Blender Hummus
Making smooth and creamy hummus in a blender is much easier than you think! Learn how to use a standard or immersion blender. It’s even better than the store-bought stuff!
If you’ve ever wondered how to make hummus in a blender, no worries, I’ve got you covered! No food processor needed. This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free and can easily be made oil-free.
It doesn’t contain any animal products. The basic ingredients include chickpeas and tahini, a sesame seed paste. It pairs well with these tasty air fryer falafel.
How is hummus traditionally made?
Traditionally, hummus is made with chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini, salt, and lemon juice. But you can make variations of it to include red pepper, pine nuts, cumin or roasted garlic.
At home, it’s often made in a food processor, although traditionally it’s made by hand using a mortar and pestle. But if you have neither of these, making hummus with a hand blender is a breeze!
How to make hummus in a blender
To make creamy hummus, simply add all the ingredients at once to a blender and whip it up.
The main difference is that more water would be required than if you were making it in a food processor. But the whole process should take about 5 minutes.
You can use a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix for best results but a regular blender is fine.
Can you make hummus with an immersion blender?
Yes. A hand, stick or immersion blender works well for making hummus. I’ve actually tried it before with no problems.
The main difference is that depending on the brand, a hand blender may be less powerful than a stand blender so the processing will have to be done gradually and might require more liquid to blend easier.
Here’s how to make hummus with an immersion blender:
1. Add the chickpeas, minced garlic and tahini to a deep bowl or container.
2. Use the stick blender to break up the chickpeas in as smaller pieces as possible without liquid.
3. Gradually add the lemon juice, oil and water and blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape the bowl occasionally to ensure you don’t miss any pieces and add more water if needed.
4. Season with cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
The hummus might seem runnier than usual as a result of adding more water. But I’ve found that due to the starch in chickpeas, it actually thickens over time when allowed to rest.
I would place it in the fridge for about an hour to thicken up before serving.
Should I use canned or dried chickpeas?
Hummus made from scratch using dried chickpeas will definitely taste much better than using canned. When using dried chickpeas, soak overnight, drain, then cook in a pressure cooker the next day.
For more details on how I soak, sprout and cook dried legumes for better digestion please read my Lentil Stew recipe post.
If you are really pressed for time or prefer more convenience, then go right ahead and use canned chickpeas.
How to make hummus even smoother
You can make hummus creamier by removing the skins from cooked chickpeas prior to blending. To be honest, I usually skip this step to save time and it doesn’t seem necessary especially when using a high-speed blender.
However, peeling chickpeas is known to yield the best results, in terms of texture, when using a stick blender. The skins of cooked chickpeas can be removed in one of two ways:
- Peel them individually by hand by pinching the beans between your thumb and index fingers until the skins slide off.
- If they are cooked well enough you can rub a handful of beans between the palms of your hands until the skins loosen.
Note: Many have recommended adding baking soda to the beans while cooking or after cooking to make them softer and help loosen the skins but I never do this because baking soda can leave a soapy aftertaste.
Can I make this recipe oil-free or low fat?
Yes, you can. The great thing about making hummus from scratch is being able to modify it to your tastes. Since most store-bought versions are made with oil, you can skip the oil in the homemade blender version.
With the use of tahini and the extra liquid, hummus can be made just as smooth and creamy without olive oil and lower in fat.
How long does homemade hummus last?
Homemade hummus can last in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. When placed in the freezer, it can last for up to 6 months. Once thawed, eat within 5 to 7 days.
7 unique ways to eat blender hummus
You’re probably aware of the typical foods such as pita, chips and carrots, but here are some unique ways to use blender hummus:
1. Pasta – for a quick and creamy, high-protein dinner
2. As a vegan substitute for mayo
3. In quesadillas
4. For dessert! Skip the savory ingredients and instead add vanilla, cocoa powder and your favorite sweetener to make Chocolate Hummus.
5. In mashed potatoes or potato salad
6. Salad dressing. Try variations using roasted red pepper and avocado.
7. With cassava bread (or bammy). Bammies are a Jamaican side dish made from grated cassava (yucca) that’s pressed to remove the liquid, formed into circular shapes then baked into a flatbread.
I usually purchase the thin variety from my local grocery store in Jamaica (brand: Cherry’s Homemade).
When drizzled with oil and baked in the oven, they make crispy chips that are naturally gluten-free and delicious with hummus.
More vegan snack ideas:
Blender Hummus
Equipment
- Blender
Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) cooked chickpeas, See Notes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons tahini
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Paprika , for garnish, optional
- Olive oil, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Drain cooked chickpeas.2 cups (400 g) cooked chickpeas
- Remove the outer skins of the cooked chickpeas. This step is optional but makes for a much smoother result.
If you’re using a high-speed blender:
- Add the all ingredients except salt and pepper to the blender bowl, and blend until smooth and creamy.2 tablespoons lemon juice ,4 tablespoons tahini ,3 cloves garlic ,4 tablespoons water ,1 teaspoon cumin
- Scrape the bowl occasionally to ensure you don’t miss any pieces and add more water if needed.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.Salt and pepper
If you’re using a hand blender:
- Add the chickpeas, minced garlic and tahini to a deep bowl or container.
- Use the stick blender to break up the chickpeas in as smaller pieces as possible without liquid.
- Gradually add the lemon juice, oil and water and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Scrape the bowl and add more water if needed.
- Season with cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, spoon hummus in a bowl, sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (skip for oil-free hummus).Paprika ,Olive oil
Notes
- If using dried chickpeas for this recipe, soak 1 cup (about 200g) overnight, drain, then cook in a pressure cooker for 20 mins the next day.
- For more details on how I soak, sprout and cook dried legumes for better digestion please read my Lentil Stew recipe post.
- For more convenience, use 1 can of chickpeas (about 2 cups/400g) when drained.
- Try roasted garlic for a more mellow flavor.
- If you don’t have lemon juice, try a mix of lime juice and apple cider vinegar.
- Store hummus in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days. Freeze for up to 6 months but eat with 5 to 7 days after thawing.
I tried this today and although i did not have correct spoons to measure correctly i improvised and it did not turn out too bad lovely flavour if a little loose, i upped the garlic and used Cornish sea salt/roasted garlic for the seasoning. Will use toasted pitta bread strips and chopped vegtables to eat with it tonight.
For a hand blender (handheld foodprocessor), I use a Bamix. 🙂
The creamiest hummus ever!
I had to use my immersion blender because my old-school Oster Premium’s jar base cap cracked after 30 years LOL. Thank goodness there are replacement parts, but I have to say, using the immersion blender made it creamier.
I didn’t have dried garbanzos either. So I used canned. I recommend peeling the garbanzos from the can, because the skins have that “can” flavor to me. But they are easy to peel as Jhanelle describes. It took me about 10 minutes to peel the whole can once I got into the groove LOL.
I’ve always blended the Tahini and lemon juice first because I was told by my Auntie that the step will guarantee creaminess. Then I crumbled the skinned garbanzos, cumin and garlic into the container, and the mix creamed up easily. I added the EVOO a bit at a time, just pulsing a bit with each addition to avoid bitterness. Didn’t need water.
I like Aleppo Pepper and Za’atar as a garnish. That was my Auntie’s way.
Thanks for your post, Jhanelle. I was concerned about using a hand blender for this. Now it’s how I will make hummus!
Thank Goodness for replacement parts indeed Carol! I need to try your Aunt’s spice recommendations too. Thank you for the extra tips!
This is the first time using your receipe and I must say I enjoyed it. The hummus came out good I followed your recommendation to remove the skins. It was a bit tedious for me to do that but it was totally worth it. Its really yummy. I also loved that your receipe is to the T with instructions and there was no guessing game.
Thank you so much for the feedback Alicia! I appreciate it.
Hi Jhanelle, this recipe sounds amazing. I’m planning to make it but wondered what immersion blender you used? Currently looking to invest in one for soups, hummus, etc. Thanks!
Hey Jes! I just got a new immersion blender after my old one broke (it was pretty cheap anyway but can’t handle long run times). I read lots of great reviews on Bamix which is a bit pricer but worth it. It’s tough and doesn’t get overheated like my old one. I got it off Amazon. This is similar to the one I bought so I could get the extra attachments.
I bake a lot too so the food processor attachment comes in handy for grinding a handful of nuts. But if you don’t need the extras the others with just the different blades are great too. I’ve been meaning to make a video using it to hummus make one day.
Yay, thanks Jhanelle! Your recommendation is so helpful, the multiple blades sound incredibly helpful. If you don’t mind a follow-up question, I have been debating getting a Vitamix blender (the ones btwn $320-$350) and now seeing that the immersion blender is similar in price point, would you say a Vitamix is a better initial investment? Again, mainly wanting to use blender for soups (with winter coming), hummus, sauces and smoothies. Appreciate any thoughts you may have. Thank you! ☺️
I have a Vitamix too but now I mostly use it for large batch blending when I’m baking. For example, if I want to blend whole carrots for carrot cake or make coconut milk, the Vitamix would be great for that. Otherwise I don’t use it as much anymore. The Bamix is powerful and could be used to make nut milk but it might take longer due to the smaller blade.
But it’s perfect for blending sauces and soups in a pot and is able to crush ice for smoothies (maybe individual servings though). I sound like one of their sales rep now haha. But I really like it and would have chosen it over the Vitamix for simplicity and quick clean up.
Oh the slender “stick” doesn’t detach from the motor. Only the different blades can detach so it’s not as dishwasher friendly but easy to wipe with a soapy sponge and rinse.
Lovely and creamy . I used a hand stick blender and found it creamer then other methods I’ve tried. I also enjoyed the mouth feel from not adding oil . Great version of humus I’ve saved this recipe .
Thanks for giving it a try Sonya! Glad you liked it!