How To Make The Best Homemade Oil-free Hummus

Let’s Make Hummus! There are a few things that always make it into the grocery cart when Mr. MVF + I go shopping together. One of those things undoubtedly used to be a tub of hummus. Not. Any. More. Not because we don’t like hummus, we happen to LOVE hummus. But, once I nailed the formula on how to make the best homemade oil-free hummus, I realized that it was better than anything we could find in the store. No more tubs of hummus tossed into this girl’s cart. With a few basic ingredients + my tricks for making hummus super smooth, you will be a believer too!

Tara’s Tuesday Tips:

How to Make the Best Homemade Oil-Free Hummus

If you are plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan, hummus is a staple food! Making your own at home is an essential skill for any plant-based eater. There is no need to turn on the oven, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already. You can achieve the same level of yumminess with a blender or a food processor, both work great. You can also start with a can of chickpeas of use dry beans. Here are my tips for hummus perfection!

How To Make Hummus Creamy + Smooth EVERY Time:

Add baking soda to the chickpea water.

I did not develop this trick, but I definitely have used it! You want mushy chickpeas. Some recipes I would not recommend mushy chickpeas, this one, yes, I certainly do. Adding one teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water of the chickpeas can help soften them, makes them cook quicker, and helps them to be whirled into a creamier hummus! If you are starting with dry beans, you could add a teaspoon into the soaking water instead. If you are using canned beans this trick works too. Drain + rinse the canned chickpeas, put them in a pot, cover the beans with water plus one inch, add a teaspoon of baking soda, and simmer them for 20 minutes. Always be sure to rinse chickpeas that have been cooked or soaked in baking soda to remove any residue. If you do this trick, it takes the place of peeling the skins!

Place everything in your blender or food processor IN THE RIGHT ORDER!

The order is super important when you want your hummus creamy! If you use this tip, you do not need to do the others! Here is the order:

lemon juice
tahini
salt
water
blend until fully combined
garlic
chickpeas
ice
blend again until smooth
add more water as needed to get to desired thickness

Put the lemon juice followed by the tahini, salt, and water. Give that a good whirl until they are incorporated, then add the garlic, chickpeas, ice, and any add-ins. Whirl it up again and be sure to scrape down the sides. THIS WORKS!

Remove each and every tiny little skin from each and every little chickpea.

I did an experiment, and it took me 7 minutes to take the skins off every chickpea. If you have the time + patience, go for it. This trick will make your hummus smoother, but it is not a deal breaker.

Start with warm chickpeas.

I’m telling you, this is another tip that works every time. The hummus is smoother + creamier if you make it with chickpeas that are warm. Notice I did not say hot! Warm, not hot. I know what you are thinking, gross, warm hummus. Nope! The next tip fixes that.

Use ice.

Adding ice cubes into the hummus mixture lets air in + makes your hummus fluffier. Aerating your hummus gives it that smooth, fluffy texture that some think you can only achieve with oil. Nope! Ice … the oil-free hummus secret weapon!

Can Oil-Free Hummus Actually Taste Good?

Absolutely, yes! Store-bought containers of hummus contain A LOT of oil! A perfectly healthy, high protein, plant-based snack with beautiful wholesome ingredients does not need the added oils + fat! You can get the same taste + texture with adding ice + tahini! Tahini is simply ground sesame seeds, this releases the natural oil of the seeds into your hummus giving it just enough oil to be creamy + satisfying. I shy away from added oils in my food for disease prevention, to keep down inflammation, and to cut unnecessary fat + calories. I like to eat, I like to snack, I like flavor, I don’t like unnecessary things in my food. Trust me fam, I would not steer you wrong when it comes to making the best homemade oil-free hummus!

Curious about oils? Start here: How To Choose A Cooking Oil, What Is A Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet?, How To Eat For Heart Health, How to Lower Your Cholesterol.

What You Will Need to Make The Best Homemade Oil-Free Hummus

1 can of chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (can also use black beans, white beans, or lentils)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic
1 cup ice
1/2 cup water
Blender or food processor
Follow my tips above to make your hummus creamy
Click the title of any of my recipes below to customize your hummus!