How to Make the Best Smooth & Creamy Hummus

The secrets to making creamy hummus at home are actually pretty simple. Follow these tips on how to make the BEST Smooth & Creamy Hummus and whip up your own homemade hummus to have on hand. It's great for a tasty quick-grab snack!

We love to keep hummus on hand for an easy, tasty, quick-grab snack. Sure, we can buy delicious hummus at the store. And to be honest, quite often we do. But it's also pretty easy to whip up your own at home.

When it comes to hummus, I like it to be super smooth and creamy. But even though it's made with just a few simple ingredients and truly isn't hard to make, that coveted creamy texture often eludes us when we make hummus at home.

The way in which these simple ingredients are combined makes a big difference in the texture of the finished hummus.

The basic hummus ingredients are simply chickpeas, tahini (ground sesame seed paste), fresh lemon, garlic, and olive oil. But the way in which these simple ingredients are combined makes a big difference in the texture of the finished hummus.

So what are the secrets of combining these simple ingredients to create the smooth and silky hummus we love? There are three:

Softened chickpeas
Incorporating air as the hummus is made
Adding the chickpeas last

So let's take a look at how to make hummus step-by-step, incorporating these secrets as we go.

Step 1: Soften the Chickpeas

When chickpeas are softened perfectly for hummus, they should mash easily with your thumb.

So just how do you soften chickpeas to make creamy hummus?

It's easy, especially when you use canned chickpeas like I do. You can certainly use and cook fresh chickpeas to make hummus, but I find canned ones to be just so convenient.

To soften canned chickpeas, pour the contents of a 15-ounce can of chickpeas, undrained, into a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water, bring everything to a boil, and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

When chickpeas are softened perfectly for hummus, they should mash easily with your thumb.

For truly silky smooth hummus, it's also important to remove and discard the chickpea skins.

Many of the skins will come loose during the simmering process - just let the chickpeas cool for a few minutes, then look for the loose skins and grab them out. And you can stop right there with chickpea skin removal if you'd like (and truthfully, I usually do).

But if you want to get the skins off each and every chickpea (which will result in the absolute creamiest hummus), pick up each chickpea and gently pinch to slip off the skin. Or, place the chickpeas in a wire mesh strainer and rub them gently against the strainer sides to rub the skins off.

Step 2: Whip the Tahini

Tahini is the ground sesame seed paste that brings the characteristic nutty flavor to hummus. Some people love it and some people, well, don't. The amount used in hummus can be varied to suit your personal taste - I personally love the rich flavor it brings to hummus. But if you don't love it so much, just use less.

Where do you find tahini in the grocery store, you ask? Look for it near the peanut butters or in the ethnic foods section of the grocery store - I've seen it in either of these places, depending on the store.

Why do you whip the tahini? Because that's the first step in incorporating air into the hummus as its made. And incorporating air is one of the three secrets to making the best smooth and creamy hummus.

Place 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup tahini, in the work bowl of a food processor. Add a clove of garlic, fresh lemon juice, and some kosher salt. Process everything for 1 full minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then process everything again for 30 to 45 seconds more.

Step 3: Add Olive Oil

With the food processor running, stream in 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Process for about 1 minute to incorporate the olive oil fully - and to incorporate in even more air.

Step 4: Add the Chickpeas

Drain the softened chickpeas, reserving the liquid.

Add half of the chickpeas and 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid to the food processor. If you need to, add water to the chickpea liquid to make it equal 1/4 cup.

Process the chickpeas for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the work bowl once.

Then add the remaining chickpeas and process for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until they're smooth.

Processing each round of chickpeas for the full 1 to 2 minutes is another way to continue incorporating air into the hummus.

Step 5: Adjust Consistency

Some "adjustment" may be necessary to get the hummus to the consistency you'd like.

To adjust the consistency, add up to about 2 to 3 more tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid (or water) a little at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. Process in the food processor for about 20 to 30 seconds after each addition.

Step 6: Garnish & Serve

Scoop the hummus into a serving bowl. Drizzle the top with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a little paprika. If you'd like, it also looks nice to put a few whole chickpeas and a little bit of chopped parsley on the top.

Serve it up with pita bread, pita chips, crackers, or assorted vegetables for dipping and you've got one very tasty snack or party dip. If you'd like an even fancier (but still super easy) party dip, use the homemade hummus as the base for a platter of loaded hummus dip.

Simple ingredients and simple "secrets" to combining them - softened chickpeas, incorporating air, and adding the chickpeas last.

How long can you store hummus in the refrigerator if you'd like to keep it on hand for snacking or prepare it in advance? Stored in an airtight container, hummus can keep in the refrigerator for up to about one week.

And that's all there is to making the best smooth and creamy homemade hummus. Simple ingredients and simple "secrets" to combining them - softened chickpeas, incorporating air, and adding the chickpeas last.

Just follow these simple guidelines and you'll be enjoying smooth and creamy hummus made right at home.

Thank you for stopping by . We'd love to have you back soon!

hummus, hummus recipe, homemade hummus, creamy hummus

Appetizers & Snacks

Yield: 6-8 servings

Author: Tracey |