic and the end result is really tasty.
Tahini: A good quality tahini is also really important and to this end, I like to use a tahini that tastes pretty good on its own. Soom is a great brand that you can get on Amazon.
The Spice Factor: So the spiciness comes about from a little cayenne pepper. You can also use cajun spice or even a dash of chili powder. This part is entirely optional, and it’s also a very good idea to add a small amount to start and taste test and then add more as you like.
Getting it smooth: When it comes to hummus you get the best taste and texture when it’s really smooth. The best way to get it smooth is just to let your food processor run for a good few minutes! If your food processor isn’t up to the task of getting it really smooth, then an optional additional step is to move it to your blender for a final blend before serving.
How To Serve Hummus
Serve it with a sprinkle of paprika, a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh chopped parsley. Some pita breads for dipping or some fresh veggies are also a great choice.
Hummus is also great to use as a spread for sandwiches or on top of a baked potato!
Storing and Freezing
Keep your hummus stored in the fridge (covered) where it will stay good for around 3 days.
It is also freezer friendly if you’d like to freeze some. Just place it in a freezer safe container with a little extra room as it can expand when frozen. Put it in the fridge to thaw when you’re ready for it.
More Hummus Recipes
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Creamy Avocado Hummus
- Roasted Butternut Squash Hummus
- Pumpkin Hummus
- Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Hummus Recipe
Ingredients
For Serving:
- Sprinkle Paprika
- Olive Oil Extra Virgin, For Drizzling
- Fresh Parsley Chopped
- Pita Breads
Instructions
- Soak the crushed garlic in the freshly squeezed lemon juice for 5 minutes.
- Then add the drained chickpeas to the food processor along with the garlic and lemon juice, tahini and 2 Tbsp of cold water and process until chunky.
- Then add in the salt, cumin, olive oil and remaining cold water and process until smooth.
- Add the cayenne pepper (optional) and process again until smooth.
Video
Notes
- Soaking the garlic in the lemon juice helps to take some of the bite out of the raw garlic.
- Use a good tasting tahini. Soom is a great brand that you can get on Amazon.
- The cayenne pepper is optional. It’s a good idea to add in ¼ teaspoon first and then taste test and see if you want to add more. Or leave it out altogether. You can also use cajun spice or chili powder.
- To get your hummus smooth let your food processor run for a good few minutes! If your food processor isn’t up to the task of getting it really smooth, then an optional additional step is to move it to your blender for a final blend before serving.
Thank you Allison for an amazing hummus recipe. It was so simple to make and inexpensive too. It was absolutely delicious! I will not be buying hummus from the shop if I can help it.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe Alexia. Thanks for sharing and for your great review!
Hands-down, my favorite hummus recipe that I keep returning to. Simple and flavorful. Easy to modify.
My modifications: omit the oil & use a bit of the bean liquid to make up for that volume; use cubes of frozen of aqua faba for the “cold water.” And the last time I made it, I tossed in a roasted bell pepper for a flavor twist and gorgeous color.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Trish! Thanks for sharing and for your great review!
Easy and very delicious! I added Everything Bagel seasoning to it. A little mixed in and also sprinkled on top.
That sounds lovely Jane! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
this is indeed a ten star hummus recipe! thank you for giving it to us.
Thanks for your awesome review Tanya!
This recipe was a revelation for me. I have recently switched to a “plant-forward” diet and discovered that I love the versatility of hummus in so many different dishes. However, it’s always so expensive in the store. I made this recipe the first time and added roasted red peppers and chili oil. It was amazing! I am excited to experiment with pestos, Moroccan spices, jalapeños, whatever I have on hand to make custom hummus flavors for different kinds of dishes. I will never buy from the store again. Thank you!
Yay! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Jason!
This is very close to my recipe, and I learned, from an online chef, on how to make it even creamier:
If you have absolutely nothing better to do after you drain the chickpeas, taking the skin off of them makes the Hummus creamier. I’ve done it, and it definitely works.
Thanks for sharing your tips Carol!
So much tastier than store bought. It’s easy to tweak to your tastes. Another reviewer said they added more garlic, but personally I prefer to halve the garlic. Then I double the cumin. You can’t go wrong 🙂 My blender whipped this up fine. Yum!
Awesome Janelle! Thanks so much for your great review!
Love hummus, & really excited to try making my own. Saw this recipe and it seemed pretty straight-forward. Whipped up a batch in about 10 minutes. My small food processor was “challenged” even with this single batch, but it soldiered on and I just ate nearly the whole batch in a single sitting! I make my own tahini, which is super easy and budget-friendly, so this turned into an affordable, light, and delicious little supper! I will never buy store bought hummus (or tahini) again! Thank you for sharing–the cayenne and cumin really added a delightful punch. Looking forward to trying other types of DIY hummus!
That’s great Michon! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
I am not usually a big hummus eater, but this turned out so so good that I now love hummus. Since I eat mostly plant based foods, this hummus will add lots of protein in my diet.
Happy to hear you enjoy the recipe! Thanks so much for your great review!
one of the best recipes I have tried, will be making this my go to recipe now thank you for sharing.
So happy to hear you enjoy the recipe Cazzie! Thanks so much for your great review!
the addition of cayenne pepper give this an extra kick it is delicious.
It really does! Thanks for your review!
Utterly delicious! I added extra garlic and chopped olives sautéed in cold pressed grapeseed oil, (ran out of olive) lemon juice and lemon zest as a topping. Great, fast, easy and superior recipe.
Thank you.
That’s amazing! Thank you so much for your great review!
Could I make this without olive oil? Maybe just increase the tahini by a tablespoon? Thanks! Love all your recipes – especially the No-Fail Whole Wheat bread. Yum!
Hi Cindy, yes you definitely can! Add in a little more cold water instead of the oil and it will work great. 🙂