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Easy Hummus

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By Pillsbury Kitchens
Updated Nov 18, 2024
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On the most basic level, hummus is a dip made from pureed chickpeas, sesame seeds, garlic, oil, lemon juice, and salt. But it’s also an incredibly important cultural symbol to many different groups of people across the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Asia. The first written record of hummus hails from Egypt in the 1200s. Since then, this veggie-based snack has gained in popularity all over the world as a versatile bean-based dip that’s amenable to all sorts of applications and flavor variations.

Luckily, hummus is much easier to make from scratch than you might think. Once you gather the ingredients, hummus comes together quickly – just put everything in the food processor, and blitz until smooth and delicious. Then use it as an easy appetizer with pita chips, bread, or veggies. It makes a great sandwich spread or topping for bowls and salads.

How to Make Hummus

With nothing more than a food processor and six simple ingredients, you can have homemade hummus in just ten minutes! Here’s a rundown of the process, but you can find the full ingredient list and instructions below.

Place Ingredients in Processor

Be sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas first, then add to the bowl of the food processor along with the remaining hummus ingredients all at once.

Puree the Hummus

Turn on the food processor for a couple minutes, being sure to use a rubber or silicone spatula to scrape down the sides for the smoothest hummus.

Make it Your Own

Here’s the fun part! Transfer the hummus to a bowl or serving platter and serve with your favorite accoutrements, from breads and crackers to veggies and condiments. Below, you can see our tips for hummus variations and serving suggestions. Now that you know how easy it is, what are you waiting for?

Hummus Variations

The wide variety of hummus options you can find in grocery stores just goes to show how much our love for hummus has grown. Luckily, most of these variations are super simple to make at home.

Just Top It: Some of the most popular hummus variations are simply toppings. For pine nut hummus, top the plain hummus recipe with a few tablespoons of toasted, salted pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil. For olive hummus, top with chopped kalamata olives or prepared tapenade.

Stir It In: For everything bagel, za’atar, and other spice blend-based variations, stir a couple of tablespoons of the spice blend into the plain hummus, then top with a bit more of the spice blend to visibly nod to your special flavor.

Add to the Food Processor: Some flavors work best when added to the processor along with the other hummus ingredients. For red pepper hummus, drain about half a cup of jarred, sliced roasted red bell peppers to the other ingredients and process until smooth, then top with some chopped roasted red peppers. For pesto hummus, add about a quarter cup of toasted pine nuts, a cup of fresh basil, and a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese to the base recipe, then top with more pine nuts, chopped basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Experiment with different toppings and veggies, like cooked beets, caramelized onions, avocados, and pumpkin puree to make this homemade hummus recipe your own. How do you make hummus? Let us know in the comments!

Serving Hummus

Now that you know how to make hummus, we can’t wait to tell you our favorite ways to serve it!

Whether you want more veggies for your game day spread or just need a snack to keep on hand for school lunches and happy hour, you’ll love keeping a batch of this hummus in the fridge every week. The simplest way to serve your hummus is alongside sliced Pillsbury™ French Loaf or toasted pita bread wedges with a drizzle of olive oil. It’s also an excellent spread for plain sandwich bread, wraps, or pita pockets.

Elevate your hummus by topping with fresh herbs, like basil, parsley, cilantro, tarragon, or chives. Or make it spicy with chili crisp, harissa, sriracha, or other hot sauces. Add a little acid with a drizzle of your favorite vinegar, or serve with lemon or lime wedges. A drizzle of honey or sprinkle of specialty salt helps make your hummus a little more impressive for guests.

Hummus Bruschetta turns your hummus into a meal. It uses our Pillsbury™ French bread as a base for an uncomplicated veggie- and herb-loaded toast.

Cucumber Hummus Tart is an easy riff on cucumber sandwiches, using Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls as the base for a hummus- and veggie-topped brunch app or simple supper.

Storing Hummus

Hummus can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator, up to 4 days. Stir before using.

While we don’t recommend freezing, as it can affect flavor and texture of the hummus over time, you can freeze hummus for up to two months. Place hummus in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Label and store up to two months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and stir before using. Do not microwave to thaw.

More Dip Recipes

Can’t get enough dip?

Buffalo Chicken Dip: Served with blue cheese, celery, carrots, and bagel chips. We love this spicy, creamy dip.

7-Layer Dip: There are lots of different versions of this classic, but the seven layers are pretty consistent. Can you name them off the top of your head? Don’t cheat! Okay: beans, seasoned sour cream, guacamole, cheese, pico de gallo, olives, and green onions. How’d you do?

Spinach-Alfredo Skillet Dip: It’s true, everyone loves a spinach dip. This is the quickest and easiest you’ll find, just 3 ingredients and it comes with its own dippers!

Dill Pickle Dip: This tart and creamy dip is a great way to transform pickle juice into a perked-up version of a basic chip dip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need to Peel the Chickpeas?

Some recipes may call for peeling freshly cooked chickpeas. If they’re stirred into a salad or used as a topping, unpeeled fresh chickpeas can look a little sloppy and have a slightly different texture from the rest of the legume. Canned chickpeas tend to be very soft, and when pureed, as in hummus, require no peeling. Whatever you use, just be sure to process your hummus until thoroughly pureed to avoid any differences in texture.

Can I Make This Recipe with Dried Chickpeas?

While you can certainly make hummus with dried chickpeas, our recipe was designed for ease and speed, so we think canned chickpeas are the best fit for this version.

To prepare dried chickpeas to make hummus, soak the chickpeas in water, covered and refrigerated, at least 8 hours or overnight. Then drain and cook in salted water in a saucepan until very soft. Chickpeas are done when they can be easily mashed with a spoon.

Should I Use a Food Processor or Blender?

If you have a food processor, it’s the best choice for making homemade hummus. This is for many reasons, but the most important one is that it’s difficult to remove the thick, finished hummus from a blender.

To make hummus in a blender, you will usually need more liquid than you would use in a food processor. It’s important to understand that olive oil doesn’t count as a liquid, as fats thicken emulsions like hummus, and for blending, you need to thin your hummus. You could add more lemon juice, but it will increase the acidity of your hummus. Our recommendation would be to drizzle in water, a little at a time, until the desired texture is achieved.

Easy Hummus

  • Prep Time 10 min
  • Total 10 min
  • Ingredients 6
  • Servings 6
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Ingredients

  • 1 can (15 oz) Progresso™ Chick Peas, drained, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Place chick peas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in food processor.
  • Step 
    2
    Cover and process 1 to 2 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides with spatula, until mixture has a smooth, uniform consistency.
  • Step 
    3
    Spoon hummus into serving dish.

Nutrition

210 Calories
16g Total Fat
5g Protein
13g Total Carbohydrate
2g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: About 1/4 Cup
Calories
210
Calories from Fat
140
Total Fat
16g
24%
Saturated Fat
2g
10%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
0mg
0%
Sodium
210mg
9%
Potassium
100mg
3%
Total Carbohydrate
13g
4%
Dietary Fiber
4g
15%
Sugars
2g
Protein
5g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
0%
0%
Vitamin C
6%
6%
Calcium
6%
6%
Iron
8%
8%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 3 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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