Homemade Oil-Free Hummus Recipe

Since the majority of the flavor comes from tahini, I would recommend using good-quality tahini.  A lot of recipes call for olive oil, but to get smooth hummus without oil, I use aquafaba (chickpea liquid) and ice-cold water.  They help to give the hummus a fluffy and creamy texture. 

This recipe is very adaptable and it’s super easy to make your own hummus without oil.  Don’t like cumin?  Don’t add it.  Prefer more lemon?  Add more lemon.  The condiment is made with simple ingredients and works great as a spread on a hummus cucumber sandwich, added to a Mediterranean power bowl, as well as a dip for veggies, pitas, or crackers.

This is a basic recipe, for more flavor options try smoked paprika hummus with roasted red bell pepper or garlic-free hummus, which has other flavor options.

For more chickpea-based dips try buffalo chickpea dip or vegan curry chickpea salad for an easy appetizer.

Aquafaba

Ingredient notes

Chickpeas - Use cooked chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), either canned or cooked from scratch. You will need aquafaba for this recipe and the aquafaba from cooking chickpeas from scratch tends to be a bit thinner than from a can. I haven't tried using the aquafaba from cooking my own chickpeas in this recipe. 

Tahini - Tahini is ground sesame seeds.  Use good quality tahini that's pourable for this classic hummus recipe. Stir your tahini before measuring, sometimes there will be oil separation and the bottom of the container will be drier than the rest. The tahini can always be reduced to 2 tablespoons if you want to reduce the fat content.

For more ways to use leftover tahini, try creamy tahini soba noodles, smoky tahini dressing, lemon herb tahini, or tahini pasta.

Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice will give the hummus the best flavor. You may need 2 lemons to get a ¼ cup of lemon juice, maybe 3 if they are really small and not juicy.

Garlic - Fresh raw garlic can be a bit harsh.  If you’d like to mellow the flavor, slice or dice the garlic and let it sit in the lemon juice for about 15 minutes.  Then add the lemon juice and garlic to the blender along with the rest of the ingredients. If you prefer more garlic, add more.

Salt - Add the suggested amount, but salt preference varies from one person to another. So, taste and then adjust as needed.

Cumin - If you don't like ground cumin, it can be left out. Instead, try adding oil-free roasted garlic or smoked paprika (add to taste).

Aquafaba - This is the liquid from the can of chickpeas, drain it into a separate container and reserve 2 tablespoons for no-oil hummus. It will be a cloudy liquid, I like to give it a stir before measuring what I need for a recipe.

Cold water - For cold water, either fill a small bowl with water and place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes before starting the recipe or add ice cubes to a bowl of water. How much cold water you’ll need will depend on how thin or thick you like your hummus.

Tips

• Drain the chickpeas and save the liquid (aquafaba).  The liquid will help create a fluffier hummus.
• If you use aquafaba often, the leftovers can be frozen in ice trays.  Once frozen, pop them out of the tray into a freezer-safe container.
• If you have a high-speed blender, it creates a smoother hummus than a food processor does.  I did have to stop my high-speed blender frequently for air bubbles, then once the liquid was added I could get a much smoother hummus.

Tips for a smooth consistency

If you prefer a smoother consistency, here are some options.    

• If cooking chickpeas from scratch, cook them for about 15 minutes longer than you usually would with ½ teaspoon of baking soda for ¾ cup of dried chickpeas.  The chickpeas should be soft and the skins should be coming off. 

• You can even boil a drained can of chickpeas if you don’t want to cook them from scratch.  Add the drained chickpeas to a pot, cover them with water, add ½ teaspoon of baking soda, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.  This softens canned chickpeas so they create a smoother consistency and the skins should be peeling off.  Then drain, rinse, and add your chickpeas with skins to the blender or food processor.
• If you don’t overcook the chickpeas to get them super soft, remove the skins of the cooked chickpeas before pureeing.  Pinch each bean and the skin should slide off.  Repeat with the rest of the beans, and discard the skins. 
• Another tip is to use a high-speed blender if yours is more powerful than your food processor.  You’ll likely have to stop frequently to push down the hummus, but it creates a smoother consistency.  This is my preferred method to get creamy hummus, it cuts out a lot of time and extra dishes.

Instructions

To make this homemade hummus recipe, start by placing a bowl of water in the freezer for about 10 minutes or adding ice cubes to a bowl of water and letting it get cold before starting the recipe.

Drain chickpeas and save the liquid (aquafaba). Add garlic to a food processor or high-speed blender and run the machine to get the garlic finely chopped.

Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and cumin to the garlic and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Once smooth and while the food processor (or high-speed blender) is on, add aquafaba and then 2 tablespoons of cold water.  Keep adding cold water by the tablespoon until you reach your desired consistency.

Then taste and adjust for personal preference, more lemon, tahini, salt, or garlic.

Storage

It can be difficult to find store-bought hummus without oil, but this oil-free recipe can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for about a week in the refrigerator. It can also be stored in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for about 3 months.  Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and enjoy.  Use the recipe for meal prep or batch cooking.

Serving suggestions

• As a dip for crackers or pita bread 
• Try it with veggie sticks
• Use it as a sauce for pasta
• A dressing for a Buddha or grain bowl
• Enjoy it in a Mediterranean power bowl
• A spread on sandwiches or wraps, try it on a hummus cucumber sandwich
• On vegan toast or bagels
• Thin it out with a smidge of water and use it as a salad dressing

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