The creamiest homemade hummus recipe with roasted garlic, lemon and cumin. A healthy and inexpensive crowd-pleasing dip!
Originally posted in April 2016, recipe and photographs updated July 2022.
I really love hummus. I think I have lost count of the number of times I’ve tried to make it myself and the hummus never seems to be smooth. Getting an ultra smooth and creamy hummus is achieved by using one of two methods.
Both methods take about 20 minutes, the first is squeezing the skins off the canned chickpeas and the second option is boiling the chickpeas with a bit of bicarbonate of soda.
Both of these methods will produce a seriously smooth, whipped hummus. I’ve made this recipe recently and boiled my chickpeas, which I found easier and less fuss.
The second thing I changed about my hummus is I’ve used roasted garlic. It’s an underrated ingredient in savoury cooking and can transform any dish into something quite special. If you’d like to learn how to roast your own garlic I find this post helpful for tips. I find roasted garlic adds the right amount of flavour.
Tahini is also a super important ingredient to add to hummus. It’s a sesame seed paste commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking and recipes. I highly recommend it for authentic flavour and texture.
The final ingredients we’re adding to this hummus are fresh lemon juice – depending on how lemony you want the hummus start with the juice of half your lemon, then add more if desired and the final ingredients are the seasoning which includes ground cumin and salt and pepper.
I always find it great to have a bowl aside in my fridge ready for snacking on. The hummus is fantastic served with vegetable crudités, spread in tortilla wraps with falafel and salad or served as part of a mezze. My favourite way to eat it is with toasted pita or crunchy pita chips alongside tzaztiki (Greek cucumber dip). It’s also fabulous stirred through pasta too.
After tasting this hummus my taste buds were transported back to Cyprus and the summer. It’s my favourite hummus recipe and is super easy and quick to prepare and hardly costs anything to make – which means this recipe is particularly great for those on a budget.
Once the hummus is beautifully whipped, transfer it to a bowl or container and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavours to develop – you can serve it right away. Scrape your hummus into a serving bowl or dish of your choice, my blue bowl is one I picked up on my travels in Ibiza.
Drizzle the hummus with extra virgin olive oil (I also recommend chilli oil for an added kick of spice) and sprinkle with parsley, a few pinches of smoked paprika and sesame seeds.
Creamy Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
- 240 g chickpeas (this is usually 400g/14 ounce can before draining)
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2-1 lemon juiced
- 3-4 cloves of roasted garlic (or one clove of garlic)
- 120 g tahini
- 2-3 tablespoons ice-cold water plus extra if needed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain the can of chickpeas and rinse. Add to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of water. Add the bicarbonate of soda and boil this mixture for 20 minutes - watch it carefully in case it boils over and turn the heat down slightly if needed. The chickpeas are ready when they look bloated, the skins are falling off and they're soft. Drain the chickpeas over a sieve and run cold water over them for about 30 seconds - set aside for later.
- Place the lemon juice, garlic and tahini in a food processor and process until the mixture is thick and creamy. With the food processor running, add 2 tablespoons of water. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and continue blending until the mixture is ultra light and fluffy - about a minute.
- Add the olive oil, cumin and salt and pepper and drained chickpeas. Blend until smooth (approx. 2 more minutes), adding more water a tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency you want.
- Taste the hummus and adjust seasoning - add more lemon juice if desired and more salt and pepper. Serve the hummus topped with garnishes of your choice. The hummus will keep for up to one week covered in the fridge.
If you like this recipe, why not try these too!
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Oooh, so that’s how you get smooth hummus!? Thanks for the tip! (Though it’s quite sad it takes so much time 🙁 ). And I’ll definitely add roasted garlic next time. Sounds wonderful.
Ooooh this looks so good. Hummus should be a food group.
I love hummus, and I love roasted garlic…so this wouldn’t last long around here. Looks delicious, Jess! 🙂
Never thought of loosening up homemade hummus with a touch of water- so clever! Delicious 🙂
Oh I love hummus, but I never make it at home! This roasted garlic version looks absolutely delicious, Jess! Definitely need to give it a try 🙂
Roasted garlic anything is good!!!!
Oh my Gosh, Jess! This recipe is a savior! I made hummus like 2 -3 times at home but it was so inedible and so different from the one I would eat at restaurants! I guess I know why now! SKINS!!!!! Following your recipe the next time I make hummus now! And roasted garlic is probably one of the best ingredients ever!!! What a game-changer!
Hi Samina! Happy you like the hummus recipe! It’s my new favourite thing to make at the moment. It’s super healthy and really tasty – I definitely recommend using roasted garlic in your next batch of hummus! P.S really love your new blog and the delicious recipe you posted this week. Will try out the herb roasted potatoes as they look and sound absolutely delicious. 🙂
I am hummus obsessed. This one looks perfect. I’ve never put roasted garlic in it before. I can’t wait to give it a try.
I’ve discovered chana dal (at most Asian markets) as a fabulous substitution for regular chickpeas. Though you have to cook them, they make the smoothest hummus I’ve ever made at home!! Takes longer than using canned chickpeas but soooooo worth it for the smooth texture & very low sodium!
Hi Carrie! I will definitely look into purchasing some chana dal, I have an Asian supermarket quite nearby so maybe I will be able to get some there. I’ve been wanting to try the method of cooking my own chickpeas and then blending, as I know it produces a smoother texture. Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂