Creamy homemade hummus usually takes ages to make, but I’m here to tell you that there’s a shortcut. This easy hummus recipe takes under 30 minutes and produces the creamiest, smoothest hummus you’ve ever tasted.
Homemade hummus can be so much tastier than store-bought, but only when you really put in the effort and time. I’ve always felt a bit lazy when it came to making my own hummus, especially if I only needed it as a spread for a sandwich. This easy hummus recipe has been a game-changer for me - it produces the same creamy, fluffy hummus you get when you soak, cook and peel your chickpeas, but with your ordinary canned chickpeas.
How to Make the Best Homemade Hummus
There’s a general consensus on what the perfect hummus should be: light and fluffy, yet still creamy and smooth. If you’re trying to make your own, the guidelines for how to make the best hummus are clear:
- Use dry chickpeas and soak overnight, or longer.
- Cook chickpeas until perfectly soft.
- Peel the chickpeas.
- Add ingredients one by one, blending thoroughly after each one.
Our objective here is to get the same magical texture, but with a lot less effort. Because who has the time to do all that?
Once I figured out how to make the best homemade hummus in the traditional way, I scoured the internet to find a way to get the same result without the overnight soaking and peeling the chickpeas. Here is my ultimate guide for how to make the creamiest hummus with little effort in under 30 minutes.
A Quicker Way to Make Creamy Hummus
Here’s how I got the perfect creamy and smooth hummus in under 30 minutes, with no overnight soaking, cooking or peeling required.
- Use canned chickpeas. This way you don’t have to soak the beans overnight.
- Cook canned chickpeas with baking soda, which completely softens the skins, thus omitting the need for peeling.
- Blend tahini and lemon juice first to make a smooth paste.
I used the exact same ingredients for both the hummus on the left and on the right. The only difference is that with the second one I followed these simple tips - cook canned chickpeas with baking soda, and blend tahini with lemon juice first, then add the rest.
When making the one on the left, I simply blended the ingredients for a couple of minutes, using canned chickpeas without any additional cooking. On the right, I followed the three simple tips.
Easy Hummus Step-by-Step
1. Cook canned chickpeas and baking soda. The result will be mushy chickpeas with the peels so soft there’s no need to remove them. I also cooked garlic with the chickpeas, which softens the garlic flavour of your hummus. If you prefer a strong garlicky taste, feel free to add raw garlic when blending.
2. Blend tahini and lemon juice. Doing this first creates a smooth paste, to which you then add the remaining ingredients.
3. Add ingredients one by one, leaving the food processor or blender to run for 1 minute after each one. This not only makes sure all the ingredients are really well blended, but also allows a little bit of air in for a fluffier texture of the hummus.
Easy Hummus Recipe
ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 clove garlic
- ⅓ cup tahini
- Juice from 1.5 lemon
- 5 tablespoons ice water
- ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
instructions
- Place the chickpeas, garlic (if using - see notes) and the baking soda in a medium saucepan. Cover the chickpeas by several inches of water, then bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, reducing heat if necessary to prevent overflow, for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the garlic (if using). In a fine-mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor or high-powered blender, combine tahini and lemon juice, and blend until a fine paste forms.
- Add the cooked chickpeas and blend for at least 1 minute, drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of ice water, blend for another minute, add garlic, salt and 2 tablespoons of ice water and blend for another minute. Scrape down the food processor or blender, and blend some more if necessary, until the mixture is ultra smooth, pale and creamy.
- Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Scrape the hummus into a serving bowl or platter. Top with garnishes of your choice, and serve. Leftover hummus keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week.
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